The Ex

CHAPTER TWENTY

"It's a beautiful night, let's walk the rest of the way," he leans on the open door and motions for me to exit the taxi.

I let one leg out of the vehicle and hold it up, "do you see these six-inch heels, Ethan? There is no way I'm walking." I gesture to my long-sleeved red chiffon dress, "this is your fault. You told me to get dressed up."

"Fine, screw our reservation," he releases the door and rubs the nape of his neck. His black formal suit jacket opens wide at the movement. "Let's eat something in the area."

"There's a hot dog stand around the corner," I say as I point behind him.

"Sounds perfect."

I narrow my eyes in confusion, "Ethan, I'm joking. Do I need to draw your attention to the heels again?"

He doesn't utter a word but his incredulous look says it all.

"Did you suffer a head injury at some point today?" I ask with genuine concern.

"I wish I did," he notes grimly as he looks down at his watch. "Get your ass out of there, now." He reaches into the vehicle and grabs my waist, pulling me into his arms as though I weigh nothing. He ignores my wide-eyed shock when he places me on the sidewalk beside him. "Thank you," he says to the driver as he tips him generously for dealing with our antics.

"Seriously what is wrong with you? You're acting crazier than usual."

He sniggers at my words but offers no explanation.

"Wait!" I yell as the driver speeds away. I turn to Ethan with a narrowed-eyed glare, "explain yourself."

He looks at the surroundings and then back at me, "do you recognize where we are?"

I turn to my left, noticing the entrance to Central Park a few feet away. I look to the street but don't see any signs, "no."

"Think harder," he takes my hand and walks me closer to the park entrance.

"He looks kind of familiar," I say as I point to the homeless man that stumbles down the opposite side of the road. "Are we here to beat him up?"

"Charlotte." His expression is deadly serious.

"Ethan. Let's get another ride, we're gonna be late for our reservation."

I let go of him and walk back to the road. Keeping an eye out for a familiar yellow vehicle, I feel Ethan's presence behind me.

"Charlotte-"

Ignoring him, I spot a taxi in the distance and raise my hand to wave it down.

"Charlotte for God's sake," he says with an exasperated sigh. "I'm trying to propose."

I drop my arm and watch the taxi pass with wide eyes. Maybe I was the one with the head trauma given that words are no longer making sense. Ethan reaches for my waist and physically turns me around to face him.

"Charlotte-" he says as he tucks my hair behind my ear. "This is the place where we shared our first kiss."

Looking around, I'm swept with the memory of the night.

"When we set up Liam and Soph-" I say in recognition.

"Yeah, what should have been our first date."

"But it wasn't."

"It kinda was in our weird way."

I shake my head in dissent.

"Charlotte, either way, that was the night that I realized what we had was special. And the last year has proven what I already knew."

"That you have no sense of time?"

He squints at me in confusion.

"Ethan, we've been together for almost a year and a half."

"Wow," he says with playfulness in his eyes. "I deserve a medal for putting up with you for that long."

"You can shove that medal right up your -"

"Char-," he smiles widely as he interrupts me.

He points to a tree in the park where the lit words, marry me are spelled. I gasp. That was not there a minute ago. Or was it? I look at Ethan, back to lights, and then to Ethan again. "If this is a joke, I will-"

"Does this look like a joke to you?" he pulls out a little red box from his pocket.

I put my hand to my mouth in shock. With a breathtaking smile, Ethan opens his mouth to speak. Before he utters a word, I punch him in the arm. The impact hurts me more than it does him.

"What was that for?" he says accusingly.

I hold my aching fist, "you should have told me. You know how much I hate surprises!"

"Char, that defeats the purpose of-" he pauses and runs a hand through his caramel hair, making it as disheveled as I currently feel, "you know what, please just shut up."

He lowers himself onto one knee and opens the box. I am greeted by a perfect white gold and ruby diamond ring. My tears start to fall at the beautiful sight.

"Ruby is considered the stone of love, energy, and passion. It symbolizes powerful feelings. It is a perfect representation of us." I wipe away a tear as he continues, "you're annoying, stubborn, hot-headed, and sometimes overly emotional-"

"Are you breaking up with me, asshole?" I say with a hoarse chuckle.

"I didn't realize that was an option," he says with a laugh before he proceeds. "You drive me insane. Like seriously, to the brink of insanity." I roll my eyes at his words, "But that's why I love you. Charlotte, there is no one I love more in this world."

My beaming grin grows even larger.

"I will definitely live to regret this but, Charlotte Margaret Anderson, will you marry me?"

"Yes," I say without hesitation.

I reach for his collar, pulling him up to me.

"Yes?" he asks cautiously.

"Were you expecting a no?" I tilt my head in confusion.

"I was expecting a smart-ass objection of some type."

"No objections," I place my hands around his neck, pulling him closer to me. "I know how perfect I am for you. What kind of monster would I be if I denied you this perfection?" I gesture to myself and he chuckles.

"How considerate of you," he states sarcastically as he grabs my waist.

"I know. You're welcome."

"I didn't thank you."

"Oh, you'll be spending the rest of your life thanking me," I say with a wink.

"I can't wait," he exclaims as he lifts me into his arms.

His soft lips press against mine in a tender kiss like we have an eternity to explore each other. And technically we do.

I can't think of a better way to spend the rest of my life.

Thank you for reading The Ex: Chapter twenty!
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