Juggling her phone and books, Chilarie shifted her bag, which was trying to slip off her shoulder, and turned the lock on her locker. She opened it to find it still pimped out with pictures of her and Brett, and other cute things she loved, and had to smile once more. She was practically the only one on campus, as she'd had to stay late for a tutoring session, and everyone she normally drove home had gotten rides from other people. She had almost wanted to skip the tutoring session because it was her birthday, but then again, she tried not to alert many people at school that it was her birthday, and she had actually felt like the student had made real progress during the session, so it had been worth it.
After putting her books away, she made sure she had everything she would need for the weekend, and then closed her locker. She was walking through the halls, ready to get home because it would only be a few more hours before she would see her boyfriend. She had tried to opt out of a birthday party this year, insisting her birthday was no big deal, but her mother had convinced her to having the family over for lunch for her birthday tomorrow anyway, and Brett was coming in town tonight for the weekend. He wouldn't have missed her birthday for anything even if she hadn't been having a party.
Since they had gotten back together, she had seen him five out of the six weekends that had passed, and she felt like they were finally getting back to where they had been at the beginning of the school year. Riley still lived in her house, and she still tutored him, but things had been surprisingly okay. He and Nicci had actually started dating just two weeks ago, and they had been on three dates already. She was glad to see her best friend happy with him, and especially glad to be finally feeling happy herself again.
As she was pushing open the double door to exit the building and walk to her car, she felt her phone vibrate. She looked at the display, and instantly felt a smile growing on her face. "How's my birthday girl doing?" the text from Brett read, and she was typing out a reply as she walked, not really paying attention to where she was going. She hit send about twenty feet from her car, and finally looked up, but the sight caused her to stop in her tracks, and her jaw dropped open.
There was a Jeep parked next to her Comet, and leaning against her car was her boyfriend, balloons and a big teddy bear in his arms. She nearly dropped everything in her arms, but settled for running over and throwing everything in the back of her car before jumping at him. He caught her, swiftly lifting her up and spinning her around before kissing her deeply. He had to set her down for a moment and made a show of checking his phone, reading the text she just sent him. "Oh, it's my girlfriend. I better answer. She doesn't know about you," he teased, pretending to type out a text.
Instead of responding to his banter, she grabbed his phone and threw it into her car before attacking him with another hug and kiss. She never wanted to stop kissing him. She had only been without him and with Riley for a short time, but if that time had done anything, it had definitely reinforced that she never wanted to be without him. He was the other half of her, with him she was complete in a way she had never known before, had never even thought was possible. She hadn't been sure it would be so easy to go back to how it had been, but she had been proven wrong, and they were better than they had ever been before, and she knew that they would only keep getting better.
When she was finally able to stop kissing him, she gave him a playful slap on the chest. "I really believed you wouldn't be here until later," she stuck her tongue out at him childishly and he grabbed the teddy bear from where he had set it on her car, holding it out toward her with a puppy dog look on his face. She knew this was his way of asking for forgiveness. She reached out and slowly grabbed it, unable to keep the huge grin off her face any longer. "Alright, I guess you're forgiven. What do you want to do for the next few hours until we have to be at my house for dinner?" she raised one eyebrow suggestively.
Smirking at her, he leaned down and gave her one more chaste kiss before stepping back. "We're going to go to the Rivercourt," he said assuredly, giving her no room to argue. She was a bit surprised that he already had a plan, but she decided to just go with it. They each got into their respective cars, and she followed him to the Rivercourt. What surprised her, was when she pulled up, and there were already a lot of people there. She looked around at her family members, and Brett when he got out of his car, grinning at her, and she blushed red as she ducked her head and slowly got out of the Comet.
Knowing that she should have caught on, or at least known better when her family had agreed that she didn't have to have a party, she just smiled and shook her head as she grasped her boyfriend's hand and walked over to her parents. "I should have known better. You guys never give in that easily when I say I don't want a birthday party," she hugged them regardless. "Thank you, though. You're amazing," she made the rounds, saying thank you to everyone that had come to celebrate her birthday, and expressing how surprised she was.
A little while later, she and Brett were standing with Nicci, Riley, James and Kate. She was glad they were all happy, and she loved the smile on her best friends face as she held hands with Riley. Riley leaned down and whispered in Nicci's ear, and she looked hesitant, but then she nodded with a grin. "Well, best friend, I'm going to leave you now. Enjoy your day, I'll talk to you later," she gave Chilarie a hug, and then she walked over to her parents, sharing some words with them before she followed Riley to his car.
As she watched them drive off, Chilarie was slightly worried for her best friend, but then she let it slide as her boyfriend distracted her. A lot of her family had left, and she let him lead her away from James and Kate, and over closer to the bleachers. "So, I have one last present for you, Chilarie, and I really hope you'll accept it," he paused, but before she could ask him why on earth she wouldn't accept it, he kneeled, which made her words catch in her throat, and continued. "I love you, Chilarie Hope Scott, and spending that time without you only reinforced what I already knew. I want to be with you forever. You're it for me. You're who I want next to me for the rest of my life. I know we're still young, and you're still in high school. I'm not saying it has to be now, but I want to be married to you. I want you to be my wife. So what do you say? Will you do me the amazing honor of making me the luckiest man in the world, by agreeing to be my wife?" he finished, staring up at her with those beautiful blue-grey eyes.
