She nodded, her eyes wide and wet with emotion as she met my gaze. Her mouth opened and then closed, but no sound came out.
I beamed up at her, trying to savor this moment in my mind, trying to memorize it so I could always return to it. I held up the velvet box in front of her and slowly opened it, revealing the vintage ring inside.
She gasped. I could see the nerves, wonderment, and excitement across her face—the same feelings I was feeling inside as I looked up at her—at my best friend, my love, and—hopefully—my soon-to-be wife.
“Jax,” she let out in a hushed voice, “That looks like the ring from Doyle & Doyle in New York when we went nine months ago.”
“It is the ring from Doyle & Doyle.” I beamed up at her, remembering how much she had loved this ring that day.
She looked like she was in shock as she looked down at the engagement ring in disbelief. “But how were you able to get it? Didn’t they say that it was a really rare vintage diamond ring and expected it to be sold by the end of that week?”
“It was sold by the end of that week—actually end of that day.” My grin grew wider as I saw the understanding flash through her eyes.
“You didn’t,” she gasped.
I nodded. “I went back later that day and bought it. I knew then that this day would come and I wanted to give you the perfect ring. It looked beautiful on you, and I knew from the way your face lit up when you put it on that it made you happy.”
“You’ve had it this entire time?” She was still in disbelief. “But we’ve been living together. I’ve never seen it before around the house or in the safety deposit box you have in the bedroom.”
I chuckled. “Do you really think I’d risk spoiling the surprise and miss out on this priceless look on your face? It’s been sitting in my safety deposit box at the bank.”
“Oh.” She became silent when she finally accepted that this ring was really in front of her. “It’s beautiful, Jax,” she whispered. “It’s too beautiful.” There were tears in her eyes as she stared between the ring and then to me.
“It was made for you, Clo. To me, you’re like this ring—you’re a rare, one-of-a-kind diamond that could never be replicated.”
“Oh, Jax. I…” Tears streamed down her face. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say yes.” I reached for her hand. “I love you, Clo. When we were thirteen, we made a pact under the makeshift northern lights I created on your bedroom ceiling. I promised you that night that I’d marry you and be there for you. Now that I have you in my life, now that I know how happy I can be with you by my side, I realize that that promise isn’t enough for me anymore. With this ring, and under the real aurora borealis, I promise you a forever. I promise you my now, my forever, and everything in between. Will you let me fulfill this promise to you and marry me?”
“Yes.” She threw her arms around me and pressed her lips on mine. “Yes. Yes. Yes,” she repeated when she pulled away, her voice softer each time she repeated it. I slipped the ring onto her finger and it still fit perfectly, like it was made just for her.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Chloe
“You’re kidding, right?” Jackson looked up from his Calculus textbook.
I giggled and shook my head. “No, I’m serious. I love this place.” I leaned back against the palm of my hands and inhaled the subtle, sweet smell of freshly cut grass. “Wouldn’t you want to have yours here?”
“I’ve actually never thought about where I’d want to get married.” He looked around at the lake. “I do love this place, but it never crossed my mind.”
I smiled as I looked over at the bridge at the narrow end of the lake and saw a small glare reflecting off of something on the bridge. I knew it was our love lock. When the afternoon sun hit its shiny, metal surface at just the right angle, it would always give off a glare, reminding me that it was there.
“I think this place is perfect. It’s one of my favorite places and I’ve had a lot of great memories here.”
“So you don’t want a fancy wedding?”
I shook my head. “Nothing is important except how happy I’d be at my wedding. I know I’d be happy here. None of that other stuff matters.”
***
“Are you nervous?” Uncle Tom gave me a reassuring smile as he offered his arm.
I looked up into his gaze and smiled confidently “No. I’ve never been more ready about anything in my life.”
Uncle Tom patted my hand and smiled back knowingly, “Your Aunt and I have always known you two were destined to be together, even when you were just a couple of kids splashing around in this very lake.”