So, I have two more chapters planned for this story! I don't know why, but this one really was hard for me to write. I really struggled with writer's block and felt like the entire story was really messy. However, so many people expressed interest in this story and I didn't want to give up. I want to finish all of my stories for you guys. Even though this was a battle to get through, I'm happy I stuck with it. It's far from perfect, but I think it's still readable. Thanks so much for sticking with me and reading my stories! While I'm bad at responding to comments because I'm so busy between work, writing, and studying, they all mean the world to me! I tear up sometimes reading them. Okay, I'll stop rambling now and let you read the chapter. This hasn't been edited, so I'm sorry for the mistakes. Like usual, I was too excited to not post it right away. Please enjoy!
Chapter 30:
A Surprise
The music in Global Coffee mixed with the strong, three shots of espresso in my drink bring me back to life. It's been a long, hard few weeks for Edward and me. His struggle has been far different from mine, but I've struggled, too. Watching him recover had been difficult because I would have given anything in the world to take his pain away-to make things better. Just watching him had felt horrible. When I had helped, I had felt there was only so much I could do. Even now, I wish there was more. Physical therapy has been difficult for him and watching him almost breaks my heart. He's so determined to get better and overcome this. I'm glad he has a goal he's working toward, otherwise, I fear he would fall to pieces.
While he doesn't express any fear, anger, or anxiety, I can feel that it's there. It has to be. He lost something he loved. Although the loss is temporary, it's still just as potent. He must feel that loss… he must carry that weight… He smiles through his therapy; even when it hurts, he smiles, not allowing his world to faze him. I love that about him. It makes me believe no matter what the future has in store, he'll find a way to be happy. This puts me at ease. I think part of my fear of commitment came from the possibility of unhappiness-of dissatisfaction.
My gaze roams to the clock near the pickup counter and my spirits brighten as I realize it's almost time. I gather my things, not wanting Edward to have to wait for long. While he plasters on a pleasant expression when he's there, when his time's up, the energy in his eyes tends to fade and he's ready to go. I don't blame him. Being surrounded by workout equipment when you can barely move would seem daunting to anyone, especially a man as athletic as Edward.
Grabbing a to-go cup for my coffee and another muffin for me and a chocolate chip scone for Edward, I move to leave, eager to see him. I nibble on my muffin on the way, careful not to get too many crumbs on the seats of Edward's truck. Not that he would notice … he doesn't notice the little details anymore … too wrapped up in his injury.
Shaking that thought from my head before it weighs on my too heavily, I adjust the radio, scanning through stations until I find the perfect song. As the familiar melody fills the truck, I relax against the driver's seat, slowly beginning to take a load off. I think my calm demeanor helps Edward. If I'm calm, he wants to be calm, too. I wish he knew he didn't have to be strong all the time. He could let his emotions go …
I roll to a stop outside of Reaction and park my car and wait for the clock to hit two-thirty. I would go wait inside, but I have a hunch that Edward doesn't like me watching him like this. So, I sit outside and look in my rearview mirror, waiting for him to enter the reception area. Should I go inside and help him to the truck today? Or, should I let him walk out here on his own? Which one would he want?
Before I can ponder the question too much, movement in my rearview mirror catches my gaze and I peer up at the reflection to find Edward coming toward the truck with a determined look on his handsome face. In the short time he's been up and moving, he's perfected using crutches. To some, this may seem like nothing, but to a girl who's clumsy and has hurt herself a time or two before, it's no easy feat. I'm proud of him. I'm proud of his positive attitude and his progress. He keeps surprising me at every turn.
Unable to help myself, I swing open the driver's side door and slip out, greeting him with a grin. He looks exhausted-cute exhausted-but smiles back at me.
"How'd it go today, baby?"
"It was good," he replies as he reaches the truck and stands near the passenger side door. "Better than last time. I really feel like it's getting easier." He shrugs and balances himself for a moment, opening the passenger door for himself. He seems relieved that I didn't help him this time.
"Easier is good," I respond as I watch him slide into the passenger seat before tossing his crutches into the cab of the truck. Breathing a sigh of relief, I slide back into the driver's seat and bring the truck to life again. "You still going to your session this Thursday?"
