SARA'S POV
I was working on Christmas Eve. Somehow Devon got out of working tonight, which was weird because I knew it would be busy and they’d need her, but I didn’t question it because she said that she was going to finish setting up our place for Christmas because Jan, Luce, Caleb, and his girlfriend were invited to Christmas dinner and we didn’t want to look lazy and like we hadn’t done anything. Or like we’d been having too much sex and cuddling and things.
I had another few hours until I could go home, but I didn’t mind too much, the restaurant business was as much my life as Devon’s. I enjoyed work; I enjoyed moving and having something to do, so the time really flew.
I was driving home later than I thought I would be, it was about 11:30 now and I wouldn’t have been surprised if Devon fell asleep on the couch waiting for me. I smiled a bit at the idea of walking in on her sleeping on the couch with the TV on to the Food Network showing some Christmas special, she always fell asleep before I came home if she had to stay up later.
I parked in our little parking space and looked at our place.
Ours.
I felt my lips curve up into a smile at the word. She asked me to live with her. Devon, the girl who used to not want to sleep with a woman twice, asked me to move in with her.
It had to be impossible.
But it wasn’t, here I was, looking up at our little place with lights strung up along the door and the edge of the roof. It looked nice, plain white lights in the usual places, but it was nice because it was ours. Because Devon had spent time out here putting them up before I got home.
I walked up to the door and looked at our wreath as I stuck the key in the lock, turning it to unlock the door she probably locked before going to sleep. I was about to turn the knob when I noticed something.
Taped to the door in the center of the wreath was a piece of thick paper, like cardstock, folded closed. I hesitantly reached up and pulled the flap up to see, in Devon’s sloppy yet neat handwriting, I love you.
I smiled and was glad for the privacy out here because I knew my cheeks were bright red and I pulled the note off the door and held it tightly in my hand as I opened the door and walked in.
My breath caught my throat at the sight.
The only lights were white Christmas lights hanging on the walls, but it was bright enough to illuminate the thick, red, velvety ribbon that went down the small hallway.
I looked over at it, then at the lights, my confusion growing as I tried to figure this out when I noticed another little white card tied to the ribbon.
I spent an hour trying to think of how to attach this to the ribbon, so glad you bought that hole puncher. I shouldn’t have called it useless, it’s my favorite thing in the world.
Other than you.
I smiled and trailed my finger along the ribbon, following it until I saw another envelope just a foot away.
Remember our first night?
I looked at you and I couldn’t think about anything but you.
You’ve always been the girl I can’t get out of my head.
There was yet another about a foot away and I couldn’t help but laugh a little at this. She must have spent forever on this, but I couldn’t figure it out. Sure, Devon was romantic, but this was odd, I didn’t know what it was about. Perhaps she’s more romantic than I thought.
I wondered if this would be a regular thing as I opened the next little folded paper.
Lavender and vanilla.
God, I can’t get enough of how you smell.
I swear, you’re crack, it’s the only explanation why I can’t get enough of you.
And then another note. I hadn’t even made it out of the hallway yet.
You drive me crazy, and I guess that’s what love is. Crazy. I hope that’s okay with you, because crazy is how my life has been since I first saw you nervously playing with that beer bottle.
I found yet another one and I was starting to wonder how many there were.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I closed my eyes for a moment and then remembered that I had to follow this some more, see what this was all about, but I just felt so…warm after reading these already. She loved me, she didn’t think she loved be, she really just loved me. This must be so strange for Devon, to feel like this, hell, it was strange for me too. It must have been even crazier for her, to go from not even believing in love to feeling like this? Because of me? It was still hard to believe sometimes, but then Devon would do something and I wouldn’t know how I could have ever doubted it. Like this, whatever this was.
The ribbon turned into the kitchen, which was weird because I thought it would have gone to the living room. Maybe she had dinner for us or something.
She was nowhere to be seen however, but there were more little notes that ran across the ribbon and out the other door.
I like making you breakfast, even if it’s just toast with that blackberry jam you always get. I like seeing you smile in the morning, your hair all wild and tousled from the night before, or that morning, or just from sleep. You look beautiful in the morning. Hell, who am I kidding?
You always look beautiful.
I smiled and looked down at my feet as I walked to the next one. I don’t know why I did, she wasn’t standing there to see me do it, but it was Devon, she always made me feel like this. Like a high school girl who just heard her crush call her cute.
And dinners with you are always eventful. I like hearing about your day and I like seeing how excited you get about everything. You really just love life, all of it, and that’s so…you. It’s just perfect.
I walked to the next one and flipped it open.
I want to take you all over the world. I want to wake up and see you bathed in Spain’s light and I want to take you on a boat ride in Venice, I want to kiss you on the Eiffel Tower and buy you a lap dance in Vegas. Everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. I can’t think of anywhere I’d hate to be if you were there, and that is so new to me. The fact that I can be in a desert with you and be happier than I’ve ever been.
You do this to me, and I can’t see a time where this isn’t how I feel.
I ran my finger over that last sentence and I could feel my blush return and my heart flutter. We would last a while, and she believed it. Maybe not forever, but how could this just fade away after a few months? No, we had time to do these things. Travel and things. Belgian waffles in Belgium? Macaroons in Paris?
