by Lola Gabriel
He sure took his sweet time too, she thought to herself.
The past few weeks had been nothing short of memorable for her, and she was grateful for all the good fortune she had been getting. Her magic and strength were restored, thanks in large part to her father, whom she had grown so much closer to. He couldn’t stress to her enough how important she was to him, and that it was wrong of him to try and control her life the way he had done up until now. He promised not to interfere, but on the condition that she allowed him into her life more. He wanted to know how she felt about things, and what her thoughts were as she developed her relationship with Nyx.
Sure, she wouldn’t tell him everything, as her relationship was of a personal nature to Romi, but she talked to her father more, and allowed him into her world.
Romi also admired the way her father’s attitude and demeanor changed toward Nyx. He was so much more accepting toward him—completely, actually—and it was heartwarming to see those two interact in the way they did. Nyx was now a part of the family, a family who accepted him for who he was, and the sins of his father stopped with him. He wasn't his father, and when her father gave him that acceptance, Nyx blossomed into the most amazing and confident man.
The man whom her heart belonged to, forever.
Although it didn’t quite feel that way at the moment. She was growing annoyed with the blindfold, and after what felt like another hour, the passenger door opened.
“Take my hand,” Nyx’s voice said right beside her and she felt the heat of his hand close to hers.
She reached out and took his hand, or his arm, and he helped her out of the car. The door slammed behind her, and the beep of his alarm being activated sounded twice.
She slowly walked along a smooth path, which was easy to walk on, considering she was wearing heels, guided blindly by her Dragon Prince. She heard a doorbell ringing, one she did not recognize, and the door opened. It was quiet around her as Nyx guided her inside—where to, she wasn’t really sure—but she simply followed. She didn't have any other choice or say in the matter, so she simply threw in the towel and went along with whatever he had planned.
Romi tried to think what the reason behind this secrecy could be, but nothing came to mind. It wasn’t her birthday, and they hadn’t been together that long for it to be an anniversary celebration.
Her brow furrowed under the blindfold, and she pouted her lips. “How much longer do I need to wear this stupid thing?”
“Stop your pouting. Just a few more minutes,” Nyx chuckled, gently placing his hand against the small of her back. Shivers of delight ran down her spine and her annoyance was suddenly replaced with excitement, although she wasn't quite sure why.
What was Nyx up to?
“Okay, are you ready?” Nyx asked all of a sudden.
“I’ve been ready for more than an hour, Nyx,” she retorted.
His chuckle was closer to her than she had expected, and he kissed her softly on the cheek.
“Okay, here goes,” he said, and Romi heard rushed footsteps moving away from her.
“What the hell is going on, Nyx? I swear to god, if this is some kind of—”
“Henry, would you help Romi with her blindfold, please?” Nyx said from across the room.
“My dad’s here?” she whispered, and for a moment she was glad she didn’t complete her sentence.
Nyx had been very sexually adventurous the past few weeks, and she almost outed him for his methods of seduction in front of her father.
Romi felt tugging at the back of her head where the blindfold was secured, and the soft fabric brushed down her face. She looked at her father standing in front of her, giving him a grateful smile, but her eyes suddenly focused as she noticed her surroundings. She stood in the middle of a dimly lit bar, which was completely empty apart from herself, her father, and Adam, who grinned happily at her.
“What is this?” she asked as she looked at the table in front of her, softly illuminated with a candle.
“Lady and gentlemen,” she heard a voice sound over the speakers all around her, and as she shifted her gaze to the stage, a smile formed on her lips.
Nyx stood on stage, his guitar secured against his torso, his one hand resting on the microphone on its stand in front of him. “Welcome to this special performance tonight, by me, of course,” Nyx said and winked at Romi
“Oh my god,” she gasped as her heart did a double flip. “You didn’t…”
“Oh, yes. I did,” he grinned and strummed his guitar.
