“Go, sweetie. And send me a picture of that ring on your finger.” She stands as well.
I move to leave but turn back around and hug my mother. “Thank you, Mom.”
“You don’t need to thank me, Aubrey. That’s what moms are for, you’ll learn that soon with your own daughter.” She kisses my cheek. “Now go, because if I had to guess, Shane is probably losing his mind right about now.”
Nodding, I run out of the house, jump into my car, and speed off toward our home. I know I shouldn’t be driving like a madwoman while pregnant, but this is important. I need to fix this between us.
I make it home in record time, not bothering to park in the garage. Instead, I kill the engine in the driveway right by the front door and quickly make my way up the steps, whipping the door open. “Shane!?”
I rush through the house, looking into every room as I continue to call his name. “Shane!?” I start to fear he may have left when everywhere I look comes up empty. It isn’t until I reach the patio doors that lead out to the backyard, on my way to the living room, that I see him.
He’s sitting on a chair by the pool, his elbows resting on his spread knees, hands hanging between them with his head bowed down. I’ve never seen Shane so down, and it’s all because of me. Because I couldn’t see past my fears, because I couldn’t see that time means nothing when it comes to us.
I slide the door open, not bothering to close it behind me as I walk down to the pool. “Shane?” I call his name again, but he doesn’t look up. I stand in front of him, expecting a reaction, but still, he doesn’t move.
“Ask me again,” I tell him, waiting a few seconds before repeating myself. “Please, Shane, ask me again.”
“It’s fine, Aubrey. If you’re not ready or have doubts, I understand. I can wait,” he finally says in a broken voice, but still won’t look at me.
I hate that he’s been calling me by my name when normally he would use Angel or sweetheart. I’ll even take baby over Aubrey when it comes from him.
This won’t do.
“Fine, then. If you won’t do it, I will.” I get down to one knee in front of him and take his hand in mine. I never thought I’d be doing this, but oh, well. If it’s what I have to do to prove to him that I want this, then I’ll do it.
His head snaps up to me when he registers my position. “What are you doing?”
“I’m asking you to marry me.” I smile warmly.
“No,” he simply says, then grabs me by the waist and hauls me onto his lap. “I won’t let you do that, Angel. There’s no way you’ll be the one asking.”
“Then ask me again, I’m begging you,” I plead with him.
He searches my eyes for any sign of uncertainty, but he won’t find any. All I do is smile at him as my heart races in my chest, waiting for the words to fall from his lips.
“Marry me,” he breathes out after what feels like an eternity.
I take his face between my hands and fuse my lips to his. “Yes,” I say between kisses as our tongues get tangled together. “Yes today, yes tomorrow, yes forever.”
His hand comes into my hair as he angles my head like he wants it and deepens the kiss until we’re panting and gasping for air. “God, Angel. I thought I was losing you,” he whispers as his head falls to my shoulder.
Repositioning myself, I straddle his thighs and wrap my arms around his neck, holding him tight to me. “Never. I’m so sorry,Shane. I’m sorry that I doubted, even for a second, that things could change between us. I don’t know why I feared taking this next step with you.”
I pull back slightly, wanting him to see just how much I mean every word coming from my mouth. “But I want you to know that I’m not anymore. I don’t doubt anything between us. I don’t care if we end up fighting one day, I don’t care if we get mad at each other, I don’t care if in ten years we end up needing couple’s therapy. All I care about is that I do all those things with you.” I lean in and press my lips to his softly. “Because I don’t want this life if it’s not with you, Shane.”
He smiles against my lips, seconds before he picks us up and twirls us around. “God! I love you so much.”
I laugh as he finally stops spinning us. “I love you too, more than you could ever know.”
He holds me up with one hand while his other comes up to cup my cheek. “I know, Angel. Trust me, I know.” He kisses me again then sets me down. “How about we finally put that ring on your finger?”
I grin. “Please, my mom is probably walking around with her phone in her hands waiting for a picture.” I giggle.
He takes my hand in his and walks us toward the back of the house, shaking out his injured shoulder. A blush forms on my cheekbones as I realize that’s the arm he was using to hold me up. “Sorry, I’m not as light anymore.” I bite my lip.
“All the pain in the world is worth it if it’s for you.” He lifts our joint hands and kisses the back of my palm.
My blush deepens as we make our way inside and to our room. He goes to the nightstand and opens the first drawer, plucking out the small navy-blue box and opens it to retrieve the ring. It’s beautiful and big with so many little details and a bright round diamond right in the center. I’ve never seen anything like it.
