You'll Say Yes

by Tri Amutia

  Yup, the news was spreading fast.

  "Um..."

  "You better have a good explanation for this, Abigail," She said, again.

  "I asked her before our trip to Long Beach," Joshua interjected.

  Stella raised her eyebrows. "I thought you hated him when you were in high school, Abby, and I thought you guys just met up again no longer than a week ago?"

  Joshua and I stared at each other.

  "Well?" She asked, impatiently.

  Evan cleared his throat. "Stella, honey, I think this is not the right place to discuss that. Maybe tomorrow over lunch at Joshua's?"

  I smiled in gratitude at Evan while Joshua nodded slowly.

  Stella huffed. "Fine!" And then she walked away.

  Evan looked at us guiltily. "Don't worry. She will understand."

  I smiled grimly. "I hope so."

  Joshua cleared his throat. "Abby, you promised me one last dance."

  I gave Evan a smile, once again, before walking with Joshua to the dance floor. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer than our first dance. I could feel my cheeks flush. His amazing scent soothed me as I leaned my head into his chest again.

  The song by Chayanne called Te Amo was our song this time.

  I noticed Melinda giving me a wink and then she mouthed 'congratulations'. I smiled at her. She was really a good friend.

  Joshua and I slowly swayed to the music; hearing his heartbeat in my ear soothed my nerves. Then Joshua placed my hand that he held to his heart.

  I looked up at him.

  "Can you feel my heart beating?" He asked, slowly.

  I nodded.

  "It’s always beating for you," He whispered.

  I couldn't say a word as I just leaned back into his chest.

  He kissed my forehead. "I love you, my Abby."

  The reunion ended with less drama in the end.

  I didn't see Scott and Linda again since our returned to the gym for the second time.

  Melinda and Brian congratulated me and wished us a safe trip back to Seattle tomorrow.

  Stella was still fuming as Evan finally bid us goodbye and promised to come for the reunion lunch tomorrow.

  Joshua drove me back to my house and walked me to my door.

  I turned to him. "Thank you for tonight. I must admit the high school reunion isn't so bad."

  He chuckled. "You're welcome, Abby. Thank you for joining me, too."

  I smiled as we stood awkwardly for a moment.

  "Well...good night, Abby. I’ll pick you up tomorrow," Joshua said.

  "Good night, Joshua," I said back.

  He smiled and kissed my cheek. "Sweet dreams, Abby."

  My heart drummed loudly in my chest.

  "Y-you t-too." I stammered.

  He gave me one last smile before getting into his car and driving away. I shook my head. What just happened?

  I opened the front door, I could see my dad lying on the couch watching a big game. "Hi, Dad. I'm home."

  My dad's head popped up as he sat up. "Hi, Abby. So, how was it?"

  I smiled and walked to the couch and sat next to him. "It was good. Joshua spilled our engagement because of that Baker guy."

  My dad's eyebrows furrowed. "Scott Baker?"

  "Uh-huh."

  My dad snorted. "He's a troublemaker. I spent half of my time in my office covering his cases."

  Honestly, after our encounter, I really didn't want to know about that. I yawned and kissed my dad's cheek. "Good night, Dad. Tomorrow I'm having a reunion lunch at Joshua's before we head back to Seattle."

  "Good night, Abby," My father replied and kissed my cheek.

  I stood from the couch. "Where's Mom?"

  My father cleared his throat. "She's in my room."

  I grinned. "Ok."

  I walked up the stairs and stopped in front of my father's room. I knocked several times and my mother's voice replied, "Come in."

  I opened the door and walked in. "Hey, Mom."

  My mom was sitting on the bed with a book in her hands.

  I tilted my head to read the author. "Nora Roberts?"

  She grinned. "She’s my favorite. Do you work with her, honey?"

  I shook my head and sat next to her in the bed. "No, Mom. I'm still a junior editor, remember? Maybe later."

  She nodded and put her book on the nightstand. She wrapped her arm around me. "So, how did it go?"

  "It went well, I think. I guess all Long Beach will find out about my engagement soon enough," I replied nonchalantly.

  "Are you regretting this, honey?"

  I sighed and leaned my head into the headboard. "Honestly, I was regretting why there had to be a Scott Baker who ruined both of Joshua's and my worlds."

  My mom raised her eyebrows. "Care to explain?"

  "He told Joshua lies about me in high school, Mom. He told him I prefered cool guys and player types. I feel bad for Joshua. How he spent most of his time regretting his behavior. I know he was a good boy once and I hope he's a good man now."

  My mom smiled and rubbed my arm. "I know you'll come to your senses soon. So, you already met Joshua's parents, then?"

  I nodded and smiled. "Yes, I have. They are nice people."

  My mom rubbed her chin. "They will over tomorrow after lunch to talk about the living arrangements."

