Throne of York

by Charlotte Byrd

And that makes for a dubious foundation for a friendship.

  We finally walk up to our snow-covered cabin.

  It’s a remodeled, 1940s, knotty pine cabin, with a loft upstairs.

  From the entrance, it doesn’t look like much.

  Just quaint, and cute, and charming.

  Snow piled on top of the roof, and windows with shutters looking out onto the road. But the beauty of the place is from the inside. Inside, the cabin has a fifteen-foot ceiling and glass windows going up to the top of it.

  After stomping our feet from the snow, we head inside and Easton starts a fire in the large fireplace.

  I plop down on the expansive couch and recline the seat.

  Out in the distance, I watch as the winds circle around the peaks of the mountains.

  A large open valley of white spans before us and three deer prance across the snow. When the fire starts raging in front of us and makes it warm enough for me to pull off my sweater, Easton sits down next to me.

  “Your feet are freezing,” he says as I tuck them under him.

  “Well, it’s twenty degrees outside.”

  He takes off my socks and starts to rub them with his warm, strong hands.

  Each time he adds pressure to me, my whole body relaxes more and more.

  Then something occurs to me.

  “Tomorrow is Christmas and I haven’t even gotten you anything.”

  “I haven’t gotten you anything either,” he says. “I actually completely forgot about Christmas.”

  “Me, too,” I confess. “But I guess it’s okay. I mean, we’ve been through a lot, right?”

  He nods.

  “Besides, I sort of think that this is enough.”

  I nod.

  This is more than enough. I lean over and kiss him. Never in a million years did I think that we would be here. I mean, I wished it. I prayed for it. I hoped for it. But looking back, the idea that Easton and I could actually end up together escaped me. I mean, how? How did we end up here? How was this even possible?

  He gives me a small smile. It’s a bit crooked on the left side, a fact that I just noticed since we’ve been here. In this cabin, away from the stress of everything that we’ve been through during our time together, I suddenly notice a lot more things about him that I hadn’t before. Like the way he rubs the knuckles on his left hand with his right when he has something exciting to tell me. Or the way he broadens his shoulders when he relaxes his body into mine. And even just the way every muscle in his face relaxes when we are both sitting on the couch and watching the fire flicker in the fireplace.

  “I want to stay here forever,” I say.

  “I do, too.”

  He lifts up my chin to his and holds it there for a moment.

  He looks deep into my eyes and it’s almost as if this is his first time looking at me.

  Then he lowers his head and pulls the sleeve of my t-shirt off my shoulder. Goose bumps run up my arms and make the small hairs on them stand up from excitement.

  I curl my toes and reach my mouth toward his.

  But he presses his finger to my lips and stops me.

  “What are you doing?” I mumble.

  Instead of answering, he pulls down my sleeve even further and kisses my collarbone.

  Then he pulls down the strap of my bra and kisses the skin just below my neck.

  I tilt my head back, losing myself in the moment.

  Chapter 38 - Everly

  As the snow falls…

  After caressing my neck with his lips, Easton pulls off my shirt and unclasps my bra.

  My breasts fall into his open mouth and he gently pushes my body back against the couch.

  He climbs on top of me and presses his lips onto my mouth.

  There he finds my tongue and entertains his with mine.

  Pushing his body onto mine, we grind against each other as if we were teenagers.

  He stops for a brief moment to pull off his shirt, but then returns.

  Now, we are skin to skin.

  I can feel every smooth muscle with my hands and my breasts find a home in between his strong pecs and powerful arms.

  It’s hard to explain the feeling you get just being under someone you love and want so much.

  We are clothed below the waist and yet the nakedness above is beyond ecstatic.

  It fuels my body with lust and warmth coming from somewhere deep within me.

  I wrap my legs around his tight ass and press his hardness against me.

  I can feel him throbbing for me, wanting me.

  I can feel his passion and his desire for me and I hope he can feel mine.

  “I want you,” I say.

  “I want you, too.”

  But neither of us make a move to untangle our legs.

  If only there were some way to remove our pants without separating our bodies from each other’s. But there isn’t, so we continue just like we did before.

  We move in waves.

  His pelvis thrusts against mine and I respond by thrusting back.

  Our arms wrap up in each other and move up and down with each wave.

  Mine glide up and down his back, while his cradle my head and neck and slowly make their way down my sides and then back up again.

  “One of us has to start,” I say when I can’t handle the movements any longer.

  I feel myself coming to the verge of pleasure and I cannot let myself get there without him inside of me.

  He laughs and finally pulls away.

  “Fine, fine. I’ll be the strong one.”

  He sits up and reaches for the top of my pants.

  He unbuttons the top button and then reaches down and kisses me along the edge of my panty line.

  I watch as my belly button goes up and down with each breath. He pulls the top of my pants open, exposing my pelvic bone.

