Eli went off the beaten path. A few rabbits skittered away as he walked. He held his arms out, letting his fingertips skim over evergreen boughs as he passed. He stepped over the small, scrubby bushes, purposefully leaving his mind blank.
He might be a scientist, but he was a dragon shifter, too, and being out in nature helped center him.
When he finally reached a secluded place, he sat down on a boulder next to a waterfall. The sound of the rushing water was calming.
Was he doing the right thing? Ava had said she loved him. But then she had asked for space. So, why had she cried today when he left? It made no sense to him.
He’d always assumed he was destined not to understand females because none of the females in his clan had ever understood him.
But Ava had understood him. She’d been a true partner to him.
But now she wanted to go? Why? What had he done to drive her away?
Was it possible that she’d expected more from him? A bigger apology? A more intense declaration of love? His last ex had told him that he sucked at being romantic. When she was angry, she’d wanted him to chase after her. When she was sad, she’d wanted him to coax her out of it. When she was feeling affectionate, she’d wanted him to initiate.
He’d told her that she needed a mind-reader, not a boyfriend.
Ava would never make those demands. But what if she felt like he didn’t care?
He recounted their conversation again. She’d said, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ That had to mean something important. That had to mean that she was just as tormented by their distance as he was.
But why wouldn’t she just say so?
Eli, you haven’t said anything either.
Maybe what he needed was a grand gesture. One last demonstration, on a grand scale, to prove that he loved her. And then, if she was receptive, he’d tell her that she was his mate and explain what that meant.
He jumped up. Now he’d decided, and he was ninety minutes away from her, out in the middle of the wilderness. He had the urge to fly back, but the sky was a bright, clear blue.
He called a taxi and made his way back.
As it drove, he started planning. But first, he sent his best friend a text.
I’m going to try again. Thanks for listening.
Jackson sent back several crude emojis that really weren’t appropriate for anyone to see, and Eli laughed in spite of himself.
When he wondered what would mean the most to Ava, Eli immediately knew it would not be anything glitzy or glamorous. She had grown up with money. She had grown up traveling all over the world. Tickets to the opera, the symphony, or the theater weren’t going to impress her.
What he needed to do was show her how serious he was about her.
Taking a woman to meet his family might not seem like the most exciting date in the world, but Ava had not met his family. He’d had to keep them from her before she knew his secret. And afterward, she’d asked for space.
Taking her to his home was a show of faith. It might be too much. It might overwhelm her. But at least he would know he did everything he could.
He was going to end today with the biggest show of faith of all—an engagement ring.
He was going to propose.
That might seem like madness to some, but Eli knew it was time to go big or go home. When he saw her crying in the parking lot, he’d realized he must have missed some signals. If she said no, he’d cope.
He’d be devastated, but at least he’d know.
Now, he needed a ring. He wasn’t going to rush into a department store and buy the first thing he found. He was going to put his own time and energy into it.
As soon as he was back at his house in Portland, he jumped in his car and drove to his home in Cape Meares. He had a lab there; he could make her a ring.
On the way, he called his parents and let them know what was going on. They were thrilled. He also called Jackson and then he called Garrett, and after that, he even called Niall and Nora.
He told Nora everything from start to finish, ending with how Ava had told him she was leaving but that she’d been upset. Somehow, it was easier to talk to her than it was to the guys. For one thing, she wasn’t bossy. She just listened.
“Oh, Eli,” Nora said. “I am so happy for you.”
“I don’t know that she’s going to say yes. Hell, I don’t even know if she’ll say she wants to date me.”
“I don’t know what she will say, but she loves you.”
Shit. He hadn’t even called her yet. He had to hope she was still with Ashley. “Thank you, Nora. For everything. I’m going to owe you forever.”
She was still laughing when he hung up.
He dialed Ava’s number next.
“Eli?” she said.
“Hi. I know this will seem weird, but I was wondering if we could meet tomorrow.”
“Meet?” she asked. In the background, he could hear music, people chatting, and the sound of dishes clinking.
She didn’t sound like it was an automatic no, at least not yet, so he kept going. “Yes, I’d like to spend some time with you before you leave.”
“Oh.” He could hear her swallow. “Okay.”
“Great. Can I pick you up around noon?”
“Sure,” she said, still sounding dazed.
“Great. I’ll be at your apartment then.”
Okay. That was good news. She could have dismissed him or said she had plans. Next, he had to actually make the ring, but he never got that far along because, after hearing about his plans, his grandmother showed up with her platinum gold wedding band.
Eli
