Our Darkest Maze

by Sarah Bailey

  “Did you feed them?” Aurora asked as she got up and put her empty plate in the dishwasher.

  “Yes. I always do.”

  She walked back over, placing her hand on my shoulder and leaning down for a kiss.

  “Just making sure. I’ll see you later.”

  I watched her leave the room, still petting Shadow. Pumpkin wandered over to the food bowls near the patio doors, which led out into the small garden. A few minutes later, the front door slammed. I waited for another five before I looked at the cats.

  “Time to get to work, boys.”

  I set Shadow down. He looked disgruntled, but the little guy could just deal. He got more than enough attention from Aurora and me. Grabbing a coat and my car keys, I double-checked on the cats one last time before leaving the house and setting off to my destination.

  Half an hour later, I pulled up outside a large house and took a deep breath. I got out and walked up the steps to the front door, ringing the bell. It was pulled open, revealing Ash who was all smiles.

  “Logan, come in, come in.”

  She gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek before ushering me into the house and shutting the door. I took off my coat, hung it up and followed her through into the living room. There, all five of Aurora’s dads were gathered. I swallowed hard, taking a seat on the sofa next to Xav and Eric. I was nervous today. This was a big deal.

  “How are you, man?” Xav asked me a moment later whilst Ash settled herself in Rory’s lap where he was sat in an armchair.

  Quinn stood by the bookcase, his dark eyes assessing me. He was the one I had the most concerns about.

  “I’m fine, thanks. Take it everyone here is well.”

  “Yeah, we’re great.”

  I fiddled with the cushion next to me for a moment before I decided to bite the bullet. There was only one reason I’d come over here and asked to see all five of them.

  “I wanted to talk to you all… I know Aurora and I have been together for a long time now and it’s probably seemed like I’ve not been serious about our future together, but I assure you, I have.”

  This wasn’t coming out the right way. Fuck, I was more terrified of doing this than what I would be asking Aurora later. She didn’t intimidate me. Her parents on the other hand? Maybe just a little.

  “I’m going to ask Aurora to marry me. And I wanted to ask for your blessing before I do.”

  The room was deadly silent for a long moment. I had no idea who would speak first, though I was relatively sure most of them would be happy about it.

  “You are?” Ash said, getting up from where she was sitting with Rory, her blue eyes shining.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh my god, Logan!” She dropped to her knees in front of me and gathered up my hands, “She’s going to be so happy.”

  Aurora and I had spoken about our future on many occasions. We’d always been on the same page. If circumstances had been different, I would have asked her sooner, but life hadn’t quite worked out like that.

  “I hope so.”

  “Oh, you don’t need to worry. She’ll say yes. She loves you.”

  I’d already told my parents about my plans months ago. Mum helped me pick out a ring. Aurora deserved only the best.

  “And I love her.”

  “Well, I won’t speak for the others, but you have my blessing.” She let go of my hands and raised herself back to her feet, giving me a smile. “I’m happy for the two of you.”

  She trekked back over to Rory, giving all her partners a significant look as if to say do not mess this up for me.

  “Got no complaints from me, about time the two of you tied the knot,” Xav said, giving me a pat on the shoulder, “Though, you better be prepared for Rora turning into the bridezilla of the century.”

  I wanted to laugh, but the whole situation had frayed my nerves.

  “You have my blessing too,” Eric put in, giving me a smile.

  “Thank you. It means a lot,” I replied, attempting and failing at smiling back.

  Quinn shoved off the bookcase and dug his hands in his pockets as he took a step towards me.

  “Now you want to marry my daughter?” he asked, his tone deadly and uncompromising.

  I attempted to stay calm and collected. It didn’t matter how long I’d been with Aurora, Quinn had never completely approved of me.

  “Yes.”

  “You’ve been together for years. Tell me why it’s taken this long to reach a stage where you finally want to make that commitment.”

  I swallowed, trying not to let him see how fucking terrified I was at his accusatory tone.

  “I’ve always wanted to marry her.”

  He scoffed and sent a glare my way.

  “Well, now we’re in for it,” Xav muttered from next to me.

  “Somehow I doubt that,” Quinn said.

  I stood up, wanting to be on a more even footing with him.

  “Aurora and I have discussed marriage on several occasions. It’s not a new concept between the two of us. She was the one who told me it could wait whilst I set up and established my own charity. I didn’t put it on hold lightly. I have always intended to marry your daughter. Only now things have settled down, I’m finally in a position where I can.”

  Four years ago, Aurora had encouraged me to start a charity for the conservation and welfare of animals. It’s something both my mother and Ant wanted to be involved in. The three of us had worked hard to make it a reality. It’d taken up a lot of my time and energy, but Aurora had been by my side every step of the way. She’d wanted me to be happy in my career. This fulfilled me in a way nothing else did.

  It’s not like her parents were unaware of what I did. Hell, they asked me about it every time I was here and had donated a large sum towards it, as had Aurora’s grandfather. It had been easier to set up than it might have been had I been anyone else but a Benson. My name carried weight. It was why I was still in the public eye. It’s the only way I got the whole thing off the ground. I’m not sure if it would have succeeded without being attached to the Benson brand.

