Chapter Forty-Three #3
Caleb laughs and pulls me into a hug. “When Rob told me what happened, I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” Caleb adds. “So we figured we’d remind you that you’ve got a whole army behind you.”
I step into him and hug him tightly. “Thanks, Caleb.” Then I glance past him. “Indi’s here?” I whisper.
He grins and nods.
I move straight to her, pulling her into a hug. “It’s so good to see you, Pixie.”
She laughs softly. “No, it’s good to see you. I got a look at your referral… your thumb should heal perfectly. You’ll be back playing before you know it, so don’t stress about the band.”
Relief loosens something in my chest before I say, “Thank you,” and mean it.
I glance around at everyone gathered here. “Seriously… thank you all for coming. I really needed this.”
“You’re family, Annie,” Anna says warmly.
“Yeah, we love you,” Sia adds.
“Come on,” Mum says, clapping her hands lightly. “Let’s all sit and eat.”
Aston’s hand tightens around mine, and I glance up at him, but something’s wrong.
He’s pale.
He’s sweating.
His hand trembles slightly in mine.
“Shit, Ast… are you okay? Is your head hurting?” I ask, lifting my hand to his cheek. He nods, swallowing hard. “Ast, talk to me.”
Instead, he clears his throat and raises his voice. “Can I have everyone’s attention for a second?”
The room quiets instantly.
He looks past me… to Dad, and something in my stomach flips.
“Okay… so there’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” he begins, his voice steady despite the nerves I can see written all over him.
“I always thought I’d wait for the perfect moment…
but after everything that’s happened, I realize there’s no such thing.
Life’s too short to wait.” My heart starts to beat faster, and he steps forward slightly.
“Colt,” he says, meeting Dad’s eyes. “I know we’ve had our moments, but I respect you more than anyone.
You’ve raised Annie into this incredible woman…
strong, talented, beautiful, and I’m completely in love with her.
” My breath catches. “Nearly losing her…” He exhales sharply.
“That was the worst moment of my life. I don’t ever want to imagine a world without her in it, especially not a world where she’s not with me.
” Dad watches him closely. “So,” Aston continues, his voice lowering just slightly.
“I’m asking you… for permission to ask Annie to marry me. ”
The room erupts in gasps.
My hand flies to my mouth as tears spill over.
Dad glances at Mum, who’s already crying, then over to Anna and Johnny, who are smiling so widely it’s infectious. Finally, he looks at me, then back to Aston. “She’s twenty,” Dad says.
“D-Dad!” I protest, my voice breaking.
He chuckles softly. “She might be twenty,” he says. “But I’ve watched you two your entire lives. And what you have…” He shakes his head. “It reminds me of Dee and me. The way you look at each other… you can’t fake that kind of love.”
My chest tightens, but in the best way.
“So, if she’ll have you…” He claps Aston on the shoulder. “Go for it, son.”
Aston turns to me, and suddenly, everything else fades.
For a moment, I see the boy I grew up with, the one who’s always been there, and then he’s gone. Replaced by the man standing in front of me now.
Strong.
Certain.
Mine.
He takes my hand, and drops to one knee.
I gasp, smiling through tears.
“Annie,” he says softly, holding my hand like it’s the most important thing in the world.
“We’ve grown up together. We’ve been through everything…
good and bad, and no matter what, we always find our way back to each other.
” My heart feels like it might burst. “Because we’re meant to,” he continues.
“I’ve known since I was five, that I was going to marry my best friend.
” He smiles slightly. “But you’ve become so much more than that.
You’re everything to me… my best friend, my partner, my home.
” Tears blur my vision. “You make my life better just by being in it, and I don’t ever want to do this without you.
We’re young, yeah, but we know what we want.
And I want you!” His voice softens. “I want forever with you.” He pulls out a ring box.
“I want mornings with you, nights with you, every moment in between. I want to build a life with you… a family with you.” He opens the box.
The ring catches the light, breathtaking and perfect. “Will you marry me?”
I can barely breathe. Tears stream down my face as I stare at him, at the ring, at everything he’s offering me. God, he looks so fucking good right now.
“Annie?” he prompts gently.
“Mmm,” I manage, dazed just staring at him, completely lost in his perfection.
Laughter ripples through the room.
“So… is that a yes?” he asks, smiling.
I laugh through my tears. “Shit, yes. Of course, it’s yes. A million times yes!”
Cheers erupt around us as he’s on his feet in an instant, pulling me into his arms and spinning me. I cling to him, laughing and crying all at once.
Everything feels right.
Perfect.
Like this is exactly how it was always meant to be.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs again, holding me tight.
And this time, I know he always will.