Chapter 28 #2
“Wait…” Mia turns her head from side to side, her mouth opening wide in shock. “Are you taking me to my parents’ old house? Why are we here?”
“I want to do something,” I say over the music. “For old times’ sake.”
She flashes a big smile when I pull into her parents’ old driveway and turn off the engine. “I hope we’re not breaking into the house.” The seriousness of her tone causes me to laugh. “I’ll do just about anything for you, but I’m not getting busted for breaking and entering.”
“Don’t be silly. I asked permission from the current owner.”
I open my car door, and Mia follows suit.
Confused, she meets me in front of the two-car garage. “I don’t get it.”
I press my index finger to her mouth. “Let me do what I came here to do. Okay?”
After she nods, I lower my hand and slip my fingers between hers, leading her into the backyard. I stop in front of the swing set, now showing its age. The metal bars are rusty, and the seats are worn, but still, the same place where I fell in love with the girl next door.
She smiles as if she knows what this means.
At least I got her here without ruining the surprise.
The ring has been burning a hole in my pocket for the last few months.
I wanted to wait until winter passed so we could sit outside and enjoy our day together.
But I always knew the place. I’d marry Mia in this backyard right now if I could.
I grab the metal rope, and Mia sits on the swing.
“Tell me something good.”
Her face brightens. “You,” she says in her singsong voice. “It was always you.”
I bend in front of her on one knee and place my hand on her thigh. “You were always mine. If only I had told you that when we were younger.”
She shrugs. “Ancient history. What matters now is that we’re here together and creating new memories.”
“Exactly.” I reach into my pocket and remove the box.
Mia’s hand flies to her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise. “Oh my God!” She lowers her hand, her body trembling in the process.
“I thought we should start our life together where it all began.” I flip open the box to reveal a ten-karat diamond ring with a row of sapphires surrounding it.
She stares at the ring in awe. “It’s so… beautiful. Oh, my God, Ethan.”
“It’s a family heirloom. Do you like it?”
“I love it,” she squeals. “And I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
She leans forward to kiss me, and a stray tear falls from her eye onto my cheek. “Yes, a thousand times yes.”
Laughing, I shake my head. “I didn’t even ask you yet. Stop being so impatient, woman.”
She wipes away the tears with the back of her hand and sniffs. “Sorry, I got a little excited.”
“We met in this backyard over twelve years ago. I was at the worst point in my life, on drugs and unable to function, and you brought me back to life. Every conversation with you helped me heal, but I still wasn’t good enough for you.
Leaving you behind was one of the hardest moments of my life because meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me. You were always my something good.”
I love you, she mouths, and I say it back.
I slide the ring onto her finger. “Mia Elizabeth Roman, I’ve loved you for almost as long as I’ve known you, and I’ll love and worship you for the rest of my life. Will you be mine?”
She grazes my cheek with her thumb. “I’m yours, E. Forever and always.”
I sit on the swing beside her and slip my fingers between hers. We kick our feet off the ground, the metal bars grinding beneath our weight.
“How did you pull this off?” she asks.
“The house owner flipped out when he saw me on his doorstep. He’s a big-time Flyers fan. I told him about our meeting and offered to pay him to bring you here for a few hours. But he didn’t want money. He settled for autographed memorabilia.”
She laughs. “You got off easy.”
“Tell me about it. I would’ve paid anything to make this moment special for you. This backyard means something to us.”
“I remember thinking you were the hottest boy I’d ever met.” Her cheeks flush crimson. “I had an instant crush on you.”
“And now?”
“Still the hottest boy I’ve ever met. Only now, you’re a man. My man.”
The corners of my mouth turn up into a smile. “One more thing,” I add, nervous about how she’ll react to the last part. “Since I had to ask your dad and your brother if I could marry you—”
“You did?” She claps her hands together and laughs. “Was that Will’s idea?”
“Of course. You know your brother. Goddamn pain in my ass. I had to ask him over dinner like we were on a fucking date.”
She shakes her head. “He’s insane.”
“If you only knew. That’s not what I wanted to tell you, though. Since Will is my best man, he’s already started planning my bachelor party.”
She rolls her eyes. “What if I said no?”
I smirk. “Look who’s got jokes.”
“Whatever. It could’ve happened.” She glances down at her ring and smiles. “So, where is Will taking you? On a tour of every strip club in the world?”
“Would you let me go?”
She laughs. “Not like I could stop you.”
“I would do anything for you. I’d tell Will no if you didn’t want me to go. But you’d have a furious brother to deal with. Will’s been looking forward to my bachelor party since I told him I want to marry you. He already booked our rooms in Vegas.”
“Vegas, baby.” She throws her arms above her head. “I’m coming, too. I can have my bachelorette party there.”
“Are you serious?”
She shrugs as if hijacking my bachelor party isn’t a big deal. “Yeah, why not?”
“Because your brother will have a stroke. No women allowed.”
“Same city, different parties. Let me handle Will.”
“Whatever you say, boss.”
Mia grips my hand, and a pulse of electricity dances up my arm. No matter how much time passes, the sensation never fades. She smiles as if she can feel it, too.