Love in an Elevator
Luke
One Year Later…
“You’re fidgeting.”
I freeze, my hand halfway to my pocket—the pocket containing a small velvet box that’s been burning a hole there all day. Molly’s watching me in the mirror while she applies mascara, one eye done, the other bare, and even like that she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
We’ve been living together for months now, ever since I decided to sublet my place and officially move in across the hall. Making this our place.
Though, truthfully, I haven’t left since February 14th of last year…
“I’m not fidgeting,” I lie.
“You are.” She caps the mascara and turns to face me, tilting her head. “You’ve checked your phone six times in the last ten minutes, you keep touching your pocket, and you’ve been weirdly quiet all day. What’s going on?”
Shit. I’ve been trying so hard to act normal, but apparently, I’m terrible at it.
“Nothing,” I say, which is possibly the least convincing thing I’ve ever said.
In my defense, I’ve never proposed before—and I never imagined I’d be doing it on Valentine’s Day of all days.
A year ago, I hated this holiday with every fiber of my being.
Now? It’s the anniversary of the best night of my life.
The night I got her.
Best Valentine’s Day ever.
Well. Second best.
Tonight’s about to take the top spot.
“I’m fine,” I insist, crossing to her and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Promise.” My hand drifts to my pocket again before I can stop it.
She notices, but before she can call me out, her phone buzzes on the dresser.
“That’s probably Danny asking where we are,” she says, pulling away to check. “He texted me three times already to make sure we’re coming.”
I know. I asked him to. I needed to be sure she wouldn’t suspect anything when I suggested we head down right at seven.
“We should go,” I say, maybe too quickly.
She gives me another curious glance but nods, grabbing the beige cardigan she bought specifically for tonight.
It’s got little pink hearts embroidered on it.
She tugs it on, pairing it with her tight, pink skirt and blouse.
A year ago, I would have rolled my eyes at the mesh of hearts and pink. Now? It’s simply her.
And everything about her is perfect.
I’m so far gone it’s not even funny.
We step into the hallway, and my heart hammers in my chest. This is it. The ring’s in my pocket, Danny’s got the elevator set up, and in about sixty seconds, I’m either going to be engaged or fucked beyond repair.
“You okay?” Molly asks as we approach the elevator. “You look pale.”
“Fine,” I manage. “Just, uh, hungry.”
She laughs. “You’re always hungry.”
I hit the button, and while we wait, I catch myself checking my pocket again. The box is still there. Obviously. It’s not like it’s going to disappear.
The elevator arrives with its familiar ding, and the doors slide open.
Molly gasps.
The entire elevator is transformed. Exactly how I imagined when I asked for Danny’s help.
Red and pink streamers hang from the ceiling in cascading waves. Paper hearts—hundreds of them—are taped to every surface. Twinkle lights are strung along the edges, casting a soft, romantic glow. And in the corner, a small speaker plays music, something instrumental and sweet.
It looks exactly like the rec room did last year. Danny’s tackiest, most excessive Valentine’s decorations.
Molly turns to me, her eyes wide. “Luke, what is this?”
I take her hand, gently pulling her inside. The doors close behind us, and I hit the emergency stop button.
We’re not going anywhere. Not yet.
“Luke?” Her voice is shaky now. “What’s happening?”
I turn to face her fully, and suddenly, all the nervousness melts away. Because it’s just us. Just Molly, looking at me with those blue eyes that saw past all my walls, all my bullshit, and decided I was worth it anyway.
“A year ago,” I start, my voice rough. “I was standing in a lobby downstairs, looking at decorations and thinking about how much I hated this entire day. I was bitter and closed-off and convinced I was better off alone.”
Her eyes shimmer with tears.
“Then I came upstairs and found you crouched in front of my door, trying to slip an invitation underneath it.” I grin at the memory. “I was such an asshole to you.”
“You were,” she agrees, laughing through the tears that start to fall.
“But then we got stuck, right here in this elevator.” I gesture around us. “And that night, after I kissed you then tried to push you away, I went to a bar with my brother. And he asked me what I was so afraid of, and you know what I realized?”
She shakes her head.
