Chapter 25- The Perfect Date
DAN'S P.O.V
" How's your ice cream, Grace?"
Since Grace just got out of the hospital, I figure I would take her around downtown London. Seeing as her birthday was in few days, I decided this would be like an early birthday gift. Of course I can't wait to give her her real gift when December 5th came around.
I looked over to see her licking her ice cream in the cutest way possible. She took her time savouring every last bit of it. I I decided not to get any ice cream because, as you very well know, I'm watching my figure.
I guess I was staring a bit too long because she looked over at me with her warm brown eyes.
"What?" she said, in her cute Peterburough accent. Her reddish-brown hair flipped.
I laughed, looking up a the night sky. Then I looked back at her and smirked.
" You have some ice cream on your nose." I said, still smiling.
" Really? " Grace scrunched up her nose and rubbed it. " Did I get it?" She looked at me hopefully.
" Yea babe, to got it. " I laughed again.
"Then what's so funny?" She pouted. I stopped and looked a her. After a moment, I spoke up, completely certain of what Is a about to say.
"Your perfect." I said plainly.
" No I'm not I-"
" Denying it doesn't make it any less true. You are undoubtedly perfect. " She looks down shyly, but I continued.
" Your beautiful, funny, smart, kind, amazing, and love you."
Then I realized that's the first time I've said, " I love you " to her. Of course it had always been true since I sat next to her in the hospital, but I had never said it out loud. It was just so true, that I didn't even hesitate to say it.
" I love you too." Grace whispered with her eyes closed. The moonlight was the only light to which her face was lit with gentle glow. I grabbed her and swung her around and she laughed.
" I love yooouuuuu!!!" I yelled as I continued to spin her. I wanted the world to know. I put Grace down.
I looked around quickly to make sure we were headed in the right direction and then grabbed her hand and ran.
" Dan, where are we going?" She laughed.
" Its a surprise! Come on!"
We ran and ran, ice cream long melted, but the picnic basket I had been holding the whole time was remained untouched.
When we finally made it to a dense area of trees.
Flashback:
(Excerpt from sub-plot story, Stay With me)
December 5th, 2005
"Happy Birthday." He pulled a teddy bear out from under his shirt and handed it to me with both hands. I took it and pulled him in for a much needed hug. I stood there for an extra few seconds, warming him up.
"Come on, I want to show you something." Dan said, taking my hand. I excitedly closed the door and ran with him. We ran in the rain. The rain soaked through my clothes, but I didn't care. I was with Dan, that's all that mattered. After another minute or two, we came to a wooded area densely filled with trees. I hesitated a bit.
"It's okay, I've got you." Dan said, squeezing my hand reassuringly. With that, we both slipped through the trees.
We kept sliding through the trees until we came to an empty spot that looked like it had been cleared out by hand. The forest seemed to open up for us.
" Happy Birthday." Dan said again, pointing up.
I looked to see a small tree house up in the branches. All of a sudden, the rain didn't seem so bad.
We climbed up the thick branches and Dan opened the door from underneath. I followed him inside as he helped me up. I looked around. There was a little coffee table and two seats, one for each of us I suppose. I placed the teddy bear there for now. Dangling from the ceiling was sea glass. I looked up at them as the setting sun shined through them making colourful patterns on the wall.
" I know how much you love the ocean." Dan said with the gentle glow on his face. " Look." he pulled me too a broken floor board and lifted it up to reveal a shoe-box sized hole. There was a small letter inside.
" We can write letters to each other and leave them here if anything ever happens." Dan picked up the small letter and pressed it into my hand. " Open this when I tell you too." He smiled widely at me, with somehow a stern look as well. I nodded.
I hugged him tightly. " Never leave me, okay? " My arms tightly wrapped around him.
" I promise." He whispered into my ear like we were the only one's left in the world.
~~~
Grace's P.O.V
I looked up and saw a familiar treehouse. Dan slipped his hand into mine, pulling me out of the daze I was in. Where was it from?
" Follow me. " Dan said in a mysterious sort of way, yet a smile on his face.
I smiled warmly back.
When we came to the ladder, it looked new. The wood looked like it was nailed in no more then a few days ago. It was painted a sort of pale green.
