A Proposal
September 2018
It's been almost four years since the shooting. It's been four years since Jake and I started dating. Jacob's been working with SPD for two years, and I'm starting my first year of Medical School at UW Medicine. Sarah and Will just turned four in July. Life was pretty good. I'm the junior girls leader with Alex at Generation, and Jake's the freshman guy's leader.
Ana and Max got married last month. Alex and Garrett got engaged three months ago, their wedding is set for August 2019. I'm her maid-of-honor. Jake and I have been dating for about four years now, and still no ring. I'm starting to wonder if Jake and I will actually get married.
Well, if he doesn't do something soon, I think I'm just going to have to do it.
xXx
"What are we doing for our anniversary?" I asked Jake, as he walked into the apartment.
"I just love coming home to find you sitting on my couch." Jake laughed. He walked over to where I was sitting, and gave me a kiss on my cheek.
"I was bored…and I do have a key." I returned the kiss on his lips.
"I see."
"So…" I started the question again. "What are we doing for our anniversary?"
"Uh…" Jake laughed, as he walked into the kitchen. "I thought that it was going to be a surprise."
"Oh, that's right…" I mused, as I felt Jake sit down next to me on the couch.
"I just thought that if I caught you off guard…" I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"You would tell me," I whispered in his ear.
Jake laughed. "You," He gave me a kiss, "thought wrong."
"Don't be so sure." I smiled wickedly, and straddled my boyfriend.
Wrapping my arms around his muscular neck, I leaned in for a kiss, placing my lips on his. I closed my eyes, and let myself sink into the kiss. I felt his tongue across my lips, and I allowed entrance. I laced my fingers in his soft, cropped hair, and pulled his forehead to mine, leaving the kiss.
"Where are you taking me for our anniversary?" I whispered viciously.
"You'll never get it out of me." Jake whispered back, just as cruelly.
I narrowed my eyes at Jake, but before anything else could be said, my phone started ringing.
…come seek us where our voices sound; we cannot sing above the ground. An hour long you'll have to look, to recover what we took. An hour long you'll have to look to recover what we took. Your time's half gone, so tarry not…lest what you seek stays here to rot…
"Yes?" I answered. Soon, the loud voices of my siblings came into my ear.
"Nessie!" The screaming, laughing, voices of Sarah and William said. I pulled the phone away from my ear.
"Hey," I laughed, as I put the phone back to my ear. "What's up, Thing One and Thing Two?"
"Mommy wants to know if you and Jake were coming over for dinner tonight," Sarah said.
"Of course," I smiled. "Do you guys want us to bring anything?"
"I don't know…" Sarah trailed off.
"Can you ask Mommy?"
"Uh-huh," I heard Sarah's running feet, and then a muffled conversation between her and Mom.
"Mommy says to bring a giant-big chocolate cake with lots of frosting." Sarah said.
I heard Mom's laugh. "No, sweetie…" I heard the phone transition.
"If you two could bring a salad that would be greatly appreciated." Mom laughed.
"Will do," I smiled. "Anything else?"
"No, we have Rose and Alice bringing food. Just make sure that it's enough for everyone."
"Of course," I smiled. "We'll be there around six."
"See you then." I heard the click of the phone, and the line went dead.
"Oh, that's right…" Jake muttered. "We're having dinner at your parents tonight."
"It is Sunday…" I reminded him. I got off of him, and the couch, and headed towards the kitchen.
"This reminds me…I still need to make sure I have everything I need for tomorrow."
"First day of med school…" I felt Jake wrap his arms around my waist. I smiled as he buried his face in the crook of my neck.
"Four more years of school…" I mused.
"Well, don't forget, you still have an internship…residency…"
"True…" I said. "But, I'll still be a doctor. A surgeon."
"Are you going to go down the infamous path of the Cullens, and be a trauma surgeon?"
"How much time have you spent with my family?" I laughed.
"Not enough," Jake smiled.
"You're such a kiss-ass." I playfully slapped his arms away from my waist.
"Is that a good thing?" Jake smiled.
"Maybe…" I trailed off. "Or maybe it's a horribly evil thing."
