Silent Reading

{Epilogue}

"Where are we going?" She asked, the thick blindfold leaving her completely without eyesight, sock clad feet shuffling against the hard wood floors. His hand pulled her further along.

"Just keep walking, you're almost there. But pick up the pace, at this rate a turtle would be faster." She laughed and jutted her arm out, the one he hadn't claimed, trying to punch him. Her laugh made him smile brightly, even though she couldn't see it.

"Okay, just a few more steps and--- here." He untied her blindfold for her, and it brushed off her face as her eyes were revealed to an area of their apartment that now had a small sofa and two chairs, the walls covered in bookshelves. There was a soft yellow light emitting from a lamp that he'd turned on, that made the glow from her wide, sparkling green eyes even brighter.

"Cade... Did you do this?" She turned around, looking at him. He had a shy smile on his face.

"Well, yeah. I did." Her head looked back at the small library he had created, now observing the details. She noticed that the shelves were stocked with all of the books that they've owned, which were a lot, combined with all the books they bought together.

On a certain shelf, one at the top of a bookshelf, she saw The Great Gatsby. From there, her eyes also recognized Ten, Get Even, and Confessions of a Murder Suspect. Another book that she noticed was Everyone We've Been, by Sara Everett. It was the book she was trying to reach for when they had their first kiss. That single shelf at the top was all the books she had read at the old city library, and even some that he had read.

This arrangement that he assembled was the most remarkable thing she'd ever seen.

Her eyes that glistened with tears shifted their gaze back to him.

"I thought since, you know, our whole relationship started in a library, and now we've moved in together, I thought I'd just... Keep that part of us with us." With a brisk two steps toward him she was in his arms, whispering thank you's in his ear. When she pulled away, he nodded to the shelves.

"Go ahead," he said. "Open one. Look around." She peeled away from him, and gave him a sly smile, reaching up to grab The Great Gatsby. He knew she would.

Flipping open the cover, it was discovered that this inside pages had been hollowed out.

And a diamond ring was inside.

She snapped around, almost getting whiplash from how fast she turned. He had a humongous grin on his face. His hand reached inside the box, and took the ring, getting down on one knee.

Before he could get a word out, a few tears slipped from her eyes as she said yes.

He hopped up onto both feet and instantly brought her in for a kiss, him too beginning to cry. I love you was repeatedly whispered against each other's lips.

They spent that entire night in the makeshift library, reading side-by-side, just like old times.

And they knew that they'd be together for a long time to come.