" Wait here." He said.
Quickly kissing me, he climbed up the ladder with the picnic basket on his back.
Just a minute later, a heard call me up.
" Alright, come on up! " He said sticking his head out the side window of the treehouse.
As I climbed, I couldn't help but reading the white words written on the ladder.
" I ", was the first word.
" Finally ", curiosity began to find its way in.
" Found ", I slowed my ascend.
" YOU. ", was the last word in all capital letters.
By the time I read it, an outstretched hand was put in front of me.
" Let me help you." Dan looked down at me smiling, which showed no sign of subsiding.
" Thank you. "
I said as I was lifted into a small room with dangling sea glass and fairy lights.
" Wow." was all I could manage to get out.
" I was hoping you'd like it."
He kissed me again and I threw my arms around him. Dan pulled back.
" Ready to eat?"
" Of course. " I looked down at our little picnic. "What do we have here?"
" Well, " He pulled out a plastic chair for me and I sat down.
" We have a some of the finest meats from the local supermarket, "
" Very good..." I said, leading him on.
" Some cheeses picked out by yours truly, all randomly put into a sandwich. And finally, some champagne to finish it all off."
It was all laid out on a red table cloth with paper plates all set up.
" Well then, would you like a sandwich?" Dan said, offering me the platter.
" But of course. " I said, taking one.
At last, I took a bite. To be honest, it was a little bland, but he seems to enjoy it so I continued eating happily.
I had just began to notice the late afternoon light coming in from the big window. It was the perfect lighting passing through the trees, leaving colorful patterns on all the walls.
When we were both done eating, champagne in hand, Dan got up and turned off the fairy lights leaving only the seaglass to light the small space.
" What are you doing?" I asked in a relaxed voice, sipping my drink.
"Just wait, you'll love it. " With that, I heard a crunching noise and then the room was filled with stars. I've never seen this many before. I've always been to close to the city to see very many at all. And were shining so bright. Dan had already cleared the plates away an laid out a thick red patterned blanket to lay on.
Dan laid down first and I cuddled up to his chest, enjoying his warmth.
After a minute of silence, I spoke up.
" When did you get the time to make all of this?"
" While you were in the hospital...I uh..." he stopped. "Do you remember what happened?"
I tried to think back to what happened, but it hurt too much.
" I'm...not sure. I remember I was driving, and then- I was in the hospital, and you were there." I hugged him tighter.
" Do remember the last time you were here? In this tree house I mean. " He asked seriously.
" I know I grew up around here and my only friend-" I gasped. Was it Dan, this whole time? Memories were flooding back. All the days we spent together as kids, all the happy days, all the rainy ones, everything. I remembered then. Why had I not had any later memories of Dan? I backed away from Dan.
" Because you left..."
He sat up. It was dark, but I could see his eyes were watering.
" Grace, let me explain-"
" Did you find anyone else? "
" What?" I'm sure he heard me. I repeated myself again.
" Did you find anyone else? "
I expected him to lie, to say that, ' I was the only one. ', but he didn't.
"There were a few along the way, yea, I'm not gonna lie, but when I was with them, all I could think about was you. Everyone told me to forget you, but I couldn't forget the most important person in my life. There was one time, that I forgot, just for a second, that you were gone. Just a second. And in that second, I felt like a hole inside me was finally filled. And that's when I realized. If I was with you, like I am now, I could feel like that for the rest of my life. " He stopped. I looked into his dark eyes and I believed him. I knew because I felt the same way right when he left.
" Do you still have the letter I gave you when we were 14?"
I reached over to my purse and pulled now crumpled letter out of my wallet. I can't believe I had still kept it.
" Open it. " Dan said.
I slowly unfolded the paper and began to read.
" I knew you see the one from the beginning. Will you-"
" Marry me? "
I moved the paper to see Dan on one knee holding a ring, just like in the movies. He had a hopeful look on his face.
As for me, my resting face slowly formed into a smile.
" Yes. "
~~~
WOO. That was a long chapter. (2500 words!) How did you like it? Comment away! :D This so fun to write. Hope you enjoyed!
P.S There may or may not be wedding chapter in the future...hehe.
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