Longshot - catfish and the bottlemen

53 - Van

I dont even know why I'm so nervous, I've always wanted to do this but there's something scary about it all, maybe just because it doesn't feel real. I can't do it in here though, not in front of all these people, she'll hate me but I've got something up my sleeve. Theres been about a million texts in the group chat from the boys and Bella definitely thinks somethings up with the amount of times it's pinged in the restaurant. I could tell she was struggling with the plate of food in front of her, to be fair she's actually done surprisingly well. She's been twirling the same few pieces of spaghetti with her fork for the last five minutes.

"You don't have to finish it love" I tell her, reaching for her hand from across the table to give it a reassuring squeeze so she knows I'm not forcing it down her like she probably thinks. I'm just glad she's had about half of it, that's all that matters to me, that she's taking small steps in the right direction.

"I want to though" I can hear the defeat in her voice and see it on her face although the fact she wants to finish it is great.

"We can get a box to take it home and you can have the rest later. I'll do the same, was getting a bit full myself anyway" Her face lights up at my idea, I knew it would go down well with her.

As soon as the waitress comes over and I ask for two boxes Bella smiles at me, a smile that says thank you and a smile that makes me even more excited for what's to come. We have our usual disagreement when it comes to the bill but tonight of all nights I insisted on paying which she wasn't happy about but she's soon smiling again as we walk out hand in hand back towards the car.

"Thank you, I'm so lucky to have you Van. I don't think anyone else could ever-" I interrupt her by giving her a quick peck on the lips, stopping her from rambling on about how she's just a pain in the arse but she's far from it to me.

We place the rest of our food in the passenger seat before talking a stroll along the beach like we did as kids. The sun was just going down and the lighting was making Bell look like  one of those people you see on the front of a magazine. There was no real plan but we were walking in the direction of the quieter side of the beach, the side with the better view of the sunset and the side we've always preferred. I asked her to be my girlfriend for the first time down here and I know she thinks I've forgotten but I haven't, I could never.

On the beach there's just a man with his dog, throwing a ball into the sea for his dog to chase after but they were still so far away from us, we were perched up on the rocks watching over the beach. Her head rested on my shoulder while our hands were tightly held together and we sat embracing each other's presence for a while. This was more of less the exact place I asked her to be my girlfriend but there was no was I could even attempt to of down on one knee here but then again, the whole having to go down on one knee thing didn't phase me and I know it won't phase her either. Dad told me that if it feels right then to go for it because if I don't I'll never do it and the time really does feel right. I don't no what I'm going to say through in my head, I just push her head up and take both her hands while looking into her bright eyes.

"You know you're actually the love of my life Isabella, I say it all the time but I mean it. You make me a better person and stop rolling your eyes cause everyone knows it's true" The little laugh she lets out sends a wave of butterflies over me, she's always had that effect though. "God I don't know what I'd do without you. Everyday you make me proud, everyday Bell. You've come so far from when we first got back in contact darling I'm actually so proud of you"

She breaks eye contact, shaking her head as she turns to face the sea. Her eyes have filled up and that's exactly why she's looked away but I use a hand to turn her face back to me, wiping the single tears that fell down her cheek away with my thumb.

"I wish you could see yourself through my eyes Bella, life would be so different for you but her, we'll get there one day alright?" She nods her head with a smile in her face, another single tear falls down her cheek again but it's swept away by my thumb before it has the chance to fall past her nose. This is it, everything else I could say would be pointless, theres nothing I want more than to just do it.

"Six years ago today we were sat here, probably about an hour ago and I asked you to be my girlfriend. Now we're sat in the same place, six years later and I'm asking you a different question." Her face drops, she almost looks scared but as I take my hand from her face and reach into my pocket for the little box she continues to look confused, almost slightly scared as well. I snap the box open, revealing the ring inside but before she's got the chance to react I jump down her throat with the most important question I've ever asked someone in my life. "Will you marry me Isabella?"

It takes a few seconds for her to adjust to what the words I just spoke meant but her eyes fill up again. I can tell she can barely get a word out but she nods her head with a massive grin on her face which makes me smile like I've never smiled before. As I'm sliding the ring onto her finger there's a tear or two that splash down onto my hand but these are the only tears I don't mind. Before I know it we've thrown our arms around each other so tightly they we might burst but we weren't ever caring. I could feel the tears from Bellas face against mine but the fact they were happy tears had be feeling a way I could never put into words.

"Stop crying god, you'll set me off" I say, although my eyes are already watering like man at the sight of the ring on her finger, there when it springs to my head that there's one step I've forgotten. "One more thing, turn around love" She looks at me confused and I'm surprised she can't guess what's coming, especially with the grin on my face but she will in a matter of seconds.

I undo the necklace I've been wearing round my neck since the day I turned 18, cheeks sore from smiling but I could barely feel the pain with all the emotions taking over me. I lift it up over her head and down around her neck before moving her hair out the way to fasten it behind her neck. Isabella turns to face me as soon as I take my hands off of her and she just looks stunned.

"Van I" it almost looks as if she's going to tell me something silly like 'are you sure you want this' but when she stops herself I get a strange feeling of pride because she's finally stopped  letting her mind take over. "I love you" She whispers before crashing her lips against mine.  It's a proper smiley, passionate kiss we share in front of the sunset but this is the day theta will play over and over again in my head ever time I've got a second to stop so I wasn't complaining. We sit in the beach for another half hour before walking back to the car, arm in arm like we're teenagers again. Only this time there was a ring on Bellas finger and we had even more to look forward to.

It all seemed too good to be true, if you told 19 year old me that it was Bella who'd be taking my last name I'd never believe you. I'd pray for it to be true because even at 19 I knew she was the one but the fact it's all come to life is completely overwhelming.

This is only the beginning of a whole new chapter.