My hand trembled slightly in his.
Harry rubbed the back of my hand softly with his thumb, urging me to give him an answer. He looked up at me with the most innocent and hopeful "Bambi" eyes I had ever seen. He was even better than me.
I opened my mouth slightly as I tried to form some sort of word, but I couldn't. I had forgotten the difference between "yes" and "no."
All I could do was stare at his lips as I tried to convince myself that he hadn't asked me those few words...
But why would I do that? Why wouldn't I want Harry to make us more official, make our relationship recognized by the law and not just our hearts? He had given me his hand, his heart, and was now offering his name. Why was it so difficult for me to put two and two together?
This-this ring only physically shows others that we belong to each other. (Even though Harry already makes that very clear when we are out together).
I swallowed hard.
"Nes" I mumbled.
"No?" he asked softly, and clouds of disappointment hovered in his eyes.
"No" I shook my head quickly as I started to correct him.
Harry tightened his grip on my hand and tugged slightly until I was a bit closer to him. He looked up at me slowly.
I blinked. In place of Harry's dark green marbles were tiny crinkles by warm honey-brown pools.
I saw Liam.
Suddenly, I felt like there was an inescapable cage around my ribs, containing my raging heart and making me that much more claustrophobic.
I saw Liam when he was about 8 years old, nervous but sweet as he held his toy ring out for me.
Then I shook my head quickly and my legs urged me to run back home to Danny, just like I had when I was 8.
I took a half step back.
"Angela" he asked. Worry grew and mixed with Liam's smooth voice and Harry's deep rasp.
I blinked a few more times and rubbed my eyes as I tried to erase Liam’s face from taking over Harry’s.
“Angie?” Harry spoke louder now.
I stared at my shaking hand being held by Harry and fought the initial urge to pull away, just like I had with Liam when we were kids.
But, just as I thought I might go completely insane in my flashback, Harry’s rasp returned and the grey brooded over the green in his eyes.
I sighed in relief.
Harry stared at me with wide and eager, but also hopeless eyes. I could taste the blood shooting through his veins, filling him with anger, but mostly disappointment.
Shook my head quickly and took a deep breath.
"I mean...yes" I finally answered coherently.
Harry stared at me a moment as he waited for Ashton Kutcher to come out with a dozen hidden cameras. But no one was watching us. No one was pressuring or controlling us except for ourselves. We had the right to give ourselves to each other and that’s exactly what Harry had just done.
Harry searched my eyes for validation of my words.
“Yes, Harry I will marry you” I repeated more clearly.
Harry blinked. Then he exhaled loudly. I think we had both been holding our breath until that moment.
He put the ring on my finger and kissed my hand softly. Then he placed my hand over his heart. I felt the erratic beats start to soothe and relax.
"You know, you were seconds away from being a murderer" Harry grinned.
My eyes bulged.
"What? A murder?!" I gasped.
Harry laughed.
"Yeah" he said as he stood up to his full height.
I had almost forgotten our clear height difference; it felt like he had been on his knees for years before I was able to move my lips to form "yes."
"If you had said 'no,' I don't think I would have taken another breath" he confessed. Then he took my hand and pressed his lips against it.
Now I held my breath in fear of him trying to end his life over my anxious stupidity.
“As long as we both shall live, right?” I smiled.
Harry grinned. Then he took my face in his sturdy hands and watched my lips carefully.
“As long as we both shall live” he repeated and he looked deeply into my eyes.
Then he gently, but possessively closed his soft red lips over mine and showed me what a great decision I had made. The best decision I had ever made in my entire life.
I wrapped my arms around Harry's neck and tugged his head down a bit closer to mine. Harry ran his hands down my back and to my waist before resting on my thighs and lifting me up.
He scooped me up and held me close against him.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and he carried me over blindly to our picnic cloth.
Harry leaned back as I lay over him, half-straddling him.
I kissed along his neck and tugged at the zipper of his leather jacket.
He laughed when I pulled too fast and the zipper got stuck.
"Angie, you never learn" he teased as he yanked swiftly and smoothly at the zipper and it came open seamlessly.
"Well you should come with this thing open" I retorted with a grin.
Harry laughed and he pushed me down on the picnic until he was on top.
I started to get up, but the weight and force of his torso made my escape about as likely as Becky becoming a nun.
"Remember, you're the one who said 'yes'" Harry reminded me with a wink.
He held my wrists down and kissed along my neck and down to my chest, letting his lips moisten and squeeze a breast.
"Hey" I protested.
Harry laughed as if I had told him a joke. And he continued to let that already curious tongue of his re-dscover my skin.
His lips trailed all along my neck, my chest and before returning to my hand.
He kissed my ring finger and then looked down at me.
"One more person has to say yes before I can have you forever" he told me slightly solemnly.
Then he leaned off me and helped me up.
He brushed off the tad smudge of dirt on my jeans and kissed my ring finger again.
We made our way back to Harry's car.
I was quiet as Harry practiced his breathing for when he told Danny the news.
"Harry, I think it's really sweet that you want to ask Danny's permission as well, but I have the final word" I told him quietly.
Harry looked over at me quickly and shook his head slowly.
"Danny may be my best friend and your brother, but he has the authority your dad would have had" Harry told me.
I nodded slowly. Then I closed my eyes and imagined what my dad would have said bout Harry. Would he react the same way as Danny and try to stop me from seeing Harry, or would he be more leanient?
I almost wanted to laugh at my question. Of course he would be like Danny, if not worse. He was Italian; anger was just as prominent in his bloodstream as were canolis.
"I respect Danny ...and would probably cower in fear of your dad's royalty"' Harry told me in a steady voice. He added a light laugh at the end.
I reached closer to him and kissed his cheek.
"And that's what makes you so noble, like my personal knight in leather armor" I whispered against his neck. I let my left hand, my ring hand slip into his curls and trace down his neck and rest on the jugular vein that bulged out. I planted a light trail of kisses along his neck.
Harry grinned and his tiny dimples slipped through his cheeks.
"I would respect them even if they said 'no'" he finished more quietly, but just as confidently.
I moved back slighlty. I didn't believe him. I didn't want to believe him. We had an undeniably strong bond, one that couldn't be broken by bullets or jail or any people.
Then we reached my house...Danny's house.
Harry held my ring hand in his and squeezed slightly.
Then he rang at the doorbell and Danny answered.
I looked up at Danny and recalled all the things that had gotten in the way of me and Harry being together, everything from a bullet to the courts. But nothing, nothing was as powerful as the force of Danielo Marco Lorenzo's harsh glared and even harder fists...