The wind howled from outside and the room felt icy. The heat must've been set at max but I still wasn't warm enough and the bed felt way too big and empty. Every word that left Mitchell's mouth from our fight ran a marathon in my head. I was still concerned about Leo too. I was overwhelmed and my anxiety didn't help.
My stomach felt uneasy and my heart raced while I tossed and turned. I shut my eyes and tried to sleep but my mind refused to shut off. I had a long day and my body was exhausted but didn't understand the meaning of rest.
"Are you a fish out of water?"
Mitchell was so still and silent that I assumed he was already asleep so his voice startled me. "Why are you still awake?"
"I could ask you the same thing," Mitchell replied, irritably. "And how can I sleep when I can hear you shuffling every two seconds?"
"Well, I can't sleep," I responded. "I can't get comfortable, my mind is on overdrive, and it's freezing in here."
"I set the heat on maximum."
"I guess that's not enough for a snowstorm." I turned to my side and curled into a fetal position while hugging myself. "And it doesn't help that you have the spare blanket."
"I'll freeze to death if I sleep without it."
If you slept here with me, it would solve both our problems.
"Dramatic much," I muttered under my breath.
Mitchell heard me. "I'm dramatic? You're the one on a queen-sized bed while I'm on this tiny couch."
"And whose fault is that?" I retorted. "I offered you the bed but you wanted to be a gentleman and squeeze your giant body on that tiny couch."
"So, now I'm the bad guy for prioritizing your comfort." Mitchell sighed. "You're never pleased with anything I do."
"No, you're the bad guy for sleeping so far away!" I irritably snapped. I realized that bickering wasn't going to help anyone and he was so far away because of me. I took in a calming breath. "It's okay, I'll get warm soon enough. Sleep, I'll stop disturbing you."
The room fell silent and the only sound was our breathing and the howling wind from outside. The room felt like a freezer no matter how much I tried to warm up. My feet felt like they were set in blocks of ice and I couldn't stop shivering.
"Freaking five-year-old," Mitchell whispered under his breath and after I heard some movement, I felt another blanket placed on top of me.
I opened my eyes and watched Mitchell set the thicker, warmer blanket over me. I couldn't let him sleep without anything to keep him warm. "No, take it back. You'll free-"
I trailed off when he pulled open the covers, tossed his pillow beside mine, and got into bed. I rolled my bottom lip inward to suppress a smile while he pulled the covers over both of us. They covered my face and just as I was about to pop my head up, I heard Mitchell's voice.
"Turn around."
"Hmm?" I moved the covers out of my eyes but my hair still covered half my face. "Are you trying to have sex with me?"
Mitchell deeply sighed. "No, I just don't want to look at you."
Ouch.
"Don't hate me," I softly whispered to myself.
I pushed the covers off my face and removed the hair that covered it. The room was dark but I was still able to see Mitchell's face. His eyes sparkled and I hadn't realized just how close he lay.
I was about to turn around but Mitchell's voice stopped me. "I don't hate you."
I didn't say anything and waited for him to continue. He pushed a strand of hair off my forehead. "I don't want to look at you because looking at you makes me forget everything. I can't stay mad for long when I see you."
"So don't," I whispered.
"I don't want to but..."
"But?"
Mitchell shut his eyes for a long moment before he opened them again and gently played with my hair. "I can't forget everything we spoke about. My feelings shouldn't be disregarded."
"They're not," I stated. "I heard you and will do my best to fix my mistakes."
"I wouldn't call them mistakes," Mitchell softly muttered. "I understand your situation and want to be there for you as much as possible but..."
"But how can you be there for me when I'm not around often enough, right?"
Mitchell stared into my eyes and nodded.
I hesitated for a second before I combed my fingers through his hair and left my hand there for a long moment. I caressed his forehead with the pad of my thumb and inched a little closer. "It might not feel like it but I feel the distance too," I whispered. "And I miss how things used to be. Life seemed simpler and easier a couple of months back."
Mitchell wrapped his hand around mine and brought my palm to his lips. He gently kissed my skin. "You really are cold." He rubbed over the top of my palm. He placed our hands over his chest and I felt relieved when I saw a tiny smile on his face. "We're M&M, I trust we'll get through this."
