Lee's POV

I wake up when I feel Lucy move in my arms. It's still dark outside, the noise of nearby traffic murmurs on and there is faint glow from the streetlight outside shining through the small gap in Lucy's bedroom curtains. Yep, I'm definitely in Lucy's bedroom, and she is definitely still in bed with me. I'm not sure if she is awake yet. I think she might be but I don't really want this moment to end. Last night was the best night of my life and I could hold her like this in my in my arms forever.

I fancied Lucy the first time I met her. She stood there at the door of my flat in her bright red coat and I thought she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever met. I still do think that, of course. As soon as I got to know her, I fell in love, hopelessly, head over heels in love.

I thought my feelings were doomed to stay un-reciprocated, especially when Lucy started seeing Guy soon after we met. The whole time she was with him I was insanely jealous, and I admit I hoped it wouldn't last between them. Their relationship didn't end well, and I had such mixed feelings when they split up. I hated seeing Lucy so upset, yet their break-up pulled us closer together and I started to hope again that one day we might get together.

Lucy hasn't had a serious boyfriend since Guy, which is a good six years or so. She told me last night that she hadn't been with anyone since Guy because for all that time she'd actually wanted to be with me. This was a revelation to me. If only I'd known that, I wouldn't have wasted years of my life pining after Lucy, wanting to be with her but never doing anything about it.

The thing is, as much as I hoped Lucy felt the same about me as I did about her, and she did sometimes give me that impression, I just couldn't imagine her liking me in that way. I mean, she's way out of my league. At least, I thought she was. But, as I once said to Daisy, they said that about Blackpool! The football team that is, not the town.

Yesterday evening, I found Lucy sitting in my favourite spot at the bar in our local. She told me that she had a job interview, then she said something that rattled me. She said she thought we were spending too much time together, that we were living in each other's pockets and that this wasn't normal because we weren't a couple, just flatmates. I supposed she was right, we did live in each other's pockets, but I thought we enjoyed spending time together. Then she asked why I never paid her compliments, which sort of came out of the blue. There was something about the way she was talking, that made me think she might be hinting that she wanted us to be a couple. I hoped I was right but as she was actually saying the opposite, that she wanted us to spend less time together, I was confused to say the least.

She left to go to her interview just as Toby arrived at the bar. He told me that Lucy wasn't at an interview at all, but that she was on a date with his cousin Karl and that things might be about to get serious between them. This news hit me like a hammer, if I'm honest. In the end it turned out that Karl doesn't actually exist, that Toby made the whole thing up because he could tell I had feelings for Lucy and that I needed a kick up the backside. He was right, and I will always be grateful to him for giving me that push.

To cut a long story short, we talked for a while and I ended up telling Toby that I loved Lucy, something I'd never said out loud before. I know my dad knew, and that Daisy had guessed some time ago, but I would never admit it to either of them. I suppose it was because I knew that if I admitted I loved Lucy I would have to do something about it. How could I tell her? What if she rejected me? Rejection seemed to be the likeliest outcome, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing Lucy as a friend. We would hardly have been able to continue living together if she knew I had feelings for her and didn't return them, as it would have been more than awkward for both of us.

But, what scared me even more was what would happen if she did feel the same and we got together. I haven't had many long term relationships. I've always been a bit of a commitment-phobe and I usually manage to mess things up with women. The idea of messing things up with Lucy, of hurting her and losing her, was unthinkable. But, now it looked like I was going to lose her anyway.

Encouraged by Toby, I was about to go to the restaurant and declare my love for her when he mentioned marriage and children. That Lucy wanted it all. I got scared again. The commitment issue had raised its head and I chickened out. Deciding the cowardly option was the easier option as usual I resigned myself to the fact I would never be with Lucy and told Toby to text Karl and tell him to go for it with her, a decision I regretted immediately but it was too late once I'd said it, or so I thought.

As I sat drowning my sorrows, Lucy came back into the pub and re-joined me at the bar. She told me about Naples, that she had said yes to the offer of going there, as there was nothing left for her here. I thought that this meant she was leaving with 'Karl', of course. My heart was breaking but I thought there was no point in saying anything now, I'd missed my chance. She told me she'd got to go as there were things she needed to do, and I was sure I heard her voice breaking. Was she starting to cry? I had almost let her all but walk out of my life without telling her I loved her, and that was the moment when I realised I had to take the risk. Even if she didn't love me back I was losing her anyway. I had nothing more to lose. So I said it…

There was silence after that. I wasn't sure what that meant, but I told myself at least Lucy hadn't immediately run off, or slapped me or laughed in my face. We stood opposite each other, as I found myself lost in her eyes I suddenly I knew I had to ask her to marry me. And she said yes! Lucy's reaction was, well I'm not sure how to describe it other than literally. To my surprise and elation before she actually said yes, she took a run up, jumped into my arms and kissed me as I tried desperately to hold her up. And it was an amazing kiss, despite the fact that we fell over in the middle of it and I think I may have injured myself. Not that I even noticed at the time but I'm sure I've got the bruises this morning to prove it. She fell on top of me thank God and we carried on kissing as though nothing had happened, and as though we weren't surrounded by scores of people who were most likely staring at the spectacle we were creating.

So, in short, last night was the best night of my life. I can't see anything ever topping it really. It was life-changing. The night all my dreams came true. Me and Lucy are a couple, after all these years, and I still have to keep pinching myself about it. I feel so lucky as I lie here surrounding her, inhaling her scent, taking in her beauty as I begin to recall the two of us in bed last night. How she let me show her how much I love her. How we took our time, and I teased her until neither of us could hold back any longer. How her eyes lit up as I moved within her. How the feeling of her tight heat enveloping me took my breath away. How I was able to watch as she allowed herself to let go and be overtaken by pleasure, proud that I could have that effect on her. Oh, God, I'm blushing now. Of all the women I've slept with, and there has been a few, I've never connected with anyone like I did with Lucy last night, emotionally as well as physically. I can tell she felt that connection as well and it was powerful.

Before I met Lucy I didn't think it was possible to love someone so much, or to want to spend the rest of my life with them. But I love everything about Lucy, even the things other people might call 'flaws'. I know it's soppy and I don't want to put her on a pedestal. But she is perfect to me. She makes me want to do all the things that terrify me the most – settle down, get married, have children. Because the thought of not being with her is far more scary than any of those things. And actually, the more I think about, the thought of doing those things with Lucy isn't so terrifying after all, it's exciting. I know there will be doubters, her father particularly, as he's never really liked me. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about how Tim will react. But I am determined to prove that I am good enough for Lucy – to myself and to them. We've only been together for less than 12 hours but Lucy already makes me want to be a better person, to get off my backside and achieve things.

Don't get me wrong, I'm under no illusion that our relationship will be perfect. Relationships never are. I expect we'll have our ups and downs. We'll argue, we already do that, but we always make up and that's what's important. It will all be worth it though, if it means I can wake up with her in my arms like this every day. And I will try my hardest - I will put more effort into our marriage than I've ever put into anything in my life. I just want to make Lucy happy, for us to be happy together, so I will make that my mission in life from now on.

Lucy just moved against me again. The friction she is creating as her skin touches mine is making me a little breathless, and I can feel myself becoming aroused. I can't help it. I'm sure she probably heard my gasps as she is wriggling again, and this time I'm sure she is awake and she's doing it on purpose. I nuzzle her neck, kissing her there as I caress her shoulder. I smile when I hear her sigh softly, and whisper "morning" in a tone that can't hide her desire. It looks like we won't be getting out of bed for a while….