Page 62 of Forever Fickle

“Don’t say anything,” he smiled tenderly. “Let me shower you with a moment that is just for you. I don’t want you to ever forget me while I’m gone.”

“I never could,” she replied openly and watched him kneel beside her, giving her the rose.

“I would court you, show you how special you are to me, and some day? I will ask you to be mine… if you will have me?” Jace breathed, tenderly.

“Are we still playing along and imagining?” she asked fearfully, wanting this to be real and afraid of his answer.

“Would you sayyes, if it was pretend?” he asked softly.

“Yes.”

“And if it was real? If I want you to know that I care, wanted you to know I think you are everything I could ever want… and someday I am going to ask you to be mine? What would you say then?” he urged softly.

His golden gaze was so full of yearning that it made her melt in that moment as she savored his words, this moment, and realized that life would never be dull or boring from this point on.

His actions spoke volumes and his eyes spoke words that neither of them was ready to say… yet those words?

They were there – hidden away.

“I would say, ‘Yes’,” she whispered reverently, not looking away from him, “… with my entire my heart and soul, Jace Sorensen. I would scream ‘yes’ to the heavens.”

“I want to memorize this moment, freeze it in time, so that way I can see your beautiful smile and remember just how beautiful the person waiting for me back home is.”

She smiled tremulously, feeling her heart swell with love.

Jace bent towards her, taking the rose and caressing her cheek with it, not looking away. He was leaning almost directly over her, casting a slight shadow that caused his head to be outlined against the blue clouds perfectly.

Her angel.

For someone who’d claimed he was new at relationships, never called any of those other girls back, and seemed like such a player to the world… this man before her was none of those things.

He was sweet, loving, and kind with a romantic streak wide enough to encompass the entire state when he put his heart into it.

“I could spend forever here, just looking at you…”

“It’s the same for me,” she breathed, reaching up to cup his beloved face. “I never could have imagined feeling this way.”

“I want you to think about these moments when things get hard,” he replied. “Don’t get scared. Don’t doubt what this is between us. Be strong for me because I am never going to let this miracle go.”

She nodded tearfully, smiling at him, and marveling that his own eyes were shiny with emotion.

“That’s my girl,” he breathed.

“You said you wanted to remember this moment?” she prompted nervously, smoothing her thumb over his cheekbone and realizing that he’d had the best ideas. “Can we take lots of photos of us… together?”

“I would truly love that,” he smiled. “I want plenty to scroll through and wish we had taken them all week.”

He hesitated for a moment.

“Can I hold you again tonight, like last night? No funny business – I just don’t want to let a second pass, because it could be months before I can hold you again.”

“You don’t even have to ask,” she smiled tearfully. “I kind of assumed you would be crashing on my couch again.”

“Whew…” he chuckled nervously, grinning at her.

“Right? Whew, indeed,” she chuckled, as he leaned over to kiss her.

The moment his lips touched hers, she reached up and tugged at him, drawing him down on the blanket beside her. He laughed softly against her lips, his eyes full of emotion, as she smiled at him, pulling away.

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