“Now we’re talking.” Nixon holds his fist out for Cooper to bump, making us all laugh.
“Are you excited for your honeymoon?” I ask Tessa. I don’t want to make today about Cooper and me. This is their special day. We’ll have ours. Soon, I hope.
“Yes! I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland. I can’t wait. Two weeks of nothing but—” she starts, but Nixon interrupts her.
“Sex.” He grins.
“There’s that.” Tessa smiles at her husband. “The landscapes and the cliffs, it looks beautiful. I can’t wait to take it all in.”
“And the sex,” Nixon says, giving her a heated look.
“You’re terrible.” She giggles.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the last dance of the evening,” the DJ announces.
Looking around, it’s just the four of us and their parents who are left. The wedding was small and intimate. It was perfect for them in so many ways. “They’re calling our name, babe.” Cooper stands and holds his hand out for me. We take the dance floor beside Nixon and Tessa, as well as their parents. It’s the perfect ending to an even more perfect day.
As my head rests on Cooper’s chest and we sway to the music, I let my mind wander to a day just like this. A day where Cooper and I vow to love one another until the end of time.
I used to want a large wedding. I wanted it to be huge and elaborate. When Hunter and I were planning ours, we settled for somewhere in the middle, not huge, but not intimate either. The dreams of my younger self are not my dreams anymore. This moment, the eight of us together, that’s what I want for us. I want intimate. I don’t need some huge elaborate wedding to prove to him that I love him. Honestly, I would be good with going to the courthouse. I just want to marry him.
I want to marry my best friend.A few hours later, we’re lying in bed, and I can’t stop thinking about the wedding. I can’t help but imagine what our wedding day will look like. It all plays out like a movie in my mind. A small intimate gathering where the focus is on the love that we share, not the guest list or the decorations. Just us.
I want that.
More than anything, I want to marry Cooper. I’ve held these feelings close to my chest long enough. I’m ready to start our lives. I know I took longer than I should have to tell him that I love him. I let the fear of heartbreak cloud what was right in front of me. The most amazing man who loves me unconditionally.
“What are you thinking about, babe?” Cooper mumbles. His arms are wrapped tightly around me, as they are every night.
He loves me.
I love him.
It’s time.
I roll over to face him. In the dark, I manage to place my hand on his cheek. “You,” I whisper.
“What about me?” he asks, pulling me closer. That’s the thing with Cooper, he can never seem to get me close enough. He’s always reaching for me and touching me in some way. It’s not just our hearts that are entangled, it’s who we are. My life with his, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
“Marry me.” My words are softly spoken, but the intake of breath from Cooper tells me he heard me just fine. “I want our forever, Coop. I don’t want to wait to start my life with you. I don’t want some big, elaborate wedding. I just need our parents, and I need you. That’s it.” He doesn’t say anything, so I keep going. “I love you. I’ve never stopped loving you. I’m sorry that it took me so long to say it back. I was scared, and even though you proved over and over again that I was who you wanted, I held back. I’m tired of holding back, Coop. Tonight, watching Tess and Nix, I’m not envious of the love they share. We share that same intense, all-consuming love. What I’m envious of is that they’re on their journey to forever. I want to start ours now. Cooper Reeves, will you marry me?”
Once again, I’m met with silence. My mind and my heart are in a battle as they race against one another. The look on his face tells me I’ve left him speechless. Hot tears prick my eyes when the reality of the moment sets in. I just asked him to marry me. I open my mouth to tell him I was kidding when the bed dips, and I feel the emptiness beside me. The tears begin to fall as the sob that’s been lodged in my throat breaks free. I don’t know what’s happening. This is what we’ve talked about. “Coop,” I whisper his name. Pleading for him to say something.