3rd persons POV
The soft breeze carries throughout the large island in Fiji. Mackenzie and Lauren were the final two girls competing to win Ben's heart.
While both girls get ready in their separate quarters, Ben meets with the jeweler the Bachelor show provides. "Hey Ben, how are you doing?" The familiar guy asks and he sets a brief case down on the table inside Ben's room. "I'm good...a bit nervous if we're being honest," He tells the jeweler and lets out a breathy laugh.
"It's a nervous experience, unpredictable. But the end result makes all of this worth it," Ben takes his words to heart because that was exactly how he was feeling in the current moment. The jeweler sets out a small case that held about 4 different ring options. There was a round, a cushion, a radiant and a princess cut but Ben's eyes immediately sought out the cushion cut.
It was elegant yet classy, as well as very vibrant with the details. Which describes Mackenzie perfectly.
She's going to love it Ben thinks as he finishes up with the jeweler.
Back in the hotel suite, Mackenzie finished up the last touches of her hair. Just a soft curl, flowing down her back and framing her face. Her makeup was simple but elegant; a soft base using tinted moisturizer, adding definition back to her face with bronzer— as well as adding a little blush and hi light to bring everything together. With brows on the naturally full size, she doesn't apply anything to them, just adding some mascara to her already long lashes to make her distinct-full eyes pop.
Mackenzie looks at herself in the mirror, softly biting her lip as butterflies of happiness and nervousness stir in her stomach.
The dress she had picked out was currently resting on her bed to make sure no wrinkles would crease the dress. This was her most outgoing dress...half white and half light blue. Even though it was a bit out there, it was the most beautiful and calming dress she had ever seen.
As Lauren and Mackenzie slowly finish up getting ready, Ben decided to make one last phone call.
"This is Michael," the person on the other line answers as Ben holds the phone that is currently on speaker. "Hi, Mr. Davis, this is Ben Higgins," there's a short pause before the man, Michael Davis, responds. "Ben! How are you?"
"I'm doing well man how are you doing?"
"I'm doing great thank you, great to hear from you,"
"The reason that I'm calling...is that, I love your daughter a lot," Ben's heart starts to race, tears rising to the surface at just the mention of the dark haired beauty. "And I wish...I wish I could've told you that back when I was in Denver. I am so confident and so excited, um, and I am ready to try and make your daughter the happiest woman in the world, forever. And, I would like to ask your for your daughters hand in marriage,"
Ben paces as he finishes his speech to Mackenzie's father.
"Well it's about damn time!" Mr. Davis barks out a laugh through the receiver which instantly calms Ben's nerves. "I have no doubt in my mind that you love her and want to take care of her. If I'm being honest, I've seen the look you give my daughter, and that was the exact same look I have my wife when she was still alive. I wish you nothing but the best, so yes you have my blessing, you've got the family's blessing, and I can't wait to give you guys hugs when I see you next!"
The phone call eventually comes to an end. Now knowing that he had Mackenzie's fathers blessing, made this moment a whole lot more special.
Ben lets out a loud hoot as the girls board separate helicopters to take them to where Ben is.
At the beginning of this whole journey I was terrified of being vulnerable, but more than anything I was terrified of today. Of getting to this point. Feeling the feelings that I feel...and getting my heart broken.
The helicopter lands and Chris Harrison opens the door for Mackenzie, offering his hand to help her out of the chopper.
"Mackenzie, hi, welcome,"
"Hi, thank you," The raven haired beauty let's out a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves in the pit of her stomach.
I feel like I'm at my best when I'm with Ben. And as scared as I am, I don't doubt for a second that Ben loves me. But there's another person on the other side of this, and I just don't know what they have...
Chris stops Mackenzie towards the end of the path in front of a small bridge. The scenery around her was beautiful and tranquil but that still didn't calm her nerves.
"How are you feeling?" Chris asks, and Mackenzie let's out a shaky breath, shaking her head with a nervous smile. "I'm nervous..."
"Are you ready?"
"Yeah,"
"Alright, right across the bridge Ben's waiting for you,"
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh Mackenzie repeats to herself as she walks across the bridge.