  “You put your charity before my daughter.”

  “No, I didn’t. I’ve never put anything before Aurora. We have a partnership and it means making compromises for each other. I’ve always supported her in what she does, and she does the same for me. I would have thought this is the type of relationship you’d want for your daughter.”

  He narrowed his eyes.

  “I want her happy.”

  I pointed at my chest.

  “I make her happy.”

  This was not how I wanted any of this to go, but I was damned if I was backing down.

  “It doesn’t matter if you don’t give me your blessing to marry your daughter,” I continued, “I asked you all out of courtesy as you’re her parents, but nothing you do or say will stop me from asking her. She is my girlfriend and life partner. I love her. And if she says yes, I will make her my wife.”

  There was a moment of stillness before chaos broke out. Quinn started toward me.

  “If you think I’m ever going to allow you to marry her, you’ve got some fucking nerve.”

  Quinn looked downright murderous, but I stood my ground, not caring what he did. Aurora was mine. Xav and Eric got up to intercept him. I hadn’t realised Ash and Rory had already stood. She was approaching the three men whilst Rory came over to me.

  “Quinn, stop this,” Xav hissed.

  “Did you hear what he fucking well said? As if I’m ever going to let this stand,” Quinn retorted whilst the two of them held him back.

  “It’s not your decision who Rora marries. It’s hers. You can’t stop it. None of us can.”

  “I don’t give a shit. He has no fucking respect.”

  “No respect, Quinn?” Eric interjected.,”He came here to see us before asking her. I think that takes a whole lot of courage. He respects us. You need to get over yourself and see what�
��s right in front of you. Logan loves our daughter.”

  “You are ruining Rora’s happiness with this shit,” Ash said as she arrived next to them. “It isn’t fair on either of them for you to keep acting this way.”

  Rory indicated with his head I should follow him. Whilst I might want to have it out with Quinn, I didn’t think he was in a rational frame of mind to have a conversation given the way he was talking about me to Xav and Eric.

  I followed Rory from the room. He leant up against the wall near the front door and eyed me for a long moment.

  “When do you plan on asking her?” he asked after a minute.

  “Tonight. I need to get back and prepare everything.”

  “Does she suspect you’re going to ask her?”

  I shook my head. I’d kept my mouth shut and not given her any hint it was coming.

  Rory smiled and rubbed his face.

  “I suspect out of all of us, my opinion is most important to her.”

  Aurora had always told me she was the closest to Rory. It had become very clear to me over the years how that was the case. They had a special bond with each other.

  “You’re good for her, Logan, and I couldn’t ask for a better son-in-law.”

  I couldn’t help smiling.

  “Thank you. Means a lot to me and it will to her too.”

  He stepped forward and patted my shoulder.

  “Quinn will come around. Give him some time. When he sees it’s what she wants, he’ll back off.”

  It had been the case with everything. Once he had evidence Aurora was happy, he usually conceded. Rory was right. I’d just have to wait, though I was not looking forward to telling my girl about this latest development with her father.

  “Anyway, I’ll let Ash know you had to go. Probably best for now.”

  I gave him a nod and we said our goodbyes after I pulled on my coat. I left their house, feeling as though I’d won half the battle there. Four of her parents were on my side. They knew how good Aurora and I were for each other.

  As for Quinn? Aurora would get her father to accept it was going to happen. Of that, I was in no doubt.

  Chapter Forty Four

  Fuck, I was tired. Today had been long and arduous after some idiot had decided to break not one but four of the slot machines. I had to revoke his membership when he refused to leave quietly. The guy was three sheets to the wind and disturbing all the members who were in attendance. Honestly, some days I found this job incredibly taxing, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

  Unlocking the front door, I trudged in, kicking off my heels and hanging up my coat in the hallway. I padded along to the living room, plonking myself down on the sofa next to Pumpkin, who’d curled up on his favourite blanket. I reached out and stroked his fluffy head.

  “What a day,” I muttered. “You okay, my little man?”

  The cat eyed me for a moment before tucking his head back down on the blanket. Logan and I treated our cats more like our babies. They were pampered princes. Kings of our fucking household. But I wouldn’t change them for the world. I’d never had pets before, but these two had stolen my heart even though I’d got them for Logan.

  “Is Daddy upstairs working?”

  Pumpkin didn’t respond, not that I expected him to. Logan worked from home a lot even though he had an office for his charity, the Benson Foundation for the Conservation of Animals or BCA for short. He preferred the peace and quiet of our house.

  “Should I go see him? Do you think your brother is with him?”

  I stroked Pumpkin’s back. All he did was purr. Leaning down, I kissed his fluffy head before getting up and going upstairs. Logan wasn’t in his office or our bedroom, but Shadow was sleeping on our bed.

  “Well, nice to see someone is taking a nap.”

  The black cat ignored me so I left him to it, going into the walk-in wardrobe and changing into something more comfortable. After the day I’d had, all I wanted to do was curl up on the sofa with my boyfriend and the cats, watch shitty TV and get a takeaway in.

