The Captains Kisses| (#Wattys2016) ✔️

Chapter Ten

Ivory's POV

"MOM! WE ARE HOME!" Ryder yelled through the house. I laughed and went upstairs to put my bags in Ryder's room. I took out my birth control pills took them. Since things have been heated between Ryder and I since we did it, I thought it would be better if I just got on birth control. I placed them back in my bag. "Hey Ivory." Eleanor, Ryder's mom popped her head into the room. "Hey Eleanor. So when's the wedding?" I asked, pulling her into a hug. She smiled. "Is it bad that it is next month? Do you think it's to fast?" I looked at her.

"It's whatever you think is right for you. If you think that you guys are ready for it, then go ahead." She lightly laughed. "Look at you, acting all motherly and stuff. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Aren't I supposed to be telling you this stuff?" I smiled. "Everyone needs advice from someone."

She smiled at me. "So you and Ryder huh?" I smiled and nodded. "I love him." She squealed like a teenager. "You guys are going to make the cutest damn grandkids one day." I blushed. "A little to soon for that." I said with a nervous laugh. "I know but you make him happy. I mean sure he was okay before you but then you came back into his life and he was like his old self again." I smiled. "He helped me to."

She stood up as Ryder walked in the room. "I'm going to invite over Dennis over for dinner." Her fiancé; the boys PE coach. "Alright mom we will be down in a little bit."

Ryder walked over to me and grabbed my hand. "Come on. Let's go in the old tree house." I grinned at the memory of the old wooden tree house in his backyard.

When we got outside he helped me the tree and I climbed inside and sat down. I flipped through old coloring books and picked up old toys. Ryder sat down across from me and gave me a soft smile. "So many memories in here." I whispered to him. He nodded. "And I'm about to make another one." He pulled out a box and looked up at me.

"Ones for you, and ones for me." He pulled opened the box and it displayed a little diamond heart in the middle. "This is a promise Ivory. We are graduating soon and I honestly can't see myself spending my life with anyone else but you. When we split apart, I missed you like crazy. And then you came up to me to ask for help with soccer and I knew my answer would be yes, it's always yes with you." I looked into his eyes and smiled.

"Before you came back into my life, it was school soccer, home. Then on the weekends, more soccer because I didn't have anything else to do. Then you came back and it was like old times, things started to get better. So Ivory, I promise to love you to death, to be your protector, to always be honest with you and to hopefully someday replace this ring with an engagement ring." I stuck my hand out and he slid it on my ring finger. He gave me a big smile.

"And also, there is a little heart on the inside that pokes out against your skin, so it leaves a permanent heart on your finger." I smiled and nodded. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "What does your ring look like?" He smiled again and handed me it. I opened it and it said endless love around the silver band with a little heart cut out that I could fit the heart on my ring, into perfectly. I smiled.

"I promise to love you, to be honest with you, to care for you, to be there with you and to start a life with you one day." I whispered. I slid the ring on his ring finger and pressed my lips to his. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him.

My hands went around his neck and my legs around his waist.

The kiss wasn't anything like needy or rushed. It was slow, soft, gentle, and loving. "Hey kids! Dinner is ready and Dennis is here." Ryder rested his forehead against mine, placing one last soft peck on my lips before helping me out of the tree house. We walked in the house hand in hand.