2 years later…
Julie's POV
"Julie!"
"Oh my gosh! Connie! Hey! How are you?!"
"I am great! Even though summer is over, I cant wait to get back to school! Seeing as how we are Seniors now! Hahaha."
"Yeah I know. Finally! So what did you do over the summer?"
"Oh, you know the usual, I hung around with my parents, and my kid brother and new sister."
"That's right! How is she?"
"She my mom, or she my sister?"
"Hahaha, your sister, and your mom!"
"My mom is great. Tired! All the time, but she is happy, and my dad is really happy too. Beth is great, she is getting heavy already. She is only a month old, but she is getting big. I remember she was so tiny when we brought her home. You have to come over to see her!"
"I will. I am so happy for you. It's so good to see you again. I know it has only been, what, 2 ½ months, but it seems like forever!"
"I know, especially when we have been together so much over the past what 4 or 5 years!"
"Hahaha, and you aren't sick of me yet?!"
"Hahaha, no never."
"So how are you and Guy? Or do I need to ask?"
"We are good, thanks for asking. He went with his 'rents on vacation. They went to Hawaii for a few weeks. It was nice to have a break, but I missed him terribly."
"You guys are so cute."
"Speaking of cute! Here comes your boyfriend!"
I turned around, I haven't seen him in weeks!
"Dean!"
"Duchess!"
"I'll leave you two, if you want you can go to the room, I already got my stuff unpacked, I am going to go home to see Beth."
"Thanks Connie" I said.
"Dean, how have you been?"
"For the 3 weeks since I left?"
"Hahaha, yeah, it felt like 3 years!" I said, putting my arms around his neck.
He leaned in and gave me a welcome back kiss. Every time he kisses me my knees turn to jelly.
"Come on, let's go. We cant make out in the hallway." I laughed. "Do you want to go for a walk or do you want to go to the dorm?" I said wiggling my eyebrows.
"Ooh"
"You're right let's keep it to a walk, I don't know what kind of trouble we might get into if we are in a room alone like that."
He chuckled at me. "You're right, as usual. A walk sounds wonderful."
We talked as we walked out to the gardens about the weeks that we were apart, his parents, and his family. They had their family reunion, and his little sister lost a tooth. His brother broke his ankle, trying to climb a tree and his dad bought a new car. Usual family stuff.
"So, last year here, huh?" He asked.
"Yeah, I know."
"So what are you going to do after?"
"College."
"Well yeah college, but where?"
…
"What's the matter Julie, you just went totally pale."
"…College. My dad made me promise to go to some stupid Ivy League College. He already planned my curriculum and… It's a long stupid story. Basically, I promised him if I could play hockey I would go to college wherever he wanted me to."
"Wow."
"Yeah I know. I am not thrilled about it at all!"
"Well we will just have to make this year worth while then wont we?" He said and turned my face toward his and kissed me again.
~~~~Flash Forward~~~~
"So this is it huh? You're gonna let it go down like that?"
"Dean I have no choice, I told you this. I have to go."
"No you don't Julie!"
"Yes I do. There is nothing I can do about it."
"You are your own person Julie, he cant tie you up and drag you, you have to make yourself go. You can just tell him no."
"And what am I going to do when he decides to disown me?"
"He wouldn't do that!"
"Yes he would. He may seem all nice but he is really a tyrant when he wants his way. I would have no where to go and nothing to do."
… Dean paced back and forth getting more angry by the second, he couldn't just let her go…
He stopped pacing and stood right in front of Julie and looked her straight in the eyes about to have tears well up in his own.
"Julie, I love you, I cant let you go."
She stood there stunned.
"I know, you weren't expecting that, but I do. I love you. I have loved you for years, and I am so sorry it took me till now to finally get the courage to say it out loud to you."
"I love you too Dean, but that doesn't change this."
"You do? Do you mean that?"
"Yes, I mean it with all my heart. I have loved you since I first saw you with your wild self when we went to go join Team USA. You were such a jerk sometimes, but I knew there was something about you."
He kissed her deeply abandoning all reason.
"Julie" he said finally.
She could only look in his eyes tears falling over the edge of her eyelids.
" Julie, I'll take care of you. Marry me. I will give you the world."
Her limo pulled up as he ended the words.
She stood blinking not believing what she just heard.
"Marry you, Dean that is crazy!"
"No it's not, I love you and I don't want to loose you! Please say you'll marry me."
"What. …Now?!"
"Just say yes Julie, say yes, say it now, say yes." He said almost whispering.
She said breathlessly "…Yes."