  Then he reaches down and kisses around it, making the warm sensation deep within me rise to the surface.

  I can’t handle it anymore.

  I push him away and step out of my clothes.

  I toss my pants and underwear on the floor and then take off his.

  Quickly.

  Efficiently.

  Without pausing for a kiss or a hello.

  “Wait, wait, wait, what’s the hurry?” he jokes, trying to slow down my movements by physically pulling me up to my feet.

  “I need you inside of me. Now.”

  I help him step out of his clothes and pull him on top of me.

  He laughs and falls onto the couch.

  Here we are again.

  In this moment.

  Alone.

  He kisses my neck, and just before I close my eyes, I see that the snow is starting to gather outside.

  What were only small snowflakes only half an hour ago are now thick wet flakes covering everything in sight.

  The sun is no longer visible behind the curtain of gray, but we are warm and cuddled up and right where we are supposed to be.

  Easton opens my legs with his and I welcome him inside.

  I wrap my legs firmly around his torso and then run my hands down his strong back until I find his ass.

  I grab onto it and enjoy how it flexes with each thrust.

  I want to stay in this series of moments forever.

  I love him, and this is the physical expression of how much.

  As Easton pushes me further and further into the couch with each move, I feel our bodies becoming one.

  We move as one. We breathe as one.

  Suddenly, we are dancing to music that only we can hear. And then, a few moments later, a gush of emotion spills out of me.

  The warmth that has been slowly building all this time, suddenly comes to the surface. My breath quickens, my chest seizes up, and my whole body suddenly quivers before a release rushes out as if it were a geyser.

  I scream his name into his ear and hold on tight as his thrusts speed up and he yells mine.

  Lying completely spent in his arms, I watch the snow fall.r />
  The wind throws large flakes against the glass, but we are warm and cozy where the cold cannot hurt us.

  I don’t like the cold and I generally hate winters, and yet, I want to stay here forever. Glancing up at Easton, I can tell that he feels the same way.

  Chapter 39 - Easton

  The following day…

  I’ve never been a big fan of Christmas growing up.

  My mother would always try her best to make the day special, but my father would always find some way to mess it up.

  But today, I feel different.

  I open my eyes and see nothing but a blanket of snow outside the window.

  It had been snowing all night, as if in preparation for the perfect Christmas morning. Bright blue sky without a cloud in sight.

  I look over at Everly who is lying asleep next to me.

  She is facing away from me and all I see is her long mane running down her naked body.

  There’s a bit of a nip in the air and I pull the thick down blanket up over her shoulders to keep her warm.

  What did I ever to do in my life to be lucky enough to have her? I wonder. One thing’s for sure.

  I’m going to do everything in my power to make her happy.

  I resist the urge to wake her up and instead watch the flurries circle outside the window. The room is warm and toasty, largely as a result of the large fireplace right in front of the bed. I’ve been feeding it with logs throughout the night, not letting the fire die down.

  I should get some sleep, but I can’t.

  The thing is that I lied to Everly.

  It’s nothing bad, but it’s pretty big.

  The lie is big enough to keep me tossing and turning all night.

  There’s no particular reason to wait until morning except that it’s Christmas and I want to do this on Christmas morning.

  When I climb out of bed to tend to the fire, I hear Everly rousing behind me.

  Propping herself up with her elbows, she tucks the sheet right under her armpits and looks up at me with her large doe-eyes.

  Her hair falls to one side and her skin sparkles in the early morning light.

  “Hey, what are you doing up so early?” she mumbles.

  “I couldn’t sleep.”

  She lies back down, curling up under the blanket.

  Suddenly, I can’t wait any longer.

  I poke at the kindling for a moment and flip the main log on a different side to give it more oxygen.

  Then I jump back in bed and under the covers with Everly.

  She snuggles up her naked body next to mine and I wrap my arms around her.

  “I have a question for you,” I whisper into her ear. I wonder if she can hear the excitement mixed with anxiety and anticipation in my voice. Judging from the way she barely lifts her eyelids up in response, I doubt it.

  Okay, now or never, I say to myself.

  I sit up and reach over to the nightstand. I open the drawer and pull out a small velvet box.

  Then I climb out of bed and kneel down before her on one knee.

  “What are you doing?” Everly mumbles, opening her eyes a little bit.

  “Everly March, I love you with all of my heart. You have given meaning to my life. You are the meaning in my life.”

  I can see that she is starting to realize where I am headed with this.

  She sits up and wraps her arms around her knees.

  She stares at me with her large eyes, her lips slightly apart in shock.

  “I know that I told you that I didn’t get you anything for Christmas. But that was a lie. I just couldn’t wait any longer.”

  She shakes her head a little and pulls her shoulders up to her ears.

  I flip open the velvet box, revealing the diamond ring inside.

  Tears build up in the bottom of her eyes.

