Across the Ocean
Page 19
Grabbing my hand, Ari leads me out of the garden.
Epilogue
Ari
Brooke and I have stayed in bed the entire day, only leaving when absolutely necessary. I wish we could stay like this forever.
I’m so glad she said yes. I would have been lost without Brooke if she had left. The woman who bared her soul to me over the internet, trusting and confiding in me, has also become the perfect lover and partner.
Brooke hangs up her phone and puts it on the side table next to her. She lies back on the bed and heaves a weary sigh.
“Emilia is far cleverer than I’ve given her credit for. I think she knew all along what was going to happen. She didn’t even seem surprised that you asked me to marry you!” She’s grumbling about it, but I know she’s actually pleased that Emilia has been so supportive of Brooke and me getting together.
We’ve had a lot of sex over these hours of laying here in bed, but mostly we’ve talked a lot. I explained to her that she’d be able to live and work here legally when we got married. At first she wondered if that was why I had proposed to her and if I wasn’t really ready to get married. I reminded her about the first time in the garden and she relaxed after that.
“I think Gunnar was in on it, too. I thought you had left and he just told me to go home! He let me feel awful for the rest of the drive home, the bastard!” I’m actually really grateful for all of the support Gunnar has given me through all of this. Brooke nods in agreement.
“We need to find him a woman,” I murmur as Brooke’s face lights up. “I don’t want him to be the third wheel with us.”
“I know just the girl! At Hopið, in Tálknafjörður, there was a girl named Sophie. She was beautiful and she was completely checking Gunnar out. She totally wanted him. Maybe they’d be a good match.”
I roll over and grab Brooke, kissing her noisily on the mouth. She wraps her arms and her body against me. I instantly forget anything about Gunnar or this Sophie person as I allow myself to get lost in Brooke again.
The end.
Keep an eye out for Sophie and Gunnar’s story in Across the Music in early 2014!