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Asher turned to her then, and Blythe’s stomach dropped, seeing the anxious look on his face. It wasn’t possible. There was no way he was about to…and there he goes.Down on one knee.
“Blythe, I…” Her heart thudded so loudly in her chest she could hardly hear him. Her face grew hot as she tried to focus and forget about the fact that every eye in the room was on her. Strangers. Asher’s family. People who were counting on her to say ‘yes.’ Yes to a life with a man that she loved. Because…she did love him. There was no doubt in her mind. She loved Asher. But was she ready for this? For a lifetime together?
It seemed too soon. But wasn’t this exactly what she’d told Finn she wanted just six months ago? A fairy tale. A happily ever after. And Asher was willing to give that to her. To take care of her.
Focus.
“I know this is soon. I do. But I love you, Blythe. I love you more than anything else in this life. I never thought I’d want to settle down before I turned thirty…but it doesn’t feel like settling with you. It feels like getting everything I’ve ever wanted. It feels perfect.” She smiled at him, feeling cool tears stinging her eyes at his words. It did feel perfect. It had for so long. The only thing making her doubt that now…was the man walking down the stairs.
She looked over, watching as Finn came down the stairs beside them. He was obviously the only one in the house not made aware of this plan. His mouth hung open for a moment and he stopped walking. He closed his mouth quickly, meeting her eyes as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. Asher was still talking, but she couldn’t hear him. Was Finn going to fight for her? Would he say something? He didn’t move, but no words left his mouth.
“And, I guess what I’m trying to say is, I want this. With you. I want all of it. A future. A white picket fence. A family. I want to wake up every day next to you and kiss you goodnight before bed. I don’t ever want to wonder ‘what if?’ or ‘what could’ve been?’ You mean everything to me and, as much as I thought I wanted to wait, I don’t want that anymore. I don’t want you to ever question what you mean to me or where this is headed.” He kissed her hands, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small, black box. “So…what do you say? Will you marry me?” He opened it, and her mouth dropped open. It was a silver band with tiny diamonds creating an intricate, vintage design across the top and sides.
“It’s beautiful…” she whispered.
“It was Grandmother Lorene’s,” he told her. “I snuck out and had it cleaned last night. I wanted it to be a surprise.”
Tears continued to fill her eyes as she looked across the room to where Grandmother Lorene sat next to Mona. The two women had fat tears in their kind eyes. They loved her as much as she could ever hope a mother- and grandmother-in-law would love her. Asher was saying everything she’d wanted to hear. His proposal was everything she could’ve wanted. She smiled at him, though she couldn’t help looking up one last time to where Finn stood.
He nodded slowly, his expression grim, and turned around, walking back up the stairs before he heard her answer. She looked back down at Asher, her decision made.
He raised his brow. “You aren’t going to make me stay down here forever, are you?” He laughed nervously.
She giggled, covering her mouth with her free hand. “No,” she said, placing her hands around the sides of his face. She bent down, placing a soft kiss on his lips. “Yes. Yes, Asher, I’ll marry you.”
Cheers were heard all around. Asher stood, scooping her up and spinning around in a circle, their lips pressed together despite the laughs escaping from both of their throats.
“I love you,” he whispered, his voice so low that only she could hear. It felt intimate, even with the eruption of noise around them.
“I love you, too,” she vowed.
“Forever.” He set her down, pulling the ring out of its box and sliding it onto her shaking finger, her hand trembling. It wasn’t a perfect fit, it needed to be loosened a bit, but it looked gorgeous on her finger. It was a sight she’d waited for her entire life. Her future lay in front of her, and as she looked into his eyes, she was sure the decision she’d made, the life she’d chosen, was right.
Chapter Twenty-Two
THREE MONTHS LATER
Blythe brushed a loose piece of hair back into her ponytail, her forehead covered in sweat. She sat down onto the couch, blowing air up over her face from her bottom lip. A knock on the door startled her. Why would Asher be knocking?
She stood, walking over to the door and looking through the peephole. His face caused her to gasp.
“Hey,” he said, obviously able to hear her through the door.
She pulled it open without a second thought. What was he doing there? “Finn?”
He nodded. “Is this a bad time?”
“No,” she stepped back, allowing him to enter the apartment, “not at all. What’s going on?” She closed the door behind him, watching as he took in the changes she’d made. The once-bare walls now boasted art and the old, mostly empty living room was filled with a couch, two chairs, and plenty of throw pillows.
“The place looks…nice.”
“Thanks,” she said, trying not to grimace about the mess. In the far corner of the living room sat a pile of boxes, and there was another box on the counter. Evidence that she was planning to move again. “Is everything okay?”
He nodded. “I…um, sorry to just drop by unannounced. Martin notified me that you were vacating the apartment.” His words were formal, his voice monotonous; either he didn’t care one bit, or he was doing a damn good job of hiding how much he cared.
“Yeah,” she said, tapping one foot behind the other. “I, um, well, I’m moving in with Asher after the wedding in four months. I went ahead and let him know since it will be before the lease ends.”
He blinked, nodding his head.
