by Katy Kaylee
“I do, don’t I?”
“Come here,” I said and before she could react, I put my arms around her and hugged her.
“God, you’re such a fucking marshmallow,” she muttered, but I didn't care.
“I love you, sis.”
“Okay, thats quite enough,” I heard behind me and turned around, taking Alice along with me.
Liv stood in front of us with a grin on her face and Alice broke free from my overly-affectionate, yet suffocating embrace.
“If you two would excuse me,” Alice said and walked passed us. “I have a relationship to save.”
Liv glanced at me and her jaw dropped. “What the hell did you say to her?”
“She just needed to hear the truth,” I shrugged nonchalantly.
“You didn’t,” she gasped jokingly and we laughed. “In all seriousness, can we talk though?”
Uh oh.
Judging by the expression on her face, it was serious, as she was biting her lower lip, and not in the sexy way I had come to love.
“Sure,” was all I could get out.
She led me outside to a large balcony, and there was hardly any people there, isolating us almost entirely from the party going on inside. The sky was clear, and the moon was full, but there was a chill in the air. Being in the warmth of the club was such a contrast to the chilly night air against my skin.
Liv and I walked to the balustrades of the solid metal railings around the border of the balcony and she took my hands in her. She took a deep breath and I braced for impact.
Everything was great between us, we were happy together and apart from the occasional disagreement, we were perfect together. She made me a better person, she was supportive, and caring, and just the most amazing girlfriend I could have ever wished for.
Why did she want to talk to me, and what did she want to talk about? Was she not happy anymore? Did she want to break up with me, because honestly, if she was, I didn't want to hear it.
The past months I had fallen so deeply in love with her every single, and I would be a mess without her. She had stood by me when I called my dad for the first time in years and even went with me to visit him for the first time.
“Whatever you’re going to say, don’t you think that this isn't the right place to do it?” I asked.
“No, this is the perfect time to do this,” she answered and squeezed my hands. “Zac, I know that our relationship is anything but ordinary and conventional, but that is what makes what he have so special.”
A small smile formed on my lips but I stared at her wordlessly I was waiting for the infamous ‘but’, which I was all too familiar with.
“I was talking to Alice in the bathroom earlier and I realized something,” she said and glanced at me, her brown eyes warm and sparkling.
They sparkled the same way when she was doing a crossword puzzle in bed on a Sunday morning, her hair tied in a messy bun on the top of her head, with the shorter pieces hanging in her neck, wearing one of my t-shirts. They sparkled the same way that made me fall so hard for her, and made me love her like I’d never loved anyone before.
“What did you realize?” I asked.
“I realized that being happy is a conscious choice we make every day, and the only person who can ensure I have a happy and good life is me.”
I didn't like the direction this conversation possibly could go but I didn't say a word, as I knew she didn't like to be interrupted while she spoke of important things, so I just had to wait it out. For now.
“So, I am making a conscious decision right now to make sure that I am always happy, and that you’re always happy as well.”
Oh fuck. Here it comes.
“I love you, Zac, so much that I can’t even begin to describe it, and I know this may come completely out of the blue, but I just want you to keep an open mind, okay?” she said and raised her eye expectantly at me when I didn't respond right away.
“Okay,” I answered apprehensively.
“I wouldn't ask you if I was a hundred percent sure it it what I wanted, but if you’re not ready, then you have to tell me. I wouldn't feel bad or anything if you don't want to.”
I frowned as her words didn't make much sense, and said, “Liv, I don’t know what you want to ask me, but you’re making it sound like a huge deal.”
“But it is a big deal, Zac.”
“Okay,” I sighed and looked at her. “Ask away.”
She smiled, placed her hand on my hand and said, “Zachary Morgan, I have loved you for a very long time, and I would love to spend the rest of my life with you, if that’s what you want.”
Wait a second…
“Will you marry me?”
My jaw dropped and I stared at her with wide eyes, paralyzed by her words.
Marry me?
She wanted to marry me? Why the fuck would she want to do that?
“What?”
“I want to marry you, Zac. I want to spend every day with you, and every night. I want to wake up every morning beside you, knowing how lucky I am to be yours, and for you to be mine,” she said to me.
“You want to marry me?” I asked, still shocked by her question.
It wasn't the fact that she wanted to marry me that was so hard to believe, it was just a shock that she wanted me. I didn't have the best track record when I came to relationships, but Liv was right about one thing. We determined out own choices, and choosing to accept the job, filling in for Colton had brought me to her. It opened up a whole new world that I would have never been able to access if I hadn't been open to possibility. I gave myself that, and she allowed me to love again, head over feet.
“Yes, Zac. You’re the only one I want, and will continue to want for the rest of my life.”
“I honestly thought you were going to break up with me,” I said with a nervous chuckle.
“Oh, no. At the risk of sounding completely psycho, I’m never letting you go, mister,” she said, the sincerity swirling in her eyes.
“Are you sure you want someone like me? You deserve so much better-”
“I deserve to be happy, and that is exactly what you make me. I am happy, and I never want this feeling to go away. If you think for one moment that I deserve better than you, then you’re a fucking idiot.”