  I rolled my eyes. No need to argue about this and no need to be dramatic about surprises, either. I’ve had enough drama in the past twenty-four hours to last me a lifetime.

  "Whatever, mom." I kissed her cheek. "Good night."

  "Good night, sweetie."

  I stood from the bed and walked out. I paused on the top of the stairs and noticed my dad was still glued in front of the TV. I shook my head and walked into my room. I opened my bag and searched for my sleeping outfit. I went to the bathroom and changed my clothes. I folded my dress back into my bag, washed my face, and brushed my teeth. I walked out the bathroom after brushing my hair.

  I settled myself on my bed and curled up under the blanket when I heard something hit my window.

  I froze.

  The sound happened two more times. I furrowed my eyebrows and got up out of bed. I walked to my window and looked outside. My eyes widened when I saw Joshua standing in the yard. I slid my window open. He still wore his clothes from the reunion.

  "Joshua," I hissed. "What are you doing?"

  He grinned. "I just wanted to say good night."

  I rolled my eyes. "This is not the seventeenth century, you know? You should go home now and have get some rest."

  "I already miss you," he said, again.

  I blushed as the knot feelings appeared in my stomach and chest, again. "We will see each other tomorrow."

  He smiled tenderly and looked at me deeply. "I love you, Abby."

  I smiled back. "I know, Josh. Now, go home!"

  He chuckled as he ran through the darkness. I shook my head and closed my window. I settled back under my blanket and sleep easily took me under.

  ~O~

  I woke up the next morning by a glimpse of sunrise streaming through my window. I blinked my eyes several times and reached for my phone sleepily. I looked at the screen. Seven am. I groaned and fell back against the pillow. I looked at the ceiling and realized the house was still quiet.

  I sighed and finally got out of bed. I went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and took a shower. I dressed in a comfortable outfit before heading downstairs.

  My dad was still asleep on the couch, but I didn't see my mother anywhere. She was probably still asleep, too.

  I headed to the kitchen and decided to make some breakfast. I buzzed around in the kitchen preparing tea, coffee, and some pancakes for the three of us. I just finished the pancakes and setting the table when I heard a knock on the front door. Then I heard my dad groan; sounds like he got up and opened the door. I continued cleaning in the kitchen when a voice greeted me.

  "Well, finally you're here."

  I turned around and s
aw Ethan, my best friend, standing in the kitchen with a girl next to him. He smiled hugely when he saw me and took large steps forward and twirled me around. I yelped and giggled. Ethan chuckled lightly and set me down on my feet.

  "Look at you now. Small town girl becomes a successful editor in the big city."

  I hit his shoulder playfully. "Be nice." And then, I gestured to the girl. "So, who's the lucky girl?"

  Ethan grinned and returned to the girl's side. She had light brown hair and brown eyes. I had a strange feeling Ethan was interested in this girl because she had a similarity to me, but I decided to push away those thoughts. I couldn't imagine how Joshua would react if he saw Samantha. "This is my fiancée, Samantha Graham. Samantha, this is my best friend, Abby."

  Samantha smiled at me and I smiled back.

  "Nice to meet you, Samantha. Would you like some breakfast?" I offered.

  She shook her head. "No, thank you. I just accompany Ethan here. He heard you were in town and he wanted to come over for a visit."

  "I see."

  "Ethan, hey. How are you, young man?" My mom appeared in the kitchen.

  Ethan smiled and hugged her. "I'm good, Bianca. By the way, this is my fiancée, Samantha Graham."

  My mom smiled and hugged Samantha. "Oh, you're a lovely girl. Come on. Let's go to the living room." She walked out of the kitchen with Samantha on her heels.

  I shook my head and looked at my best friend. "Do you want pancakes?"

  "Nah, thanks. I’ll just eat at Lexy's later."

  Lexy was one of Ethan’s friends. I hung out with her on several occasions during high school.

  I shrugged. "All right."

  I turned back to the sink and Ethan stood beside me. "I didn't see your Sedan in the driveway. How did you get to Long Beach?"

  "Joshua gave me a ride," I answered him.

  Ethan furrowed his eyebrows. "Joshua? Dr. Walsh's son?"

  I nodded.

  "I thought you hated him."

  "I did. But, after what happened last night, I realized it was just a misunderstanding and I'm willing to get to know him better."

  Ethan rubbed his chin. "Ah, the Long Beach High reunion. Well, he looks like a good guy."

  I smiled. "He is." I looked at him. "So, when is the big day?"

  Ethan looked at me, confusion crossed his face, then realization hit and he suddenly beamed. "We didn't set the date, yet. She seems to be enjoying our current status."

  I nodded in understanding.

  "What do you think about her?" Ethan asked.

  I grimaced. "I’m never good at reading people. You should ask Josh. He's better than me."

  Ethan scoffed. "He never liked me in high school. He always looked at me in a strange way, like he wanted to rip my head off or something."

