What? Haven Hiatus? For a month? Okay guys, calm down, we might get through this. So until then I'll try to update this more often to keep my feelings at bay. Once again thanks for all the reviews, the more the merrier
Chapter 10: Dinner
When Audrey walks into their small house she is met by an assortment of candles lighting the dim room. It reminds her of their first real date, well what should have been their first date. She had even gone so far as to add candles, feeling romantic and caught up in the moment. She still wonders what would have happened if she hadn't been taken and they had actually gotten their date. It also reminds her of their first unofficial date at that restaurant, though that hadn't exactly gone according to plane either.
She runs her hand over the smooth wood of one of the chairs, smells whatever it is that Nathan is cooking from the kitchen and God, it smells wonderful. It reminds her of their makeup date, the night after she'd been kidnapped and found. Nathan had brought take out up to the apartment and relit several of the candles to make it seem…more normal. She was so happy and thankful for the food that she hadn't realized what the dinner had meant to him at the time.
She made it up to him when they realized she wasn't going to disappear into some barn and was sticking around for a while. She cooked him a proper sit down meal, and he kindly pretended to like it. She relit all the candles for the third time and this time they both saw it as an actual date as well as a celebration. That was the first night she had kissed him, actually kissed him. Not as a thank you or as a completely different person, but as her. Audrey Parker kissed Nathan Wournos to tell him that she loved him and she wasn't going anywhere.
"Parker?" Nathan sounds surprised when he enters the dining room with a covered platter.
"Hey," she says.
"You're home early," he states, setting the tray down.
"What's going on?" She asks.
"I made dinner," he says and then as an afterthought adds, "like always."
"We don't usually eat in here, and what's with the lights?"
"I thought you'd like them," he shrugs. She raises her eyebrows at him, but bites her lip with a smile.
"Alright, I'll drop it, so what's for dinner, honey?" He pulls back a chair for her to sit in and that's when she notices what he's wearing.
"Nathan Wournos is that a bowtie?" She asks. He looks down at his shirt before looking back up to meet her eyes.
"Well it's almost Christmas; I thought I'd dress up."
"Seriously Nathan, what is going on?"
"Patience," he says before running back to the kitchen to get a bottle of wine. Audrey casts weary glances at him throughout the meal; he merely smiles but doesn't let up. After they finish the food, that she's half convinced he didn't cook himself, he tells her to get her coat.
"Where are we going?" She asks.
"You'll see."
"You're being awfully cryptic tonight Chief, are you going to take me out to the woods and murder me?"
"You'll see," he repeats, wrapping a scarf around her neck.
"Can we bring Chief?" She asks.
"I think he'll be okay alone for a few hours." Audrey glances at the dog who is seated in the doorway between the kitchen and dining room.
"Don't tell me you're having separation anxiety," Nathan sighs.
"Oh be quiet," she says hitting him lightly before heading out the door. They drive down to the water and Audrey starts thinking maybe he really is going to kill her and dump the body. Well it was a little late to discover your boyfriend's a serial killer.
He opens the door for her when they arrive and holds her hand as he leads her down the docks.
"Come on," he says, "it's been more than ten minutes since you've asked what's going on."
"I've decided to just go with it."
"Famous last words Parker." The cold December air whips around them as they walk through the moist sand. Audrey shivers and Nathan wraps his arm around her, drawing her close to him as they finish their journey.
"Okay, now I'll ask," she says once they've stopped right before the waves hit their feet, "what's going on."
"Do you remember when the Chief died and I was sitting out here?"
"Yeah, and you told me to go away."
"Not in those exact words but yeah."
"Where is this going?"
"And this is where you figured out I could feel you."
"Go on."
"And we found out that you weren't really you."
"That was a busy day."
"And I realized that I don't care if you're Audrey Parker or Lucy Ripley or Sarah Vernon because I know exactly who you are, even if I don't know your name."
"Nathan," she whispers as he holds her hand tighter.
"I love you," he says, a smile breaking out over his face.
"I love you too," she says quietly.
"Since that first moment when I saved you from your rental car and you slammed the door on my fingers."
"Tough guy."
"And it isn't just because I can feel you, that's a plus definitely, but that isn't it. I felt this way before you kissed my cheek after Jess left, and if I hadn't, I don't think I'd feel any differently today." At this point she was aware of a tear rolling down her usually composed face, though she wasn't sure why.
"So basically you waltzed into this town one day and all these bad things started happening and you fixed them and you fixed me."
"You would have been just fine without me Wournos," she says, voice cracking a bit.
"No I wouldn't have, I wouldn't be okay if I'd lost you that day with the barn or any day before that."
"So…?"
"So, Audrey Parker or Lucy Ripley or Sarah Vernon or whatever you'd like me to call you, I'm confessing my undying love and devotion to you."
"Why?"
"Why?" He sounds surprised and slightly hurt by the question. "Because I should do it every day."
"Stop it Nathan, if anyone saw me crying I'd lose my reputation."
"Think of what would happen if they found the Chief of police down on one knee?"
"What?" She asks as he lowers himself down, hand still holding hers.
"Nathan what the hell are you doing?"
"Use those powers of deduction Audrey," he says with a smirk, shaking the small ring box that he's had in his pocket for weeks.
"Nathan," she chokes out.
"Shut up a sec and let me talk?" She nods. "I love you, I do, I love you Audrey Parker and I want to marry you." She's still for a few moments as they both watch each other. She notices how Nathan's face falters just the slightest, probably thinking of everything that she could possibly say.
"What if I disappear one day?" She asks when she finally finds her voice.
"You're not going anywhere," he tells her.
"But if I do?"
"Then you'll be my wife first."
"Audrey Wournos," she whispers, tasting the name in her mouth.
"Obviously I'd still call you Parker."
"Audrey Prudence Parker Wournos."
"I mean Nathan Parker sounds okay too but-"
"Yes," she says suddenly, cutting off whatever snarky comment he was about to make.
"What?" He looks genuinely surprised and it makes her heart melt, because a part of him honestly thought she'd say no.
"Yes, yes I'll marry you, yes you can call me whatever you want," she says and by now she's definitely crying. He quickly stands from his position and pulls her to him.
"I love you," he says before leaning down to capture her lips. When they finally pull back, both out of breath and giggling.
"Can I see the ring before I make any final decisions?" She asks. He pulls the box back out and opens it.
"It was my mother's," he explains as she marvels at the piece of jewelry.
"It's beautiful," she says.
"I hope it fits, if not we can go resize it," he takes it out and gently slides it onto her left hand.
"A perfect fit," she mumbles, "must be fate." She looks back up at her fiancé whose smile could burn out the town and she feels the inexplicable urge to jump into the water. Of course with the prospect of getting hypothermia she doesn't. They kiss again as she wraps her arms around his neck to anchor herself and he wraps his around her waist.
"I love you," she says, leaning their foreheads together.
"I love you so much," he says.
"I can't wait to tell Chief," she says giggling.
"Too late, already showed him the ring."
"Of course you did," she says before kissing him again.
So wow, was that fluffy enough? I've been thinking about it for a while and this is what happens when you mix exams with too little sleep and a hiatus. I really do hope you enjoyed it. Please review and I'll try to update soon. Until next time…