I smiled and nodded. "We will and if we don't, we'll hit the road and ignite that spark again."
"I don't know," Mitchell drawled. "We're on a trip right now and things aren't that great."
"It's not just the two of us on this trip," I pointed out. "If we drift too far apart, it will just be me, you, and whichever one of your car lovers you choose to take with."
Mitchell scowled. "They're not my lo-" he cut himself short and sighed. "I'm not even going to bother."
I softly laughed and felt a lot lighter. "Sadie was and will always be my favorite competition."
"Mila," Mitchell playfully warned which made me laugh.
"Hey," I broke our brief moment of silence. "You know you're the only person I frequently say I love you to?"
Mitchell looked a little surprised. "I know you hated that word before but I figured you were past that."
"I'm still pretty damaged." I humorlessly laughed. "It's still not easy to say those words to anyone. But with you, it's effortless and I don't just say it, whenever I tell you those three words, it comes straight from my heart. It's at that moment I realize how lucky I am to call you mine."
"It took a lot out of you to say all that right now, huh?"
"No," I replied honestly. "Under normal circumstances, I'd struggle to put together a sentence to express my feelings but you bring out a real, raw side of me. With you, everything... effortlessly flows."
Mitchell shifted closer and his warmth already spread through me. "I don't use those words often either." Mitchell stared so intensely at me, it felt as if he saw right through my soul. "And yet I still feel they aren't enough to express how deeply I feel for you."
Mitchell rested his forehead over mine and took in a deep breath. "When I say you're my whole world, I mean it with every fiber in my body. I honestly don't think I could live happily or peacefully without you."
His words gave me goosebumps and set flight butterflies in my stomach. I felt my heart race and the moment between us felt the most intimate we'd been in a long time.
Mitchell cupped my cheek. "Mila," he whispered. "Please don't break my heart."
His words were so vulnerable that I felt a pang in my chest. Mitchell was truly scared that he was losing me and the fear in his voice hurt. I wished there was a way to prove that other than him, there was no one else. I was distracted by everything in my life but at the end of the day, he was the place I found comfort in and called home.
"I won-" Mitchell cut me off with a firm and passionate yet gentle and chaste kiss. His lips acted like a line that transferred whatever he felt in his heart directly to me. I felt the need, fear, and love through his kiss and it flooded my chest with an array of emotions.
I ran my hand through his hair, fisted a bunch, and pulled him closer. I arched my back so that I felt every inch of his skin on mine. I didn't want our moment to end, I needed him and he possibly needed me more.
Mitchell, breathless, reluctantly broke the kiss. He shut his eyes and took in a deep breath. "We can't," he whispered. "I mean, we shouldn't."
"Hmm?" I tried to understand his logic but my mind was too dazed by feelings.
"I don't want us to solve every fight and misunderstanding with sex," he earnestly spoke. "Sometimes it's good but if it becomes a habit, we'll fall into a toxic cycle and that's not what our relationship should be like."
Mitchell made perfect sense and I agreed with him. I groaned. "I hate it when you're smarter than me."
Mitchell smiled and caressed my cheekbone with the pad of his thumb. "I'm always smarter than you."
I scowled. "Just because it's your birthday I won't argue." I sighed and moved back a little. "I guess I'll turn around now. Goodnight, Bitchell."
"No." Mitchell pulled me against his chest and rested his chin on top of my head. He wrapped his hands tightly around me and intertwined his legs with mine. "You can sleep here, just like this." He sighed contently and kissed the top of my head. "Goodnight, Baby."
***
"The storm seems to have cleared," Owen mused while we had breakfast the next morning.
I looked out of the tall, wide glass windows and admired the grey sky. Snow covered almost everything outside making it look like a winter wonderland. The wind finally stopped but it was still freezing. I wished I'd packed a change of clothes but other than the clothes on my back, I had nothing else to wear.
"I hope it means we can head back," I mused. "I want to get out of these clothes."
"Are you shamelessly sitting here without having had a shower?" Owen blurted.
"Doubt that, Mila never leaves the house without a shower," Faith replied on my behalf.
