Planning on Forever

CHAPTER 10

Jonah was the first to break his silence. He cleared his throat and then quietly answered, "We met in high school."

Abigail sat up straighter and quirked a grin towards Jonah. She was really starting to annoy Vanessa. "Wow, I didn't expect that. So, you've been friends all these years?" They nodded simultaneously. "Why have we never heard of you until now?"

"I prefer to stay out of the public. Besides, no one was interested in me as much as they were in Vanessa and Nick." That much was true. It had been a game for them in school to see how often they could lose the paparazzi. Nick was skilled at dodging them, always hating how unflattering their photos appeared on the front page of every magazine. Vanessa however, found herself caught amongst strange men more often than she liked.  

Abigail hummed and quickly scribbled something in her notebook. "So how did your friendship turn into something romantic?" 

"We were extremely close back in school and I'd always had feelings for her." Vanessa dropped her head, feeling the sadness fill her. Jonah fidgeted in his seat and it bothered her how much difficulty he was having with the topic. The last thing either of them wanted was to rehash the past but it seemed Abigail was determined to have that happen. 

"We lost contact when we finished high school," supplied Vanessa, hoping to get the attention off Jonah. "It was only last year that we bumped into one another and I suppose things just happened from there." She glanced beside her, forcing a gentle smile towards Jonah. His jaw softened and he smiled back at her. He silently reached for her hand on the table, squeezing her fingers. His support was enough to have her lower her shoulders slightly. They could get through this, so long as they helped each other.

"So you could say it's been a bit of a whirlwind romance?" 

Jonah chuckled. "I guess you could say that. Our friendship was always easy back then, natural. Meeting up now as adults was different. Our lives are different and yet, we haven't changed much. It was only a matter of time before we fell back into our rhythm." His words were smooth and his tone lighthearted. Vanessa almost believed him. 

"So tell me about the proposal." Abigail looked towards Vanessa, her eyes alight with what she could only imagine every women had when it came to love. "I see there's no ring yet." 

Vanessa blushed. Thankfully their biographies had accounted for this line of questioning. "It was all a spur of the moment. Jonah and I were at home; my place, having a quiet evening in. We had been sitting on the couch just quietly talking when he suddenly started asking about the future. It seemed harmless enough at first. He was wondering what my plans were in terms of work. I told him how I hoped Nick and Annabelle's second wedding would help kickstart my career. We started discussing plans for the future like where we'd want to live when suddenly, he looked at me and said 'I'd go anywhere with you.'" Abigail cooed from her seat and Vanessa giggled. She turned to look at Jonah and smiled. "He then went down on one knee and looked at me and said, 'I want to go wherever you are. I want to marry you.' I wasn't sure if it was a proposal or not until he asked again. Of course I said yes." It felt so natural for Vanessa to smile wistfully towards Jonah. 

Her parents had given her the opportunity to make up the proposal, thinking it would seem most natural. It was the easiest thing they'd asked of her yet. She'd always known she wanted a simple, lowkey engagement; one that was natural and effortless. Looking towards Jonah however, made her heart ache. She wished her words weren't lies. 

"It was all so sudden that I didn't have a ring yet," interrupted Jonah. He was building on her story and she appreciated it. "I had been considering asking her for some time leading up to it but, I was planning a big proposal and I was still looking for a ring." He shrugged carelessly and then grinned towards Abigail. "But that night, I just couldn't help myself. It all just seemed so perfect and I knew I'd regret it if I didn't ask her in that moment. The next day we visited the wedding venue and suddenly everything we'd been keeping a secret was out in the public."