Chapter 3 The First Night as Fiancée
After we finished demolishing enough food to feed a small village, the boys finally started to relax. Jake stretched on the rug like a starfish, groaning dramatically every time he moved. Drew sat beside me with his arm casually draped along the back of the couch, and Josh kept me firmly in his lap like he was afraid I’d float away if he let go.
Patrick stood leaning against the doorway, watching with that soft, quiet approval he never actually said out loud. Mike had his feet up on the coffee table and looked way too pleased with himself.
Jake rolled over and stared up at us. “So. Now that Emmy said yes, we need to talk about one thing.”
Josh’s hand paused on my hip. “What thing?”
Jake held up a finger like he was delivering breaking news. “Ice cream.”
Mike groaned. “Is that seriously your first thought?”
“Yes,” Jake said. “My fiancée deserves ice cream.”
I snorted. “I’m not your only fiancée.”
Jake gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. “How dare you imply I am not your favorite?”
“I never said that.”
“You implied it with your tone,” he said.
Mike tossed a pillow at his head. “She did not.”
Jake sat up, hugging the pillow. “Ice cream fixes betrayal.”
“I’ll get ice cream tomorrow,” Josh said. “Tonight you need rest.”
Jake flopped back down with a dramatic sigh. “I’ll take tomorrow.”
Drew nudged my leg gently. “Princess, how are you holding up? You look like your brain is still buffering.”
“It is buffering,” I admitted. “I think the little wheel is spinning.”
Josh chuckled softly into my hair. “That’s normal.”
Mike leaned forward slightly. “Still dizzy?”
“A little,” I said. “But not panic dizzy. More like… wow-my-entire-life-just-changed dizzy.”
“Good dizzy,” Jake said immediately, pointing at me from the floor.
“Yes, Jake,” I said, laughing. “Good dizzy.”
He fist-pumped. “Victory.”
Patrick finally stepped closer, crossing the room with easy confidence until he reached the armchair beside us. “You look better than earlier. Color’s back in your cheeks.”
“Thanks,” I said, smiling even though I felt shy.
“You also look tired,” he added.
“Okay,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “Why do all of you suddenly think you’re my personal exhaustion police?”
“Because you hide it,” Drew said simply. “You’ve always hidden it.”
Josh nodded. “And we’re not letting you do that anymore.”
My throat tightened a little at that, but in the good way. Protective, gentle love wasn’t something I’d grown up with. Feeling it this strongly was still new.
Jake perked up. “Wait! We haven’t called Mom!”
Everyone froze.
Josh closed his eyes. “Jake. No.”
“Yes,” Jake insisted. “She’ll kill us if she finds out later.”
Mike rubbed his face. “Not tonight, pup. Let us have one peaceful evening.”
“She’ll cry,” Jake whispered. “Happy cry.”
Patrick exhaled slowly. “Tomorrow.”
Jake pouted. “Fine. Tomorrow.”
I laughed and tucked my head under Josh’s chin. “You guys are insane.”
“You married into it,” Mike said.
“I didn’t marry anyone yet,” I corrected gently.
Josh kissed the side of my forehead. “Technicality.”
Drew stretched his legs out. “You did say yes.”
Jake nodded solemnly. “Which means you’re stuck with the chaos.”
“Oh, joy,” I muttered.
Josh squeezed my waist lightly. “You love it.”
Maybe I did. Maybe I loved all of it.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Jake sat up suddenly. “Let’s watch something.”
“No,” Josh said immediately.
“Yes,” Jake countered.
“She needs sleep.”
“She needs cartoons,” Jake argued.
Mike nodded as if this were a brilliant idea. “Actually, cartoons sound amazing.”
Drew shrugged. “I’ll watch whatever.”
Patrick stayed quiet, but the corner of his mouth lifted.
Josh groaned. “You’re all children.”
Jake gasped. “Emmy, tell him we need cartoons.”
I pointed at Josh. “He’s right. I’m exhausted.”
Josh smirked triumphantly.
“But,” I added, poking his chest, “I’ll stay awake for one episode of whatever Jake picks.”
Jake cheered. “Yes! This is why she’s the best.”
Mike elbowed Drew. “We’re so lucky.”
Drew snorted softly. “We are.”
Patrick shifted slightly, eyes soft. “Yes. We are.”
Josh tightened his hold on me. “And she’s ours.”
My heart did a full somersault. “Stop talking like that, or I’m going to start crying again.”
Jake waved a hand. “Cry, Emmy. It’s engagement day. Cry all you want.”
Mike smacked his leg. “Stop encouraging her.”
With everyone settled, Jake put on a cartoon that made absolutely no sense. He laughed the loudest at every joke. Drew chuckled quietly. Mike made sarcastic comments. Patrick barely smiled but never took his eyes off me. Josh traced small circles along my arm the entire time.
Somewhere between Jake laughing so hard he snorted and Josh mumbling something into my hair about bedtime, my eyes drifted shut.
I woke up only when Josh shifted beneath me.
“Come on, baby girl,” he whispered. “Time to lie down.”
“I wasn’t asleep,” I mumbled.
“You were drooling on my shirt,” Mike said cheerfully.
I shot upright. “I WAS NOT.”
Josh laughed softly. “You were, actually.”
My face went scarlet. “Oh my god.”
Patrick stood and stretched. “It was cute.”
“No, it wasn’t!”
“It was,” Drew said.
Jake raised a hand. “I took a picture.”
EYES WIDE. “Jake—”
“It’s adorable,” he said proudly. “You look peaceful. Want to see?”
“No,” I groaned, covering my face.
Josh lifted me easily and carried me bridal-style toward the hallway. “Bed,” he repeated.
“I can walk,” I muttered.
“I know,” he said, kissing my forehead. “But I want to carry you.”
Behind us, Jake shouted, “Happy engagement night!”
Mike added, “Sleep tight, sweetheart.”
Drew said softly, “We’ll be here when you wake up.”
Patrick’s voice followed last—low, warm, certain. “Goodnight, love.”
And wrapped in Josh’s arms, still wearing the ring that started it all, I felt it settle fully for the first time:
This was real.
This was mine.
This was us.