Madison
Our time in Italy was coming to an end and that made me sad.
Our flight back to Canada was tomorrow night, and today was Harry's last day shooting for Vogue. Now we were just walking along the beach by the hotel we were staying at the last two days, watching the sun set beautifully.
"Would it be inappropriate if I said I wanted to motorboat you?"
Harry turned to me like I had ten heads, raising a brow at my comment while I stared at his exposed chest. His boobs might be bigger than mine.
"I worry about you sometimes." He sighs, reaching up to button his shirt more so I wouldn't be able to stare at his chest.
"Hey, I'm serious." I say through a smile, pushing his hands away from his shirt so he would leave the buttons alone.
"Pay attention to where you are walking before you fall on your ass." He chuckled, locking his hand in mine.
Pretending to be offended, I push him as hard as I can towards the water. I guess I underestimated my strength because he went flying towards the shoreline, tripping over his own foot but not falling into the water.
"Tell that to yourse-hey!" I let out a squeak when he charged at me, lifting me off of the ground and over his shoulder. I got a view of his ass in my face so I didn't ask him to put me down just yet, but then I heard splashing and I realized he walked into the water.
Knowing he was about to drop me in, I latch onto his shirt and drag him under with me, salt water now surrounding the both of us.
When we both emerged, we started laughing while trying to stay afloat. My feet barely reached the sand beneath us so I grabbed onto Harry, wrapping my arms around his broad shoulders. He instinctively held my waist, pressing our soaking bodies together tightly. Our laughing had died down and he leaned in to kiss me. I could taste the salt water on his lips, but I only kissed him back harder.
I inhaled through my nose, taking a breath when his tongue slipped into my mouth. He hummed against my lips when I pulled away for more air, resting his forehead against mine.
Looking up at him while the oranges and reds hit his face perfectly, I felt extremely grateful in the moment. I was in the arms of someone I love dearly, in a place I feel at home; grateful to have him in my life; grateful to share moments like this with him. I was proud of everything we've both accomplished - together and alone.
"I'm proud of you. You know that?" I spoke aloud, catching him off guard.
His smile and the adoring look in his eyes made me melt.
"And I am proud of you."
"Thank you for being with me." I whispered against his lips.
"There's no place I'd rather be." He responds honestly, connecting our mouths again.
I don't know how long we were on that beach for. We lost track of time messing around in the water before he suggested we got out so he could take me somewhere.
I didn't know where he was taking us when we got into our rental car, and he wouldn't tell me when I asked. It was close to ten o'clock at night and the stars had taken up the entire sky. I stared at them through the window, paying attention to the constellations instead of the road. If I had looked at my surroundings, I would have easily known where we were going, but to avoid ruining the surprise I just focused on watching the stars.
It wasn't a long car ride, only fifteen minutes from the beach and our hotel. Before we reached our destination though, Harry made me put on a blindfold so I wouldn't see where we were.
He helped me out of the car once it was parked and shut off, keeping my hands in his the entire time as he led me to this secret location.
"You're not gonna murder me, are you?" I questioned jokingly.
I heard a light chuckle leave his lips. "You'll have to wait and find out."
Thanks.
Wherever we were, it was extremely silent besides from the sound of nature buzzing around us. I knew we had to be in some type of field because I felt grass brushing against my ankles. After a minute of walking, we came to a stop.
"Can I take it off?" I asked, reaching up to feel the blindfold around my eyes.
"Yes you can." He says, his voice slightly wavering as he took a deep breath.
I slowly removed the black cloth from around my head and I had to hold back a gasp.
I knew we were in some kind of open area, but I knew this location by heart. We were standing in the field by my Nonna's that I always came to whenever I was in Italy.
I turned to Harry, wondering how he knew about it but he was no longer next to me.
"That was fun!" I heard him exclaim from the bottom of the short hill I stood on. I grinned when I saw him laying in the grass, clearly telling me he wanted me to roll down just as he did.
So I did. He didn't get up once I reached the bottom, and instead we both just sat there staring up at the sky.
After a while, I closed my eyes and took in the sound of the breeze hitting the trees and crickets chirping, remembering a moment we shared just like this.
"Where do you see yourself in ten years?"
I turn my head to look at Harry, who was picking at the grass between us. The sky was so beautiful at night. Harry and I were at a park, just laying down in the grass and staring up at the stars.
"With you." I answered honestly, and his face broke out in a grin.
"I like the sound of that." He chuckles, reaching beside me and grabbing my hand, locking our fingers together.
"What about you?" I asked, resting my head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat.
"Married to you." He kissed the top of my head and I close my eyes, smiling and enjoying this moment. "I'll get to shoot for a big company - like Gucci, or something - and you will still be skating, but we will definitely be married."
His answer made my eyes water because of how happy it just made me to hear him say that. I wanted that future for us too.