For a moment, she had absolutely no idea what to say. She stood there, in shocked silence, and she knew there were family members staring at her. She didn't know what to say or do. She knew her parents were still there, but couldn't bring herself to look over at her dad to see how pissed he was. Her first thought was that she didn't know if she was ready for marriage. Then she began to seriously consider it. She loved Brett. She did want to be with him forever. She loved him more than she ever thought possible. Did that mean she would always love him this much, though? There were plenty of people who were completely in love, and got married at a young age, and then they grow up, and grow apart. She didn't want that to happen with her and Brett, but she didn't know if she was positive it wouldn't.
Staring into his eyes, she finally realized. He was it for her. He was the one she wanted to go to bed every night with, and wake up every morning with. He was the one she wanted by her side. She didn't want to spend one day without him, like she had done recently. She wanted forever, with this amazing man, who didn't even realize his full worth, and she wanted to spend every day of the rest of her life telling him how amazing he is, and how much she loves him. She broke into a slow grin. "Yes, Brett Michael Casey, I will marry you. There is nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you, whether we marry tomorrow, or a year from now, I don't know, but I know that you are the man I want to marry," she said, her voice shaky with unshed tears. She didn't cry often, but she knew this was an occasion worthy of them.
Standing up, he pulled her into his arms and into a kiss. She tried to keep it as quick as possible, knowing there were people watching, but she just gave into it, and she heard some catcalls from somewhere, and pulled away with a grin, wiping at the lone tear that had slipped down her cheek. She let him slip the simple white gold diamond ring on her left hand, and grinned down at it, before she looked up, her eyes immediately searching for her father. She wanted to talk to him, to make sure he was okay with this, and she was extremely surprised that he didn't appear upset at all.
Giving Brett's hand a squeeze, she let him pull her left hand up to kiss it before she pulled away, and made her way over to Lucas. She didn't even notice her mother, who had a decidedly emotionless look on her face as she was taking down decorations and packing things into her vehicle to leave. "So, Daddy, looking forward to having a son-in-law?" she asked cautiously, her hands in the pockets of her jeans as she shuffled closer. She reached one hand up to rub the back of her neck as she awaited his reply, realizing how nervous she was.
Opening his arms, Lucas pulled her into a hug. "He asked me, before he asked for your hand. I said yes, pumpkin, or he wouldn't have asked at all," he smiled down at his daughter. "I can tell you're in love with him, but what impressed me most, before he even came and asked me, was the way he sat at your hospital bedside, and we had a conversation that night that proved to me how much he loves you. I can see it in the way he looks at you. He will have hell to pay if he ever hurts you, though," he assured his eldest daughter. "I think it will take some time for your mom to warm up to the idea, though," he added, slightly softer, as he turned his gaze on his wife.
Stifling a snort, because she had heard Lucas, even though he had lowered his voice, and she was a good ten feet away, Peyton turned to look at the father, daughter pair. "Warm up to the idea? No, I don't think that's going to happen. This is a divorce waiting to happen. You're in high school. You don't know what you'll want for the rest of your life. I sure as hell know I didn't, when I was in high school. Your father may have signed off on this sham of a wedding, but I'm not going to support a failure in my daughter's life, when I know that's what's going to happen," she said loud enough for everyone there to hear, then abandoned what she was doing, getting into her SUV and driving away.
A few hours later found Chilarie at the beach. She was crying, and she had left shortly after Peyton had driven away from the Rivercourt. She loved Brett, and she wanted to be with him forever, but she didn't know she could do something her mother was so adamantly set against. She was staring down at the ring. She had tried calling Nicci, because she hadn't even been there to witness the proposal, but her best friend hadn't answered, and she really didn't know who else to talk to. Brett had given her the space, but she kind of wanted him here with her now.
As if drawn by her thoughts, she heard footsteps in the sand, and something in her heart told her it was Brett. She didn't need to look up at her boyfriend-well, fiancé, she realized, if she was still going through with this-as he sat down beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and placing a kiss on her temple. He reached up with the other hand and dried her tears. "It'll all be okay, Little Scott," he murmured to her. "Even if you want to take back your yes, it's going to be okay," he added, hoping this would make her feel better.
Shocked, Chilarie found herself placing her right hand over her left, as if holding the ring in place. She realized then that she didn't want to give up on getting married to him, just because her mother didn't approve. She loved Peyton, and she would do anything for her mother to be happy for her, but she was going to do this, for herself and for the man she wanted to call husband. "You can't take it back now, Hotshot. I told you I was going to marry you. We're going to get married," she paused, an idea forming in her mind. "I'm thinking I'd really like a summer wedding," she finished, glancing up at him with eyes that were still rimmed with red from all the crying she had done.
