Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 214: The Promise

He hesitated, then added one more thing before she could refuse. "And if that day ever comes, all you have to do is tell me. I can still be your friend."

Mariella blinked, and the words came out before she could stop them. "What if it's you who stops wanting me? What if you're the one who gets tired of this?"

Chandler turned and walked away without a word.

She hadn't even worked out what he meant before he came back.

He returned with the antique dagger, pulled it from its sheath, and pressed the handle into her hand.

"If I ever change, cut my heart out yourself. Because a man who breaks his word is dangerous, and I might just expose the secret of your storage space."

Mariella couldn't deny it. Chandler was ruthless in the most deliberate way possible.

He'd burned every escape route behind him and left her no rational reason to distrust him.

That kind of scorched-earth commitment moved her, but it also sent a quiet tremor through her chest.

She couldn't quite picture what it would look like if things between them ever fell apart.

The road ahead was far too long to spend any of it worrying in advance. The only sensible thing was to savor what was right in front of her.

Mariella gave in.

...

The two of them stepped out of the storage space to the sound of Matthew knocking on the door.

"Mariella, are you in there? Open up!" The urgency in Matthew's voice was unmistakable.

Mariella frowned slightly. Matthew had a key. She wondered why he didn't just unlock it.

"I bolted it from the inside," Chandler said simply.

Mariella shook her head and reached over to undo the bolt.

Matthew's face was tight with concern, but the moment he caught sight of the enormous bundle of red roses in Mariella's arms, everything clicked into place.

"So... Captain Zimmer was in there with you." He looked away by a fraction.

Mariella felt the color rise in her face and opened her mouth to clarify that it wasn't what he was imagining.

Chandler looped an arm around her waist with easy, unhurried calm. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Dr. Lester."

Matthew managed a strained smile. "Dinner's ready."

He turned and walked ahead of them, and there was something in the set of his shoulders that felt quietly hollow.

"Dr. Lester," Mariella called after him.

Matthew stopped and looked back, something faintly hopeful in his expression.

Mariella glanced down at the roses in her arms, then at the man standing beside her with his arm still around her, and she told Matthew with a trace of sheepishness, "Open the good bottles tonight. Chandler and I are getting engaged. Everyone should drink to that."

...

Four and a half months had passed since the disaster began. Flowers had been a memory for so long that even grass felt like a distant dream.

A full, blazing armful of deep red roses stopped the entire room cold.

Number Five was a woman, and her reaction to the roses was something else entirely.

"Am I dreaming right now?! Ms. Townsend, can I really touch the petals?!" Number Five looked more overwhelmed than Mariella did.

Mariella reached into the bouquet, drew out a single rose, and held it out to her. "It's yours!"

Number Five didn't dare take it and glanced sideways at Chandler. "Captain Zimmer gave those to you as an engagement gift. It doesn't feel right for me to take one."

"He gave them to me, so they're mine. I can give them to whoever I want." Mariella turned and smiled at Chandler. "That's how it works, right, Captain Zimmer?"

Chandler, with every ounce of the gentleman he was, answered without hesitation. "They're yours. You can do whatever you'd like with them."

Mariella pulled out another rose and held it out to Serena, who'd been staring with barely concealed longing. "This one's for you."

Serena looked at her father first, and only when he nodded did she reach out and take it. "Thank you, Mariella!"

Mariella turned to the room with easy confidence and made the announcement. "Tonight, I'm asking all of you to witness my engagement to Mr. Zimmer. We've made our decision!"

The team stared for a beat, then broke into enthusiastic applause.

A few voices rose up, cheering along with the clapping.

Chandler reached into his pocket and produced the square jewelry box. He opened it in front of everyone.

Inside sat an enormous diamond ring. The center stone was a full three carats, surrounded by a constellation of smaller diamonds that caught and scattered light in every direction, brilliant as stars around a moon.

"That's a Cartier Destinée!" Number Five breathed. "I saw it in a catalog once and couldn't believe anything could be that beautiful. I never thought I'd actually see one in person..."

Number Three couldn't hold back. "Captain Zimmer, did you get the flowers and the ring from that Denton guy?"

Chandler nodded without a flicker of expression.

With resources so scarce, Denton's visits had turned out to be a very useful cover story.

Chandler lowered himself onto one knee and looked up at Mariella with the kind of gaze that belonged to someone kneeling before something sacred.

"Mariella, I'm grateful you're giving me this chance to walk beside you, shoulder to shoulder, for however long we have. I swear on every light above us and every sky outside that window, for as long as I live, my loyalty belongs to you alone. And if I ever break that oath..."

Mariella dropped down quickly and pressed her hand over his mouth. "That's more than enough! Tonight's supposed to be a good night, and we're not ending a vow with bad luck!"

Chandler's eyes stayed locked on hers, bright and steady.

Then Mariella felt a warm, unmistakable dampness against her palm and pulled her hand back with a startled flush. That man had licked her palm again.