Page 7 of Forever

Just us.

And this moment.

“I’ve missed you too.” Her voice breaks a little. “So, so much.”

I feel her pain. I understand it because it matches my own.

“It’ll be over soon. Just a little while longer and our forever will start.”

“I know …” She sighs and lifts her head to look at me. “But sometimes, the fear gets the better of me. Sometimes I’m afraid our forever won’t come.”

Listening to her broken, painful voice breaks me. I want to take her worries and pain away. I want her to know she’s not alone and that we’ll get through this.

In the last two years, we’ve already been through so much. Some would say too much. We just have to keep it together for a little while longer.

“It’ll come,” I assure her. Her body slides down, and I grab her hands in mine.

Her hands are pale and delicate. Her nails are painted a light purple color, and her fingers are full of simple silver bands. Except for her thumb. She left that ring for me to find before she returned home to Croatia.

When I found it in my drawer, I figured out that although she left, she loves me—it wasn’t that hard since every ring is engraved on the inside—and I crossed the ocean to find her. Since then we made up and, for the last year, we’ve been in a long-distance relationship. I never returned the ring, and she never asked for it.

I intertwine our fingers and look her into eyes. Those deep, dark blue eyes that drink me in. Swallow me whole. Not that I want it any other way.

“And you know how I know that?” The palms of my hands start to get sweaty, but I push down the nervousness. There’s nothing to be nervous about. Bel opens her mouth to say something, but I continue before she can say a word. “Because, Anabel Majer, without you, my forever doesn’t exist. You are the one for me. The one who I think about first thing in the morning and the last thing before I fall asleep. You are the one who makes me laugh. You are the one who gives my life meaning, the one for who this heart beats.” I put the palm of her hand on my chest so she can feel it. The way my heart always speeds up when she’s around.

“Will …”

Tears fill her eyes, and I see her lip tremble as she whispers my name. Her hands grip mine harder.

“Apart from my family, you are the only woman I ever loved, Tink. It was always supposed to be you. You are my forever.”

For a split second, I doubt myself. I’ve been waiting for the right moment for months. Is this really it? Is this really the right moment? Whenever I let myself think about it, I never thought it would go this way. I was supposed to woo her. Put on nice clothes and bring her flowers. Take her to dinner in a romantic restaurant with candlelight and wine.

This is so far from the original idea it could be a completely different universe, but at the same time, it feels so right.

When you are standing at the edge of a cliff, there are two options. You can jump and fall, or you can jump and fly, but no matter what, you’ll never get your answer if you don’t jump.

So, I jump.

I get down in front of her on my knee. In all my sweaty, dirty, football glory. Her grip tightens even more. It’s almost painful as her nails dig into my skin. Her mouth falls open, forming a perfect O.

I hear a few gasps around us, but I decide to ignore them, like I did until this moment.

Anabel is the only one that matters.

“I know this is not what you imagined. Hell, I didn’t imagine it this way.” I chuckle at my own words. “You are a romantic at heart, and this is as far as it can come from romance, but I’ve been thinking about this moment for almost a year, Tink. Since that moment in the club when you crashed into my arms, I started to fall for you. I’m still falling, hard and fast. I’m falling for you every day since then, and I don’t want to stop. I love you, Anabel Majer. You are my one. My forever. Will you marry me?”

Tears are falling down her cheeks now. She’s nibbling at her lower lip to stop it from trembling, but it does nevertheless.

She shakes her head softly, and I feel my heart start to sink.

This is so bad. She doesn’t …

Then she falls to her knees and her arms wrap around me, hugging me tightly.

“Y-yes.”

She’s one small thing but her sudden movement and stuttered answer make me lose my balance, and we both fall on the floor. I bring her closer to me and turn around so that I take the force of the impact.

“What did you say?” I lift my head off the floor and look at her with wide eyes.

She cups my cheeks and starts kissing me all over my face.

“Yes.” Bel smiles at me through tears. “I said yes.”

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