I want to hear Ben tell me that he loves me. Not just one lore time, but like, for the rest of my life.
I'm just overwhelmed honestly. Like this is too scary. Today will either be the best day of my life...or the worst day.
Mackenzie fights the smile on her face as she comes to a stop in front of Ben. "Hi," Mackenzie let's out a nervous sigh as Ben closes their gap with a long awaited hug. His face nestled in the crook of her neck taking in her scent. To Mackenzie, she didn't want to leave his arms, but to Ben, this felt like home. "Well you couldn't look anymore beautiful," Ben chuckles after he pulled away, taking both her hands and guiding her onto the large platform, soaking in her beauty. "And you couldn't look anymore handsome," their palms relax against one another, just feeling each other, their fingers slowing intertwining. "How are you feeling?" Mackenzie had to stop and think for a minute. Yes, she was nervous, she was enthralled, but at the same time, she was timid, and so irresistibly and irrevocably in love with Ben Higgins. "I just can't believe I'm standing in front of you right now. That first week sitting out there on the front steps of the mansion with you, and you asked me to trust you, I did completely. That night, kissing you for the first time, that was the last first that I ever wanted to have. Coming into this whole thing, I didn't know that a love like this existed. I had great examples of what I could be like from my parents, but I have never experienced a greater love than I have with you. You're the person I want to spend my whole life with. You are— you're my person. I love you. I love you."
It had felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Mackenzie has never felt so much calmness and clarity in her life.
"I came into this honestly feeling unlovable, like I couldn't be loved or that I was never gonna find that person to love me wholly. And then we go through this experience, that's in a journey, it's full of goodbyes. Mackenzie, I never want to say goodbye to you. I want to wake up every morning and kiss you on the face. I want to go to bed at night and know that in the morning I'm gonna wake up next to the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. My desire from here on out, is to live for you. To commit to you, to love you, to hold you, to kiss you a lot... Mackenzie I want to spend the rest of my life with you," Mackenzie can hear Ben sniffle as he let's go of her hands, takes a small step back and reaches on the inside of his suit to grab the box that the ring was held in before slowing dropping to one knee.
"Mackenzie, will you marry me?"
..... just kidding lol.
Mackenzie's hand shakes as Ben slips the ring onto her left ring finger. Her free hand covering her mouth as she tries to process everything. The butterfly feeling returns, and this time, she knows that it's not nerves, but excitement, joy, love, lust, and all of the above.
Ben grips her hips and pulls her close. Her arms falling into place around his shoulder as he claims her lips as his.
This had been everything that she had hoped for. Their lips move together in synchronicity, the soft flesh of Ben's lips overlapping Mackenzie's as her fingers run through the end of Ben's hair.
This felt like heaven on earth for Ben. Yes, he had been in love before, but he had never felt a truer love before. Mackenzie was it for him. And in all honestly, she was the one Ben had been hoping for all along.
"This is the happiest day of my whole life, my whole life," Mackenzie giggles as she presses her hands against Ben's stubbly cheeks that are stretched wide from grinning so hard.
"Mackenzie..."
"What?" She laughs before he bumps his nose on hers, "you're my person,"
Mackenzie let's out a loud laugh. "You're my person!" ... before Ben could say anything else, his lips are covered by a finger. "If we say that anymore I may start to believe we're in Grey's Anatomy," Ben let's put a deep laugh, nipping at her finger quickly to get her to remove it. "C'mere," he grumbles lustfully and draws her back in for a kiss.
"Mmm, wait," Ben pulls away, which very little reluctance. He sept back while still holding one over hands, to reach the very last red rose he would ever give out.
"Mackenzie, will you accept my last and final rose?"
"Give me that thing," Mackenzie giggles, snatching the rose and gripping Ben's hand and drawing him back to her.
"Are we ready to celebrate?"
Happy late Holidays/Christmas, or whatever you celebrate! You guys, I want to apologize for being so inactive. I started at a new university so I've been trying to adjust to that and my classes and being away from home. But I'm on my break for a little bit longer, so I will try to update the best of my ability! Once I start school back up, I don't know how often I will be able to update, but I promise I will try my best to get stuff done whenever I can.
Thank you guys,
Brianna 💜