"Married, huh?" I teased and I watched as his cheeks became pink.
"Mhm." He hummed. "What do you look for in a proposal? Would you like if the man did something big?"
"I never really thought too much into it honestly. I'd like something intimate, and it's a bit of a stretch but...I've always wanted to be proposed to in Italy. They would take me to this field my nonna lives near on the coast at night and it's be just the two of us there." I started explaining, imagining the moment in my head. "I would like for it to be under stars. They are perfect for a moment like that." I finish while looking directly up at the stars lighting up the dark sky above us. It is truly the most beautiful thing I've ever laid my eyes on - well, besides Harry.
"I'll keep that in mind."
My heart stopped as I finish remembering the conversation we had that night. By the time I opened my eyes, Harry was standing up and walking towards a small tree. There weren't many around us, so he went the nearest one, looking like he was in a trance with the way he was walking.
My heart sped up at the thought of what might happen within the next few minutes, but I tried not to get my hopes up as I brought myself to my feet and followed him.
"We are two for three." He suddenly said, turning around and meeting my eyes.
Not knowing exactly what he meant, I tilted my head in confusion. "What?"
"Five years ago today, I made a promise to you." He started taking slow steps towards me as I stood still, my heart ready to fly out of my chest. "I'm the face of Gucci; you're still skating; but the last part of that promise hasn't been fulfilled yet."
I felt paralyzed as he stopped right in front of me, staring down into my eyes nervously, his shaking hands holding mine tightly.
"You're more than just my girlfriend. You're my best friend, and I don't ever want to experience my life without you again. You keep me grounded, and no matter what, you've stood by my side through everything. When I was at my lowest, you were there for me when nobody else was. Except Zayn, but he doesn't count right now."
We both couldn't help but chuckle over that last part before he got serious again. "I love you more than I can put into words, and I'm so fucking grateful to have you in my life. I lost you once, and I will do everything in my power to make sure I never lose you again." His words were barely above a whisper, but I heard every ounce of emotion poured behind them.
I'm pretty sure we both had tears in our eyes at this point, but when he slowly lowered himself to the ground, I wanted to choke back a sob as my hand flew to my mouth. I felt it coming, but I was still sent into a state of shock as it actually happened.
"I made a promise to you five years ago, and I intend to keep it." I watched through my blurry vision as he pulled out a black velvet box from the pocket of the shorts he had changed into after the beach, and I almost started crying when I saw the ring sitting inside.
It was my Nonna's wedding ring.
"Madison Butera, will you marry me?"
I don't think I've ever said yes so quickly. I don't know why he looked surprised when I nodded vigorously, as if he thought I'd say no. I'd be pretty stupid to say no.
I grew impatient as he slid the ring on my finger, practically jumping on him and smashing my lips onto his, sending him backwards into the soft grass. His arms wrapped around my back as we rolled over and he was on top of me, the both of us smiling ridiculously wide in our heated kiss.
Now I know why the guys were emotional when dropping us off at the airport last week. They knew Harry had planned this.
"I love you too, by the way." I breathed against his lips, pulling back by just a fraction. "Is this why you've been so nervous all week?"
He nodded sheepishly, resting his forehead against mine. "I didn't know if your ideal proposal had changed. I just remember what you told me that night."
"Harry, I still would have said yes if you asked me in our apartment with a ring pop." I answered, humor in my truth. Hell, if he asked me in the shower I also would have said yes. As long as I got to marry this man, I don't care about how he proposes.
"Do you like the ring?" He asked, looking down at my left hand and bringing it between us to look at the ruby diamond surrounded with rose gold.
"Are you kidding? Do you know how many times I've walked around my nonna's house wearing this ring while pretending I was married?" I tell him, excitement building inside of me.
"I know. You're dad told me about the ring when I asked for his approval, and he told your grandma. I spoke to her over the phone the week before we came here. She sounded excited to hear I wanted to propose to you." He explained, rolling off of me and laying beside me in the grass.
"When I was fourteen, she sat me down in her kitchen and she talked to me about how one day she will meet the man I want to marry and she'd give him that ring to propose to me with because she knew how much I love that ring. Her mom gave it to my grandpa. I don't even know how long that ring has been in our family, but my grandparents were together for sixty years before my grandpa passed away." I tell him, smiling like an idiot as I stared at the ring.
"Why didn't she give it to your dad for either of the times he was married?" He asked curiously.
"She didn't like my mom so he didn't give him the ring for her. But Faith's mom wanted my dad to use her wedding ring for her."
We went silent for a moment, listening to the peaceful quiet until he broke it, the sound of his voice giving away the wide smile I knew his lips were in.
"Ci sposeremo." He says in almost disbelief.
I turned to him and rested my chin on his shoulder, repeating his words to myself breathlessly.
"Ci sposeremo."
• • •
The end
(Ring pic for reference)