Pink Walls

Bonus [1.2]

***

I know we look suspicious, but can't you pretend like you didn't see anything? I begged her silently.

She tapped her chin and stared both of us down. "No one is going to propose, right?"

"No," I shook my head hurriedly before Alex did something stupid. It had taken a whole year to get Ron to finally agree to move in, I wasn't about to let him jeopardize that. "Of course, we're not."

"I could propose if you want," he said anyway, pushing me aside so that he was facing her directly. "What kind of ring would you like?"

I glared at him. "Alex!"

"Do you want me to propose to you too?" He seemed to be really considering the idea.

I really felt like shaking the sense back into him but I knew him well enough to know that words were the best way to get through to him. "Today is Ron's birthday. Not propose-to-everyone day."

"Saffron isn't everyone," he said pointedly. "And you're not everyone. So why can't I?"

"You can," I gave up on trying to explain why you couldn't just propose out of the blue, "just not today."

He frowned but stayed silent.

Relieved, I turned back to Ron. She was frowning too, her nails clutching the silver hoop dangling from her left ear in a death grip.

"Ron?"

She blinked and her gaze focused on me. In a matter of moments, her expression smoothened out but the tension was still there. "Learn to control your lover, Kay."

I fixed a smile on my lips and tried to lighten the atmosphere. "He's your lover too, Ron."

She made a pained sound and pressed a hand to the side of her face. "You didn't have to remind me."

We both watched her take a seat at the kitchen counter.

"I guess this was the wrong time to give her this," Alex said quietly, now that Ron was out of earshot.

I sighed and looked down at the bejeweled ring sitting in the center of his palm. "You're really. . ."

"I told you not to do it," I said instead, not letting frustration win over my calm. We had gotten the ring together months ago, but only because of his persistence and my inability to say no to him everyday for one month.

For me, the gift idea had sounded no different than a ticking time bomb, but—as surprising as it sounded—out of the three of us, Alex was the most eager to have a wedding.

A big wedding, I reminded myself, thinking back to the day I had walked in on him planning the thing, even though we have no one to invite.

I placed my hand on his arm and he looked at me.

Not able to stand the defeat in his gaze, I swallowed what I was about to say and hugged him. "At least, she didn't say no."

"She didn't say yes."

"You didn't propose," I corrected him then pulled away. "Why don't you give her your other present?"

He thought for a moment before nodding and walking off to the kitchen.

I gave the two of them enough time to get the conversation rolling, counting to sixty in my head before crossing the room to join them.

". . .so you can have a week off," Alex had just finished saying when he turned to me. "Right, Kayden?"

I nodded and rested my hands on Ron's shoulders. "You've been stressed lately. A break would be nice. We could have a week-long vacation."