  I went downstairs and wandered into the kitchen. Logan wasn’t in there either, but there was an envelope resting on the kitchen island. Walking over, I picked it up and found my name on it in his cursive handwriting. I opened it, curious about why he’d left me it. There was a card with two words printed on it.

  Look outside.

  I set it on the counter and walked over to the patio doors, staring out into our garden. For a second, I had no idea what he wanted me to look at until I saw the lightbox with interchangeable letters on our garden table. Frowning, I stuffed my feet in the shoes we’d left by the door, opened it and walked out. Logan was still nowhere to be seen, but he’d arranged our lightbox to say something different from the usual ‘Aurora hearts Logan’ it had on it. Next to it lay a bouquet of white lilies along with a small box.

  I read it four times to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. At first, I thought he might be playing a prank on me, but Logan wouldn’t joke about something of this magnitude.

  Will you marry me?

  Reaching out, I flipped the lid of the box, finding a diamond ring inside. I put my hand to my mouth, wondering where the hell the man had got to. This was totally not okay. I mean, it was okay. More than okay. But him not being here wasn’t.

  “Logan, are you hiding somewhere? If you are, you better come here. Right now.”

  Then I saw another envelope was sitting in front of the ring box. I picked it up, tearing it open in my haste to find out where my errant boyfriend had disappeared to.

  Turn around.

  Setting the card back down, I turned and found Logan standing in the doorway of our house with his hands dug in his pockets and a smirk on his face. One I would quite happily wipe off with my own mouth.

  “You!”

  His eyebrow raised.

  “Me?”

  I pointed at him.

  “Yes, you.”

  “Did I do something to earn your ire, little masochist?”

  I waved behind me at the way he’d asked me to marry him. Everything about it was perfect, and I couldn’t think of the words to say.

  “This! This is not… I can’t…”

  And I promptly burst into tears. He immediately shoved off the door, bringing his hands out of his pockets and coming over to me. I was wrapped up in his warm embrace a moment later. My body trembled all over with the force of my emotions. This was the last thing I expected to come home to.

  Logan and I had agreed we’d wait to get married whilst he was getting the BCA off the ground. I wanted him to succeed and not be worrying about us. No matter what, I’d stay by his side and support him. The charity made him happy. It made my boyfriend come alive when he spoke about it. Working in animal conservation might not have been a dream all his life, but it was now. I wanted to make his dream come to fruition. Not once had I ever pressured him or asked for more.

  The two of us were content in the life we’d build together. We had the house and our two fur babies. There was nothing else I wanted but to be with Logan forever. He was my rock. My world. My entire universe. The man gave me as much love and support as I did him.

  His asking me to marry him today was a shock. He’d kept me in the dark. And I wasn’t mad about it. No, I loved him even more for it.

  “I didn’t want to make you cry,” he murmured into my hair, holding me tight against his chest like I would break any second, “Shh, it’s okay. I know you weren’t expecting it.”

  “You suck for springing this on me,” I sobbed, “I wasn’t ready.”

  “That was kind of the point.”

  I shoved him weakly, but Logan didn’t let go. He’d never let me go. The damn man wanted to make me his wife. I couldn’t think of anything more I wanted in this world.

  “Are you going to make me change my name?” I whispered.

  “No. It’s your choice.”

  I pulled my face away from hi
s chest and stared up into his beautiful ice-blue eyes. The ones I adored with every inch of my being.

  “Ask me properly.”

  He didn’t fight the smile forming on his face.

  “Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

  “Make it sound so damn formal, why don’t you.”

  There was no bite to my voice, only amusement.

  “Mmm, fine, have it your way. Will you marry me, Aurora Knox?”

  “And become Mrs Benson?”

  “If it’s what you want.”

  I didn’t fight my own smile.

  “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  He leant down and captured my lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him back with vigour. Our tongues clashed together in a mess, but neither of us cared. Logan’s hand curled around my behind, pressing me harder against him. He might have fucked me this morning, but I wanted him again. I needed him naked and inside me. The only thing I wanted to be wearing was the ring he’d bought me.

  When we pulled apart, he held my face in his hands and wiped my tears away. The tenderness in his expression almost broke me in half.

  “I love you,” I whispered, “I love you so much.”

  He smiled before pulling away and grabbing the ring box. He took it out and slid it on my finger. It was a solitaire, round-cut diamond with a claw setting in white gold. It was simple but elegant. Logan knew me far too well. I’d never wanted anything too fancy or in your face.

  “Do you like it?” he asked as I stared down at the ring on my hand.

  “I love it. It’s beautiful.”

  “It was the only thing I was nervous about, you actually liking the ring I picked.”

  I looked up at him.

  “Oh? You weren’t scared I’d say no?”

  He smirked.

  “Nope. I had no doubts about your answer.”

  I slid a hand up his chest, wrapping it around his neck.

  “Cocky little shit.”

  “Just a man who knows how much his woman loves him.” He captured my chin between his fingers. “And before you go off on one, I love you more than words can express, little masochist.”