"Are you going to tell me which?" Jake turned me around, and leaned close to my face.
"Never," I whispered, as Jake pressed his lips against mine.
xXx
Dinner that night was surrounded by questions of school, life, and of course, if Jake and I had been engaged yet, and since the answer was 'No', the question of when we were going to be engaged was asked.
As it was like for almost two years now. Esme had started these engagement questions, simply by asking if Jake had proposed yet. When we both blushed, and Jake had awkwardly told her that he hadn't, she had started an argument, stating that she wanted to see her grandchildren married before she died. That she wanted great-grandchildren before she died. Every week for the past two years, she's made this blatantly clear to the whole family.
Now, it was almost like a joke. I swear to God, if Jake doesn't ask soon, I think I'm going to have to buy the ring and ask him myself. Seriously. We've been dating for four years. What could possibly be holding him back from getting married?
Unless, he was planning it for this weekend when we celebrate our fourth year.
Oh. My. God.
He was. He is. I knew it. That explains why he wants to keep it a surprise.
Now, all I have to do is play along for the next week, and act as if I knew nothing.
Easy.
xXx
Friday night, when Alex and I returned to our apartment, Alex instantly harped on me, wanting to get me ready for the anniversary date.
"Don't you have better things to be doing than getting me ready for my date tonight?" I asked, as Alex sat me down in front of the vanity mirror she had in her room.
"Please. You know that Garrett do wedding planning things on Saturdays and Sundays. The rest of the week's too full, and Friday is always reserved for the endless amounts of weekend homework. Which, today, I finished, so I can get you ready for your date." Alex explained, looking for her brush.
"I feel so special," I said sarcastically.
"Shut it, Cullen." Alex faced me away from the mirror, and started tugging my hair with her brush.
"Don't you want to look nice for Jake when he proposes or not?"
"He doesn't know that I know, right?" I asked, letting Alex continue with my hair.
"Not a clue," Alex assured.
"Good," I relaxed a little, and let Alex get me ready.
After she curled my hair, and put it into a half up-do, she did my makeup, giving my eyes a smolder –y Smokey effect, and lightly coloring my cheeks. She painted my lips with a light red gloss, and handed me a black dress.
"He'll be here in about ten minutes." Alex informed, as she left the bathroom.
Taking the dress, I headed into my own room to finish getting ready. I tugged on my sheer nylons, and pulled on the dress, making sure I didn't ruin the hair Alex had worked so hard for. I grabbed my stilettos as I heard Jake knock at the door.
"Happy anniversary," Jake smiled, holding out a bouquet of red roses as I opened the door. I heard Alex sigh happily in the disantce.
Smiling, I took the roses. "Happy anniversary," I whispered.
"Oh, just kiss already," Alex mutterd.
I looked over the corner to find Alex spying on us. "Do I do this to you and Garrett when he picks you up for a date?" I asked.
"No…" Alex said. "But, may I remind you, I did re-introduce the two of you. I have certain rights."
"Really?" Jake said. "I don't remember learing the rights of Alexandria Dupree, soon to be Alexandria Rolfson, in the acadamy."
Alex's eyes widened as Jake said her name. "What have I told you about calling me that?"
"Alex, what are you going to do when Jim says your full name during the ceremony?" I asked.
"I'm paying that man good money not to say 'Alexandria Nicole Dupree.'" Alex huffed.
I raised my eyebrows. "I see."
Jake laughed with a slight shake of his head. "Ready to go?" He asked, holding his arm out. I grabbed onto it for balance, and finished putting on my shoes.
"I am now," I smiled.
He walked me down the flight of stairs, and to the car. After driving around for about an hour, we arrived at the Landmark Crest Theater.
"Okay…so the first part of the date is a movie…" I muttered. I thought for a moment, and then looked at Jake.
"The Raven?" I asked.
Jacob smiled. "You've been hinting at it for weeks now. What else was I supposed to do?"
I smiled, giving Jacob a quick kiss on the cheek as we entered the building. He got the tickets, chocolate, popcorn, and soda for us to share, and we entered the theater the movie was showing in.