“But I’d be an even bigger idiot if I didn't say yes,” I said and took her hand, kissing her knuckles.
“No pressure,” she chuckled.
“Olivia Donovan, I would love to marry you,” I answered sincerely and pouted jokingly. “Now, where’s my diamond?”
“You’re such a fucking idiot,” she laughed, pulled me close to her and kissed me on the mouth.
At that very moment, my heart exploded, followed by the sound of fireworks above us and in the distance. The people inside the club cheered and sang the old New Year’s song, wishing each other prosperity and luck, but I had my prosperity right here in my arms. Our lips parted and together we glanced at the horizon, the fireworks lighting up the world below it, still wrapped in each other’s arms. As I felt her rest her head against my shoulder, I knew in my heart that there was no-one I’d rather share this moment, and the rest of my life with than her.
My Liv.
THE END
Epilogue: Zac
I took a sip of my drink and glanced around the club, wondering what the hell was keeping Alice and Liv. They had disappeared into the ladies’ restroom more than twenty minutes ago, and knew from experience that no-one peed that long. I also figured that they were talking about girl things, like they usually would, but it never took them this long. I turned to Damien, Alice’s flavor of the month and smiled nervously. He was a nice guy, who also had a love of cars, but there was only so much I could say to the guy before I would look weird.
“Do they always take this long in the restroom?” Damien asked.
“They do,” I answered with a cringe. “It’s what they do.”
Damien nodded.
“So, how are things going between you
and Alice?” I asked, purely out of interest.
The look on Damien’s face however, made me look like an older brother who’d rip his head off if his answer wasn't to my liking. “Dude, don’t look so scared. It was just a question.”
“I know,” he said, his shoulders relaxing. “I don’t really know how it’s going. Your sister doesn't have any mental disorders, does she?”
“Like what?”
“Like a split personality or something.”
“Why would you ask that?” I asked.
“The one minute she’s hot and the other minute she is cold. She changes her mind a lot, and can’t decide on anything.”
“Oh, that’s just Alice being Alice,” I scoffed. “She can never make up her mind about anything. Don’t take it personally.”
Damien sighed and dug his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. I sensed a bit of discouragement from him and said, “Look, Damien. My sister is a great girl, but can be a pain in the butt sometimes.”
“I know, but that’s what I like about her. I really like her. I just don’t know what to do to make her decide what she wants.”
“You can’t do anything,” I said to him, but quickly added, “but I could talk to her, if-”
“Please. I would really appreciate that.”
I nodded at him, and he gave me a grateful look.
I noticed Liv and Alice approach me and Damien and Alice’s cheeks were flushed, and she smiled brightly.
I told Liv that I wanted to have a word with Alice, and before we stepped to the side, I swore I saw Liv giving Alice the ‘don’t tell’ expression I came to know so well.
What were these women up to?
“Is everything okay?” Alice asked me.
“Yeah, I was just talking to Damien, and he seems to really like you,” I said.
“Okay,” she shrugged.
“Look, Alice. I know you’re pushing him away on purpose-”
“I’m not pushing him away. He’s just too smothering. He wants to know where I am and ad what I’m doing and he just wants to be around me all the time,” she spluttered out.
“Have you ever considered the fact that he’s doing that because you keep pushing him away?” I asked.
Alice glanced up at me and I noticed something in her eyes, as if she needed to hear those words at that very instant. Her shoulders drooped and she ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. “I guess,” she said with annoyance.
“You shouldn't do that, you know. You push people away who care about you. You always have, but you have to stop it,” I said. “I did the same and look where I ended up a few years ago.”
“Yeah, but now you have Liv, and you’re happy and in love. So in love it makes me sick, but so jealous and envious. It might not seem that way to you, or anyone who knows me, but I want that too,” she said in a small voice.
“Then go get it. Stop being afraid of getting hurt, you might miss out on something great,” I said, and my gaze travelled to where Liv and Damien stood.
Liv glanced at me, a small and proud smile on her face and she winked at me. I reciprocated the gesture and turned me attention back to Alice. “You deserve to be happy, little sister.”
“I do, don’t I?”
“Come here,” I said and before she could react, I put my arms around her and hugged her.
“God, you’re such a fucking marshmallow,” she muttered, but I didn't care.
“I love you, sis.”
“Okay, thats quite enough,” I heard behind me and turned around, taking Alice along with me.
Liv stood in front of us with a grin on her face and Alice broke free from my overly-affectionate, yet suffocating embrace.
“If you two would excuse me,” Alice said and walked passed us. “I have a relationship to save.”
Liv glanced at me and her jaw dropped. “What the hell did you say to her?”
“She just needed to hear the truth,” I shrugged nonchalantly.
“You didn’t,” she gasped jokingly and we laughed. “In all seriousness, can we talk though?”
Uh oh.
Judging by the expression on her face, it was serious, as she was biting her lower lip, and not in the sexy way I had come to love.
“Sure,” was all I could get out.