"And I also never leave the bathroom without flushing." I flashed Owen a humorless grin. "Can you say the same?"
Mitchell, who had just taken a sip of coffee, choked on a laugh while Faith tried not to laugh. Owen scowled at me and then glared at Mitchell. "I will forever hate you for sharing that."
Mitchell flashed him a thumbs up in response.
After our talk before bed, things were still a little weird but I knew I had to fix that with my actions. I hated that Mitchell started his birthday on a bitter note and I was to blame. It felt like there was an invisible icy bridge between us and he barely spoke since we got up.
Faith and Owen must've noticed the chill between us and that's why they tried to lighten the mood ever since we met downstairs for breakfast.
"Are you in a better mood, Birthday Boy?" Owen broke the silence.
I stilled and glanced at Mitchell while the only things that were heard for a long moment were the soft music and the sound of cutlery against porcelain plates.
"Yeah," Mitchell finally replied. He placed his cutlery down and looked at Owen and Faith who sat opposite us. "I want to apologize for my behavior last night. It's not an excuse but I had one too many drinks and –"
"Why are you being formal?" Owen cut him off.
"Yeah, it's us," Faith added. "I know we don't live down the road from each other anymore but we're still the same."
"I know but I embarrassed myself and Mila," Mitchell replied. "I was out of line to share our personal issues out like that."
"I'm not embarrassed," I said. "I've tried to rip your hair out in front of them before. I think we've had worse fights to be embarrassed over a stupid almost-argument."
"Yeah." Owen raised his hand with a silly grin. "M&M ex-referee here."
Everyone softly laughed and the mood already lifted.
"When I said I missed the job, I meant silly, bickering not whatever that was last night," Owen seriously said. He and Faith looked at us with concerned looks. "Seriously, are you guys good?"
I hesitantly glanced at Mitchell and didn't know what to say. Things felt a little better but I wasn't sure if I'd have called us good. Before my awkwardness showed, Mitchell placed his hand over mine and our eyes met for a second.
"We spoke and cleared the air last night," Mitchell said. "We shouldn't have involved you guys... again."
Owen waved off Mitchell's apology. "I'm just glad you guys are communicating."
"Right?" Faith said a little loudly. "We should have champagne instead of coffee."
Just as I was about to respond to their dramatics, Mitchell's phone rang. He lifted the device off the table and glanced at the name. "Excuse me."
"My bet that's his mom," Owen said once Mitchell walked away. "Ever since he was a kid, she always used to wish him on his birthday first."
"Yeah, but I bet Mila beat her this year, right?" Faith said.
I half grinned and nodded. I probably was the first to wish Mitchell happy birthday but it wasn't a wholesome, heartwarming moment. It was quite the opposite, he made it clear that he didn't care about his birthday and I felt guilty. Even after we slept tangled up in each other, I woke up to an empty bed.
I tried to wish Mitchell again but the cold shoulder I got stopped me midway. He needed a little space and I respected that.
"Are you okay?" Owen, seriously asked. "I can't help but feel all big brotherly when you seem upset. I'm not used to a sad Mila and it bothers me when you aren't annoying everyone around you."
"Are you insulting me or being nice?"
Owen shook his head. "I'm being serious. I know Mitch said you guys spoke but I want to hear you say you're alright."
Ever since my accident, Owen and I grew closer. I never thought of him as a big brother but now that he mentioned it, he fit the role perfectly. We had a close relationship and he always looked out for me. Mitchell might've put him in a predicament years ago by hiding the truth about why he really went MIA but Owen was still always a great support.
"I feel guilty and like crap for ruining his birthday," I admitted. "This was supposed to be his weekend."
"Don't beat yourself up about it," Faith consoled. "Arguments and fights are common, it's how you deal with them and move forward that matters. I do not doubt that Mitchell will be in a great mood by the afternoon."
"And don't think he's mad or hates you," Owen added. "We spoke last night and he just misses you. He said he never knew he could miss someone so much despite having them in his arms."
"I know he's big and thinks he's scary but he's nothing but a big ol' softie underneath all six foot four of him," Owen added. "He has insecurities too and right now he's biggest is losing you."
