“Me?”
“My connection with you refuels me, but it also seems to allow me to focus my gift. However it works, it’s such a relief not to have to feel everything everyone else feels constantly. I finally feel moments of emotional peace; the world is just quiet. It’s beautiful.” Meg smiled adoringly up at Creed’s handsome face. “So, you’re just going to have to tell me what’s on your mind Creed, because I have no idea.”
Creed’s eyes lowered shyly, a smile playing happily at the corners of his lips.
“When the fighting is over, I want to take care of you. I want to protect you and stand by your side always. I love you, Meg. I love your family, too. Would you,” he stopped and cleared the emotion from his throat, “would you do me the honor of allowing me to give you this promise ring?” From his back pocket he pulled out a tiny platinum ring.
“It’s engraved.” He held it so Meg could see inside the ring.
Meg read: “My dream came true. M&C ∞”
“I thought we should make the infinite symbol ours since we are both marked with it. It should mean strength and unity among metahumans.”
Meg’s eyes turned instantly red with tears. She blinked, awestruck at the man who went from assassin, to friend, to more than friends in a year. Her wet lips were open just enough to make a beautiful gasping, “Oh!”
Creed sat holding the dark-eyed beauty of his dreams with one hand and holding up the simple band between two thick fingers with the other. “Meg?” he continued to wait. “Meggie, please say something?” Worry lines started to form between his handsome brows.
“What? Oh, Creed! Of course, yes!”
“You will?” he breathed almost as a sigh of relief.
Meg was nodding emphatically, tears slipping down her cheeks. “Of course, I’ll wear your promise ring!” she coughed and laughed as Creed reached out to slip the modest band around her ring finger.
Creed was grinning as much as he was blushing. “I talked to your brothers first. I wanted to ask you to marry me, but they thought you were too young for that, so they suggested I give you a promise ring. I’d never heard of it before, but they assured me you knew what it was.”
“Wait, what?”
“What part?”
“You were going to ask me to marry you?”
Creed realized he may have divulged too much so he just shrugged, and held her hand now prominently displaying his ring.
“Creed Young?”
“Would you have said ‘yes’?” he asked sheepishly.
Meg’s jaw dropped further.
He glanced up from her hand to see her shocked expression. “I’ll take that as a no.”
“No! Not no, just…wow. Marriage?”
“That was pretty much Alik’s reaction.”
“How would we even support ourselves? Where would we live? What about health insurance?”
“And that was exactly what Evan said.” Creed’s wide shoulders hunched, defeated.
Meg felt a wave of embarrassment sweep over her. It was Creed.
“No, my wonderful, sweet man.” She held his strong jaw in her hands so he would look up at her. “I’m just surprised.”
“I know what I want, and I want you. We may not have long to live. I just wanted to spend every moment I could—” She leaned in to kiss softly around his lips, interrupting him perfectly.
“I would have said ‘yes’,” Meg whispered as she stared directly into his ocean-blue eyes.
Creed blinked twice, struck silent by her admission.
“You would have?”
Meg nodded, grinning widely—a blush rising to her already pink cheeks.
Creed’s face turned from surprised to serious. “But we’re too young, Meg. I love you and I want to be with you forever, but I respect your brothers’ wishes.”
“Of course, we can’t get married now, but I needed you to know, I will say ‘yes’ someday, when you ask me for real.”
Creed wrapped his strong arms around his girl and leaped to his feet. Meg squealed in surprise, laughing beautifully as he swung her around. Meg didn’t have to read his thoughts; she knew he felt the same as she did: This was their most perfect moment ever.
Chapter 37 A Wrench in the Works
Still deep in thought, staring at her new ring with a goofy grin on her face, Meg ambled back to the house to change into her running shorts. She and Creed were planning to take in a few miles before the family was due back. She loved racing him.
She stopped to get herself a glass of water from the kitchen, still in a sweet, dizzy state.
A glint of silver caught her eye. A wrench was lying on the center island. Picking it up, she knew immediately it belonged to the old contractor, himself. Chuck accidentally left it behind because he was thinking about hurrying home to watch his favorite soap opera he never forgot to record.