"Yep." He smiles before turning his gaze to the outside, leaning his head against the passenger window. "The more sessions the better, really. I want to get back as soon as possible. I know I have to take it easy … but there's only such much leisure I can take." He laughs, and I smile, too.
"You're definitely not a man of leisure."
"No, not yet. Maybe when I'm old and gray one day." He's silent for a moment, before adding, "I don't know how you'll put up with me then. I'll probably be restless."
My heart skips a beat and suddenly, I feel embarrassed by how quick my pulse has become. I can't help it, though. When he imagines his future, he sees me there with him. For a moment, I allow myself to imagine a future, too. I imagine Edward old, handsome, and gray. Despite the years we've been together, I can still feel the warmth of his embrace, craving it like I had when we first met.
"What are you thinking about?"
Edward's voice centers me and I notice that now, he's looking at me.
"I was thinking about the future, too."
"Really? What about it?"
"I was just thinking that I'll never grow tired of you."
"You say that now …" he teases.
"No, I mean it," I assure him.
I gaze over at him to find a ghost of a smile on his face. He seems lost in thought. When he's contemplative like this, he's so beautiful.
"I guess you'll have to prove that to me, then," he says quietly and with a faint smile, he turns his gaze back to the window.
***RODEO NIGHTS***
"Come on, Bells … Wake up already."
Slowly, my eyes open and I'm momentarily fazed by the sunlight streaming through the cracks in our blinds. The room is quietly, peaceful, and I want to spend more time in bed. As I begin to slowly wake up, my eyes move to find Edward sitting at my side, watching me with an eager expression. My gaze moves from him, to our digital clock, and I find it's only half past eight. A groan escapes my lips as I turn on my side, closing my eyes with a huff.
"Baby … I thought today we were going to relax?"
"We are going to relax," he insists. "I just have plans for today. So, come on, get up!"
"Just one more hour …" I moan.
"Come on. Get up and get ready. Let's have breakfast."
"Here? We never make breakfast."
"No, let's go out."
I open my eyes and judge his expression. He looks relaxed as his smile lights up his entire face. It's like he's glowing from the inside out. I don't want to look away from him. Ever. Watching his smile, I comply and move to sit up. My back creaks, my neck aches, and my body yearns for another hour of sleep, but if he's planned today, I won't disappoint him.
"I ran a bath for you and put in those bubbly things you like."
I smile at this. "Bath bomb?"
"Yeah, whatever those things are," he confirms.
For a moment, I swear he's blushing, but before I can look too long, he turns his face away and gestures toward the bathroom. I slide out of bed and traverse across the room, wanting to see his hard work. I smile at the sight as I enter the bathroom and find my sweet pea candle lit and a warm bath colored pastel pink from my bath bomb. Edward follows me into the bathroom, quick with his crutches, and leans against the doorframe, watching as I undress. I undress slowly for him, bending over as I slid off my pajama pants and panties. I hear him exhale behind me but he doesn't make a move. Feeling his eyes on me makes me blush and after I remove my top, I turn around to face him.
"You want to join me?"
"No, I'm already dressed. Enjoy yourself. We'll leave as soon as you're ready."
My blush deepens as he moves away, leaving me to my bath. As I sink into the water, I feel my sore body relax. A sigh escapes my lips as I close my eyes and slide my back down the acrylic. I stop when the water reaches just below my eyes and hear the faint sound of my bones cracking beneath the water's surface. This is bliss. Not wanting to be away from Edward for long, I relax for a few more minutes before I wash my hair and body. As I work the bar of soap along the curves of my legs, I consider how much effort Edward has probably put into today. With his injury, I should be the one doing this sort of thing for him, and yet, he's doing it for me. I'm so grateful for him.
Pulling the plug on the tub, I remain seated while the water slowly drains. For some reason, my heart is pounding. For some reason, I'm nervous about today. A good nervous, I think. For some reason, I can't stop smile as I dry my hair and style it. My mind runs through memories of meeting Edward as I begin to apply makeup. I remember the way he looked when I first met him: cocky and beautiful. When I first met him, he seemed like the type of man I would love to hate; the type of man who was too beautiful to be a decent boyfriend. I smile at the thought. He's too good. I don't deserve him.
