My eyes followed Stefan ceaselessly as he made his way around the room, slowly growing closer to my seat. It wasn't the first time I have heard Stefan sing, but before it had been nothing but us singing along to the radio in his car. Never before did I realize just how wonderfully beautiful his singing voice was. Even with my attention focused on Stefan, I didn't miss the way every other girl in the room noticed my newfound information as well.
Jayden and Stefan finished the first chorus and suddenly both climbed to the nearest table top to belt out the chorus. They hopped down at the last word, and continued singing but my heart beat quickened as I saw that I was now in Stefan's sights. I felt the heat from dozens of other eyes on me but all that mattered were his. As he finished the end of the verse he stopped in front of me. Dropping to his knees, he let his free hand stroke the curls of my hair. The next words he sang without ever breaking his eyes away from mine. The words caressed the pain within my soul and slowly it all melted away. Standing once more, he gazed down into my eyes, throwing himself into the sentiment of the words that fell from his lips.
With the last pause of the song before the finale he reached his hand down to me and I saw in his eyes that he wanted my forgiveness. Accepting his hand was accepting his apology, and without a second thought-I did. Stefan's entire disposition beamed as he pulled me to my feet. His free arm slipped around my waist as his unbelievably entrancing soul finished the song.
The cafeteria broke into applause as Stefan turned the microphone off and set it on top of the table. His hands gently framed the sides of my face, while that stunning smile remained in place.
"Please say you forgive me, Greyson Rose."
I didn't bother speaking my answer; I let my lips crush against his and the overwhelmingly euphoric feeling was answer enough. His fingers curled into my hair as my arms wrapped tight around his shoulders pulling him into me.
The loudspeaker crackling made us part enough to hear what was going on. The unmistakable voice of our principal followed.
"Will the clever wannabe musicians come to my office immediately? We already know who the culprits are, Stefan and Jayden, so if you can get here within the next three minutes, then maybe your punishment will end before the turn of the century."
Laughter erupted from the cafeteria, but Stefan only smiled as he continued holding my face in his hands. It was the simplest moments, such as these, that made me realize just how much Stefan truly cherished me. He told me constantly that he didn't deserve me, but that's where he was wrong-I was the lucky one. I have, without a doubt, the best, most honest, faithful, dedicated, and genuine man that ever lived.
I am so incredibly in love with this man.
"Will you wait for me?" Stefan asked, breaking our silence.
My fingers trailed the length of his face, "Always." I answered with a promise I would keep for as long as I lived.
"Always," the word left my mouth as if I was there in that moment. Making that promise again for the very first time.
"Always what?" The sound of Kari's voice brought me back to the present, as I whipped around to face her. Finally emerging from the memory I had been lost within.
"Nothing, why?" My neck grew hot and as her eyebrow rose out of confusion. I worried she would ask more questions, I was way too shaky to answer.
"You just said it."
"Yeah," I replied. After a minute of staring at each other she nodded, realizing I had no intention of explaining further.
"Okay, so what were you doing?"
I shrugged, letting the relief of my body relaxing spread throughout my limbs. "Just … remembering." I answered as honestly as I could.
"Remembering what?" Kari took a seat at the table, staring shamelessly at the impressive bouquet in front of her.
My first instinct was to skirt around the whole subject and make my way out to the salon floor to lose myself in my work. For some reason, I couldn't though this time. Every other day it had never been an issue to keep my memories to myself but this time-I wanted to share them.
"Back in high school, when I was with Stefan, there was a day when I broke up with him because I thought something was going on with another girl. I was devastated all weekend long but Monday at lunch time in the cafeteria he sang to me." I smiled, shaking my head. "That isn't the right word. He did more than just sing to me. Stefan and my brother managed to play my favorite song over the loudspeakers, and he serenaded me as his way to beg me to forgive him."