Invisible String (w|w high school romance)

Happily Ever After

Riley POV:

Harper and I are back in Vermont until soccer season starts up in the fall. The NWSL draft was two days ago and I still can't get over it. How lucky are we, to be selected for the same team once again. I was watching the news the other day and Coach Preston from UNC had commented on it.

"I'm honestly not surprised that they were drafted for the same team. Harper is Riley's other half on and off the field. NC Courage is lucky to have both of them. That team will be unstoppable next fall." Coach had said.

Right now Harper and I were driving to a fancy Italian restaurant in my bronco. I don't remember exactly who's idea it was but I know what I'm going to do tonight. I'm going to propose.

As much as I missed driving my car, I had let Harper drive. Harper loves my car. She thinks that old cars are the coolest thing in the world. Someday when I start getting a hefty paycheck from soccer then I will buy her an old car like that.

"What are you looking at?" Harper asked when she noticed me starting at her.

"You." I stated.

"Why?" She laughed as she turned her attention back to the road.

"Because your beautiful and I can't stop thinking about how much I love you." I replied. Harper blushed slightly but kept her eyes on the road. A couple of minutes later, we pulled into the restaurant parking lot. We had to sneak past a swarm of reporters on the way in. The commotion surrounding us from the draft still hasn't died down. I'm starting to think it won't. 

I was a big deal in high school and college but now I am an even bigger deal. Harper and I are officially professional soccer players. I still haven't wrapped my head around it

"Reservation for Fields?" Harper asked the hostess. She looked down at the list and smiled.

"Yep right this way." She said. After she seated us at our table, she pulled two official player cards from her pocket. One had my face on it and the other had Harper.

"Could I get your autographs?" She asked.

"Of course." Harper replied with a smile. After we signed the cards and placed our orders, the hostess left.

"That's new. I'm used to you getting all the attention not me." Harper said.

"Well you better get used to it. Your the hottest professional soccer player I've ever seen." I said.

"No that's all you babe." She replied. A few minutes had passed and our food was out. I planned to pop the question after desert.

"Split our dishes half and half?" Harper asked.

"Oh you know it." I replied. I grabbed her plate and gave her half of my alfredo before taking a bit of her risotto.

"We should start looking into houses in North Carolina." I said.

"You know, I've always dreamed about living in the outer banks." Harper replied and I laughed.

"I don't think we can afford that just yet but someday? Definitely." I stated.

"You know Riley, we never talked about if we want kids someday." 

I took a bite of my food as I looked at her. She seemed nervous to be bringing up the subject.

"Harper I love you. If you want kids then I want them with you. If you don't want kids than that's okay with me too. It doesn't matter what comes in our future, as long as I have you." 

Harper's nerves quickly dissipated and turned into a smile. She reached across the table and took my hand in hers. She gave my hand a gentle squeeze as she toyed with my fingers.

"I'm ready for desert. What about you?" I asked.

"I am too." Harper replied.

I flagged down the waiter and she came to take our desert orders and clear our dinner plates. I ordered a chocolate lava cake and Harper got a slice of cheese cake. I smiled when the desserts were brought out. 

Harper doesn't know this but when we planned this dinner date, I contacted the restaurant that I was going to propose. When they found out who I was and who I was proposing too they immediately stated that the dinner was on the house.

I was starting to get a bit nervous though. Right after desert I would ask Harper the biggest question of my life. I toyed with my necklace out of nervousness.

"Are you okay?" Harper asked before taking a bite of her cheese cake.

"Yeah all good." I replied.

"Are you felling sick? We c-can go home." She stammered nervously. What is she nervous about?

"No I'm okay." I said, forcing a smile onto my face. When we finished our deserts I looked at Harper.

"Harper?" I asked. She was looking down at the bill with a smile.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"I um..." I started to say as I stood up. Harper stood up as well before taking my hand. 

"Lets go. There's somewhere else we need to be." She said before practically dragging me out of the door.

"Harper wait!" I started to protest but she kept walking. Fuck what am I supposed to do now?

I thought that Harper would lead us back to the car but instead she took a right out of the restaurant in the opposite direction of the parking lot. She walked us over to a small path in the woods.

"Harper where are we going?" I asked confused.

"Shhh it's a surprise." She said.

I followed her through the trees, trying not to trip over any branches as she practically dragged me along. I was about to question her again when the trees opened up into a clearing and my jaw dropped. 

The path had led to a small private beach. Waves crashed gently against the shore and the sky was illuminated by an explosion of pinks and purples. It was the most beautiful sunset that I've ever seen.

"Harper this is beautiful." I whispered as I spun in a circle slowly, trying to take in everything around me. When I turned back to face Harper, I gasped. She was down on one knee in front of me with a small white box in her hand. She looked up at me with a nervous smile and my hands flew to my face in surprise. Now I know why my dad wasn't surprised when I told him I was going to ask Harper to marry me. It's because she had already asked him the same thing the week before.

"Riley Sader, I've loved you ever since the day I first saw you practicing on that soccer field. I've always been in awe of you because you are perfect in every way. When I finally got the chance to get to know you, I knew that I wanted you in my life forever. I never want to be apart from you and I want to love you for the rest of my life. So Riley will you make me the happiest girl in the world and marry me?" She asked.

I removed my hands from my face and looked down at her with a smile. 

"You're always beating me to things." I said. Harper looked at me with confusion at first but her jaw dropped when I pulled the ring out of my pocket and got down on one knee as well.

"Well I guess that it's a yes if you say yes to marrying me." I joked. Harper laughed before standing up and pulling me into her arms. I stood up on my toes as I kissed her desperately. This is all I've ever wanted.

We laughed as we broke the kiss. Harper took my hand so that she could slip the ring she had bought me onto my finger. 

"I love it." I whispered. I admired the ring for a minute before taking the ring I had bought and sliding it onto her finger as well. Harper wrapped her arms around my waist as she stared into my eyes with a smile. 

"I love you, forever and always." She whispered.

________________________________________________________________________________

The end

And if you couldn't tell from the title of this chapter, they lived happily ever after.

Thank you all for reading this book! I hope you enjoyed it. Consider following me here on wattpad or on tik tok to get updates on future stories.