“I wasn’t afraid of getting hurt again. I was afraid of missing out on you because I was too much of a coward to take the risk.” I reach into my pocket, pulling out the small velvet box. “But you were worth the risk. You’re worth every risk. You’re everything.”
Her hand flies to her mouth as I drop to one knee in the same elevator where we had our first kiss, where I started believing in love again.
“Molly Brennan,” I say, opening the box to reveal the ring. A simple diamond on a rose gold band, delicate and perfect, like her. “You make me smile. You make me laugh. You make me want to be better, to try harder, and to believe that true love can last.”
Emotion clogs my throat as I say, “I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life loving you. Will you marry me?”
For a moment, she stares at me, tears streaming down her face, her hand still covering her mouth. Then she’s nodding frantically, dropping to her knees in front of me. “Yes,” she chokes out. “Yes, yes, yes!”
I kiss her, deep and sure. Full of every emotion I spent the last year feeling for this woman. She kisses me back just as fiercely, her arms around my neck. I nearly drop the ring box before remembering I’m supposed to put the ring on her finger.
We break apart, laughing and crying as I take her left hand. My fingers are shaking as I slide the ring on. It fits perfectly.
She holds her hand up, admiring it through her tears. “It’s beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you.” The words come easy now. A year ago, I couldn’t have said them. Now? I say them every day and it’s still not enough.
She kisses me again, softer this time, and I pull her close, holding her there on the floor of the elevator surrounded by tacky decorations and twinkle lights.
“I love you,” she whispers against my lips. “So much. Even when you’re grumpy.”
“Especially when I’m grumpy,” I correct, and she laughs.
We stay like that for another minute before I finally help her to her feet. I hit the button to restart the elevator, and it lurches into motion, descending toward the lobby.
“Danny knows, doesn’t he?” she asks, wiping her eyes and grinning. “He decorated the elevator.”
“He’s been planning this with me for weeks.”
The elevator dings, and the doors open to the lobby.
And every building resident.
Danny’s there front and center, openly sobbing into a handkerchief. Sophie’s beside him smiling. Molly’s brother, Mitch, and Brent are holding a banner that says SHE SAID YES! even though they couldn’t have known yet, but apparently, they had faith.
“We’re engaged,” I announce, and the lobby erupts in cheers.
Danny rushes forward, pulling Molly into a hug so tight she squeaks. “I knew it! I knew you two were perfect for each other! Didn’t I say? Didn’t I tell you love was in the air?”
“You did.” Molly laughs, hugging him back. “You absolutely did.”
He releases her to grab me next, and I awkwardly pat his back while he continues to sob. “My boy,” he says into my abdomen from his short stature. “My grumpy, stubborn boy finally found his happily ever after.”
“Thanks, Danny,” I manage, genuinely touched despite the embarrassment of being called ‘my boy’ in front of everyone.
He pulls back, wiping his eyes. “You better take good care of her.”
“That’s the plan.”
The next few minutes are a blur of hugs and congratulations. Sophie hugs Molly and whispers something that makes her tear up again. Mitch gives me a handshake that turns into a hug, muttering something about ‘took you long enough.’
Eventually, we make it to the rec room, which is decorated just as excessively as last year. The same banner hangs from the ceiling. The same photo booth sits in the corner. Even the karaoke machine is back.
But everything’s different now.
Molly squeezes my hand, and when I look down at her, she’s glowing. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Luke.”
I pull her close, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Happy Valentine’s Day, wife.”
Danny appears again with champagne glasses, passing them around. “A toast,” he calls out, raising his glass. “To Molly and Luke—the couple who proved that sometimes, all you need is a wise, meddling landlord to find true love!”
Everyone laughs and raises their glasses.
I look down at Molly, at the ring on her finger, at the smile on her face that I put there, and I think about how close I came to missing all of this.
“What are you thinking?” she asks.
“That I’m the luckiest bastard alive.”
She kisses me again, and I lose myself in it, in her, in this life we’re building together. A year ago, I was convinced love wasn’t worth the time, the effort. Now I know better.
Love is the only thing worth risking everything for.
And Molly?
She’s worth it all.
The End.
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XO, A