25
Shelby
“So, then he texted me and asked if it would be cool if he went on a skydiving trip with Will and Chase this weekend,” I said, finishing up the story for my friends. “I told him it was, and he left earlier today straight from work since it was closer than coming back down to Bluffton first.”
Aria, Layla, and Lyndi all sipped their drinks, staring at me from their spots on the sectional. We’d called an emergency girls’ night even though it was the third Friday of the month because I needed them to tell me that everything was going to be okay. I hoped Paul going on that trip wasn’t a sign that things were bad between us, but it would definitely help if they agreed. Girls’ nights were made for girl talk, after all.
“Well,” Aria said, biting her lip, “firstly, how do you feel about the fact that he went? Like are you upset that he wouldn’t want to spend your first weekend back with you?”
I shrugged. “It’s not like I just got back from a seven-month deployment or something. It was less than two weeks.”
“True,” Layla said.
“I don’t even care if he went so he could clear his head,” I went on. “We’ve been through some really heavy stuff lately and he hasn’t jumped since before… well, since before Valentine’s Day. I’m honestly happy that he’ll be able to go let off some steam.”
Lyndi pulled her lips into a thin line. “That sounds really mature. I don’t think there’s a problem, Shel.”
I sighed with relief. “No? Okay, good. I knew I was overanalyzing it.”
Aria tilted her head back and forth. “I don’t know.”
“What?” I asked.
“You know Paul as well as I do,” she said. “If something’s nagging at you, you’re probably right. I bet he’s still freaking out about the job offer.”
I frowned into my faux-Merlot. “You think?”
“It’s possible. You said it yourself: the whole thing eerily parallels what happened with Roxy.” She shifted on the couch, uncrossing her legs and tucking them against her on the couch. “You’re not Roxy, obviously, but maybe he’s worried that you only turned the job down because of what happened with her and not because you really want to stay with him.”
Swallowing, I nodded. “Yeah, okay. That’s what I was afraid of.”
It was crazy how she’d picked up on that even though I hadn’t said it in so many words. Aria really did know her brother well, and if we both had the same thoughts, I had a feeling we might be right. I looked up at my friends with sad eyes. “How can I show him that isn’t the case? How am I supposed to prove to him that he’s what I want, and I’d never accept a job that took me away from him now that we were so happy together?”
The girls looked at each other while they thought about it, then Aria wagged her brows. “What about a big gesture? Something that would show him you’re serious about him and committed to making this work for the long haul.”
“Like what?” I asked, liking the idea.
Silence fell over us again while we all thought about it, Layla sat up with a wide smile. “What about a flash mob?”
“A flash mob?” I repeated.
“Not just any flash mob. A flash mob proposal.” She wagged her eyebrows at me.
I sat back against the couch and pictured that. The way Paul and I talked, I was almost certain that he was going to propose soon. He’d even told his command that we were practically engaged, and on sweet nights of conversation about our future together, it always involved marriage and me being able to go with him wherever the Marine Corps sent him next. But did that mean I should propose to him instead of waiting for him to propose to me?
“Would that be weird?” I asked, wrinkling my nose.
Aria chuckled. “Why would it be weird? I think it’s a great idea. He was super excited about the idea of doing a flash mob proposal. I think it would be cute for him to be on the receiving end.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, I do. Plus, maybe he’s worried that he’s holding you back from following your dreams, but if you propose to him, it’ll be pretty obvious that he’s what you want.”
I blinked at my friend—my friend who might someday soon be my sister-in-law—and fought to keep the emotion out of my voice. “He would be so shocked.”
“In the best way,” Lyndi offered. “And you know what would be even better than any old flash mob?”
“What?” I asked.