JAMES' POV
"Did Isaac and Jeremy help you choose this ring?"Lulu asked holding up her hand to the sun in such a way that the sun rays reflected off the diamonds in shimmering lights.
"Yeah Jeremy more than Isaac but he helped too."I replied.
She was lying on my chest, half naked like I was and we were perfectly happy as we were.
Lulu was my bride to be, she had said yes, I'd put a ring on it. All those metaphors to mean that Lulu was going to become my wife. It was official because she had said yes. That one word made me the happiest man alive at that moment in time and probably for the foreseeable future.
"That means I have to be nice now whenever he calls me Lue."She grunted making me smile.
"What's wrong with Lue? I kind of like it."I commented.
She lifted her head off my chest to glare at me.
"Because it's childish and if you call me that I am going to, I am...."She trailed off trying to find the right threat, scowling when she couldn't come up with a good one."I'm too happy with you right now to think of a proper threat but don't call me Lue."She demanded.
"I'm sorry, I won't call you Lue."I assured her.
"Good and if that's how our marriage is going to be, me telling you to jump and you asking how high then I can wait to be Mrs Lankenua."Lulu teased.
I pinched her butt cheek slightly making her slap my chest.
"Ouch that was painful. What was that for?"She scolded rubbing her ass.
"I just wanted to show you that its not going to be all sunshine and rainbows."I retorted.
"You're lucky I'm floating in oxytocin right now otherwise that pinch would have earned you no kisses for a week."She threatened trying to put on her mean face but failing miserably.
"Well it looks like I'll have to propose more often then."I chided.
Lulu gave me her most unimpressed look but I was too happy to let it bother me.
"Well that trick works only once, sorry."She shrugged.
"It's okay I'll find other ways."I replied.
"If I didn't already say it, I love you and I love the ring."Lulu gushed looking the happiest I'd seen her be in a long while.
I was happy too, elated. The proposal I'd planned on the ridge at sunset had gone to shit once Lulu found the ring. I didn't allow myself to freak out since the milk had already been spilt. I gathered my wits, went down on one knee and popped the question. I'd been scared that she would say no because it was so random but hearing Lulu say yes had been a dream come true. She was going to be my wife.
I was sure my mom would start planning the wedding as soon as I told her which was okay. I was ready to make Lulu my wife. She would be Mrs Lankenua and I couldn't wait. I would not be able to give her a big extravagant wedding since I'd used up most of my savings to buy the ring but Lulu was not a materialistic woman as she had told me time and again. Whatever wedding we decided on having would be the best for both of us, we would make the best of it.
"I love you more my queen."I whispered back caressing her back.
We lay in each others arms, more like Lulu lay on me for an additional half hour before we had to get up and get dressed. We had been at the plateau for hours and we needed to get going. I still had to show Lulu the ridge then drive back leaving enough time to check up on Nancy.
"You keep staring at it like it's going to disappear."I teased Lulu who wasn't even looking at where she was going as she stared at the ring.
"Growing up I was never one of those girls who dreamt about the day their tall dark and handsome boyfriend would propose. I didn't cut out pictures of wedding dresses or cakes, it was more of Amani's thing to do but now I'm actually an engaged woman. Like I believe it and I don't believe it at the same time. I'm floating in the clouds in happiness but still trying to stay on ground level. I don't know if you understand what I'm saying."She sighed turning to look at me.
"I understand you baby because I'm right up there in the clouds with you but still down here on the ground making sure you don't run into a tree."I replied pulling her out of the way before she ran head first into a tree.
"Sorry."She mumbled chuckling to herself.
"It's okay, just be careful."I warned.
"This is the happiest day of my life. I felt that the day I met you, then again the day you asked me to be your girlfriend, then when we said I love you for the first time and now today. You Jamie are my happy place, my landing spot, my home, my man and my husband to be."Lulu confessed stopping so she could hop onto a log.
She turned to face me so we were eye level. She looked into my eyes for a second before she kissed me softly looping her hands around my neck. I couldn't hold onto her since my hands were full but I tried my best to kiss her back resisting the urge to drop everything in my hands and pull her into my arms.
