Remember Me (Jack Maynard)

Chapter 24

I was in the middle of cooking pancakes for breakfast when I felt Jack's arms wrapping around my waist. 

"Good morning, gorgeous," he said, kissing me on the cheek.

"You seem to be feeling better," I said, turning off the stove and turning around to face him.

"I am," he said with a smile, cupping my face in his hands. I brought my hand up to his forehead, feeling. "See?" he asked. "No fever. I just needed to sleep off everything, and now I've never felt better."

"Good," I said with a smile. "and breakfast is ready. Go take a seat."

I had gotten up early that morning knowing Jack had been feeling a bit better, but I still wanted the day to be relaxing and stress free, so I set up the table nice and made a nice breakfast. I had kept our schedules clear for another day off of lessons so we could relax all day. Jack was feeling better, but he still needed it.

He sat down and I brought the two plates over, setting it in front of him. He poured us each a glass of orange juice as I sat across from him.

"So what did you do yesterday?" he asked. "Besides taking care of me, of course."

"I hung out with Conor while you slept." I explained. "He was telling me stories of our trip to Mallorca a couple of summers ago. It sounded like fun."

I had to tell him about the ring eventually. I mean for all I knew, maybe it wasn't even a big deal. Maybe I had known it was coming, but he just hadn't done it yet. Either way, it coming made sense.

"It was a great trip," Jack agreed.

"It sounded like it," I said, "He showed me pictures of how you were too scared to go parasailing so I went with Conor. I saw the picture of you pouting at us up in the air and Anna laughing at you."

"Parasailing is scary, I'm not big on heights." he said. 

"I remember going parasailing on a family vacation once." I told him. "When I was younger, a really long time ago, I went. I remember liking it, so it makes sense that I'd agree to go with Conor. I mean it sounds cool, and it really is cool, but the idea of it is really scary."

"Exactly," he agreed, "so did you guys talk about anything else?"

I shook my head. "Not really. I was in and out of the conversation, checking on you. But I did come across something while looking for another box of tissues after Conor left to head to a meeting."

"What's that?" he asked.

"Well it was, uhm... a wedding ring," I said.

The fork slipped from Jack's hand then, clattering down onto the plate. He got up from the table then without a word, disappearing into his bedroom.

Maybe I did make him angry. Maybe it was just bad timing, and I shouldn't have told him. But he had to find out, and I couldn't keep it from him any longer.

He came back with the box in his hand, taking a seat next to me. He didn't look upset at all, just kept a nervous smile on his face and never once took his eyes off mine.

"So maybe we're not completely skipping out on lessons today." he said, "Because I have a story for you. But it's not exactly a 'memory' story, but rather something we'd be doing right now. In a few days, as you know, it's going to be our third anniversary. We planned on going to Hawaii for a week.

"We had the reservations made at this all inclusive resort. Bella was even going to be old enough that my parents were able to watch her while we were there. And one night that we were going to be there, I had a plan made." he continued on.

"Plan?" I asked, and he took my hand, our fingers intertwining slowly.

"We were going to a luau one night, and afterwards I planned on taking you for a walk along the beach. At the end of this walk was going to be this little area in the sand that I would've spent the day decorating while you were at the spa getting a massage and whatnot. I had gotten the ring already, as you saw, and I was going to ask you then and there if you'd marry me." he said, opening up the box.

"I take it you've looked at it already, but here it is," he said, handing me the box, and I opened it again, actually getting a clear look at it now that the initial shock of finding it had worn off.

"It's beautiful," I said, a smile crossing my face.

"It's like I've always told you." he said, keeping his voice steady. "I love you, and that's never once changed, no matter what's been thrown at us. You are the light of my life, and I intend on making you my wife one day, no matter what the outcome of your memory situation is. If there comes a day that we're both ready to try settling down again, then I will ask you to marry me. No if's, and's, or but's."

"Thank you," I said. "Jack?"

"Yeah?" he asked.

"There's something I have to tell you." I said, a little nervously.

"What's up?" he asked, still holding my hands tight. 

I kept glancing down at the ring box before looking back up into his eyes. He was watching me intently, almost with a nervous expression.

"I definitely don't think I'm ready for marriage," I started off, "I mean, again, mentally, I still think I'm only seventeen. But... I do think I love you."

"You..." his voice trailed off, his eyes filling with tears. "You love me?" he asked, his voice cracking.

I nodded, setting the ring box down and jumping out of my seat into his lap and wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," he said over and over into my hair, holding onto me tightly, as if he was afraid I'd disappear if he let go.

"I love you too,"