  “Everly, I love you more than words can say. You give my life reason and you make me

  want to be a better man. Everly March, will you marry me?”

  She takes a moment to gather her thoughts while I wait.

  My hand starts to tremble holding the velvet box open before her, but after almost a minute she reaches for it.

  Suddenly, I snap it shut.

  It catches her by surprise and she yelps.

  “What are you doing?” Everly squeals and reaches for the box.

  “You can’t have this until you answer me.”

  I tuck the box under my arm and shake my head.

  She reaches over, trying to get it but I refuse.

  I pull her on top of me and she laughs. Her hair falls all over my face and I lift it up to kiss her lips.

  “Will you marry me?” I ask.

  She continues to laugh.

  “Will you marry me? Will you marry me? Will you marry me?”

  I flip her on her back and pin her body down under me.

  I ask her the question over and over until she stops laughing at me and looks straight into my eyes.

  “Will you marry me?” I ask one last time.

  She takes a pause.

  I wait.

  “Yes. Of course. Of course!”

  My heart beats so fast through my chest that it feels like it’s about to break through. She wraps her arms around me, pressing her lips onto mine.

  “Yes, yes, yes,” she mumbles through the kisses. “The answer has always been yes.”

  As the flurries gather strength outside, we sit at the head of the bed staring at the ring that I got her.

  She has placed it on her left ring finger and is staring at it in admiration. It’s a big yellow center diamond with little diamonds all around.

  The band is adorned with tinier diamond crystals going all the way around.

  “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” she whispers. “How did you know that I would like yellow?”

  “I know you like the color, so I thought I’d take a chance on a canary diamond. The main stone is two-carats.”

  She nods, unable to take her eyes away from it.

  “I’m sorry about lying to you earlier,” I say after a moment.

  “About what?”

  “About not having a gift for you. I got this ring a long time ago, when we first got to DC.”

  “And you waited all this time to give it to me?”

  “I wanted it all to be over. I wanted to ask when all of that was behind us.”

  “And if it wasn’t?”

  “Well, then maybe I would’ve proposed anyway.”

  Everly gives me a small nod.

  “You’re forgiven,” she whispers.

  Chapter 40 - Everly

  It’s only the beginning…

  Snow is blowing in all directions when Easton parks the car in the lonely lot.

  It’s noon, but the day is so gray and bleak that I doubt that we will see even a ray of light today.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asks, taking my hand in his.

  By the tone of his voice, I can tell that he’s not having second thoughts.

  He is excited and committed; he just doesn’t want me to have any doubts. I don’t.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Are you sure?” he asks.

  The second time he asks, I suddenly start to wonder.

  What if he is having doubts.

  “Do you?” I ask, pulling my hand away.

  “Yes, of course,” he says quickly. “I just know that this grayness isn’t your favorite. And just because it seemed like a good idea yesterday doesn’t mean that we have to commit to it. We have our whole lives to do this. So if you want something else for your wedding day, I totally understand.”

  I look out of the window at the white snowflakes beating against the side window. The weather outside isn’t exactly ideal.

  That’s true.

  But so what?

  I’ve spent a lot of time in a tropical paradise and the reality of that place was far from perfect.

  My heart skips a beat.

  And then
it skips another.

  “I want to marry you,” I say, turning to him.

  “I know. I do, too. I’m just saying that if this isn’t what you imagined your wedding to be, we can totally wait and have something a bit more…grand.”

  I look out of the window at the courthouse.

  It doesn’t look like much.

  There are no columns and there are no steps leading up to the top. In fact, it’s just a one-story municipal building with very few frills.

  “This place is…perfect,” I say. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s nothing like what I expected my wedding to be and that’s exactly what makes it so right. We already had a chance at ostentation and grandeur and a big lavish affair. And our wedding there would’ve been all wrong.”

  He nods and gives me a kiss on the lips. Then he turns off the engine.

  “Shall we?”

  A few minutes later, we are standing facing each other before the Justice of the Peace. I am dressed in tight-fitting dark jeans and boots and a white fluffy seater with a V-neck.

  It’s the most wedding themed attire I had on a moment’s notice.

  Easton is wearing a jacket with a collared shirt and dark pants.

  The room is illuminated by bright fluorescent lights and it looks like my sixth-grade classroom without all the wall decorations.

  Low ceiling.

  A few windows.

  Linoleum floor that squeaks under my feet.

  This place is the least romantic place in the world except for one thing…this is the place where I am going to become his wife.

  The Justice of the Peace asks Easton to repeat his words.

  He looks deep into my eyes and gives me a little wink.

  “I, Easton Bay, take you, Everly March, to be my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health while we both shall live.”

  My chest seizes up and I can’t take a full breath.

  Fighting back tears, I promise Easton the same thing he just promised me.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss.”

  Easton pulls me into his arms and presses his lips onto mine.

  I close my eyes and lose myself in the moment.