Unleash Me, Vol. 2 (Unleash Me, Annihilate Me Series) (31 page)

“
Good God,
”
Blackwell said.
 
“
I
knew it!
”

“
Where does
that leave you?
”
Alex
asked Jennifer.

“
Well,
”
she said.
 
“
You
’
ve asked the same of me a
few times, and you
’
ve
been beyond patient with me.
 
In the
meantime, Lisa gave me something to think about this week after Tank asked her
to move in with him.
 
We had lunch
and talked about it.
 
We weighed the
options of whether we should wait or not.
”
 

“
And how do
you feel?
”
he asked.

She took a breath.
 
“
Well, if you
’
d like, I think maybe we
should live together before we get married.
 
Maybe I should sell the penthouse and we
should really give this relationship of ours a hardcore trial.
 
It
’
s not as if we didn
’
t do just that when we were on the island.
 
In fact, in a weird way, I miss those
days.
 
The intimacy of those
days.
 
I miss being with you as
often as we were then.
 
I think we
can make a strong go of it.
 
I think
we
’
ll be just
fine.
 
That is, of course, if you
still want that.
 
If not, it
’
s no
—”

In what seemed like a millisecond, he pulled her into his arms and
kissed her lips, her cheeks, her throat.
 
“
You want to
move in with me?
”
he
asked.

“
Yes,
”
she said.
 
“
I
do.
”

“
When?
”

“
It seems as
if Lisa will move out next week.
 
So?
 
Maybe we
’
ll just move out
together?
 
What do you think?
”

“
The sooner
the better.
”

“
Then it
’
s done.
 
Lisa and I will move out together.
”

“
Ugh,
”
I said.
 
“
Sorry
boys, but even the thought of giving up my best friend kind of freaks me out.
”

“
You
’
ll be fine,
”
Blackwell said.

I turned to her.
 
“
But I thought you were
against this.
”

“
Not after
what I just saw,
”
she
said.
 
“
Yes, I
’
m
a traditionalist.
 
Alex knows that
more than any of you.
 
But I
’
m also a realist.
 
And from what I just saw?
 
Oh, to hell with it.
 
Time is too short.
 
Just move in together
—
all of you
—
and be happy.
”

*
 
*
 
*

When we left the party, I felt as if I was walking on
air.
 

Tank helped me into my coat after we
’
d
retrieved it from the coat check.
 
And once I
’
d fastened the buttons, he took me aside, wrapped his arm
around my waist, and kissed me deeply.

“
I don
’
t think you know just how much this
means to me,
”
he
said.

I wanted to tell him that I wanted to spend the rest of my
life with him
—
which I did
—
and even though I sensed that he felt
the same way, I didn
’
t want to freak him out by saying so first.
 
Instead, I just said,
“
It
’
s
just as meaningful to me.
 
This is,
in fact, a first for me.
 
I won
’
t
let you down.
 
I want to take this
next step.
 
I
’
ll
be the best girlfriend a man could find.
”

“
You already are.
 
But you
’
re more than a girlfriend,
”
he said.
 
“
Much
more.
”

At that moment, he unexpectedly got down on one knee.
 

I was aware of others in the lobby waiting to get their
coats at the coat check.
 
In an
instant, they sensed what was happening, and everything seemed to stop.
 
They all turned to us with knowing smiles.
 

My skin started to tingle in a surreal kind of
anticipation.

He
’
s on one knee.
 
Oh, my God.
 
This isn
’
t
happening.

For some reason, I felt faint.
 

“
Lisa,
”
Jennifer said.
 
She took my arm.

“
Let Tank speak,
”
Blackwell said.

“
I will when I
’
m sure she
’
s
not about to collapse.
 
Are you OK?
”

“
Where am I?
 
Who
am I?
 
What
’
s
happening to me right now?
”

“
Lisa!
”

“
Mmmmm
…
.zombies.
”

“
Can you stand by yourself?
 
I
’
m not letting go of you unless you
can.
”

In a haze of confusion, I looked down at Tank, and when I
saw him smiling up at me with that boyish look of his that he showed to almost
no one, it brought me back into myself.
 
Most saw Tank as tough, stoic, and devoid of emotion
—
that
was his job.
 
But I knew the quirky
sense of humor that loomed deep within him.
 
I
’
d gotten beyond his self-imposed
wall, and I knew the great deal of love he had to share with the right
person.
 

Apparently, I was that person.
 
What was happening now was otherworldly
—
it
was wonderful and beyond surprising
—
and God if it wasn
’
t
damned great.
 
I couldn
’
t
believe what was unfolding, or that somehow I had the good fortune to have
found such an incredible, honest, and loving man as Tank.
 
But it
was
happening
—
oh,
man, was it happening
—
and I needed to check myself so I wouldn
’
t
forget this moment.
 
I needed to get
hold of myself and rein it in so I
’
d remember all of it.
 
I closed my eyes and breathed, and when
my head was clear, I said,
“
I
’
m good.
”

Jennifer held me still for a moment.
 
“
Are you sure?
”

“
Oh, girl, I am so sure.
”

She let go of me.

“
Look at you,
”
I said to Tank.
 
“
For the first time, you
’
re shorter than I am.
”

“
I
’
ve always been shorter than you.
 
Don
’
t you know that?
 
Haven
’
t you known that since
we first met?
 
You
’
ve
always been taller than me.
”

“
Well,
”
Blackwell said.
 
“
That was beyond romantic
—
it
even moved me.
 
Let
’
s
just get the ceremony going now.
 
Somebody get a priest.
 
Call
a justice of the peace.
”

“
Can I propose to her first?
”
Tank asked.

She touched her hair.
 
“
Well, if you must.
”

He looked up at me and removed a small black velvet box
from his jacket pocket.
 
“
Lisa,
”
he said.

“
I can
’
t believe you planned this.
”

“
I
’
ve had the ring for the last week.
 
I was going to propose later, but
tonight just seems right.
 
I want to
spend the rest of my life with you.
 
At first, I resisted us
—
you know why.
 
There
’
s no need to discuss
it.
 
Now I know the real thing when
I see it, and that real thing is you.
 
I
’
m on my knee.
 
I
’
m
in love with you.
 
I want to raise a
family with you.
 
And more than
anything, I want to grow old with you and your zombies.
”

I blinked back tears.
 
“
Even with them?
”

“
Of course with them.
”

“
You know that I don
’
t cry,
”
I said.

“
Maybe you do.
”

“
Oh, Tank.
”

“
I
’
m asking you right now, in front of all our friends and all
of these strangers, if you
’
ll be my wife.
”

I shook my head at him.
 
“
I
’
m sorry, Tank, but I
won
’
t.
”

A gasp went through the crowd.

“
Lisa,
”
Jennifer said.

“
What are you doing?
”
Blackwell said.
 
“
You
’
re making a mistake.
”

I ignored them, and met Tank
’
s confused, intense
gaze with my own.
 
“
What
I will be is your partner.
 
That
’
s
what I
’
ll be.
 
Not your
wife, but your best friend, your lover, your confidant, and your partner.
 
That
’
s what I want to
be.
 
And that
’
s
what I will be.
 
Yes, I will marry
you, Tank
—
if you agree to those conditions.
 
Do you?
”

“
Of course I do.
”

“
I love you so much, I don
’
t even know how to
express what I feel right now.
 
There are no words for how full I feel.
 
For how happy, overjoyed, and complete I
feel.
 
Those words don
’
t
exist.
 
But they don
’
t
need to.
 
When we look at each
other, as we are right now, all that isn
’
t said already has been said.
 
Do you feel it?
”