Don't forget to vote, comment and share!!
2 months later
"Come back here! Why are you so fast? Wait don't fall over, that my most expensive makeup palette! IVY!"
"Sydney! You don't even like that palette so please shut up," Calla interrupted from behind me. I threw her a laugh; she rolled her eyes playfully. Sydney stopped chasing after Sky like a headless chicken and stood defeatedly in the kitchen. It wasn't long before her sulking face lit up with an idea – she opened the cupboard and pulled something out.
"Hey, Skylar, I have an idea. Give me the palette and you can have this whole chocolate bar."
"The hell she can; that's my chocolate, Sydney," Calla's voice rose from next to me once again. Calla skipped over to Sydney, stood behind her and snatched the chocolate right out her hand. My laugh echoed through the kitchen as Sydney effortlessly took the chocolate back, "I'll buy you a new one if it means that much to you," she bartered with Calla.
"Fine," Calla sighed, dragging out the end of the word. She came and stood back next to me, the smile now present on her face showing she was just messing.
"Skylar, come here."
Sky ran into the room.
"Just tell her I'll buy her a new palette if it matters that much," Jace recommended through the phone held to my ear. "No. This is way too funny."
"Hey, kid. You want this chocolate?" Sky nodded. "Give me the makeup then it's all yours."
Sky thought about it for a second, "I'm not that stupid, give the chocolate first then you'll get it back."
Sydney's head shifted to show me the utter shock on her face. Skylar was the smartest kid I knew.
"Fine. At the same time."
They traded items successfully, Sydney running off upstairs as soon as she got her makeup back.
"Did Sydney really just bribe a child with chocolate?" Lucas questioned as he entered the room. "Yeah, and it wasn't even hers to offer," Calla added before they both followed Sydney in going upstairs.
"You coming?" Calla sweetly asked Sky before she ventured off. Sky shook her head. I smiled gratefully at Calla.
It was nice seeing the interaction between Skylar and my friends, even if it was chaotic. Skylar had become like a little sister to me and knowing that everyone loved her as much as I do, that was the best feeling.
"You still there?"
I was so deep in thought I forgot I was on the phone, "Yes, I am. What were we talking about again?" Jace's contagious laugh answered. "I got distracted by the chaos." I admitted.
"We were talking about me picking you up at 6 tonight." I had no recollection of talking about anything like that.
"We were?"
"No, but we are now."
I rolled my eyes but my smile never faltered. "Mhm and where will you be taking me?"
"That, my love, is a secret." My love. Butterflies.
I ignored the way I felt inside at his choice of words, "Well, I need to know what to wear."
"Of course you do," Jace chuckled. "Umm whatever you want. You always look good." My smile grew bigger. I opened my mouth to speak but was interrupted, "Actually, I have an idea for what you could wear. That's if you'd like the help."
I was intrigued, "Go ahead."
"You know that beige sweatshirt you have? That and black shorts." It was oddly specific, but I went along with it anyway.
"I have to go now, but I'll pick you up at 6, yeah?"
"Of course. I'm looking forward to it."
"Me too. See you later, bye." He hung up the phone.
Something was off with how he left. I don't know if it was because he didn't say that he loves me like he normally does or if it was just because he left suddenly, but it didn't feel right. However, I wasn't going to overthink it – there was no need to overreact. I trusted him.
I pocketed my phone and glanced to my right to see Skylar now sitting on the counter next to me. She offered me a piece of Calla's chocolate. It was then I noticed she had already eaten half of the bar. She was getting picked up by Kate in an hour. As if she could read my mind, she said, "Don't worry, Ivy, I won't be hyper by the time Mummy comes back."
"You sure about that?"
"No." A laugh bubbled from my throat. "But you know what I did realise?"
"What's that?"
"Sydney wanted her palette back, something she already had. She gave me chocolate, something I didn't have before. I got more than her – I won," Skylar grinned at me, showcasing all her teeth. I shook my head whilst laughing, she's way too smart for her age.
-
"If you tell me to sit one more time, I'm kicking you out," I warned.
Sydney stood back and glared at me in the mirror, "If you sat still then I wouldn't have to keep telling you, would I?"