"You know what?!"Lulu exclaimed pulling away looking as if she'd just had an epiphany.
"What?"
"You and I are having sex tonight."She declared before jumping off the log and turning to walk away like she just hadn't dropped that bomb on me.
"We're what?!"I mumbled to myself since Lulu was too far away to hear me.
It's not like I didn't want to have sex with Lulu, I'd imagined it very times but I wanted it to be spontaneous not planned. After a few seconds I managed to figure out how my legs worked so I followed after her.
When I got to the jeep Lulu was lying on the passenger door side so I unlocked it for her. She got in while I put everything in the back seat before taking my place behind the wheel and starting the car.
"Are we going to talk about that bomb you just dropped on me?"I asked Lulu.
"You don't want to have sex with me?"Lulu retorted.
"I do, of course I do but planned sex isn't exactly something I'm into. As much as I would like to have sex with you, not like this. We'll just be us and take it as it goes."I replied.
Lulu took a few moments to think about what I had said before she replied.
"Okay I can do that."She agreed with a nod.
"Perfect."I sighed relieved."Now one more stop before we head back."
"Ridge here we come."Lulu hooted making me laugh as I drove off heading back down the plateau.
I'd driven up the plateau a loving boyfriend and I was driving back down an engaged man. Oh what changes a few hours could bring into someone's life but they were good changes and I embraced them with my whole heart.
Halfway down the plateau's slope there was a loud bang like that of a tire bursting from the side of the car. Good thing I wasn't driving fast so I just slowly stopped the car.
"I think we just burst a tire."I informed Lulu who was looking at little pale.
"I don't think that was a tire, we would have swerved off the slope if it was."Lulu countered.
"Well let me check just in case."I replied unlocking my door to get out of the jeep but Lulu held me back.
"Don't get out of the car."She requested looking at me with scared eyes.
Lulu was never scared, the last time I'd seen her like that was when her first jeep had been shot at. That had been one of the scariest days in my life. But she was alive and okay and that's all that mattered to me.
"Baby it's okay, we're in the middle of nowhere and there are no wild animals here so there aren't any poachers nearby."I assured her caressing the hand that was on my arm.
"Are you sure?"She whispered.
"Yes but just to make you feel better I'll wait ten minutes before getting out."I told her lying back on my seat.
Lulu look relieved but she didn't let go of my arm. Lulu had never really gotten over the accident because sometimes she got triggered by things especially loud noises. Like she couldn't be present when popcorn was being made, that sound resembled gunshots too much, she also didn't like nail guns or drills and she still wouldn't travel with the car windows down.
"So are you going to tell your sisters that I proposed?"I asked Lulu to get her mind off the situation we were in.
"Yeah of course but I'm not sure if I'll tell them now or when they come in two weeks. Amani will want to come as soon as she finds out and I'm not ready to receive them just yet."She replied.
"Tell them when you're comfortable. My mom will be ecstatic and Ruth will, well she's Ruth so we both know she will make a big deal out of this."I commented.
"She's been rooting for us since day one, I'd expect nothing less from her."Lulu said her grip on my hand relaxing a bit meaning she was calming down.
"When do you want the wedding to be? Do you want a big wedding or a small one?"I asked.
For me the sooner we got married the better and I would try my best to give Lulu the wedding she wanted.
"We're getting married as soon as I'm done wrapping up the project. As for the wedding, before I would have said I want a small wedding in the pastors office but after meeting your huge family and attending two church weddings last year I don't want that anymore. I don't want it to be too big but I want to walk down the aisle in a beautiful dress, see you at the altar in a tux and stand infront of God, our family and friends and vow to be yours for life. I also want a party afterwards with lots of food and good music so everyone can celebrate with us."Lulu replied and my heart grew a size bigger.
Unable to help myself, I leaned over the console and kissed her.
"You take my breath away woman and I can't wait to wife you."I whispered against her lips when I pulled away.