Just then, her phone rang, and she saw Nicci's name on the display. She smiled, feeling better now that she had made a decision, and also because Brett was next to her-he always, without fail, made her feel better-and answered the phone. "Hey," she paused as Nicci mumbled out apologies, saying she had been with Riley, her phone had been on silent, but she had heard everything and wanted to know where Chilarie was. "Don't even worry. You're at my house, right?" she asked, and Nicci answered in the affirmative, "Alright, then, I will be there soon. With my fiancé," she said, taking Brett's hand with her free hand and giving it a squeeze.
When she walked into the house, Nicci was sitting in the living room, on the couch with Riley. She knew her brother was there with his wife, but his twin was not. She wasn't sure if any other family members were lingering around the house. She was on a mission, though. She had to talk to her mother. She barely looked over the brunette, but something caused her to stop in her tracks, and really look her over. She stepped closer, wary of other ears, and lowered her voice. "You had sex," she meant it as a question, but it came out a statement, even though she was wishing her best friend would tell her otherwise.
Widening her eyes at how well her best friend knew her, Nicci shook her head, indicating that she would give the blonde all the details later, and Chilarie just sighed, shaking her head slightly and then going up the stairs to look for her mother. She didn't have time to deal with this now. She heard Riley's cell phone ring and him take the call as she continued on the way to Peyton's study. She knocked when she reached the door, entering when her mother told her it was okay. She could tell Peyton was still upset when she entered the room, and she sat on the couch, like she had always been able to so she could talk to her mom. "Listen, I know you want to protect me and you think this isn't going to work out, but I just," she trailed off, pausing as she tried to figure out the right words.
Taking a deep breath, she looked at her mom, really hoping she could get her to understand. "Wasn't there a moment with Dad when you suddenly just knew that you were destined to be with him, and you wanted nothing more than to spend every day of the rest of your life with him? That no matter what happened, you would fight for him, because he was everything you had ever wanted and everything else you had thought you wanted up until that point would never matter without him? That even if you got every single other dream you had ever had, and even ones you didn't know you had, that it would mean nothing unless you spent every day trying to explain to him how much you loved him?" she spoke from the heart, hoping it would be enough.
Holding in her emotions, Peyton really listened to what her daughter had to say. She knew that Chilarie was feeling love for this boy, but she didn't think it was the forever kind of love that her daughter thought it was. She didn't think that one year from now, or five years from now, she would still love him like she did now. It took longer than a few months to figure out if you were in love with someone for life. "I know you think that now, and you have all those romantic ideals. But this is your first love, Chilarie, and they don't always last. I know you want me to support you, and trust me, I want you happy, but I will never be supportive of this marriage," she said firmly.
A part of Chilarie's heart broke then, and Peyton could see it in her eyes, but she was standing her ground with this, and really disappointed that her husband hadn't taken her side. Chilarie just shrugged slightly. "Well, Mom, I'm getting married this summer. I understand if you don't want to be a part of it, but it's happening. Haley and Nathan hadn't known each other long, and look at them. Just because you screwed around and messed up and almost lost Dad, doesn't mean that I'm going to do the same. I'm not going to waste time. I'm going to marry the man of my dreams. I only wish you would be there when it happens, but I guess you won't," she resolutely stood, and left the room.
Back downstairs, she found Brett and Nicci both waiting in the living room, but before she could say anything to them, Riley came running back into the room, having finished his phone call. "Hope, they found her!" he exclaimed, grabbing Chilarie by the shoulders. She was confused for a moment, her mind on the situation she was dealing with, so he went on. "I just got off the phone with my lawyer. They found my mother! She's out in California. I'm getting on a plane to go see her tomorrow. There's a good chance I can get my mom back," he explained, and she smiled, pulling him into a hug.
For just a moment, she got caught up in his excitement, then she remembered Nicci, and pulled back to look at her best friend. She could see the hesitation in Nicci's eyes. She had just given herself to him, and now he was leaving. "Will you come back?" she asked, more for Nicci than anything, as she looked back at Riley. She could see the excitement hesitate on his face, muted, but still there, and she realized this was the first time he had thought about her. He hadn't given his girlfriend a second thought, at all, and she felt for her best friend.
Apparently, Chilarie hadn't been the only one to see the look on his face. Nicci cleared her throat. "That's great, Riley. I'm happy for you," she said diplomatically, masking her hurt, before she left the house. Chilarie didn't know whether to go after her best friend or not, and was saved the trouble when Riley did, leaving her alone with her fiancé. She walked over to his embrace, thinking about the day, everything that had happened, everything that was going to happen. She knew it was going to be a long few months when Winter Break ended and school started again. She knew it was going to be hard, but she knew that with him by her side, she would make it through anything. She just wished she knew the same would be true for her family, and extended family members.
A/N: So a lot happened here. I know it's been a while, but I think my muse is really back this is the final chapter, however. I am writing another part in this world though. It will be uploaded soon, in a few days, I'd guess. I already have a few chapters written for it. I hope you guys like this final chapter, if anyone is still reading, and I hope you'll read the next part if you're so inclined.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.