And a lap dance in Vegas. I couldn’t help but laugh at that because I could just see Devon now, watching that girl like a hawk to make sure she didn’t make any funny moves, which would be her job, and spending the rest of the night showing everyone I was hers until we got back to the room and I would put her mind at ease with a little show of her own before we fell into bed together, and, well, you know.
I moved to the next paper and smiled as I looked at her handwriting.
Only a few more. I guess I should say what I need to, huh?
I flipped it over to see if there was more, but there wasn’t so I moved to the next one, almost at the door that led to the living room.
I love you.
That’s what I need to say.
“I know that, silly.” I whispered with a smile as I ran a thumb over those words and moved onto the last note.
Go on, I’m right inside. Waiting for you to come through that door and see me there, like I always will be, because I can’t think about anything else I’d rather be doing right now, or ever, because every time you see me you smile, and that’s reason enough for me.
You’re smile.
Now hurry up, I’m waiting.
I took a slow, deep breath. I didn’t want to think about what it could be, because I knew where my mind would go and I didn’t want to think it was something and have it be something completely different.
I stood there for a while, trying to calm myself, before taking that final step and looking into the living room.
There weren’t any stringer of Christmas lights her this time, in fact, it was completely dark.
“Devon?” I whispered, scared to break the silence.
“One second. Don’t move.” She whispered back, her voice trembling ever so slightly. “I just need a moment. Please, stay there, j-just a second.”
I smiled at her slight stutter. She was rarely ever so flustered that it came out, but very occasionally it did. It was endearing, one of those things people see as an imperfection but something I couldn’t be without.
I waited there, listening to our breathing in the dark. I couldn’t see anything, not even the outline of Devon.
And then the lights came on.
Well, the lights on the Christmas tree came on, but it was enough light to see Devon.
Devon in a suit, on one knee, looking up at me with those dark blue eyes and holding her hands in front of her, a small red velvet box in the palm of them.
“It’s Christmas Eve.”
“Yeah.” I whispered, my voice shaking. And my legs. And my hands. And my entire body. Oh God. Oh fucking God, I’m going to cry. I’m going to be that girl. Oh God. Stop, don’t cry. Don’t.
Fuck. I thought when I felt my lip tremble slightly and I knew it was going to start soon.
“You get to open one present.” Devon said, smiling warmly up at me.
“Oh, right. Yeah.” I whispered.
“I think it’s best if I open this one for you, you’re shaking a bit.” She said with that smile and she opened the little box to show it.
A ring.
A diamond ring.
Oh God fuck shit hell.
She was proposing.
And shit, the tears were starting to roll down my cheeks.
“Babe, say something. Please.” She whispered that last word, her voice pleading and her eyes showing the worry and fear she was feeling.
I stepped forward and my hands found her cheeks, pulling her up to her feet and bringing her lips to my quickly and fiercely and just passionately.
I pulled away, breathing hard, when I finally had enough of kissing her for just a second.
“Yes. Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes.” I whispered against her lips and I felt hers move up into a smile before one had found purchase at the back of my head and she pulled me in for an even more passionate kiss, which I didn’t know existed.
She untangled her fingers in my hair, but didn’t stop kissing me as her hand trailed down my arm and found my fingers. She slipped the ring on my finger, our lips still moving against each other. I forgot how to breath, I forgot how to think, I forgot everything except Devon.
But that was okay, because I had Devon, and that’s what really mattered right now as she pulled me down on the floor to the thick blankets she had laid there because she knew this would happen.
“So you’ll marry me?”
“Yes.” I gasped into her mouth as I wrapped my legs around her, trying to pull her back into me.
“Good. I just wanted to make sure before I got too distracted.” She whispered, her lips crashing against mine once more.
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Oh God you guys.
Oh God.
I know it's short, but LOOK AT THAT SHIT.
Don't tell me you didn't love the fuck out of that?
I did. I'll be honest, I really did.
I mean, maybe you didn't like it as much as I did, but it was just...great. I can't explain it, it was just really nice I think.
THIS IS SO NOT THE END YOU GUYS, DON'T DO ANYTHING CRAZY YET.
Except love people, because that shit is crazy and you should love people all the time like crazy.
We have more crazy filled chapters, like wedding planning and bachelor parties and friends and a wedding and SO MANY THINGS.
I'll see you soon, yeah?
Comment, please, tell me everything you thought about, good, bad, and ugly. I really need to hear this all, even the bad stuff. Voting is nice, and I love it when you guys do that because I'm like 'THEY LIKE IT' but commenting makes my day because I get direct feedback about what made you love it and I'll get to put more of that stuff in there so you love ALL THE CHAPTERS SO MUCH YOU EXPLODE.
But don't explode.
Oh God, so much excitement, I can't handle this OBVIOUSLY. I should go. Post this and leave for a minute to catch my breath because reasons.
I love you.
Not in a weird way.
Unless it's weird.
And then I'm sorry, but I don't take it back.
BECAUSE LOVE IS CRAZY.
I need to leave now....