Calla entered my room with, her phone in her hand and her thumbs viciously attacking the screen. She sat at the end of my bed, "Can you two stop bickering please?" She looked up from her phone and gave Sydney a look I couldn't decipher. "We're supposed to be getting Ivy ready, remember?"
"Yes," Sydney replied in an excited manner, earning her a stern glare from Calla. I didn't have a lot of time to think about what was going on between these two as the doorbell rang.
I panicked; I wasn't even dressed yet.
However, that panic soon settled when I recognised the voice to be Darius. What was he doing here?
"Is that Darius?"
"Yeah," Calla answered. "Dar and Lucas are having a boy's night or something. I don't really know." Oh. I just shrugged it off.
"You're done!" Sydney sang and pulled me out my seat. She shoved me into my closet and ordered me to get dressed and when I walked out the closet, I made sure I was wearing the jumper and shorts Jace suggested. I found it strange that he told me to wear this, but I tried not to question it too much.
I observed my reflection in the mirror, "Is this really what he wants me to wear?"
"Yes!" Calla and Syd exclaimed in unison. "You can't change it, you look perfect," Calla reassured me. I took their word for it.
I sprayed myself with my favourite perfume when the doorbell rang through the house again. This time, I knew it was Jace. I ran down the stairs a little too eagerly when I saw everyone having a hushed conversation. Deciding to ignore them all, I put my favourite pair of Converse on and joined them.
"You ready to go, princess?"
"I am, handsome." I took his hand in mine, smiling at him before turning to everyone else. They were all looking at me strangely, I ignored them all. It's the only thing I could do.
"We will see you all later. Bye," Jace said, I followed him out the door to his motorbike. I grabbed my helmet off the bike and secured it onto my head, jumping on the back of the bike and automatically wrapping my arms around his waist. "Ready?"
"Always."
-
The tires gradually rolled to a slow halt and I instantly recognised the gritty texture that sat under my foot. My helmet moved unexpectedly up and off my head, my hair being fluffed by Jace afterwards. I grabbed Jace's hands as my laugh echoed through the total emptiness of the beach.
"Do you want me to look bad?" I joked, shoving him in his arm playfully.
"You never look bad," he smiled charmingly. Embarrassed, I ran off.
I stared out in front of me and listened as Jace caught up to me with a few simple steps. Out in the distance the large rock prompted me to remember the time first time Jace brought me here and we sat right at the edge together. It was weird, thinking about back then. Things were so different but yet the same, so much has happened since then (good and bad) but I still wouldn't change any of it. Not a single thing. Because those times allowed to be where we are now.
"You're deep in thought," Jace observed, nudging me in the arm as he said it.
"I was just thinking about how we haven't been here for ages. That and how I wouldn't change anything that has happened between us," I explained, now looking up at him. Without breaking eye contact, Jace took both of my hands in his, "Really?"
I nodded, "Because all of what happened led us to being here and I couldn't be anymore grateful." Jace began tracing circles in the palm of my hand as his blue eyes shone into mine. The emotion he held in his eyes never failed to amaze me, but right now he was showing me something I couldn't decipher.
I took a moment, leaning into Jace's arms, to take in my surroundings. I glanced out to the sea, it reminded me of a well-polished mirror as it effortlessly reflected every little detail that was carefully place in the night sky. I acknowledged the white, grainy sand that lay below my foot and lastly, the light and gentle breeze that accompanied the soft sound of the water. It was peaceful, until the feeling of someone watching me crept up my spine. I found Jace watching me with what almost looked like admiration.
"What?" I questioned as I nervously giggled.
"Nothing," he smiled. "Do you know where we are right now? And no, not the beach before you decide to start being sarcastic."
"I don't decide to be sarcastic, it just happens," I muttered, rolling my eyes in the process. Jace looked at me and I could tell he was holding back a smile, but he raised his eyebrows at me instead. I thought about where we were, I couldn't make any sense of the significance.
That was until I looked down and saw my outfit – everything clicked into place. Why he told me to wear this, why we were here and why he was looking at me like that. It was where we first kissed.
I finally took time to acknowledge Jace's clothes when I noticed he was wearing the same type of thing as last time we stood here but there was something different. He looked... smarter. Jace must have seen the lightbulb turn on in my head as I eventually realised.
