Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
A Year Later
Zoe
I’m sitting at home, waiting for David to get back from hanging out with Donny, who, I guess, needed help moving today, when my phone dings with a tone I haven’t heard in a long time.
I pick up my phone to see that the Mystery Match app has sent me a message.
I never turned off my profile because why would I?
I want it to show that I was matched with David and forever keep that match on there.
Seeing I have a message, though, confuses me since I never indicated that I was back on the market, I guess you would say.
I swipe it open to see it’s David sending me a message. Confused and, I’ll admit, definitely curious as to what is going on, I tap the alert to open the message.
This app helped us see past what was right in front of us the entire time. I’ll forever be grateful for getting to know you the way I did. We never got our first date though. Meet me where you said you wanted me to take you in an hour.
I gasp as I reread his words.
Is he being serious right now?
I don’t need to go through our old messages to see what he means because I already know—The River Café in Brooklyn. It’s where I’ve always wanted to go, and still, to this day, I haven’t. We never discussed it again though, so I’m surprised he remembered.
I type out a simple OK and hop up to get dressed, but for what, I have no clue.
David
I remember the day she told me about this place. I had to search for the name to figure it out myself since the app wouldn’t allow her to just tell me the location. Ever since then, I’ve kept that tab open on my phone, knowing I’d take her there one day, when the time was right.
I lied about needing to help my friend move today, which I know she’ll forgive me for when she sees what I have planned. I can’t believe I’ve been able to keep it a secret, but thankfully, her friends were totally on board to help make it all happen.
I rented the back patio of the restaurant, and we laid rose petals over every surface so all she’ll see when she arrives are twinkling lights, the bridge in the background, and me, surrounded by rose petals on one knee.
Her parents and friends are inside, all waiting for our private moment to be special between just the two of us before they come barging in and we make this a true celebration.
As her friends bounce around in excitement, I sit in pure peace. I’ve never been so sure of something—or someone—in my entire life. I can’t imagine my world without her in it, and I want it to be official and have her take my last name so the entire world knows she’s mine.
“She’s almost here!” Macy yells out as she follows her location on the app they share.
Of course she called Macy to talk about what she’s doing and how I told her to come here.
Listening to Macy act dumb on the phone was hilarious, but she was able to pull it off, and Zoe seemingly suspects nothing even though Macy turned off her own location services just in case Zoe got suspicious on the way here.
They all run into the restaurant as she pulls up in the Uber. I watch as the hostess greets her in front of the restaurant and guides her to where I’m set up outside.
When she turns the corner, our eyes meet, and she instantly gasps while covering her mouth, tears welling in her eyes.
I give her a few seconds to take it all in with a smile on my face as I watch the love of my life stare at me with tears rolling down her face.
“Are you going to come closer, or do I have to get up off my knee and come to you?” I ask with a smirk, which makes her laugh out loud.
She slowly makes her way to me, looking around at the thousands of petals covering the ground.
Once she’s in front of me, I look up at her, even though she’s not much taller than me while I’m on one knee.
“Hi,” I say with a chuckle.
“Hi,” she replies with a grin.
I reach in my pocket and take out the box I’ve been holding on to for a few weeks now, waiting for this perfect moment. As I open it, I look into her eyes that are freely spilling tears, but she doesn’t wipe them away.
“I love that you give me shit. I love that you keep me on my toes. But most of all, I love the way you make me feel alive. I don’t care where I am in this world as long as you’re by my side. Zoe Jones, will you marry me?”
She jumps up and down. “Yes, David. Yes, I’ll marry you!”
I slip the ring Macy helped me pick out onto her hand and kiss her with every ounce of love that I have.
“Yay!” Macy, Candace, and Chasity come running out of the restaurant in celebration.
“OMG!” Zoe lets me go and hugs her friends before she sees her parents. “You guys are here too?”
“Of course we are, sweetie,” her mom says before they hug.
Her dad shakes my hand. “Welcome to the family, son.”
“Thank you.”
We smile at each other, and then her mom comes over to give me a hug.
“We finally have another kid in the family!” she jokes, making us all laugh.
“Hey!” Macy admonishes, making us all laugh harder.
Zoe’s mom places her hand on Zoe’s arm. “I’m sorry. I meant to say, we finally have a son in the family.”
“That’s better!” She grins from ear to ear.
“So, now you tell him your surprise!” Macy blurts out like she’s ready to explode if she has to hold on to it for one more minute.
“What surprise?” I ask.
Zoe rubs her lips together, getting ready to say something, but then turns to Macy. “Wait, you knew I was planning mine and that he was planning his surprise?”
“Yes!” she yells out. “Why do you think I was pushing you so hard to go through with it?! The suspense of it all has been killing me!”
“What’s going on?” I ask with that same feeling working its way through me.
Zoe reaches for my hand, biting her lower lip. “I talked to Christina at work about what our options would be if, you know, we wanted to raise a family together in Montana.”
I open my mouth wide in absolute shock. “Are you serious?”
She nods her head dramatically.
“What did she say?” My heart is beating so fast that I don’t know what to do with myself. I never dreamed of being able to move back to Montana while keeping my job.
“She agreed we that could move and continue to work for her.” Tears fill her eyes again. “She thought it was a great idea, especially with Samantha’s plant being there and the new business we could bring in without the seemingly scary New York vibe that people might be afraid to deal with.”
“You’re being for real right now? She’s going to allow us to work from Montana?” I need to repeat every word to make sure I’m hearing her clearly.
She laughs out loud. “Yes! We’re moving to Montana. We can start the plans as soon as we want to.”
I pick her up in my arms and swing her around. I knew marrying her was going to be the best thing I ever do, but this is more than I even imagined.
“I love you so much, Zoe.” I kiss her lips.
“I love you too, Work David, who became my Forever David,” she replies, sealing our love with a kiss.
Thank you for reading Oh No… It’s You!