I meet up with her as we head up the steps. “What’s holding you back, Liv?” I ask, reaching for her. She turns in my arms so she’s facing me. I don’t have to explain myself with my obscure question either. She knows exactly what I’m referring to. The truth is, I’m ready to start forever with her. Tonight, seeing all of our friends happy and starting families… I want that.
She lifts her arms and places them around my neck. Looking into her eyes, I see her emotions. She’s been running, evading, delaying… whatever you want to call it. Making excuses. “Surprise me,” she whispers against my lips.
I pause momentarily in shock. “What?” I manage to ask when my brain reboots, my brows lifting. “I need you to replay that for me.” I hold her a little tighter.
“Next time, surprise me.” Her smile is soft, and I can see nothing but love in her eyes reflecting back at me.
“Olivia,” I growl and pull her closer. “Don’t tease me, beautiful.” I need to make sure my mind isn’t playing tricks on me. Is she really saying what I think she is?
“Surprise me,” she repeats.
“You’re ready?” I clarify. I’ve been asking her playfully to marry me since the beginning of our relationship. Every single time, she blows me off. I’ve never asked her straight up or on bended knee with a ring, the fear of her rejecting me too real. Something has been keeping her, keeping us from moving forward. I already have the ring. Hell, I’ve had it for close to a year now, waiting for the time I knew she was ready.
“I love you, David. I want the future we talk about. So next time surprise me.”
“We’re doing this?” I confirm. I’ve waited for her to be on the same page as me for the majority of our relationship. I know she loves me. She just needed time. Time I was willing to give her. Not having her in my life wasn’t an option.
“Yes.” She clasps her hands behind my neck. After a few sweet kisses, she mumbles against my lips, “We’re doing this,” before kissing me again.
I want nothing more than to devour her, but I don’t. I let her have this, let her control the pace while my mind races. I’ve had a lot of time to think about how I want to propose for real, so many different ideas. Now that it’s here, I need to decide. None of them seem worthy of her.
“I love you,” I say as soon as she pulls away.
“Mmm.” She snuggles into my chest, too tired to offer more.
Unlocking the front door, I lead her inside before turning the lock back in place. We don’t bother with lights as I guide her upstairs to the bedroom. We make our way to the attached bathroom and stand before the his-and-hers sinks, brushing our teeth. I love the nights she’s here. When I bought this place, I wanted it to be ours, and it feels empty when she sleeps at her place. I made sure before purchasing it that she loved it. I can still remember the light in her eyes when I showed it to her before I made an offer. Without a doubt, I knew this is where we would live. Now more than ever before, I saw it all play out in my mind—family dinners, playing with the kids in the backyard, sitting on the porch swing after the kids have gone to bed. All of it. In vivid detail, our future came to life, and my girl just informed me she’s finally ready.
Now all I have to do is decide how and when. Shutting off the bathroom light, we head to bed. I strip down to my boxer briefs and toss my T-shirt to Liv. Then we crawl into bed. I pull her close, kiss her neck, and it seems like she’s instantly asleep. Holding my future in my arms, I map out a plan.
My girl wants a surprise. She’s going to get it.
Last night I told him to surprise me. I’m ready for our future. Ready to leave the worries behind and just be happy and live. I can still see his face, his shocked expression mixed with so much love. He truly is an amazing man, and I’m lucky he’s chosen to give his heart to me.
Rolling over in his big king-size bed, I watch him sleep. His hands are under his pillow as he sleeps peacefully on his belly. His chocolate-brown hair, in need of a trim, is tangled from sleep. As I watch him, I let my mind wander to our future. This is where we’ll be. I love this house, and he knows it. It’s why he bought it. I’m sure of it. We’ll need to put my place up for sale.
“What are you thinking about, gorgeous?” he asks, his voice laced with sleep.
“Living here,” I tell him honestly.
“Yeah?” he asks, a little more alert. “You finally ready to move in with me?”
“As a matter of fact, I am,” I confess.
This gets his full attention. He lifts his head, and his eyes bore into mine. “Don’t tease me, Liv.”
“I would never,” I say in a tone hinting that he’s offended me. The smile on my face tells him different.
“What’s gotten into you? First last night, and now you’re ready to move in? What changed?”
I don’t even hesitate when it comes to my confession. “I used to think… well, it bothered me that I would be the mom who worked behind the bar. I know kids can be cruel, and I never wanted to be the reason my kids were made fun of or given a hard time. I thought I needed a career, a regular old nine-to-five job before we started the rest of our lives together.”
His eyes soften. “Livy, you have a career. Mike’s Tavern has been in your family for generations. It’s a good thing you and your brother are doing, keeping the family business alive. You never need to feel less for that.”
“I know. It’s my own stupid insecurities. I have this vision of the perfect life, with you, our kids, and it all fit everything… except for my job. I can see it all, from the wedding to when we’re old and gray and sitting on the front porch watching our grandkids play in the yard.”
“Don’t let what you fear others might say or think keep you from living your life, living this life with me.” He leans in and kisses the corner of my mouth. “I love you, and your career has not a damn thing to do with it.”
“I know it was silly. I confessed to the girls a while ago, and they told me the same thing. Then last night, McKinley and I were talking, and it hit me. I’m keeping myself from living, letting fear hold me back.” Reaching over, I brush his shaggy hair out of his eyes. “I love you, David, more than anything, and I’m sorry I’ve put you through this, put us through this. If I didn’t let my fears get in the way, we would already be married and maybe even have a baby by now.”