Needing You (You Series, Book 1, Finding Happiness Spinoff)

Cole - Twenty-Nine

"Wait, am I in trouble? I don't want to get grounded; I legally drank this time." Everyone was heading outside and overheard me so I heard the distant laughter.

"Boy, just follow your damn mother." My Dad pushed my shoulder lightly causing me to walk.

"Hey, he's your son." My Mom glared at my Dad as we all kept walking into their bedroom.

"Sit down. Please." My Mom said as she pushed me down onto the side of their bed. I giggled to myself and watched her roll her eyes but walk over to her dresser. My Dad was standing in the doorway leaning against it. "Now, you know how much Nana loved Dylan, like she was one of y'all." I nodded. "So, before she passed, she told me that since all you boys were married, that this either had to go to Kayle, or be given to Dylan whenever she was going to get married." I started to see red a little thinking about Dylan marrying someone that wasn't me, and oddly had to take a second to calm myself back down.

"She ain't gonna marry someone else." I looked up at my Mom she just gave me a knowing smile and put something small in my hand, closing my fingers around it, but keeping her hand there so I couldn't open and see what it was.

"I know, and I know that you two are very new when it comes to the relationship you are in. This is in no way a reason for you to rush anything. Your Dad and I already know y'all are going to be together. You need to take the time that is right for y'all not anyone else." I gave her a slightly confused look as realization smacked me. I quickly opened my hand and saw my Nana's ring sitting in my palm. Tears came to my eyes and I laughed and looked back and forth between my parents before pulling out my phone and opening the gallery to pull up a picture. I licked my lips and let out another laugh before showing them both now with all of us standing close.

"I am supposed to pick this up Tuesday morning before I leave for training. I picked it out last week, after I went and talked to her Dad asking for his permission." My Mom turned towards me and smacked my shoulder.

"Are you serious!" She had tears in her eyes and was laughing and I don't even know but it was making me laugh.

"Yea, but I guess I don't need that now. Nana was one of Dylan's favorite people." I smiled.

"Dylan was Nana's favorite, her and Kayle both." My Mom shook her head remember the good times. I looked over at my Dad and he was just standing there smiling with a hand covering his mouth.

"Dad? What you think?"

"I think I'm so fucking proud of you. We were really hoping that bitch didn't ruin you. You even asked for her Dads...damn boy I'm fucking proud of you." He pulled me into a hug and my Mom joined in.

With the ring secure in my pocket, Dylan the kids and I all headed back home on the 4-wheelers we rode over in the first place. Once home we put the kids to bed, and while Dylan was doing her nighttime routine, I hid the ring. She came back out of the bathroom naked the same time I walked out of the closet with my boxers on.

"You have on too many clothes for the promises you made me earlier." I smirked before closing the gap between us, picking her up, and throwing her onto the bed before claiming her mouth and worshiping every bit of her body.

I was up and out of bed early Tuesday morning, too excited to sleep in at all. The plane for New Jersey didn't leave for another five hours but I couldn't force myself back to sleep. Kase wasn't going to be here for another two hours. Which left me lying in bed fully clothed watching Dylan sleep, as I played with my Nana's ring.

Fuck it, I've known this woman forever. She accepts all of my flaws and deals with my ass on a daily basis and always has. I love her for everything that she is and honestly even being divorced I can't wait to marry her.

So, I did it. I slid the ring onto her finger careful not to wake her, then intertwined my fingers with hers and smiled as she started to stir. She looked at me sleepily.

"Hey you."

"Hey darlin'."

"What time is it?" She stifled a yawn.

"It is like three in the morning." I let out a small laugh.

"Kase is going to be here at like five, right?" I nodded once she looked at me again. "Why are you awake?"

"Couldn't sleep, too excited." She smiled. "You know, there is one thing I never told you. Like the only thing I've ever kept to myself." She laughed.

"Yea, okay and what might that be?" She was watching me closely with that beautiful smile of hers.

"So, it was my second season of super sport. The tail end of it, I finally decided I didn't want to be with someone like Tia." Her eyes went wide.

"Really?" I nodded.

"I uh, I was planning on breaking things off with her. I uh, I got my head out of my ass a little bit and saw the gorgeous girl you actually were, and was going to try and see if you wanted to cross that invisible line we drew in our relationship."

"When was this?" I didn't answer her question instead just continued.

"My plan was, break up with Tia before I ran. Talk to you and see what you thought and go win. Problem was, I broke things off with her and went looking for you, only to find Sean Westlake flirting with you, and you flirting back." She was wide eyed again. I pursed my lips. "Obviously I did the only thing a fucking 19-year-old kid would do and after winning the race, left right away and found Tia...I took all of my jealousy and anger out on her...in the back of her car." I closed my eyes and shook my head.

"Seriously." Dylan deadpanned. I put my hand up in defense since I was still lying down.

"I did not make up with her, still told her I didn't want to be with her, and made a new plan. I was going to just fucking go for it and kiss you after the last race of the season." She giggled.

"But you didn't."

"But, I didn't. When I was getting changed to get ready for my run, I answered a call from Tia. Unintentionally I might add because I was trying to get my phone out of my pocket and it answered." I rolled my eyes. "Well, the call was telling me she was pregnant."

"Keryn." She smiled softly. I returned it.

"Keryn. So, instead of doing what I wanted to do, I did what I thought was right. I proposed with no intention of actually marrying her." I laughed and shrugged; Dylan did the same. "Then Noah happened, so I married her, then Tory...then divorced thank fucking god." I laughed again. "But now there isn't anything keeping me from you. Sunday, when Mom had her little meeting, she gave me something that was Nana's. Funny thing is Nana wanted you to have it." She looked at me slightly confused, and I was hoping she would catch on while I was playing with her fingers.

"What would Nana want me to have?" She asked, one side of my mouth lifted as I took my hand and wiggled the ring a little this time making sure she noticed. I watched her eyes flicker to her hand then back up to meet mine.

"Steal my last name Dylan. Marry me." Her eyes glistened over as she looked back and forth between the ring and me smiling wider each time.