AR Returns Ch64

It’s not often that Riley gets to see Adella totally helpless. Ambushing her this way isn’t completely fair, and neither is the question. Is Adella supposed to propose because she’s taller and has more muscles? Is two years a magic amount that means marriage is necessary? Hell, Riley knows nothing about the culture in Spain. She’s pretty sure that people do get married there, though.

“I’m not serious,” she says, smiling.

Adella looks relieved.

“I know why you haven’t asked me.”

Adella looks alarmed again.

Adella has grown considerably as a person since having to come to America. She’s had to learn what it’s like not to be rich, and to start being monogamous. She is still profoundly vain, and Riley makes so much more money than she does that it’s genuinely a little problematic. For a while, Adella probably had girls coming after her because she was hot and rich. She doesn’t want to do anything that someone could even possibly interpret as trying to marry into money.

“You do?”

“Yeah. I know you. And I love you.”

Adella’s look of discomfort becomes one of horror as Riley gets down on one knee. “And we don’t make things harder for the people we love. We try to make them easier.” She holds up the ring.

Adella stands there. She puts her hands on her hips and looks away. She’s not blushing; she doesn’t ever blush, really. Her face just gets kind of dark, and suddenly there’s sweat on her forehead. She licks her lips, and Riley speaks before Adella can. She tried to plan a less nerdy way to say it, but everything she came up with sounded too pushy. So nerdy is how it has to be.

“Will you marry me?”

Adella hesitates for maybe a second, swallowing visibly.

“Yes,” she replies. “Of course.”

Riley stands up and hugs her as soberly as she can. Adella’s boobs are a convenient place to hide her face in case she’s going to cry. It’s more PDA, but she can get away with hugging in Gurlberg. At least, she hopes she can because with Adella’s arms around her, things are perfect. Riley’s in no hurry to let go.

It’s a long, strange walk back to Adella’s place. Adella’s in shock and Riley’s doing her best to act cool instead of melting down with happiness. She knows that means there’s some room for growth in their relationship; she shouldn’t be worried about looking cool in front of her fiancé.

Still, she does.

It’s dark and they have the windows open. Riley hid champagne in the fridge, gambling that Adella would say yes. They lean on the windowsill, looking down at the college students on the sidewalk and enjoying the breeze. They drink champagne from coffee mugs and eat chocolates.

Riley shifts slightly to bump Adella with her hip. Adella looks over curiously.

“Romantic stuff makes me horny,” Riley tells her, as though Adella doesn’t already know.

“I always want you, darling.”

“Oh, um, about that,” Riley says, controlling her giddy grin and gazing at Adella and taking a noisy sip from her mug. “Since I asked you, that means I’m on top tonight. Right?”