Knowing he felt that way hurt. I wished Mitchell would've spoken up sooner instead of bottling it all up until he couldn't take it anymore. I was a hypocrite for wishing that but Mitchell was always better at communicating than me.
I lowered my gaze and nodded. "I know and I miss him too." I looked up and plastered on a convincing smile. "We'll work through this just as we've done with everything else."
Faith smiled and caressed my hand. "We're always here for you, don't forget."
I nodded and was grateful to have Faith and Owen. From the beginning, it seemed they took on the role of the parent-friend and I appreciated everything they'd done for us.
"That was Katie," Mitchell announced once he got back. He sat down and placed his phone on the table. "She says they lost network with the storm but they're alright and waiting to see us."
I let out a soft breath of relief and my first instinct was to run off and call Leo but didn't. It was Mitchell's day and I needed to sit and have breakfast with him. If Kate said they were alright, I trusted Leo was too.
"Leo's fine too," Mitchell said. I turned to him and his eyes stared straight into mine. "I asked so you don't have to worry."
I wasn't sure if he was sarcastic but he gently rubbed over the top of my palm with a small grin and I knew he was sincere. "The roads should open up later this afternoon and then we can join the others."
"To pass some time, we can take a stroll into town. I saw some cute stores on our way here," Faith suggested. "It beats sitting in a hotel all day. Unless you guys have other ideas?"
I wanted to get Mitchell one more last-minute birthday gift so Faith's idea was perfect. "I'm with you. If the guys don't want to join, they don't have to."
"We'll tag along," Owen said.
"Yeah, I'm not comfortable with either of you out alone in a place you barely know," Mitchell agreed.
***
"Mitchy!" Kate's eyes brightened up as soon as we walked into the living room of the villa later that afternoon.
Kate got up from her seat and ran over. She was about to hug her brother but must've remembered she was too cool for that so instead, she cleared her throat and offered him a fist. "I'm glad you're back in one piece." Her eyes scanned the rest of us. "All of you."
She nudged his shoulder with her fist and grinned. "And happy birthday old man."
Mitchell rolled his eyes, smiled, and pulled her in for a hug. Kate feigned resistance and muttered the word gross one too many times. She hugged him back and it warmed my heart to see the love they had for each other.
I didn't want to upset Mitchell and make it obvious that I craved seeing Leo. I tried not to allow my eyes to linger and stood in my spot even though I was desperate to make sure Leo was alright.
Mitchell pulled away and kept his hands on Kate's shoulders. "Are you alright?"
Kate nodded. "Yeah. I got a little worried last night when we couldn't get ahold of you guys but Leo was a voice of reason and calmed me down."
"The hikers are back from the storm," Leo's voice acted as a tranquilizer. I turned around and saw Leo coming downstairs.
Our eyes met and I let out a breath of relief that he looked fine. Leo must've known I was worried sick because he half-grinned and assured me with his eyes that was alright.
"I'm happy to see you're all in one piece." Leo playfully nudged Kate. "Katie over here was crying, scared that her big brother was eaten by a grizzly bear."
"I didn't cry." Kate glowered. "I was just worried. We aren't built for snow storms."
"Were you guys alright?" I asked mostly Leo. "We tried to call but –"
"Yeah, we lost signal and there was a stage we thought the power was about to go out," Leo replied. "But we managed fine. We had a good fire running, food that I prepared, blankets and Katie attempted making hot chocolate."
Mitchell grimaced. "It looked diarrhea, right?"
Leo suppressed his laugh while Mitchell shamelessly laughed. Kate glared at both the guys. "Just because I add extra chocolate and the melted marshmallows make it look lumpy, doesn't mean it tastes like shit."
"Your words not mine," Leo laughed.
I felt Faith's eyes on me and I asked her what was up. She smiled and shook her head before she and Owen excused themselves to freshen up. I looked around the house and noticed Kelsey wasn't around. I asked and Leo said that Kelsey went on a little grocery run.
"Mitchy," Kate excitedly said and grabbed Mitchell's hand. "I forgot to bring your gift but I made something even better that you're going to love."
"You found some crayons around here and made a card?" Mitchell raised a brow.