Romi looked at her father and Adam, who sat at their own table, each with a bottle of beer in front of them.
“Have a seat, my love,” Nyx said to her, his voice low and seductive.
Romi pursed her lips briefly and sat down at the table in the middle of the bar. As soon as she was seated, the light dimmed, and someone, whom she didn’t even see, placed her favorite dessert in front of her, as well as a glass of wine.
She watched Nyx on the stage and shook her head in awe and disbelief.
“This first song goes out to that beautiful woman sitting over there,” Nyx said into the microphone. “She completes my world, and I can’t imagine my life without her.”
Romi sighed dreamily as she placed her hand against her heart and listening to the first notes of his guitar filling up the room. She instantly recognized it as the song he had played her in his bedroom, the song he wrote about her, the song he never got to finish, until tonight.
His tender and deep voice filled the room, as well as her heart, and her lips parted as she stared at him, softly singing along to the words she remembered. She hadn’t forgotten them since the first time he had sung them to her, but listening to him singing it perfectly to her, for her, tonight, was the culmination of her being. The notes he sang were beautiful, and soon it resonated in her soul. The love in her heart bubbled over and there wasn't any possible way she could love him any more than at that moment.
Her eyes filled with tears of happiness and everything around her, the bar, her dessert, and even her father and Adam, faded into the background. All she heard was Nyx’s velvety voice singing to her, the sound of the guitar, and their heartbeats perfectly in sync.
As the song reached a slight pause, Nyx cocked his head and smiled brightly at her, making her knees go weak and a swarm of butterflies flutter around in her stomach.
He continued with the chorus, each word imprinting itself inside Romi’s heart. Romi blinked back her tears and closed her eyes for a moment.
Nyx sang the last words, played the final notes, and it faded into the silence. Romi stood from her seat and applauded him, as did her father and Adam.
“Thank you, thank you,” Nyx said modestly and started to play a soft melody, which immediately eased the tension in Romi’s shoulders, even though she wasn’t even aware of it. “Babe, there’s something that I want to confess to you. From the moment I first saw you, I knew that you were someone special. Aside from the fact that nature and fate wanted us to be together, I felt your soul all the way from across the room. You sat at a table in the back, it was dark, and I was in a pretty dark place myself. You shone out in the darkness like a beacon of light, showing me the way, and sure, it might sound cheesy, but you make me better. You make me the kind of man I had always hoped I would be. You didn’t change me, though. I wanted to change, I wanted to be different, because you deserved it, and most importantly, I deserved it. I didn't want to hide under the stigma of being my father’s son, and you never treated me as such.”
Romi smiled warmly and nodded.
“I love you so much, and I want you to come and join me onstage for a song,” he told her.
“You know I can’t sing,” she protested.
“Now, I know that’s a lie. I’ve heard you sing in the shower,” Nyx pointed out.
“I can even vouch for her beautiful singing voice,” her father said from his table.
Romi’s jaw dropped and she shook her head in disapproval. “Betrayed b
y my own father.”
“Come on up here, babe,” Nyx invited her on stage.
Romi took a deep breath and stood from her chair.
“Let’s give her a round of applause,” Nyx grinned as she walked to the stage, Adam and her father clapping behind her. “Don’t look so terrified. I’m right here.”
Romi smiled at him and took a deep breath. “Can I pick a song?”
“Sure,” he shrugged and looked at her expectantly, his fingers at the ready close to the strings.
She didn’t even have to think about a song and whispered it to him.
“Oh, good choice,” he replied and leaned closer to the microphone. “Henry, your daughter has good taste in music, and men.”
“Apparently,” Romi muttered, making Nyx chuckle.
“You ready?” he asked and winked at her.
“Just do it,” she sighed.
Nyx sang the opening words, tapping his foot on the ground. The first verse didn't have any music to it, but the sound of his beautiful voice made her insides turn to mush, and there wasn't anywhere else she would rather be than beside him.
