Until Jinx - Happily Ever Alpha World

As we pulled up to a small dirt road that led into the forest, Jinx stopped and looked over his shoulder at me.

“Take the helmet off.”

I didn’t question it, didn’t even pause to make sure I’d heard it right. I just undid the fastening at my chin and pulled it off, smiling at him.

“Are we getting off here?”

“Nope, we’re gonna ride through these trees for a bit. You’re safe not to have a helmet on and I’ll drive slowly, so there’s no need to worry about getting hurt.”

With my helmet squeezed into the space between us, the hug I gave him was a bit awkward, but I still did it. “Thank you.”

It was a totally different ride without it on, and I loved every second of it until he pulled into a clearing and cut the engine.

Reaching back, he tapped my thigh and squeezed it. “Throw your leg over, baby.”

I can’t say I was a pro at it, but I did it how he’d taught me, only catching my foot on the bike once. Chuckling, he took my helmet out of my hand and hooked both of them over the handlebars.

Turning in a circle, I took in where we were. Tall trees of different heights and shades of green and brown surrounded us, and the grass was dotted with flowers that were highlighted by the sun breaking through the leaves. I reckoned that this place would be stunning when it was overhead, but even at this time of day, it was spectacular—like a little fairyland.

“I used to come here when I was in high school,” Jordan told me as he joined me. “It was my peaceful place. Whenever my sister got on my nerves, or if Hazel pissed me off, or when I just wanted to lose myself in drawing, I came here and cleared my mind.”

“I love it,” I breathed, seeing it all with new eyes now. I could see this being a place to let your worries disappear while you did something you loved.

“I was looking through a portfolio of work from school that I had stashed at home while I was packing my shit up, and I came across this one.” He held out a large piece of rolled-up paper to me, his eyes daring me to take it.

So I did.

Dropping down to my knees on the grass, I unrolled it and smiled as I saw a perfect replica of the place we were in at that moment. Jordan had caught it beautifully.

“What time of the year did you do this one? Look at the trees, how dense the leaves are, and how many flowers have managed to show their beauty,” I murmured, sweeping my fingers over the page.

It looked like he’d used a mixture of pencils and watercolors to add the details, and it was gorgeous. Then I saw something red-ish next to the trees and squinted. “What’s that?”

“Look more closely.”

I recognized the sweater. Holy shit, I used to wear that one to school during the winter. It’d been oversized and always fell off my shoulder, but I’d loved the deep pink shade. Usually, pink was an issue with red—or strawberry blonde as the hairstylist I was going to kept saying—but this one had brought out more of the different shades in my hair and was as soft as a cloud.

Looking more closely, I saw the figure in it was also wearing the silver bangle my grandparents had given me for my sixteenth birthday. One I used to wear every day until I’d started working with clay and realized no jewelry was the best way forward. It was intertwined bands of silver, with scatterings of green stones in it—the same color as his eyes.

That was me in his painting. He’d drawn me in his special place over a decade ago.

“That’s me.”

Crouching down next to me, he held his hand out, keeping it clenched in a fist.

“Didn’t realize it at the time, baby, but you were my safe place—the one that cleared my head and gave me the strength to get through the day. I think back then, I was just looking for a path in life, and I hate that I didn’t even realize who you were to me. If I’d known then what I know now,” he chuckled and shook his head. “Well, I wouldn’t go to sleep mentally kicking my own ass every night.”

Then, opening his hand, he revealed a beautiful white gold ring with a diamond on it. It was a simple and classic design, and one that I’d likely have chosen myself.

Tilting my head back to look up at him, I saw how nervous he was. Why, though? I’d already said yes.

“You jinxed me.”

When I didn’t say anything else after the three words, he shifted, so he was on his knees next to me. “Is that a yes?”