Kate rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not five anymore and my cards were better than the lousy ones you made for me."
"I'd take the card instead," Leo muttered.
Kate and Leo exchanged looks and I wondered what was up. "What did you make?" I asked, curiously.
"Can't you smell it?" Kate asked. "I made mom's brownies!"
Mitchell looked like a kid on Christmas morning. "Really?"
Kate nodded and dragged Mitchell to the kitchen. "Come on, you've got to have a bite and prove to Leo that I am competent in the kitchen."
"He kept interfering and thought of himself as some celebrity chef or something," Kate muttered to Mitchell as they walked away.
"That's where you're wrong, Amore," Leo called after Kate with a chuckle. "I'm better than a celebrity chef."
Kate showed Leo the finger behind her back and headed with Mitchell to the kitchen. I stilled at what Leo called her and felt weird about it. Amore was a name he only referred to me as and it had been a long time since he called me that. I felt bad and a little bitter that he used that name on someone else.
Leo bumped his shoulder against mine. "Hey, are you alright?"
I squared my shoulders and plastered on a grin. "Yeah. It was a long night. I'm going to freshen up."
"Did you..." I didn't bother to hear what he had to say and rushed upstairs.
Everyone threw around ideas on how to celebrate Mitchell's birthday but all he wanted was to stay in and spend it with the people who mattered. Owen tried his best to get everyone to go skiing but after the storm, everyone was skeptical.
Mitchell didn't like all the attention on him so he suggested we used the heated patio and have a cookout instead of going out for dinner. Faith and Kelsey were eager to take on the responsibility to cook and Leo offered but after Kate went on about how bossy he was in the kitchen, his offer was rejected.
Mitchell seemed to have had a good day and he smiled a lot which made me happy. However, we didn't even get a minute together. The one time he had a minute to himself, Owen dragged him into town to stock up on drinks. I told myself I wouldn't drink because Leo was restricted but given how things turned around and my dull mood, I was beginning to change my mind.
"You've been quiet," Kelsey mused.
"Take it as a blessing," I chuckled. "I've been told I tend to talk too much."
"Now which arse would say that?" Kelsey clicked her tongue in dismay. "It's rude and distasteful to say that to someone. Besides, I think you're quite the life of this group."
I smiled at her compliment. "Thanks, but I have my moments." I realized that I hadn't had a chance to talk to Kelsey since her dad died. "How are you ever since...?"
Kelsey sighed. "Taking it day by day." She spaced out for a long moment and stared at the view shown from the large window in the living room. "I suppose if Mitch wasn't with me, I'd have felt worse. It also helped that Uncle Damien came to the memorial too and keeps checking in on me."
I stilled and replayed her words. I had no idea that Dad went to London for the memorial. If he was there, Mitchell must've seen him. I wondered why Mitchell never told me and made a mental note to ask. I also felt like an awful person for being jealous that Dad was there for her.
"You have great men in your life, Mila," Kelsey broke my train of thoughts. "I mean even Leo is such an inspiration and he's a reason I'm glad I accompanied you guys on this trip."
"Leo's got everyone smitten, eh?"
"Can you blame us? He's charming, funny, and much like you, the life of the party," Kelsey said. "I admire his spirit and seeing him so full of life despite what he's going through has been kind of inspiring."
"That's Leo, always smiling and making sure everyone else is too." I watched Leo, who was in the kitchen laughing while Faith looked annoyed and Kate was ready to kill him with the spoon in her hand.
"But he's something else in the kitchen," Kelsey averted my attention back to her. "I needed to get away or I was going to let my potty mouth loose."
I softly laughed. "You should see him with my Abuela. No one gets under her skin as much as Leo but she also loves him just as much."
"Kind of like you and Mitch, eh?" Kelsey stared at me with a small grin. "He told me a little about how often you two used to bicker. I believe you also almost ripped his hair off."
I laughed at the memory and it felt like a lifetime ago. "He deserved it."
Kelsey and I spoke for a while and it was the first time I had a proper conversation with her. I felt I might've misjudged her because she was nice. She was hurting and I tried to offer some words of comfort but even though she was appreciative, she didn't like drawing attention to herself. I understood why Mitchell was good friends with her, she was polite and a good person.
