“Yes. I have a ring and everything. But her dad’s passing put everything on pause. I have no intention of letting her go, Nichole. She’s the love of my life, and I will be damned if anyone or anything gets between that. So you can either be on our side and cheer for us, or you can make your life a living hell and try to break us up. But news flash, I’m not going to let that happen. I’m not going anywhere.”

She slowly nods and then lets out a gentle sigh. “Okay, then prove me wrong, Ryot. Prove to me that you’re going to be there for her and make her happy.”

“I don’t have to prove a goddamn thing to you, because I’ve already proven to Myla that I deserve her. That I will protect her. That she never has to worry about another day in her life when she’s with me. And I will be cordial with you. Hell, maybe in the future, we might even become friends again, but that’s because I love Myla so much and I know how much you mean to her, not because I want to make things work out between you and me.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little counterintuitive?”

I shake my head. “No, because I tried to be nice to you, and look where that got me. So you can come to terms with the fact that I’m not going anywhere, and maybe over time, we’ll grow to appreciate each other. Until then, I plan on asking her to marry me, and I truly hope that’s something you can accept. Either way, I’m going through with it.”

She runs her tongue over the front of her teeth as she says, “You know, normally the boyfriend would try to make the best friend like them.”

“Normally the boyfriend doesn’t have to deal with the best friend trying to create discord.”

“Just looking out for my girl.” She hops off the counter. “But I can see that she’s happy with you, and I do appreciate that you protected her from her mom. It means a lot to me actually.” Her expression turns soft. “Not that you need it or want it, but you have my blessing to marry her. And like you said, over time, maybe we’ll grow to be friends.”

“Maybe,” I say and take a step toward the living room where the stairs are. “But don’t fuck with me again, Nichole.”

And then I’m out of the kitchen and walking up the stairs, relief in my shoulders as I reach Myla’s room and open the door to find her lying on her bed, under the covers. From the amount of skin I can see of her shoulders, I know she did exactly what I wanted.

Keeping my eyes on her, I reach behind my head and pull my shirt off. I also remove my shoes and socks, and as my hands float to the waistband of my jeans, I watch her lick her lips, hunger in those sultry eyes of hers.