A/n: I am so very sorry for the long wait. I honestly didn't mean to leave you guys hanging that long. For all the freshmen in high school, just a heads up, sophomore year is one of the hardest years. Here is the next chapter. Review if you feel a need to.
Chapter 25
"I love it." Erik said, he said. "Listen Tanya, I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. You didn't need to..." Bang! A gunshot rang through the park...
Erik tackled me to the ground as another bullet hit the tree next to us. Screams filled the air around us, but I only acknowledged Erik's breathing in my ear. His breath was coming in fast short gasps. "Erik..." I whispered. My heart beat rapidly in my chest. "Someone was definitely out for me, you, or both of us. Who would go as far as to try to shoot one of us? Raoul might, just might, but could he do it? Maybe he hired someone to do it, a hit man of sorts."
"Perhaps you right. That sly boy is capable of anything." Erik rolled off of me and sat up, dragging me with him so we both were sitting. "Tanya, are you alright?" I looked into Erik's worry filled eyes. He placed his hands on either side of my face and rested his forehead against mine.
"I don't know." I replied. "No... Probably not." Erik hugged me and we waited as police men came to investigate. They interrogated everybody who had been nearby. When they got to Erik and I, we were sitting on a bench, Erik holding me close.
"Good afternoon you two." an officer said. "Can you tell me what happened?"
"We were about to leave the park when we heard a gunshot. Then another one was fired and hit that tree over there." I pointed at the tree. "My boyfriend thought fast and tackled me to the ground just in case the shooter tried to get us again."
"Did you see the person with the weapon, miss?" he asked.
"No." I answered. "I didn't see anybody at all."
He turned to Erik. "I didn't see anybody either, officer."
"Do you know if there is anybody who could have possibly done it? Perhaps somebody you know with a grudge, or you owe something to?" Raoul instantly came to my mind.
"Yes, officer." The situation with the man in the van outside my store and Raoul was discussed. With all of it off my chest, I felt kind of good. The police man said he'd do all he could and if we wanted, we could be watched twenty-four seven, but Erik said that we'd be fine. Somehow, I didn't trust if that would be true.
...
Later that night, I couldn't sleep. No matter how hard I tried, my eyes just wouldn't close without remembering the shooting. My mind kept asking things like "What if Erik would have been shot? What if you had been shot? Someone could have died." Tired of being all alone with my rushing thoughts, I left my room and went to Erik's. He had a gorgeous room with red walls and gold accents; it reminded me of a vintage theatre. A mahogany desk sat up against a wall next to a matching dresser. Erik sat at the desk, looking over a piece of paper. His glasses were sitting on his nose and his mask lay on the desk. "Erik?" I asked. He turned and looked at me. A man like him shouldn't have a marred face. If his outside matched his inside, he would look like Channing Tatum, only better, with more love in his heart than a thousand oceans could hold.
"Yes, Tanya?" I walked over to him and hugged him. "Tanya, you okay?"
"No. I can't sleep with all that happened today." Tears threatened to fall. "My thoughts are on everything about today. What if you would have been shot? You could have died. I would be devastated if you left me. Everybody does and I hate it." The dam that held all of my emotions inside was about to burst. "What if I would have been shot? Would you have moved on from me?"
"Tanya, oh Tanya." Erik wrapped his arms around me. "If you died, I would probably die of a broken heart. You are my inspiration to do better, only love, best friend, my everything. Tanya, my sweet, loving, beautiful angel. There is no one like you. No one on this Earth could replace you." He let go of me and started going through a drawer. No. Way. He isn't looking for... Erik pulled out a little box. He is. My hands flew to my mouth.
"Erik," I choked. Tears were rolling down my cheek.
"I was going to ask you at the ball in two weeks, but I can see that it shouldn't be postponed." Erik said with a smile on his face as he got down on one knee. "Tanya Maree Hart, would you do the honor of being my best friend, lover, and wife for the rest of our lives?" The box was opened and sitting perfectly in the black velvet sat a silver ring with an amethyst shaped into a flower. I let out a sob and doubled over. Erik pulled me into his arms and I cried harder than I ever had.
"Yes, yes, definitely yes." I cried to him. "I'll be yours forever, Erik. There is nobody else who could take that place."
A/n:SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! REVIEW MY READERS! THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY!