AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Suddenly, the room is bathed in a soft glow as the click of the lamp switch echoes throughout the room. Cooper is standing beside the bed, his hands clenched at his sides, in nothing but his boxer briefs. “Come here, baby,” he says softly.
I don’t want to move. I’m frozen as I watch his throat bob when he swallows. His hands are clenched and although he might be trying to hide it, I see it. The small blue box. More tears stream down my face as realization sets in.
“Reese,” he says softly. “Please come here.” His voice is laced with tenderness, and love. So much love. Not just in his voice, but in his eyes.
“Fine, we’ll do this your way.” He grins and shakes his head.
I watch as he walks around the bed and stops next to me. I roll over to face him, wiping my eyes. With one hand, he reaches up and softly strokes my cheek. “You’re beautiful,” he whispers.
“I’m a mess,” I choke. This is not how I imagined my reaction to be at a proposal. Then again, I’ve never been asked by a man who owns my heart and soul.
Cooper drops to his knees, so we are eye to eye. “I’m so in love with you,” he says reverently. “I never knew that a love like ours could exist. I’m merely half a man without you in my life.” His large calloused hand cradles my cheek, his thumb wiping at my tears. “It breaks my fucking heart to see these tears.” He leans in and kisses the corner of my mouth. “Come on,” he says, helping me sit up.
It’s really happening. This is a moment I’ve dreamed of and it’s here. I sit on the edge of the bed, my legs dangling over the side, while he kneels before me on the floor. I want to scream and yell and tell him that I asked first, but I hold it all in. I want this moment. All I can do is stare down at him as tears race down my cheeks, and I bite down on my bottom lip.
“Bliss,” he says softly. “That’s what I feel when I’m with you. There is nothing in my life that even comes close to comparing.”
“I- I love you,” I manage to say.
“Shh,” he murmurs, wiping at my cheeks, one side, then the other. “Let me do this.” He gives me a small smile. “When we graduated college, I wanted to ask you to come with me. I didn’t because I was so caught up in you following your dreams, and all it did was deny both of us the love we have to share.” He takes my hand in his. “I loved you then, Reese. I knew it, and I didn’t tell you. Within a week of being without you in my life every day, I knew I fucked up. I knew I was losing the best thing to ever happen to me. I’m sorry it took me so long to pull my head out of my ass.”
I can’t help but smile at that. “Does that mean your answer is yes?” I smile down at him. “You kind of left me hanging, Reeves.”
“That’s because you stole my moment.” He lifts his left hand that’s been at his side this entire time and shows me a small blue box. “I’ve been carrying this ring around with me for weeks. I wanted to make this huge gesture, something you would always remember. An elaborate proposal for the history books.”
My breath stalls in my chest as I stare at the box.
He’s stealing my thunder.
He’s proposing.
“Breathe, baby,” he says as he opens the box. “Did you practice your yes, baby?” He glances at the ring, then smiles up at me.
“I should have told you to work on yours,” I say, my smile taking over my face.
He chuckles. It’s a deep throaty sound that’s uniquely Cooper. “Tonight, I realized that every moment with you is a big memorable moment. I don’t need a grand gesture. All I need is you. I will never forget this moment. I will never forget hearing the words will you marry me fall from your lips. I’ll never forget how my heart was beating so fast I thought it might beat out of my chest. I will never forget the pure bliss of knowing we are in this life together.” He pauses. “Before I go any further, my answer is yes. It will always and forever be yes if it means spending forever with you.” I open my mouth to speak, but his index finger to my lips stops me. “I want you to have the same memory, Reese. I want you to remember the words from my lips.” He places his hand on my chest over my heart that’s racing. “I want you to feel your heart as it beats so fast you feel as though it could beat right out of your chest.” He grins. “Reese, will you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?”