All my life, I've been a girl who's run from everything. Now, I want to run toward Edward with open arms. It's weird, isn't it? Can I truly turn around so quickly? I finish my makeup and take a moment to look at my reflection. I've kept my makeup understated and romantic; that, along with my big curls, I feel beautiful. Biting down on my bottom lip, I turn toward our closet and look for the perfect outfit. It doesn't take me long to find a jean dress I bought recently which flatters all of my curves. It's the one button-up dress I could find that doesn't gap around my breasts. I grab a pair of cotton panties and my favorite lace demi-cup bra and put them on before sliding on the dress and buttoning it up. I pair the dress with a white cardigan and pale blue tights before sliding on a pair of flats.
My outfit is dressier than usual but I feel like today's a special occasion. If Edward planned the whole day just for me, I want to look my best for him. Besides, he seemed a little dressier, too. In black jeans and a navy button-down, he looks too handsome for words. I want to look equally attractive. If that's possible… Edward seems to outshine everyone.
"I'm ready," I say as I enter the living room.
Edward's sitting on the couch, watching TV and his entire demeanor changes as he looks at me. He perks up instantly and gets up from his seat so quickly, he almost falls back down due to his injury. I giggle at his enthusiasm, unable to help myself.
"What's gotten into you today?"
He chuckles and regains his footing. "Nothing much. I'm just excited to get to spend the day with my girlfriend. Since I got hurt, we barely go out anymore. Having lunch after physical therapy sessions isn't too exciting."
"I like doing that, though," I counter.
"I know." He smiles. "You're always there to cheer me up."
"I'm not there to cheer you up. I'm there because I want to be around you."
He laughs at this and moves toward me. "You ready to go?"
"Yep." I grab my purse and follow him out, picking up the keys to his truck. "You have the entire day planned?"
"Yep," he responds, imitating me. "But don't ask a bunch of questions. It's a surprise."
"I have to drive, don't I?"
"I can do it."
"Edward."
"Okay, you can do it. I'll give you directions. I doubt you've been to any of these places, so, it'll be a surprise regardless."
"I'm not too keen on surprises."
"You'll like what I have planned. I promise."
**RODEO NIGHTS**
We eat at a place I've never been: 150 sunset. Edward's animated throughout breakfast, more awake than I've ever seen him in the morning. He's almost jittery, even before our coffee arrives. I've never seen him like this before. He's almost childlike as he sits across from me. The smile I saw early this morning never leaves his face. We both order breakfast tacos and Edward talks about the day ahead. He doesn't give too much away, but it seems that he's taken into consideration everything I ronaly like to do. He talks about shopping, sightseeing, and seeing a movie. He wants to have lunch at one of his favorite spots and have dinner in town. I wonder what's brough all of this on…
"You've really gotten cabin fever, haven't you?"
"What do you mean?" Edward asks before taking a long drink of his coffee.
"I mean, we really haven't gotten out much lately. Now, you want to do everything there is to do."
"I just want to do everything with you. Everything's new when I have you to do it with. Besides, there's so many places we haven't been together yet. We've been in El Paso for a while now and it seems like you haven't seen much of it."
"Well, that's because I spend my days and nights in bed with you."
He chuckles at this, leaning back in his seat. "I know, I know. I've kept you locked away."
"I can't believe that even with your injury, you're always wanting to-"
"Two orders of breakfast tacos," our waiter interrupts, causing me to blush at where my statement was going.
I smile at the waiter as he sets down our food and checks on us before turning to leave.
"I'm always wanting to have sex?" Edward finishes for me. "Well, I have to work off all this excess energy somehow. While I can't ride bulls, it's nice to be able to ride something," he teases.
My face heats up and I look down at my food, smiling. Edward chats about his plans to return to bull riding as we eat. I'm so proud of him for not giving up because of a spout of bad luck. The determination in his voice inspires me, too. I feel silly for not working hard when I've had no reason not to. Even when Edward's been dealt a bad hand, he still works through it. I wish I had that sort of work ethic-that sort of drive. Maybe it's because I feel like no one's ever cared about anything I'm doing. Or perhaps, that's just an excuse …
After breakfast, we do some shopping. Stopping by a few boutiques and smaller shops around town. Edward insists on buying me everything I like. I try to stop him, but every time I do he says, "Today is a special day. I want you to feel special." I wonder what makes today so special. Maybe it's just that we're going out for the first time since his injury. We haven't gone on many dates like this lately; maybe Edward feels guilty about that. Although, he definitely shouldn't. I've been planning on treating him to a special day for a while now. Of course, he's beaten me to it.
