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“You think I want you to take care of me? You think I would quit my job and expect that?!” I threw my arms out. “Chance, ugh!” I growled in frustration, plodding out of the closet.Okay, maybe I’m a little upset he got weird about that question when Ashton asked. Maybe I'm just confused.
Just as I reached the bedroom door, to give us both some space for a minute, he grabbed my wrist, spinning me around to face him. My chest heaved quickly as I had gotten myself worked up even more, thinking the worst. He tilted his head, trying to hide a smile, but his eyes gave him away.
I peeked down at the small sheet of paper in his hand. “What’s that?”
Letting go of my wrist, he laid it in my palm, closing it. “Before I left to move here, Ian handed me a note when he visited me at the airport. I never had the courage to read it. I thought it was from you and stressed over it for months.”
I narrowed my gaze on his.
Flashing me his palms, he exhaled a deep breath. “Amber, I couldn’t handle it. I was scared to be hurt by you.”
I snorted. “Hurt by me?”
“Okay damn, I get it. Your response is fair.” Nodding toward the note, he smiled. “I didn’t recognize the paper as a note I’d written myself shortly after meeting you.”
“You wrote a note to yourself?”
He bowed his head. “Read it.”
Instantly, I turned away, strolling across the room, reading silently:
“What is thi—” I whirled around, freezing. Kneeling on one knee, my shirtless boyfriend held a lavender octagon-shaped open ring box. My mouth fell open. Tears streamed down my cheeks immediately as my gaze lowered to a massive princess cut diamond ring with a smaller marquise stone on either side; one representing each of our birthstones.
He swallowed hard before wetting his lips with his tongue. “I bought this ring three months before we broke up, but I never got the courage to ask. I always kept it in that bag and wondered if I was good enough for you. You’re the most incredible human being I’ve ever met. I’ve chickened out on asking you so many times. When I just found that, I realized my goals were always putting you first, which by the way,” he chuckled, “I’m sorry for addingproposing to youon the same list as winning an award.” He sighed nervously. “Anyway, I want to continue to put you first for the rest of my life. I don’t give a fuck about the Oscar.”
My legs couldn’t support me any longer. I collapsed to my knees in front of him. “I—” I was speechless.
Pressing his forehead to mine, a tear fell from his cheek. “Will you please just be my damn wife? Because you’re all that matters to me and I’m done being scared.”
Nodding, I beamed. “Yes!”
Slipping the ring on my finger, he crashed his lips into mine. “You’re the only award I care about. I’ve been trying to plan the perfect time to ask you, and when Ashton brought it up, I was trying to plan the perfect proposal in my head. I never meant to ignore you. I was just able to carry on a robotic conversation with him as I thought about how I would ask you. It wasn’t like this, I promise, but I couldn’t wait.”
“I always dreamed of a shirtless proposal from a hot guy.” Sniffling, I shoved him playfully.
He lost his balance, tumbling to the floor. I crawled on top of him, straddling his lap. Studying the rock on my finger, I exhaled with a wide grin. “It’s so perfect!” I glanced down, gasping. “Oh, God, sorry. Am I hurting you?”
“No.” He probably lied, laying his palms on my legs to keep me in place. “I’m so sorry if I made you feel that I was ignoring you.”
“Stop.” I smiled. “I understand.” Playing with my ring, I pursed my lips. “Chance, I don’t want you to feel you ever have to take ca—”
“Don’t even finish that sentence.” Sitting up, he put his palms on my back. “I will take care of you for the rest of our lives. That isn’t why I was bothered.”
“Why were you bothered?”
“Because,” he hooked a strand of hair behind my ear, “I heard about it for the first time in front of other people. I was just shocked but I get it now. Just know if you ever want to get back on that stage, you better.”
“I promise.” Reading the note silently once again, I rolled my eyes, glaring at him. “We need to get one thing straight.”
“What’s that?”
“Be normal?” I turned the paper around, pointing to the words. “I didn’t fall in love with you because you were normal.” Placing my hand over his heart, I pressed my lips to his. “I fell in love with you because you’re anything but normal. You were always good enough for me. You were better, actually. I never wanted anything more from you than you being yourself.”
“And that’s why I fell in love with you.” He rubbed my back in circles. “You love me like no one ever could.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but his phone rang. Leaning back, he slipped it out of his pocket, placing it next to his ear.
Long time no talk!
