365 Days

- 1065

"Well I just did so suck it up."

After the catastrophe that nearly ended my life, Alex and I have been virtually inseparable. Much to Olive's dismay. Sure she has had Ryan this whole time but she's had to fight tooth and nail against Alex for time to spend with me. After my operation, neither of them left my side for a month. They missed out on classes, too, which I hated, but I couldn't ever doubt that they weren't there for me.

We walk across the grass to the tree he discovered with his Grandpa, he of whom is in town. Actually, all of Alex's Tasmania family are down, which is kind of awesome because I get to see them all some more.

Alex climbs up to sit in the nook of the ageing tree and I sit on him, mostly to annoy him.

"Jesus, babe. Do you really need to sit on me?" He's teasing because he wraps his arms around my stomach and puts his chin on my shoulder.

"Why are you being such a grumble bum?" I'm sit up a bit so that I can face him. His cheeks go a bit red and he looks away, his hands sliding on top of mine.

"I'm sorry," he frowns, his eyebrows knitting together. "I'm just kind of stressed."

"Family?" I ask. "Just with so many people that you have to accommodate and all. I can't imagine how stressful that would be. Espe-"

"Dakota?"

"Yeah?"

He smiles his most dorky smile. "You're rambling, love."

I bite my lip and Alex just laughs, hugging me tighter to him and kissing my cheek.

"You're cute," he says, and then; "But that's not really why I'm stressed."

I take my time answering, to monitor my level of rambling that will come out of my mouth. "Then why?"

"Because of you."

I sit up, causing Alex to wince slightly. Oh, yeah. I pushed myself up using his stomach. Whoops. Oh well, he has rock hard abs so it's not like it'll hurt him that much.

"Why?" I shoot him a questioning look that, from the look on his face, might be a bit scary.

He wriggles around for a minute beneath me, fishing in his pocket for something. Then he pulls out this little black box that makes me frown.

"What's that?" I reach for it but he smacks my hand away with a laugh. Then he places it in my hands.

"Open it."

So I do.

And when I do, I gasp. Well, I make a noise that sounds like a gasp but kind of resembles a dying cat. Which makes Alex laugh. Again.

"Um... Is this...?"

It's a breathtaking diamond ring, the band rose-gold which matches the necklace he got me years ago.

"A ring? Yes," he smirks. I nudge him with my elbow and he rolls his eyes, tapping his hands against my leg, unveiling his true feelings. He's nervous, and I'm so tempted to tease him.

"It's an engagement ring, Dakota."

I turn awkwardly in his lap so that I'm facing him. He's got an amazing smile on as he looks between the ring and me.

"Will you marry me?"

My whole heart swells and I don't know whether I'm about to laugh or cry. I want to do the latter because it's far more appropriate but instead, I laugh. So hard that there are tears streaming down my face and I can hardly breathe.

Alex's face makes it so much better, and worse at the same time. He looks crushed and it should make me stop but it makes me laugh even harder.

"I'm... sorry," I try to say in between laughs. "I... swear I... still.... love you."

He is so evidently sad now that I force myself to stop laughing, taking long heaving breaths with a few giggles in between.

"So that's a no?" His voice is so soft and fragile that suddenly, it's not so funny any more.

"You're kidding, right?" I ask, giving him a what-the-hell look. "Why would I say no? I don't want to be with anyone else and I won't want to be. Ever."

"So you're saying...?"

I roll my eyes and lock my lips with his quickly. "Yes. I'll marry you, you egg."

His grin stretches across his entire face and he picks the box out of my hands, carefully taking the ring out and holding it up. I hold out my hand.

"The other hand, gorgeous." He rolls his eyes and I laugh, switching hands.

He slides the ring onto my ring finger and I look at it. Actually, I can't take my eyes off it. It's beautiful.

"Hey. Guess what?" I ask, bouncing up and down. I should really think about if this is hurting him but I'm struggling to keep my excitement reigned in because holy shit, I'm going to marry Alex.

"What?" He asks, running his hands up and down my legs.

"You're stuck with me now."

"Forever?"

I nod. "Forever."

He licks his lips and looks at me seductively from head to toe and back again.

"I like the sound of that."

And then we make out in the tree like two high schoolers, until he pulls back and smirks.

"How about we go do that last item on your To Do List?"

"My To Do List has been completed for like, over two years, Alex."

He groans, burying his head into my shirt. "Can you just let me be relatively smooth for once?"

I laugh, shaking my head. "Nope! Your family is crowding your house and all my family are home and we were stupid enough to lend our apartment to Beckett and Lacey from today to Sunday. So no, actually. We can't."

He huffs and I know he's going to protest or say something along the lines of kicking his family out (like he has done so for the past week) but I cut him off.

"Come on. Let's head back. I'm pretty sure your Oma is going to teach me how to cook palachinken."

"Kan ich palachinken essen bitter?"

"Nein!" I laugh, and then we head home. I follow him in my car back to his family house where there are cars lining the driveway and street. I park a little down the road and just sit there, thinking about how lucky I am to be here.

I've been blessed with the opportunity of a lifetime. Literally. I don't have to say goodbye, I don't have to hurt anyone, I don't have to leave anyone behind. I will get to watch my little brother grow up into a charming young man and I get to grow old with Alex. No one has to hurt because of me anymore and I have to say, that's pretty fucking amazing.