Page 135 of Point of Release
The sound of a beeping timer has him shooting out of the room, yelping like an old Indian uncle that his chai is about to boil over. He leaves me chuckling to myself as I check my phone, waiting for Irsia to show up to help me finish packing. A notification for a visa check flashes, providing me with yet another distraction from the singular pain of packing my suitcase.
I head over to the dresser for mine and Cal’s passports to confirm the validity of our travel documents. I’m distractedly swiping through my phone while rummaging through the drawer when I notice something that wasn’t there before.
A velvet box.
The world around me goes quiet, my body layered in goosebumps as I stare at it like it’ll magically burst open if I keep waiting.
With trembling fingers, I pry the top open only enough to catch a glimpse of a gold band with a sparkling stone on top.
The echoing twang of the doorbell has me slamming the lid shut before I can inspect it further. I slap the drawer close like I’m hiding evidence of a crime, my heart hammering against my ribcage.
A short, nervous bark of laughter spills out of me, full of excitement and disbelief. Being with Cal has been transformative. When the time comes, I know marriage with a man who puts my needsahead of his own will be vastly different from my previous experience. I’m not afraid. Not even a little.
There’s no rush to get to the altar, but whenever Cal asks, I’ll have an answer for him. Happily. Wholeheartedly.
“Tots! Irsia’s here!”
I’m still grinning as I head down to greet Ish, trying to forget the little secret I’d unwittingly stumbled upon. Reeling from my discovery, I’m barely paying attention to Irsia telling me about her friend’s wedding when a loud exclamation interrupts our conversation.
“Holy shit!”
Irsia and I exchange concerned looks as we make our way down the hall. We round the corner near the kitchen to find Cal staring at his phone, jaw hanging open while his tea hisses and boils over, spilling caramel liquid everywhere.
“Cal?” I hurry toward him while Irsia rushes to turn the stove off. “Is everything okay?”
“An email went out to the organization.”
Green eyes whip up to me, surprise still present in his tone when he announces, “Nixon Scott just signed on with Ironhearts.”
