I glare at him as I unwrap the next four boxes. Ah-huh. Four more.
“One more to go,” he says softly, all traces of his earlier grin and amusement gone from his face. Actually, he looks a bit… nervous.
“Are you all right?” I grip a bit of the paper.
“Yep. Just… Open the box! Please.”
“Um, okay.” I frown and slowly tear the paper. I’ve never seen Sam nervous and it’s making me nervous. What the hell in inside of here?
The paper falls away, and inside this box is a smaller red one. I pick it out and glance at Sam. “This is the last one, right? It’s not gonna be empty.”
“Uh, no. No. It’s not empty.”
I look at the box then him. “If there’s a vibrator in here, I think I’ll be sorely disappointed with its ability.”
His lips twitch. “No vibrator.”
“Worth a shot.” I shrug a shoulder and open the box. I stop dead. “Holy shit.”
Slowly, my eyes move to Sam. The rest of me is frozen in place, unable to move. He rubs the back of his neck, his eyes intent on mine, and I watch, dumbstruck, as he drops onto one knee. My mouth drops with him. I have no words, and I want to be pinched because this shit is. Not. Happening.
“When I was seven, I met this crazy ass blonde girl. She was five.” He smiles, and my heart stops. Has it? No. It’s pounding. Hard. “She stole my sister’s hermit crab, so I chased her with a prawn until she gave it back. Which she did.
“When I was nine, I fell asleep on the beach after playing cricket with Dad, and she helped my seven year old sister bury me and shape a mermaid tail down my legs.” My mouth closes, my lips twitching at that memory.
“When I was twelve, she told me that one day she’d grown up and marry a rich guy from London who would let her paint pictures of pretty flowers and rainbows every day. Then, unsurprisingly, she followed that statement up by calling me a lobster headed idiot. But…” He smiles, his eyes shining. “I knew then, I wanted to be the guy that would let her paint pretty flowers.
“When I was fourteen, she jumped off some rocks and lost her bikini top. I think I fell in love with her that summer. Not because she was topless, but because of the way her eyes twinkled when she blushed. Just like they are now.”
I am blushing. I can feel my warm cheeks. I want to avert my eyes from him, to hide, but I can’t. He’s standing – well kneeling, on one freaking knee – in front of me, reminding me of some of our best moments, and I’m enraptured.
“When I was fifteen, she told me I needed to get my hair cut because girls wouldn’t like me if my hair was longer than them, even though it wasn’t. I still cut my hair, and I think she started to sort of like me after that.” He grins. “I didn’t see her for five years. The next time I saw the crazy ass blonde girl, I was blown away. Literally.”
He reaches forward and takes my free hand. The one not holding a freaking ring.
“I’d never seen anyone as beautiful as you looked in that moment lying on the beach. But you were off limits. I had to wait for you, and I did, for two years. I changed slowly over those two years. I changed from a careless young boy into a man that had a chance at being the kind of person you deserved. It was a small chance, but it was still a chance, and that small one was better than nothing.
“The second Lexy told me you were single that was it. I had to have you. I couldn’t wait anymore. I’d gone beyond wanting you. Somewhere along the way, I’d started to need you, and I couldn’t fight that battle anymore.”
I’m intoxicated by the raw emotion in his voice. I’m held captive by the love shining from his eyes, and I remember the day. The way he barged into my flat and grabbed me, kissing me like he meant it. Holding me like he never wanted to let go.
“I got my girl.” He gives a small lopsided grin. “But we both made mistakes. We both messed up along the way… And it doesn’t help you’re the most stubborn girl in the whole damn world.”
“Hey now-”
“You don’t listen and you constantly interrupt me. You have the attention span of a gnat, the patience of a raging PMS hormone, and I don’t even think there’s anything I can compare your temper to.” His eyes twinkle a little, and I purse my lips. “But it’s why I love you. It’s what makes you, you. And you gotta start listening, ‘cause, babe, when I tell you I love you, I mean it.”
He stands, tugging me up with him, and gently tilts my face upwards. My hand is still clasped in his, the other holding tightly to the box.
“When I tell you,” he continues. “You’re the most beautiful girl in the world, that you’re the light in my dark, the only person I’m ever gonna need, then I mean it. When I tell you that I’ll always remember everything we’ve shared, good and bad, then I mean it. I’ll always remember the look in your eyes when you smile, when you’re teasing, and when you’re falling to pieces in my arms. Especially when you’re falling to pieces in my arms.” He grins widely, and I blush a little.
“I’ll always remember everything about you, babe, because I love you. I still think I’m a little crazy, but what can I do? I don’t want anyone other than you. You’re the one who makes the day worth getting through and the night worth living. You’re the one who makes a difference. You’re the only one I need. You. Just you.”
“What if that isn’t enough?” I ask uncertainly, my heart still pounding inside my chest.
“Then I’ll make it enough. I’ll make it enough to take us anywhere, do anything, be anyone. If we believe in each other, in our love, just for a second, it can do anything we want it to. And, Jen… As long as I have you, love will always be enough for me.”
Tears prick my eyes as he drops back onto one knee, and my bottom lip trembles a little. I’m not naïve. I know what he’s about to say.
“I promised you forever. When I promised you forever, I promised to love you forever, too. Now I’m asking you to let me. I’m asking you to remember all the good times and the bad. I’m asking you to let me hold you each night, wake up to you each morning, and kiss you every second I can. I’m asking you to promise me forever, Jen.” He shuts his eyes briefly, before opening them again, raw emotion emitting from them. “It doesn’t have to be tomorrow, or even this year. It doesn’t have to be in the next five years. Today, promise me forever, and then one day… Marry me.”