As the night went on, music played and chatter went around. Everyone had a great time and I found myself bonding a lot more with Kelsey. Every time I sort of drifted away from the crowd, she pulled me back in and made sure I had a good time too. She also noticed that Mitchell and I didn't have a lot of time together so she found excuses to have us be together at times.
Other than Leo and me, everyone else was quite tipsy. Even Mitchell had one too many and he was his usual drunk, lighthearted self. His dimples were on full display almost all night and I was pleasantly surprised that he laughed at Leo's jokes.
Thanks to Kelsey, while we sat around a fire later that night, Mitchell sat closely next to me. I wasn't sure if it was the alcohol but he was the most affectionate all day. He kept his hand on my thigh and even pulled me closer so I was warm. He often kissed the side of my head and caressed my hand and leg. He even wrapped an arm around me at one point while he told everyone that other than the women in his home, I was the only one who made brownies just like his mom.
We finished up partying just before midnight and it would've gone on longer if most of the crowd didn't pass out from drinking too much. I made my way upstairs and glanced at the wrapped gift I had stored for Mitchell in the closet. I was still apprehensive about mentioning his birthday after the previous night so I shut the closet door and made my way to the balcony.
It began to lightly snow again. I let out my palm and watched the small crystals fall on my skin. I loved the snow and the fresh air around made me feel better.
I was slightly startled when I felt someone wrap a blanket around me from behind. I knew it was Mitchell straight away and tried to turn around but he wrapped his arms around me.
"What are you doing out here by yourself? It's freezing."
His body heat with the blanket was welcoming. "Admiring nature before we get back to the busy city."
We remained silent for a long moment and it was nice. We didn't always need to speak for it to be comfortable. Mitchell buried his nose in the crook of my neck and his arms tightened around me. His warmth spread throughout my body and I felt at ease for the first time since our fight.
"This reminds me of two things," Mitchell broke the silence. "One, your tradition of dancing on your birthday, and two, of our song."
I opened my mouth to respond but Mitchell pulled away, turned me around, and took my hand in his. His other hand went around my waist and he began to sing as he swayed his body slowly. "I see trees so green, red roses too, I see them bloom for me and you."
"Mitch," I tried to protest but he didn't have it.
"Oh, come on, dance with me," he whined like a kid. "Under the night sky with snow falling around us and a beautiful view in the background." He pulled me closer and brushed the tip of his nose against mine. "It will feel like something out of an epic romance novel or a cute, annoying rom-com."
I laughed and was happy to see him in a good mood. I spun myself around. "I see skies so blue and clouds so white," I sang.
"The bright blessed day," Mitchell and I sang together. "The dogs say goodnight."
Together we wholeheartedly laughed. Mitchell pulled me against him and rested his forehead against mine. We slowly swayed while he hummed the tune under his breath. I felt overwhelmed but not in a bad way. I was happy but also sad and guilty for everything that happened.
Mitchell pulled back and pressed a soft kiss on my cheek. "Thank you."
"For?"
"For this trip, for being here, and for being the first to wish me for my birthday."
I rested my forehead on his chest "And I'm sorry," I whispered. "For screwing up this trip, for not being there enough, and for ruining your birthday."
"You didn't do any of that," Mitchell softly said. "There might've been a few hiccups but it wouldn't be our trip without any, right?"
I sighed. "This time it's different. I hurt you."
"Hey." Mitchell gently gripped my chin and made me look up at him. "I'm not going to take back what I said last night because it's how I really feel but don't beat yourself up about it."
"How can I no-"
"Shh," Mitchell hushed me. "The point of communicating is to express our concerns in hopes we can fix the situation. You didn't screw up this trip or ruin my birthday. Our first night here was... something."
"The sex was great but you said so yourself, we shouldn't base our happiness on that only."
Mitchell flashed me his nails. "I was talking about getting manicures. I have to admit, my nails have never looked better."
I laughed and Mitchell pulled me to his chest. "It's not about the sex, it's about the little moments we spent together. Watching you roll your eyes, sigh when I got you flustered, hearing your silly, stupid smartass remarks and just being with you. That's what made this weekend special."