As he finished the chorus, he played the melody on the guitar, which was her cue for the second verse.
She was surprised at the sound of her own voice, filling up the almost empty bar, sounding dreamy and ethereal. She had never considered her voice angelic before, but the combination of their voices was perfect and melodious.
Romi glanced at Nyx, who smiled at her as he continued the bridge and the last chorus. His eyes were bright and luminous, and she had no problem with the thought of spending the rest of her life gazing into those eyes.
As long as he didn’t ask her to join him on stage when he performed at Echoes. The stage was his place, his spotlight moments, and she would happily cheer for him in the audience.
As the song finished, Nyx played on for another few moments, and Adam and her father applauded them again.
The last notes faded away and Nyx smiled at Romi. “I’m guessing you’re not up for another one.”
“I think one was more than enough,” she stated.
Nyx smiled and slipped his guitar strap off his shoulder. After placing the guitar on the wooden table behind them, he took Romi’s hand and turned to her.
“Now, you’re probably wondering why on earth I did all this,” he said and she nodded. “Well, I wanted to recreate the moment I first saw you. The moment I looked into those beautiful blue eyes, saw your red hair, and the dimple in your cheek when you smiled. The way you stared at me in awe and wonder. I wanted to recreate the moment my soul found yours, the moment our subconscious had been waiting for a very long time. I wanted to remember the first time I saw you, because it was the start of something beautiful and powerful which would last the rest of our lives.”
A tear ran down Romi’s cheek, but before she could brush it away, Nyx got down on one knee and a gasp escaped her throat.
“Romi Friar, I fell in love with you within a moment of seeing you, and I promise to spend the rest of my life loving you with everything I have inside me, forever,” Nyx said, retrieving a small, black box from his pocket. He brought it up and opened the box, revealing a beautiful lapis lazuli ring.
“Oh my god,” she gasped again.
“Romi, will you marry me?” he asked.
Romi bit her bottom lip and nodded. “Yes, I will marry you.”
She watched as Nyx slipped the ring on her finger and she squealed in delight. Crouching down beside him, she put her arms around his shoulders. “It’s beautiful, Nyx. I love you so much.”
“I love you too. Now and forever.”
Their lips met in a magical moment of love and happiness, and Romi had not felt such feelings of intensity since she had seen Nyx for the first time. Even though it wasn’t that long ago when they had met, it felt as though an entire lifetime had passed after what they had been through. Nyx even looked different than the young, misguided man who had graced the stage of Echoes. It was as though he had gone through a metamorphosis of his soul, which radiated out of his skin, making him even more handsome than he already was. His smile now reached his eyes, and there were no more moments of doubt visible in his gray eyes. Sure, there were times when a dark shadow flickered in his eyes, but it soon vanished. Romi knew Nyx was still working through his own traumas, but he was doing really well. He still had his permanent spot at Echoes, which Romi would always accompany him to, supporting him in the crowd, smiling proudly at her man, or now her soon-to-be husband.
She glanced over at her father, who drank a toast to their engagement, and she couldn’t help but smile. Her father seemed happy, as he now had two sons, Nyx and Adam.
In the short time Adam had been with them, he had become such an important and integral part of their little family, that her father now thought of him as his own son. Thanks to the help of her father and Nyx, Adam’s transition into dealing with being a bear shifter had been easy and without any injury, although there was this one incident where Nyx cracked a rib due to an affectionate bear hug from Adam, but it was done out of love.
Luckily Nyx was a fast healer and didn’t hold it against Adam.
Her father stood from his seat and approached her and Nyx. He put his arms around his daughter’s shoulders and hugged her tight. “Congratulations, my girl.”
“Thanks, Dad,” she said with a smile.
“I really couldn't be happier for the both of you,” Henry said with a grin and he looked at Nyx. “I know we didn't start off on the right foot, Nyx, and I may have said a few things to you which I shouldn’t have—”
“Dad, you weren’t that mean to him, were you?” Romi interjected.
