Spencer Cohen Series, Book Three (The Spencer Cohen Series 3) (16 page)
Read Spencer Cohen Series, Book Three (The Spencer Cohen Series 3) Online
Authors: N.R. Walker
I tried to speak. I tried not to cry. I failed miserably at both.
He wanted to marry me?
All I could do was nod.
Andrew stood and threw his arms around me. He buried his face in my neck, and we were quickly surrounded by a sea of hugging people. We were pulled apart and hugged and congratulated individually, which was nice and all, but they were not the arms I wanted to be in. I unpeeled Lola from around me and found Andrew being embraced by his father. I tapped Allan on the shoulder, cutting in on this dance of hugs, and waited for him to step aside.
Andrew stared at me and let out a nervous breath. My voice was thick with unshed tears. “You played ‘Hallelujah.’”
“I
sang
it. Which was quite possibly the worst thing I’ve ever done. I broke my leg when I was eight. That was reasonably unpleasant, but singing wins. I thought playing the piano would be bad enough, but singing? I can’t believe… I don’t even know what I was thinking when I planned this.”
It certainly explained the shots of tequila. I laughed and pulled him in for a soul-soothing hug. Having Andrew pressed against me was a medicinal thing. He mended me in ways he could never understand. “You were thinking it would be the most perfect proposal ever. And you put Jeff Buckley to shame.”
He smiled into my neck. “You liked it?”
“Loved it.” I pulled back and held his face in my hands and softly pressed my lips to his. My head was still spinning. “I can’t believe you did that. Do you really want to marry me?”
“There is nothing in this world I want more,” he whispered, “than to call you my husband.”
His sincerity, his honesty, and overwhelming love brought tears to my eyes. “I love you Andrew, and if there was a magazine called
The Only Man I Want to Spend My Life With
, I wouldn’t be on
every
cover. You’d be on the limited edition one. You know, just for me.”
He smiled so beautifully. “I was going to get a magazine made up with you on the cover called
Who I Want To Marry
, but thought you might think it silly.”
I burst out laughing. “It would have been great. But you and what you did here”—I waved at the stage and at our friends—“was so perfect.”
“Maybe we could do magazine covers for our wedding invitations,” he said. I wasn’t sure if he was joking or not, but his mother squealed beside us.
“Oh, that is a fabulous idea!”
And so it began. Helen, Sarah, and Lola were already planning our entire wedding and the rest of our lives, by the sound of it. I didn’t care. Because in that moment, the background music started to play. Etta James began to sing “At Last” and I slow, slow danced with Andrew in the middle of our friends and family. I buried my face into Andrew’s neck and he held me even tighter.
Etta James’ soulful voice filled my chest with words of loneliness being over, and how life was now a song. She sang about finding dreams and heaven. And she was right, because I held him in my arms.
At last. At last, indeed.
THE END
If you, or someone you know, needs help. Just remember, you’re not alone…
http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html
http://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres
http://www.befrienders.org/need-to-talk
http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
For a Cyber community for gay and lesbian teenagers all over the world, go to:
Or
Here are the direct suicide helplines, worldwide.
(credit to
http://im-just-lucy.tumblr.com/suicidehotlines
)
Albania: 127
Argentina: (54-11) 4758-2554
Australia: 13 11 14
Austria: 142
Barbados: (246) 4299999
Belgium: 106
Botswana: 3911270
Brazil: +55 51 211 2888
Canada - Greater Vancouver: 604-872-3311
Canada - Toll free-Howe Sound/Sunshine Coast: 18666613311
Canada - TTY: 1-866-872-0113
Canada - BC-wide: 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
China: 0800-810-1117
China (Mobile/IP/extension users): 010-8295-1332
Croatia: (01) 4833-888
Cyprus: +357 77 77 72 67
Denmark: +45 70 201 201
Estonia (1): 126
Estonia (2): 127
Estonia (3): 646 6666
Fiji (1): 679 670565
Fiji (2): 679 674364
Finland: 01019-0071
France: (+33) (0)9 51 11 61 30
Germany (1): 0800 1110 111
Germany (2): 0800 1110 222
Germany (youth): 0800 1110 333
Ghana: 233 244 846 701
Greece: (0) 30 210 34 17 164
Hungary: (46) 323 888
India: 2549 7777
Ireland (1): +44 (0) 8457 90 90 90
Ireland (2): +44 (0) 8457 90 91 92
Ireland (3): 1850 60 90 90
Ireland (4): 1850 60 90 91
Israel: 1201
Italy: 199 284 284
Japan (1): 03 5774 0992
Japan (2): 03 3498 0231
Kenya: +254 20 3000378/2051323
Liberia: 06534308
Lithuania: 8-800 2 8888
Malaysia (1): (063) 92850039
Malaysia (2): (063) 92850279
Malaysia (3): (063) 92850049
Malta: 179
Mauritius: (230) 800 93 93
Namibia: (09264) 61-232-221
Netherlands: 0900-0767
New Zealand (1): (09) 522 2999
New Zealand (2): 0800 111 777
Norway: +47 815 33 300
Papua New Guinea: 675 326 0011
Philippines: 02 -896 - 9191
Poland (1): +48 527 00 00
Poland (2): +48 89 92 88
Portugal: (808) 200 204
Samoa: 32000
Serbia: 32000
Singapore: 1800- 221 4444
South Africa: 0861 322 322
Sweden (1): 020 22 00 60
Sweden (2): 020 22 00 70
Switzerland: 143
Thailand: (02) 713-6793
Ukraine: 058
United Kingdom (1): 08457 909090
United Kingdom (2): +44 1603 611311
United Kingdom (3): +44 (0) 8457 90 91 92
United Kingdom (4): 1850 60 90 90
United Kingdom (5): 1850 60 90 91
United States of America: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Zimbabwe (1): (263) 09 65000
Zimbabwe (2): 0800 9102
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance.
She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.
She is many things: a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things… but likes it even more when they fall in love.
She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
She’s been writing ever since…
Blind Faith
Through These Eyes (Blind Faith #2)
Blindside: Mark’s Story (Blind Faith #3)
Ten in the Bin
Point of No Return – Turning Point #1
Breaking Point – Turning Point #2
Starting Point – Turning Point #3
Element of Retrofit – Thomas Elkin Series #1
Clarity of Lines – Thomas Elkin Series #2
Sense of Place – Thomas Elkin Series #3
Taxes and TARDIS
Three’s Company
Red Dirt Heart
Red Dirt Heart 2
Red Dirt Heart 3
Red Dirt Heart 4
Red Dirt Christmas
Cronin’s Key
Cronin’s Key II
Cronin’s Key III
Exchange of Hearts
The Spencer Cohen Series, Book One
The Spencer Cohen Series, Book Two
Free Reads
Sixty Five Hours
Learning to Feel
His Grandfather’s Watch (And The Story of Billy and Hale)
Translated Titles
Fiducia Cieca (Italian translation of Blind Faith)
Attraverso Questi Occhi (Italian translation of Through These Eyes)
Preso alla sprovvista (Italian translation of Blindside)
Il giorno del mai (Italian translation of Blind Faith 3.5)
Confiance Aveugle (French translation of Blind Faith)
A travers ces yeux: Confiance Aveugle 2 (French translation of Through These Eyes)
Aveugle: Confiance Aveugle 3 (French translation of Blindside)
À Jamais (French translation of Blind Faith 3.5)
Coming Soon
Blood & Milk