I found myself clinging to Jake throught the whole movie. It was good, but it was scary as hell. After the movie, I figured that Jake would take me to dinner. I was greatly surprised when he drove into the vallet lot of SkyCity.
"Oh, my God, Jake…" I muttered, as he led me into the Space Needle gift shop.
"SkyCity? This is like the most expensive resturant…"
"Nothing is too expensive for my girl," Jake smiled, giving me a kiss.
We went up the elvevator, and were immeditalty directed to our seats. After ordering, Jake and I began conversation.
"So, how's school going?" Jake asked, taking a piece of the bread that the waitress had left us.
"Let me just say that I cannot wait to be an intern." I rubbed my temple. "It's tough."
"How tough, exactly?" Jake raised his eyebrow.
"Take my complaints about how hard college was, and then multiply them by ten."
Jake raised his eyebrows, and whistled. "Glad I'm not a doctor."
"Hmm." I smiled in agreement. "Mom and Dad both said that the first year's the hardest. After that, it'll be easier." I sighed.
"I hope they're right." Jake said.
"You and me both." I laughed.
Our food came, and the conversation went on. So far, nothing tipped me off about a ring, but I kept my vigilance. He would have to do it soon, right? I mean, he has to do it tonight. He's waited four years now.
Dinner came, and went, and still no proposal. After our dessert, Jake led me down the stairs, and to the observation deck of the Needle. It was nearing midnight, and the city was completely lit up. There was a ferry boat coming towards the dock. The lights of cars on the highway looked almost christmas like.
"It's beautiful," I breathed, leaning against the railing.
"You're beautiful." I felt Jake wrap his arms around my waist, and rest his head in the crook of my neck. Gently, he placed a kiss on my cheek.
I snickered a bit. "And you're cheesy."
"Is that a good thing?" Jake turned me around so that I was facing him.
"Maybe," I murmured as he leaned closer for a kiss.
Pulling away from the kiss, he rested his forehead on mine.
"I love you," He whsipered.
I felt my cheeks getting warmer, as my smile grew to my cheeks. I looked down, feeling sixteen all over again.
"Renesmee," He started. "I love you more than anything else in this world. That night, when you almost left us, I almost lost everything. I still don't know how I…how we got lucky enough to keep you here." He lifted my head, and carresed my cheek with the pad of his thumb.
"Jacob…" I searched his eyes, not knowing what to say.
"Whenever I'm around you, I lose myself. In your eyes, the way you move…your hair."
"My hair?" I raised my eyebrows.
"It smells good. And your very, very ballsy. It keeps me in line." He smiled.
"You're intense, your intelligent, complicated. Like a single-malt scotch. I can't picture my life without you in it. I don't know what I would have done if God took you that night."
He got down on a knee, and my heart rate quickened. "Oh, God, Jake…" I had tears in my eyes.
"You keep me grounded, and happy. Nessie, you make me so happy." He took a deep breath, and looked down.
Looking back up again, he took another deep breath, as he took out a small box from his pocket. "Renesmee, will you marry me?" He opened the box to reveal a 14-karat white gold ring, with a line of round diamonds. The center of the ring was a heart shapped diamond that sparkled like the sun's reflection in Lake Washington.
I started shaking, and crying. I fell to my knees, and onto Jake.
"Yes," I cried, lifting my head off of his shoulder. "Yes."
With a shaky hand, he slid the ring onto my finger. I fell back onto him, giving him a kiss as we fell to the floor of the observation deck.
"Young love," I heard an older woman sigh happily.
Blushing, I pushed Jake off of me, and we both stood up.
"Oh, don't be embarresed," The old woman smiled. "I remember my first date." She smiled, and continued walking down the walkway.
Laughing, Jake brushed my hair away from my face, and wiped away the stray tears that were still falling.
"You know," He said, giving me that sloppy grin I fell in love with. "I had this whole proposal planned out for dinner…about a year ago. But, I got so nervous, and it just didn't feel right. And then I planned it for dinner tonight. But, uh, I got nervous and it slipped my mind."
I smirked, and leaned towards his face, giving him another kiss. "It's okay." I whispered in his ear.
"I liked that version better anyway."