After we've finished shopping, we go to lunch, giving Edward a break. He rubs the soreness from his arms as we look over the menu at Block. While the doesn't complain about the crutches, I know how uncomfortable they are. We eat and drink a beer before Edward insists we move on to his next plan for the day.
While leaving the restaurant, Edward's jittery at my side. He seems excited and due to his excitement, I become excited, too. I slide into the driver's seat as Edward takes his place beside me in the passenger seat. He connects his phone to the car's bluetooth and presses play on a playlist he has pulled up. The sound of an acoustic guitar fills the truck as I back out of our parking spot and pull on to the road. Edward directs me, but doesn't tell me where we're going. While I want to know, I don't ask, humoring him as I follow his lead. When we finally arrive at our destination I gasp. I never would have guessed he would want to go to a place like this. A man like Edward … wanting to go to a rose garden …
"Are you surprised?" he asks as I roll into a stop, parking the truck.
"Surprised? Yeah … What made you want to come here?"
He smiles, opening his passenger door. "There's something I wanted you to see."
My heart begins to beat quickly in my chest as I turn off the truck and open my driver's side door. I slide out, almost feeling like I'm dreaming as I follow Edward. This place is beyond words. It's just as beautiful as the man by my side. The garden is quiet, without many people. I'm grateful for this. It makes me feel like I'm alone with Edward in our own little paradise.
We walk in silence. We've been talking all day and now, it feels like it's too peaceful to talk. So instead, we soak in the day, committing it to memory. I don't know why, but I feel like today is something I'll look back on. Sometimes, you just know when you're experiencing a moment, that it's a moment you'll always cherish. This is one of those moments. This time with Edward is something I'll forever cherish.
I'm so wrapped up in my feelings and the beautiful scenery around me, I barely notice when Edward stops walking. I bathe in the beautiful feeling the roses provide as my body comes to a stop, too. I give Edward a questionable look, wondering why we're not continuing, and he smiles at me. His cheeks flush, and his gaze drops down to the walkway. My gaze drops, too, wondering what he's looking at.
Tears fill my eyes and my heart rate accelerates. One tear falls and then another as a smile pulls at my lips. Written in chalk are the words, Marry me, Bells? My mind runs a mile a minute and slowly, I pull my gaze away to look at the man who's captured more than my heart-the man who's captured my entire soul.
"I can't get down on one knee or anything …" he begins as he pulls a small black box out of his pocket.
I laugh in disbelief. I can't believe this is happening… Edward… This really is forever, isn't it? I smile so hard my face hurts and Edward stops for a moment, smiling at me, too. In this moment, everything else evaporates and there's only him and me.
"You've run away from a lot, but I hope you never run from me because I want to keep you forever. I never thought I could love anyone as much as I loved what I was born to be doing, but you changed that. You changed me. From the moment you slid into my truck, I knew there was something special about you. I didn't know what it was … but I could tell you were different. You're unlike anyone I've ever met. You make me want to live, Bells. Really live. Before, I was just going through the motions, just like you. Now, however, I want to chase after everything. For the rest of my life, I want to chase after you. If you let me, I'll always be by your side. And in return, I hope you'll always be by mine." He opens the box, revealing the most beautiful ring. It isn't huge or overly flashy but still gorgeous and perfect for me. It's the ring I would have chosen for myself. "So, Bells, want to get hitched, baby?"
Wiping away the tears, my smile grows. Forever with Edward? What more could I want? I won't run from this, this time. Nothing felt right to me before but now, I feel like I'm just where I belong.
"Of course, I want to. Someone needs to keep you in check," I tease as happy tears continue to fall.
Slipping on my engagement ring, he asks, "Was that a good surprise?"
"The best surprise," I confirm. "I can't believe I'll get to be with you forever. How did I get so lucky?"
"I'm the lucky one, Bells. I'll always be the lucky one."