Maybe One Day (Sequel to "My Dad Is Ronnie Radke")

Chapter 3- Never Know

The rest of the night went splendidly. We spent the night talking and laughing and enjoying each others' company. I had almost completely forgotten about the strange guy earlier.

Almost.

Throughout the rest of the night, no matter how much I had enjoyed myself, I could feel the guy's gaze weighing on me, despite the fact that the guy had disappeared long ago. I know I was overreacting, but something just didn't feel right.

It was 11:50 when Grayson finally caught up to me. "Hey," he said, grabbing my wrist.

I turned to him, flashing him a bright smile before sneaking a quick kiss from him. "Hey Grayson. I haven't seen you enough tonight."

He let out a silent laugh, his chest vibrating causing mine to shake in return. His pure happiness caused my heart to melt. "I know. I've been visiting around all night. Though, I would much rather have been here right beside you."

Despite the amount of time we had been together, Grayson still can make my heart skip a beat and makes me blush. I try to push the heat from my cheeks as I shrug, staring at the center of his.

He cradled my cool face in his warm hands. "Desiree, come outside with me for a second?" His voice was soft, holding a deeper edge that had me hanging on every word. I nodded and followed him as he led me outside onto the back porch. It was a cold day, but an even colder night. It had to have been below freezing, being almost midnight on New Year's Eve. I pulled my jacket even closer around me. We had stopped and Grayson was staring out at the edge of the woods beyond the porch. His fidgeting hands were shoved deep in his pockets. All of a sudden, a terrible thought occurred to me and my stomach dropped. I refused to allow myself to even think of the possibility of the topic of the conversation we were about to have. Grayson saved me from my thoughts before they could turn any darker. "Desiree, we've been together for about two years now," he started.

I quickly inserted, "The two best years of my life."

A small, nervous smile played at his lips and he nodded. "Two of the best years," he confirmed, putting me slightly to ease. "And to prove it, there's something-. I mean-. I thought maybe-. Damnit! Desiree, what I'm trying to say is that you are the love of my life. I can't imagine life without you. We're not ready for marriage yet, so don't worry. But I thought, maybe, that we could promise ourselves to each other until we're ready for the next step. Desiree Lucy Carlton, with this, will you promise to love me forever until we're ready for more?" In one single yet clumsy motion, he pulled out a beautiful silver entwined ring with a single, small emerald positioned in the middle.

I couldn't hold back the tears. I kissed him long and hard, mumbling, "Yes," over and over again.

Honestly, I love him, so much more than I ever thought I could or would ever love anyone. I was brought up in a place where true love for people didn't exist, only for drugs, sex, and other destructive items. I never thought anyone would ever love me, either. I never thought I was worth love at all. Not even my own family had loved me truly. Then Mom died and things changed. I was thrust into a new life with new people. And, for the first time, I started to feel loved. Dad loved me and so did his friends. After that, I met Grayson. With him, I knew for sure that I was in love. I knew he loved me to start with, but I couldn't help question it. And now, I know for absolute sure that he's in love with me.

The sound of people inside cheering brought us down from our own worlds. I giggled, laying my head on his chest, trying to catch my breath. "Happy New Year's Gray."

"Happy New Year's Des. I love you."

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Grayson had gone back to enjoy the festivities inside while I decided to enjoy the outdoors just a bit longer.

All at once, I started to get a very bad feeling. I scanned the treeline one last time and turned to go in, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. It was too late. An unseen person had pressed their hand over my mouth and tightly wrapped their arm around my waist, pulling me to them. I couldn't scream, let alone breathe. I couldn't move. A chemical smell filled me with every gasping breath and before long, I was losing consciousness.

The last thoughts that went through my head before it all went dark were those I cared about. About Dad, about Natalie and the baby, about all of my friends, about Gray, and how much I love them all. I guess they'll never know now.

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I know you guys, it's been way too long and I'm so sorry! But here ya go, a chapter, no matter the length. BUT, I just finished my college class and have only a few weeks of college classes and I'll graduate! So I'll try my hardest to upload more. Thank you gigglegirl1495 for the suggestion for this chapter. Again, thank you guys for reading! ❤