“He was,” Nyx shrugged, “but I said some pretty nasty things to him too.”
“You guys,” she sighed and shook her head.
“Anyway, Nyx, I just want you to know that there is no better person for my Romiera than you. You’ve become like a son to me, you and Adam, and I love both of you,” Henry said.
“Love you too, old man,” Nyx said with a wink.
“Now that all the touchy-feely things are done, it’s time for karaoke,” Henry announced and danced onto the stage.
Romi’s jaw dropped and she glanced at Adam still sitting at the table. “What did you guys give him?”
“Something called Witches’ Brew,” Adam answered with a frown.
“Oh my god. Don’t you know what that does to him, especially at his age?” Romi rolled her eyes.
Nyx put his arm around her shoulders and chuckled. “Let him be, he’s having fun. Plus, if it gets too much, we can just lock him in the basement.”
“There’s a basement?” Romi asked.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Adam said behind them and they turned to him, “but is it wise for him to be jumping around like that?”
Romi glanced over her shoulder at Henry, who was jumping around on stage, doing a few very unorthodox dance moves while holding the microphone.
“Oh no,” Romi sighed. “Dad, stop jumping around like that.”
“Let him blow off some steam.”
“I’ll set up the karaoke machine for him,” Adam offered.
“You’re going to regret it, you know. He’s going to be like a kid who just ate a whole bag of sugar,” Romi warned Adam.
“It’ll be fine. Karaoke is fun, though,” Adam called out to her as he jogged to the stage.
“He’s in for a surprise,” Romi murmured and turned back to Nyx.
“Adam’s got a pretty good handle on your dad, which is surprising. He’s wise beyond his years, which helps a lot, I guess.”
“Yeah, he’s a pretty remarkable guy, and my dad loves him,” Romi chuckled and looked at the stage. Adam and her father were moving their hips like two members of a boyband, while the familiar tune of that same boyband started to play. “I mean, look at them. I’ve never seen my dad so happy, and so full of life.”
“The old man sure can move,” Nyx said dryly.
> “Maybe you should go over there and join them,” Romi smirked.
“No. Absolutely not. I’m a musician, not a pop prince. I refuse to subject myself to such uncoordinated choreography,” Nyx insisted and glanced over at the stage. “Although, your dad seems to be a natural.”
Romi laughed heartily and patted his shoulder. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
“No. I’d rather dance over here with you, than sexualize myself like that onstage,” he joked.
“Either way, you’ll definitely be groped by an overeager fan,” she joked in return.
“I’ll take my chances with you any day,” he grinned and tucked a lock of wavy red hair behind her ear, brushing her cheek tenderly.
He took her hand, twirled her around, and wrapped her in his arms, gently swaying to the pop love song being sung by Adam and Henry.
It didn’t matter that the song was too loud, or that her father and Adam sang a little off key and didn’t know all the words. It didn’t matter that it was a boyband pop song, or that her father danced better to it than the actual members of that particular boyband. What mattered most was that the people she loved more than anything in the world, the people whom she would kill for, were there with her, and that was all she needed.
She had her father, wise, old Henry Friar, who had turned out to be exactly the father she needed.
She had Adam, a recent addition to their little mixed family, who was brave and irreplaceable, with the kindest heart imaginable. He had become like a little brother to her, whom she would protect and defend no matter what.
She had Nyx, whom she would spend the rest of her life beside, and who loved her more than life itself, which he had proven. She watched him change into a better man, not because of her, but because he realized that he, too, was lovable, and that was the most important thing. He was now worthy of love.
Worthy of himself.
Romi pulled Nyx closer to her and rested her chin on his shoulder, swaying gently to the rhythm of another pop song which started to play.
The closing line of Nyx’s song resonated in her mind and it formed on her lips in a soft whisper, “And now I realized, without a shadow of a doubt, that all the love songs were about you.”