Caught in Us (Lost 3)

"Nervous?" James asks. We're in the living room of the beach house he and Serena own near San Francisco. I look over my shoulder before answering, but Dani is well out of earshot. She and the other girls went on the terrace about ten minutes ago.

"Not at all. I have everything planned down to the last detail."

"Believe him, he really means the last detail." Chase shakes his head, prompting James and Parker to chuckle. After pouring himself a drink, he joins the three of us on the couch.

"If you give me that look again..." Chase warns me.

"What look?" I feign innocence.

"That look that says, Chase, you've been dating Hazel for five years. Get your sorry ass down on one knee and propose. Just because you've decided to doesn't mean I have to."

"He knows the whole repertoire." Parker flashes a huge, shit-eating grin. "That's a laddie."

I raise my hands up in sign of peace. "I won't say one word."

"I will," James offers.

Chase groans. "Please, don't."

"I find married life great," James continues, undeterred.

"Since we're going down that slippery road," Parker adds helpfully, "I also think it's great."

"Let's focus on our boy here." Chase leans back on the couch, raising his glass in my direction. "Wouldn't want him to get cold feet."

"He won't. He knows if he does, there will be nowhere to hide from me." James is smiling while saying this, but I know he's only half-joking.

"See, that's why I'll wait for a while before I propose. Don't want any overprotective brothers hustling my ass."

"Hazel doesn't have any brothers," I point out.

"I'm sure some long-lost ones will show up the second I propose," Chase replies.

"So you have thought about it," Parker teases.

"Shut up," Chase says.

We all do as the door to the terrace opens and the girls come in. Jess is first, carrying her three-year-old daughter, Sarah, in her arms, followed by a highly pregnant Serena, who's talking to Hazel. Dani comes in last. She's wearing a strapless, short white dress that looks gorgeous on her tan skin and hugs her slim curves deliciously. When she looks up at me, she takes my breath away. Yeah, she still does that five years later, and I’m sure she always will. My girl turned twenty-four today, and we've all gathered here to celebrate. We've had the cake already, and now it's time for her to open her presents. They're all piled up right next to the couch, except mine. It's in the pocket of my jacket, waiting to finally rest on her finger. I've waited long enough for this, and twenty-four seems the perfect age to propose to her. I've wanted to do it since our freshman year at college, but I knew we still had a bit of growing up to do. Dani worked at the chocolate factory during college, and after graduating, she became the right hand of the CEO. I founded my company during my second year at Stanford. I won't lie, I didn't build it up all on my own; I've had lots of help from James and Parker. But I've learned that taking help doesn't mean I’m weak. It means I’m smart.

Almost unconsciously, I pat my pocket, wondering if Dani will like her ring. I asked James and Parker for tips when I went shopping for it because they bought decent rings for Serena and Jess. At least they both seem happy with their rings. They all look the same to me: big, white, round stone in the center. Turns out James and Parker were as clueless as I was. They pointed me to the shop they bought it from, owned by a friend of theirs. They also pointed me to the same personal shopper who helped them pick theirs. I look at Dani's ring finger again. Yeah, that diamond will fit her just perfectly.

***

Dani

"Anyone else want a second piece of cake?" I help myself to a second serving, watching Jessica trying to braid Sarah's hair. Parker watches them from afar with a dreamy smile; Jess and Sarah wear light pink dresses. The fabric is identical, but the design differs. They look freaking adorable.

"No, thanks," Hazel says. "If I eat anything else, I'll explode."

"Mommy," Sarah asks loudly, looking at Hazel crestfallen. "Why do all these people talk so funny? Didn't they learn how to spell proper words at school?"

"Ah, we're all just lousy Americans," Chase says.

"Sarah, you can't say that," Jess admonishes her. "It's rude."

"Mommy, you are saying it wrong. It's ruuuuuude." Her little mouth curves to form the long u. I bite my tongue to stifle a laugh.