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

SUICIDE HELPLINES

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:

Youth Guard Services

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

About the Author

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…

Contact the Author

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