She led me outside to a large balcony, and there was hardly any people there, isolating us almost entirely from the party going on inside. The sky was clear, and the moon was full, but there was a chill in the air. Being in the warmth of the club was such a contrast to the chilly night air against my skin.
Liv and I walked to the balustrades of the solid metal railings around the border of the balcony and she took my hands in her. She took a deep breath and I braced for impact.
Everything was great between us, we were happy together and apart from the occasional disagreement, we were perfect together. She made me a better person, she was supportive, and caring, and just the most amazing girlfriend I could have ever wished for.
Why did she want to talk to me, and what did she want to talk about? Was she not happy anymore? Did she want to break up with me, because honestly, if she was, I didn't want to hear it.
The past months I had fallen so deeply in love with her every single, and I would be a mess without her. She had stood by me when I called my dad for the first time in years and even went with me to visit him for the first time.
“Whatever you’re going to say, don’t you think that this isn't the right place to do it?” I asked.
“No, this is the perfect time to do this,” she answered and squeezed my hands. “Zac, I know that our relationship is anything but ordinary and conventional, but that is what makes what he have so special.”
A small smile formed on my lips but I stared at her wordlessly I was waiting for the infamous ‘but’, which I was all too familiar with.
“I was talking to Alice in the bathroom earlier and I realized something,” she said and glanced at me, her brown eyes warm and sparkling.
They sparkled the same way when she was doing a crossword puzzle in bed on a Sunday morning, her hair tied in a messy bun on the top of her head, with the shorter pieces hanging in her neck, wearing one of my t-shirts. They sparkled the same way that made me fall so hard for her, and made me love her like I’d never loved anyone before.
“What did you realize?” I asked.
“I realized that being happy is a conscious choice we make every day, and the only person who can ensure I have a happy and good life is me.”
I didn't like the direction this conversation possibly could go but I didn't say a word, as I knew she didn't like to be interrupted while she spoke of important things, so I just had to wait it out. For now.
“So, I am making a conscious decision right now to make sure that I am always happy, and that you’re always happy as well.”
Oh fuck. Here it comes.
“I love you, Zac, so much that I can’t even begin to describe it, and I know this may come completely out of the blue, but I just want you to keep an open mind, okay?” she said and raised her eye expectantly at me when I didn't respond right away.
“Okay,” I answered apprehensively.
“I wouldn't ask you if I was a hundred percent sure it it what I wanted, but if you’re not ready, then you have to tell me. I wouldn't feel bad or anything if you don't want to.”
I frowned as her words didn't make much sense, and said, “Liv, I don’t know what you want to ask me, but you’re making it sound like a huge deal.”
“But it is a big deal, Zac.”
“Okay,” I sighed and looked at her. “Ask away.”
She smiled, placed her hand on my hand and said, “Zachary Morgan, I have loved you for a very long time, and I would love to spend the rest of my life with you, if that’s what you want.”
Wait a second…
“Will you marry me?”
My jaw dropped and I stared at her with wide eyes, paralyzed by her words.
Marry me?
She wanted to marry me? Why the fuck would she want to do that?
“What?”
“I want to marry you, Zac. I want to spend every day with you, and every night. I want to wake up every morning beside you, knowing how lucky I am to be yours, and for you to be mine,” she said to me.
“You want to marry me?” I asked, still shocked by her question.
It wasn't the fact that she wanted to marry me that was so hard to believe, it was just a shock that she wanted me. I didn't have the best track record when I came to relationships, but Liv was right about one thing. We determined out own choices, and choosing to accept the job, filling in for Colton had brought me to her. It opened up a whole new world that I would have never been able to access if I hadn't been open to possibility. I gave myself that, and she allowed me to love again, head over feet.
“Yes, Zac. You’re the only one I want, and will continue to want for the rest of my life.”
“I honestly thought you were going to break up with me,” I said with a nervous chuckle.
“Oh, no. At the risk of sounding completely psycho, I’m never letting you go, mister,” she said, the sincerity swirling in her eyes.
“Are you sure you want someone like me? You deserve so much better-”
“I deserve to be happy, and that is exactly what you make me. I am happy, and I never want this feeling to go away. If you think for one moment that I deserve better than you, then you’re a fucking idiot.”
“But I’d be an even bigger idiot if I didn't say yes,” I said and took her hand, kissing her knuckles.
“No pressure,” she chuckled.
“Olivia Donovan, I would love to marry you,” I answered sincerely and pouted jokingly. “Now, where’s my diamond?”
“You’re such a fucking idiot,” she laughed, pulled me close to her and kissed me on the mouth.
At that very moment, my heart exploded, followed by the sound of fireworks above us and in the distance. The people inside the club cheered and sang the old New Year’s song, wishing each other prosperity and luck, but I had my prosperity right here in my arms. Our lips parted and together we glanced at the horizon, the fireworks lighting up the world below it, still wrapped in each other’s arms. As I felt her rest her head against my shoulder, I knew in my heart that there was no-one I’d rather share this moment, and the rest of my life with than her.