Honestly, I didn’t want to move out of his apartment. I just felt like I should. It wasn’t like he’d asked me to move in with him after we’d dated for months and months. Our relationship was totally out of the ordinary and not at all normal. The deal was I’d stay with him until I found a steady job and could afford to move out on my own.
He fought me on the subject then, and he was still fighting me.
I had a good job. Actually, I had two jobs. Neither of which related to my business degree at all, but that was okay, because I wanted to do something that I was interested in for once. I had made plenty of money, waitressing at Ships for the last few months, to move out on my own, and then Dawson had learned of my interest in interior design. And then, after Emmett had stolen my sketchbook and showed him all of my ideas and inspirations, he asked if I’d like to consult with him and his clients at his contracting office. I barely made any money, but that didn’t matter. I had never been so excited to talk with people about paint colors in my entire life.
“Are you changing your mind?”
I snapped myself out of my thoughts and sighed again. Emmett ran a lone finger down my bare arm, which sent goosebumps to every part of my body. I melted into his touch every single time, and he knew it. “Just think…” Emmett’s breath hit the sensitive spot behind my ear. “You’d get to wake up like this every morning – pushed up against my body, me trailing my fingers all over your skin.”
My voice was breathy. “You play dirty, Emmett Lanning.”
He rumbled out a chuckle. “Damn straight I do. Now tell me you’ll stay with me.”
I licked my lips and gulped.
“Come on, you’ve been doing so good at doing what you want. Is this what you want? You want to move out?”
I was quick to answer. “No.”
He pulled back and smiled. “Good, then it’s settled. You’re officially living with me.”
I whined. “Fine, but I’m still paying some of the rent.”
He rolled his eyes at me, and I was pretty sure he mumbled, “Like hell you are,” but my attention was turned to the Ships stage in the corner. I heard the pounding of a microphone, and then I saw Dawson up ahead.
I laughed when I heard the familiar tune of “Mamma Mia” playing. Then I laughed even harder when
Dawson started to belt the lyrics out like he was part of a girl-band of some sort.
“What on earth is he doing?” I asked, angling my head back to Emmett.
He grinned at me mischievously and told me to just watch.
So I did. I turned back around and watched as Dawson sang “Mamma Mia” to Ivy, who was swaying her hips down below the stage. They were adorable, and it was like they were in their own world. All of their friends were there, even Ivy’s younger sister, Mia, but it was like they only saw each other. Dawson never took his eyes off Ivy, and she never took her eyes off him.
“Come on, let’s get a little closer. You’re not gonna want to miss this.”
Emmett pulled me by the hand, and by the time we got up to the stage, near Becca and Max – another one of their friends, Dawson had jumped down onto the ground.
The microphone went flying behind him, and the song suddenly came to an end. The bar came to a dead silence when Dawson got a few feet from Ivy and plopped down on his knee.
I gasped and covered my hand with my mouth. Oh my God! He’s proposing!
It was almost as if Emmett heard my voice, because he whispered down in my ear. “Yep, he’s finally doing it.”
Dawson looked up at Ivy, and I could feel emotion bubbling up inside of me. “I’ve been racking my brain for months on how to propose to you, and I kept coming back to this. Right here.” Dawson gestured around the bar to all of us before putting his attention back onto Ivy. “You and me, surrounded by all of our friends, in the middle of the old town bar. I love you so much, and I want to spend every single minute of every single day with you by my side. I’m crazy about you, babe. Will you marry me?”
Just then, Dawson opened up a small box, and Ivy screamed, “Yes!” before she jumped onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
I quickly wiped the tears off my face.
“Pretty sweet, huh?” Emmett asked, kissing me on the forehead.
I nodded. “I’m just so happy for them. I don’t even know them that well, and I’m just... I’m just so happy.”
Dawson’s proposal was the most genuine proposal I had ever seen, and Ivy’s response was so real. She didn’t even look at the ring. She didn’t care. All she cared about was saying yes. And that was how it should have been.
Marriage wasn’t a contract that should be forced. Marriage should be about loving someone so much you couldn’t imagine life without them. The love should be unforgiving and raw – and completely full of life.