Lulu grinned at me tugging at one of my locks. Figuring out that she was calm enough, I decided it was time for me to check out the tires to make sure we hadn't blown any. We had a spare but changing it would take time we didn't have.
When I pulled further away from Lulu she understood what I wanted to do so she let go of my arm. I kissed her forehead before turning to open the door. I had barely stepped one foot out of the jeep when Lulu pulled me back again
I was about to scold her when the unmistakable sound of a gunshot rang out hitting the window of my open door. I quickly closed the door and locked the car thanking the heavens for Lulu's rich family that could afford a bullet proof car.
"We're being shot at."Lulu's panicked voice whispered next to me.
"Yeah."I breathed my heart beating erratically.
Why would someone be shooting at us? The jeep was white so there's no way they were mistaking it for a KWS patrol car.
"We need to get out of here Jamie."Lulu stuttered.
She was scared and so was I but I couldn't show her that. I had to be the strong one.
"Seatbelt."I demanded softly putting mine on and starting the car.
Lulu didn't have to be told twice as she quickly put on her seatbelt. I started driving slowly but once the bullets started hitting the car from all sides I sped up.
"Why are they shooting at us?"Lulu asked her voice laden with fear.
"I have no idea but call Mark and tell him what's going on and where we are."I requested her.
It was already hard driving down the slope any other time but being shot at made it a very onerous task. Whoever was shooting wasn't a very good aim since they kept missing but whenever they managed to hit the car I flinched afraid the bullet would penetrate and hit us. We'd just gotten engaged for crying out loud, why was someone trying to ruin our perfect day.
"Fuck it's off. I forgot to charge it."Lulu cussed when she tried unlocking her phone.
"Use mine."I replied reaching into my pocket to retrieve it for her.
Just as I was about to hand it to her, the jeep hit a rock I hadn't seen on the road making me drop the phone at my feet. Lulu couldn't reach it and neither could I since I was driving. It's like we were bound to be doomed.
"Why am I scared? I'm never scared."Lulu mumbled to herself but I managed to hear her.
"Baby."
Gunshot.
"Lulu."
Screaming.
"Hey, love."
Silence.
"Lulu, look at me. We're going to be fine."I assured her even though my own voice was shaky.
All of a sudden the shooting stopped and it went really quite except for the tires crunching against the rocks at a high speed.
"They've stopped."Lulu commented in a whisper.
"Maybe they've ran out of amo."I replied praying that I was right.
I didn't slow down though just kept driving as fast as I could but still trying to be safe down the hill.
"I really should have learnt how to shoot, to make this a fair fight."Lulu commented.
"This is not a movie scene, our lives are in danger."I scolded.
"You think I don't know that, I'm freaking out here but at least they have stopped shooting."Lulu retorted.
She spoke too soon because seconds later the shooting started again only this time they were shooting at the tires. Lulu turned her fearful face towards me and I could tell that she was really scared. Shooting at the tires increased chances of us running off the road. The car could flip or we could drive head first into a huge rock. There really was no way it was going to end in a good way.
"They are trying to run us off the road."Lulu cried.
I took one hand off the wheel and took Lulu's shaking hand interlocking our fingers. I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed the back of it.
"I love you."I confessed.
It was not a goodbye but I was scared and I wanted Lulu to know how much she meant to me.
"I love you too."Lulu replied her voice soft but still scared.
After that everything else happened so fast even I didn't have time to try and control the situation. There must have been more than one gunman because they hit two tires at the same time. The tires burst which caused the car to skid off the road. My side of the car ran into a boulder and the car flipped. There was pain, glass and blood everywhere as the car went tumbling down the side of the plateau. I could hear Lulu screaming next to me but I was in too much pain myself to comfort her. The jeep rolled down fast to the valley below before it stopped getting trapped between two boulders. Then everything went black.
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Sorry guys I'm really off my game here plus I'm not that good at writing action scenes. That was the best I could come up with so forgive me if it's not up to par.
Oh and in case you see me refer to Lulu as Diana comment so that I can change it. I'm still not over my recently completed book.
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