"Do you mean that?"
"Do I lie?"
"Not often but you've got to stop answering my questions with another."
Mitchell chuckled and kissed the top of my head. "I meant every word I said to you last night before bed. I don't want to ever lose you."
I wrapped my arms around him, shut my eyes, and breathed in his scent. "Me neither."
I pulled away after a long moment and the blanket slipped off one shoulder. Mitchell put it back in place while I dug into the large pockets of my oversized cardigan. "I got you something."
"I said no gifts," Mitchell whined.
I ignored him and pulled out the little square box that I hadn't managed to get wrapped. "It's a last-minute gift and didn't cost much." I handed it to him. "Happy birthday, Bitchell."
Mitchell's brows slowly knitted together as he flipped open the lid of the wooden box. Mitchell looked completely taken aback at the contents.
"Are you," he hesitated. "Are you proposing?"
My eyes widened. "Joder, no!" I realized my answer might've come off as a little harsh. "I mean, I like things to be a little traditional so I'll leave that to you."
"Not that I'm asking you to propose because I'm not," I quickly added. "We haven't even been together for a year and we both still have some growing up to do. Honestly, I've never even thought of the M word."
"Relax." Mitchell suppressed a grin. "It's just this is a ring."
I pulled the platinum ring that had a wooden center out of the box. "This isn't an engagement ring."
I showed him the engraving on the inside of the ring that the jeweler kindly got done so quickly. Inside of the ring was an infinity sign and the words 'sort of like forever' written beside it.
"Infinity, sort of like forever," Mitchell softly read. "One of our slogans."
I nodded. "Just because I'm the woman in this relationship, it doesn't mean I can't get you a promise ring."
"Promise ring?"
I nodded and took his hand in mine. I slid the ring on his middle finger. "I know it may seem that things are changing and that I'm not your Milo sometimes but this is my promise that it's not and I will always be your Milo."
I pressed my lips over the ring and placed his hand over my chest. "I loved you yesterday, I love you today and I'll love you more tomorrow. You're my safe place, my home and nothing will hurt me more than losing you."
Mitchell gulped and we stared at each other for a long moment. "Before you I never understood love but I'm starting to believe that you're the one. I can't imagine my life without you and this ring is my promise that I will always be yours, no matter what."
Mitchell's eyes softened and reflected nothing but love. "Mil..." he trailed off and wrapped me up tightly in his arms. '
He didn't need to say a word but the emotions that ran through us were enough to express how deeply we felt for each other. We held onto each other for a long while until Mitchell pulled away. He stared at the ring with a silly grin. "I've never really worn jewelry but I love this. Thank you, Baby."
"I wish it was a better ring but my options were limited."
"It's perfect," Mitchell earnestly said. "Although, why did you put it on my middle finger? Doesn't it normally go on the ring finger?"
"We're M&M, the middle finger works best. I feel that finger is a good representation of how our relationship began. We'll save the other finger for another occasion."
"Not that I'm implying -" Mitchell cut me off with a kiss.
He didn't hold back. He grabbed my ass and lifted me off the ground. I instinctively wrapped my legs around him and he walked us back into the bedroom. I pulled away and recalled his words from the previous night.
"Wait," I breathlessly said. "We agreed that we won't fix a fight with sex."
"Get with the memo, our fight is over ages ago." Mitchell tried to kiss me again but I put my hands on his chest and stopped him.
"I got you another gift, you should unwrap that."
"I will but first I'd like to unwrap you."
"But you'll love it. It's a custom Mercedes G-Wagon –"
Mitchell who was ready to kiss me again pulled back this time. He didn't look very pleased. "You got me a what?"
I thought about getting him a new Sadie but knew he'd freak out if I got him something that pricey. "G-Wagon model car," I clarified. "I saw your collection of miniature versions of all your cars at the beach house and got one made of Sadie. The registration plate is the date we went on our road trip and there's a tiny M&M printed somewhere for you to find."
Mitchell relaxed and smiled. "You're perfect, you know that."
I smugly grinned. "Lo sé. You should open it."
"Later," Mitchell shut me up with a kiss and shut the balcony door behind us.