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“I can’t put you in jail but I can put you in the hospital. Time for you to leave. Are you going by foot or by ambulance?” Chris growls.
“Alright, let me go. She’s old news anyway,” the reporter folds, and the two men rush off before Chris has a chance to change his mind.
“You didn’t need to do that. What if that guy was recording? Can’t you get in trouble?” I ask.
“This is supposed to be a happy day, princess. You’re getting on with your life now, and I’m not gonna let anyone spoil that for you. Don’t worry about me. It’s my job to worry about you,” he tells me.
I know that he’s right about getting on with my life, but my idea of the perfect future has changed dramatically since the day he chained me to a porch railing.
My dreams don’t mean anything anymore if he isn’t in them and the thought of going to bed tonight without him beside me is the most depressing thing of all. I have to keep my game face on because he’s put a lot of effort into getting me on my feet again. I guess this is what he wants for me.
We find my room and Chris leaves me so he can pull the car around and start unloading my things. I sit down on the thin dorm room mattress, close my eyes, and think about the big feather bed in the cabin and how nice it was to lay my head on Chris’s broad chest. I take a deep breath and try to capture his scent. I clear my head so I can hear the sound of his heartbeat singing me to sleep.
He returns with an armful of bags and boxes and sets them on the floor. He has a flier in his hand and holds it out to me.
“They’re having a memorial service for Ashley tonight at seven. Did you want to go? I’ll come with you if you’d like.”
“No, I really don’t want to make a spectacle of myself. I’d rather keep my head down until the hype dies out,” I say.
“Alright, then. Once you’re settled, we can hang out here. I’ll order something for delivery, and we can just kick back and watch a movie,” he smiles.
I like that he isn’t planning to rush out the door. I’m not ready to see him go just yet, or ever, for that matter. Sensing my discomfort, he comes to me and takes me in his arms. As he sways me from side to side, he asks, “What’s wrong, baby?”
I’ve played it tough for long enough, and I just can’t hold it back any longer. “After all that we’ve been through, I can’t imagine spending even one night without you. I know that I have to finish my degree. I know that I have to be an independent person, but I hate thinking about what it’s going to be like when you’re gone. I mean, are we gonna grow apart? Are things gonna stay the way they are?”
“We’re not gonna grow apart and things aren’t gonna stay the way they are either. They’re gonna get better. I told you, you’re mine now and if you think you’re gonna spend even a single day without seeing my ugly mug, you’re crazy. It’s my job to take care of you and that’s what I’m gonna do.”
I want to say it but I choke it back. He hasn’t told me that he loves me, and I’m afraid to use that word too soon. I don’t think I’ve ever used it. Not with my foster parents or friends. Definitely not with a guy. It was like a word in a language that I didn't speak before now, but I know what it means now. I feel it every time I look at Chris.
“Before we get too carried away, check to make sure that you have all of your things. I want to make sure you’re comfortable and I don’t want to forget anything,” he tells me and I reluctantly move out of his embrace.
I peek through the bags of items, making it look like I’m really checking, but this mundane task is the last thing on my mind. I want to be with Chris. I want to taste his lips when he kisses me and feels his hands on my body.
Why doesn’t he understand? I pick up the last bag and rifle through it. I’m about to set it down when I notice a small silver gift bag inside. I pull it out and ask, “What’s this? I don’t remember buying anything in a bag like this.”
“Maybe it isn’t yours. Maybe it got put in the wrong bag. Better open it and see what it is,” he says with a look of true concern.
I reach into the bag and find that it’s filled with colorful shredded paper. As I dig through the paper, I start to think that it’s some sort of a joke. There doesn’t seem to be anything else in here.
“Maybe you should dump it out on the floor. Whatever’s in there might be tiny. You don’t want to throw away anything important,” he tells me.
“That’s gonna make a mess,” I answer.
“So since it was my idea, I’ll clean it up. Dump the bag, baby,” he commands me.
I shrug my shoulders, get on my knees, and dump the shards of paper on the floor. They land in a clump, and I run my fingers through it.
“What is it? Did you find something?” Chris asks as he drops to his knees beside me.
I pull the little gold ring out of the pile of paper and look at the brilliant center-cut diamond in the middle then look back at Chris. Time seems to stand still, and my pulse pounds in my temple. Is this what I think it is? No, it can’t be. My hand shakes as I hold the ring up so he can see it.
He takes it from me and says, “I don’t want to spend a single night without you either. Will you marry me, princess?”
My heart begins to pound and I stumble to form words as he slides the ring onto my finger. He lets go of my hand and I throw my arms around his neck and scream, “I love you! I can’t wait to marry you. You make me so happy!”
“I love you, too, baby girl. I’m gonna spend the rest of my life taking care of you. I promise.”
EPILOGUE