  I chuckled. "Well, that sounds like Joshua." I put the plates on the dining table and sat in one of the chairs. Ethan sat next to me.

  "You said Joshua is better. What do you mean, exactly?" Ethan asked. He seemed nervous.

  I shrugged and begun to eat my pancakes.

  "He seems to know what people are thinking and he could sense if someone is lying or not. Its kind of fascinating and creepy at the same time."

  Ethan's face turned pale. "He does?"

  "Uh-huh." I looked at him. "Why do you ask?"

  Ethan played with the hem of his T-shirt. "Did he ever tell you anything about me?"

  I froze for a moment, trying to remember what Joshua told me about Ethan, but then I remembered Joshua told me Ethan liked me more than a friend.

  Wait! Was that true, then?

  "Abby? He told you something, didn't he?" Ethan asked, again.

  I swallowed my pancake. "Yes."

  "Crap," he whispered.

  I smiled grimly. "It's not a bad thing, though. I appreciate it if you had those feelings for me. But, you are a good friend to me, E, but I don't want to ruin our friendship. Besides you have Samantha now."

  Ethan exhaled and slumped in his seat. "Damn, he is good. He should become a lawyer."

  I laughed. "Trust me. I was thinking the same thing."

  "So, do you think I should ask Joshua?"

  "What exactly do you want to ask me, Ethan?" Suddenly Joshua appeared in my kitchen.

  Ethan and I stood from our seats in one motion.

  Josh’s attire was a simple brown sweater and dark jeans. I still didn't understand why he could look so handsome even with the simplest of outfits.

  "Joshua," I said in surprise. "When did you arrive? I didn't hear you come in. Are you a vampire or something?" I tried to ease the tension.

  He smiled after hearing my joke. He walked into the kitchen and kissed the top of my head. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Ethan raised his eyebrows.

  "Morning, beautiful. I just stopped by to ask if you would like to accompany me to the grocery store to get the stuff for our lunch reunion. But, apparently you're busy. I can go by myself," he replied. He turned to Ethan. "Hello, Ethan. It's nice to meet you. So, what is it that you wanted to ask me?"

  Ethan blinked several times and cleared his throat. "Um...I was just talking to Abby about Samantha and I asked for her opinion. She said you are good at reading people and that I should ask you."

  Joshua smirked. "Is that so? Do you want my opinion now?"

  Ethan glanced at me, but I just shrugged. "Um...yes...if you don't mind."

  Joshua looked deeply at Ethan and I could feel my best friend squirm on his feet. "She's a good person, innocent, and full of devotion. I just hope you really do love and cherish her. And mostly I hope you didn't choose her because of her similarities to Abby."

  All the air in my lungs seemed empty as Ethan stared at Joshua with a horror expression. I gripped Joshua's hand lightly for support. Joshua looked at me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. He looked back at Ethan. "I love Abby, Ethan. Unconditionally. I hope you do the same for Samantha. She's not Abby. No matter how much you try."

  Ethan smiled grimly. "Don't worry, Joshua. You have my word."

  Joshua nodded and turned to me. "Are you busy or-"

  "I'll go with you," I answered shortly. I didn't think I could handle this conversation much longer. Without thinking, I kissed Joshua's cheek. "Let me get my jacket."

  Joshua seemed daze in a moment and nodded slowly.

  I stormed into my bedroom and grabbed my jacket. I walked back to the kitchen and said goodbye to Ethan. I walked through the living room and out the door with Josh, hollering a good bye to my parents and Samantha as I followed Joshua to his car. Josh opened the passenger door and helped me in and then hopped into the driver’s side. I noticed Ethan's motorcycle was parked next to my dad's cruiser. Seconds later we were on the road to the grocery store.

  "You nearly gave me a heart attack," I mumbled.

  Joshua raised his eyebrows. "In what occasion?"

  I rubbed my temples and sighed. "What you said to Ethan before we left."

  He stared at the road and smirked. "He asked for my opinion and I gave him my honest one."

  "Yeah," I said weakly. "I still don't understand how you could read people so easily." I looked at him. "Can you read me?"

  Joshua smiled grimly. "That's what makes you different, Abby."

  "Huh?"

  "I can't."

  I gulped. "You can't?"

  Joshua nodded.

  I frowned. "So, I'm not normal."

  Joshua laughed. He took my hand and kissed it. I blushed. He stared at me deeply. "No, my dear Abby. That means you are special. Even if I could read you, I don't think I will ever understand you."

  I blinked several times. "Ok." I breathed a sigh of relief. "So, it's a good thing?"

  Joshua chuckled. "It's the best thing." He smiled and released my hand. I could still feel the warmth from his touch and it did strange things to my heart.

  I twisted my hands nervously.

  "Is that why you trusted Scott? Because you couldn’t read me?"

  Joshua clutc
hed the steering wheel tighter and took a deep breath. "Yes."