He began talking without me needing to answer.
"You know, this is exactly where I knew I was going to fall in love with you." He repositioned so I was now at arm's length away, but still connected at the hands. I didn't want to interrupt him, I wanted to see where this would go, so I didn't say anything.
"The day before the first time we came here, you told me about you and I listened to every single word. I was so... captivated by you. And then the next day we came here because I wanted to show you me. Almost like a trade. You explained yourself so I wanted to show you me. I was so nervous," he chuckled. "Because I didn't know if you liked me, you know? You were hard to understand at the beginning," he joked so I lightly punched him in the arm.
"But when I tried to walk away from the kiss, the tension, I couldn't. You just kept drawing me back again and again. And when we finally kissed, I knew I never wanted to be without you." His once glistening eyes turned serious, "I know I didn't always act like that. I pushed you away but that was only because the thought of you leaving scared me. But not anymore. I know you better and almost myself better now, and I have you to thank for that," he grinned. It was contagious.
"What I'm trying to say is the amount of time I have known you has been some of the best time of my life and I don't want it to end. I want to be with each other forever." Jace reached inside his pocket and my heartrate instantly shot up. My hands became clammy and my eyes widened. There's no way this is happening right now, I thought as I watched Jace lower himself onto one knee, confirming my predictions.
With his free hand, he reached out and held my left hand. Tears sprung to my eyes, I quickly wiped them away with the back of my hand. I carefully watched his other hand, the one in his pocket. I observed as he pulled out a small, black box, "This is the place where we first properly connected, so I thought it was only fitting I did this here." My heart was pounding against my chest, my stomach felt sick and my hands were sweating.
Jace took a deep breathe in.
His head moved back, our eyes connecting.
He opened the box.
"Ivy Smith, will you marry me?"
"Yes!" I exclaimed. He stood up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. I hid my face in the burrow of his neck. I pulled back, landing my feet and watched as Jace slid the diamond ring onto my finger.
I stared in awe, completely lost for words.
"You don't like it?" Jace stated falsely with panic clear in his voice. I felt a single tear drop out of my right eye. I glanced up at the amazing man I could now call my fiancé. His hand grew closer to my face and soon lay against my hot skin, cupping my jaw. The pad of his left thumb carefully wiped away the tear. He took a step closer, "Tears of happiness come from the right eye."
Smiling, I stared into his eyes – he was happy.
Jace leant down and gently touched his lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, my fingers interwoven at the back of his head. His own hands rested on my waist and we slowly moved side-to-side, dancing together in the moonlight without music.
We didn't need music; we didn't need anything to enjoy moments like this.
We had each other.
And for once in my life, forever excited me.
I relived everything that happened. So much had changed in such a short space of time. I lost friends, made friends, found my ex cheating, the whole thing with my Dad, even had a few mental breakdowns.
From the very beginning of when my life got turned upside down completely, and not for the first time.
I thought about how for so long I have been fighting for myself. Me against the world, type of thing. Of course, I had my friends, but they never truly understood. But now, I don't need to go through anything alone. Neither Jace or I will never go through anything by ourselves. And if I'm honest, none of what happened before mattered. None of it. Because now we have each other. And as long as I had Jace by my side, I knew we could overcome everything.
Together.
The End
————————————————
(A/N) That's it, the end of an era. The end of my first ever novel. I didn't expect the feeling of not wanting to let go of the story, but here I am.
This has been an amazing experience and I just want to thank everyone, og readers, new readers, voters, commenters, silent readers, followers - everyone for the huge amount of support I have felt. I know everyone says this but I genuinely am extremely grateful for every single one of you. It means a lot that I was able to start writing this as an outlet of my emotions because I was frustrated with certain events that were happening in my life and now turn it into a story!! It means the world to me.
As for other projects, I have a few planned already. I just really wanted to properly focus on this before moving on, but now I can. So, look out for any future stories or other things (yes, not just novels) that may be posted as I'm sure you'll enjoy them.
What I want to say with all my heart is, thank you.
I'm going to leave before I start crying and get all sappy ahhahaha.
And so, for the last time, I hope you all enjoyed not only this chapter, but the chaotic ride with Ivy, Jace and everyone in between.
Thank you all so much for reading. I love you all :')