Okay, this is the longest chapter I've written, but you guys deserve it. I'd love it if you told me what you thought! I promise I read everything you send me, and I'm so grateful for your support! This story wouldn't still be alive if it weren't for you :)
WhereIsTheBlack
The next morning came accompanied by the determination she had the day before. There she was, bags on the floor as she waited for her ride to the airport, her mind set and savoring the adventures to come.
She looked down at her phone one last time and confirmed her suspicions: Connor hadn't called. He hadn't messaged her, hadn't paged her, not anything.
She felt sad. Hawaii was something they had all talked about for months to visit. The quarreling feeling that set in the bottom of her stomach urged her to stay. But she couldn't. Everything was set already: the plane tickets, hotel reservations, activities, etc. Besides, she wasn't going to do everything the man said she should. It just wasn't in her. And she knew that with her friends she would be perfectly safe wherever she went.
But why couldn't Connor get that? Why couldn't he set his pride aside?
A honk drew her attention as a blue suburban pulled over. Ethan exited the driver's seat and immediately reached for a hug.
"Morning! Are you ready?" He said, picking her bags with a smile.
"As I can be," she sighed.
"Come on, cheer up!" he whined half-heartily. "It's going to be a hell of a vacation."
He put the bags on the trunk and slid the door open for Sarah.
"Heeey!" people greeted enthusiastically as they all talked over each other.
Maggie, Nat and the baby, Will and April all sat ready to get to the airport. Will sat shotgun, reading the sports section of the paper intensely. Maggie and April sat in the middle row, sharing all kinds of nuts and candy, and Nat sat on the back with Owen as she patted him on the back.
Sarah shook her head with a smile and climbed on, followed by Ethan on the driver's seat, and they made their way.
"So, no word from Connor?" asked April after a while, turning around to her.
"Nope," she said with a pop, and letting out a sigh. Her eyes got lost on the scenery across the window, and April and Nat exchanged worried glances.
"Look. Let this be a time for us to enjoy ourselves. Whatever is going on between you and him, I'm sure you can figure it out when we get back," reassured Nat with a wink as she bounced Owen.
"She's right," said Maggie, overhearing them. "You out of all of us need to take a break from things. Let's just relax and have some fun," she said with a little dance, evoking laughs from everyone.
Sarah smiled to herself. Sure, Connor wasn't there, but like Nat said: whatever their fight was about, it was nothing that couldn't be fixed once she got back to Chicago. Still, she missed him. She yearned for him to be here with them. To be close to her.
"White, sandy beaches, here I come!" yelled April out of the window, interrupting her thoughts.
"Girl, you're gonna leave me deaf!" complained Maggie as she massaged her ear as Nat and Sarah laughed.
"Okay: This. Is. Life."
The girls were currently basking in the sun on the beach chairs as they enjoyed their cold drinks on their bikini-clad bodies. The sound and smell of the salty ocean soothed them and sang them to sleep, making the fight to stay awake due to the jet lag an arduous, yet enjoyable task. Sarah felt herself relax for once as she sunk her toes into the hot sand. She loved it here. She loved how the scalding sun kissed her skin and how relaxed she felt.
"You bet it is," said April said back to her as she gazed through her sunglasses at the view in front of her.
"I seriously have no idea how they still have that much energy," said Nat, shaking her head, as she looked at Will and Ethan having a one-on-one round of volleyball. They were suddenly joined by two other shirtless men and they formed teams.
The girls couldn't help but be transfixed by their athletic figures.
"Okay, I give Mr. Blue Shorts on the left an 8.5." April said pensively.
Sarah scoffed a laugh. "What is this, high school? Are we seriously rating people?"
"You can deny it aaall you want… but that man is a definite 8.5," said April looking over her glasses at said person.
Sarah shook her head. A peaceful silence set in as they kept staring at the game that displayed in front of them.
"9.5."
"Maggie!" laughed Sarah, surprised.
"What? It's true!" she said with a laugh, avoiding Nat's bashing.
"Nuh- uh. The one with the sunglasses. That is a solid 9.5. Better yet, a 10," argued April.
"Really? I'd give him a 7."
"Oh come on, Nat. You know that's no 7."
"What can I say? I only see one 10 on that game," she said with a shy smile, referring to Will.
April rolled her eyes and moaned as Maggie and Sarah laughed heartily. Sarah's attention suddenly went to a shadow behind a palm tree, but when she turned to it, the shadow was gone. She took off her sunglasses and blinked twice. She then rolled her eyes at her paranoia. She had probably just imagined it.
"-not how that game works! You're supposed to be objective about it!"
Sarah smiled as Nat brushed April off. Before April could continue with her rant, Nat's phone went off. She perked up when she looked down at the screen.
"It's Connor," she said to Sarah. The girl swallowed hard and felt a set of butterflies on her stomach as the other woman answered. It was logical that he had called Nat as she had left her own phone at the hotel room. She let out a sigh, ready to hear his voice, but especially his apology. She yearned for them to be okay again. And who knew? Maybe there was still time for him to come to Maui a couple of days.
"Hello? Hey… Yeah everything's fine… She's right here, do you want me to-… Oh… I mean, I'm not sure if I-…"
Sarah's expression dropped as Natalie began to get slightly anxious.
"Yeah, I guess I have time to talk… " said Nat, as she looked at Sarah for reassurance.
Sarah felt her heart sink as she sat unmoving on her chair. Connor didn't want to talk to her. He wanted to talk to Natalie. Knowing that was hard for her to digest. She knew that Connor was upset, but he had never been one to hold on to a grudge. Guess there's a first time for everything.
Nat cleared her throat and signaled at the phone with her head, as if asking if it was okay if she talked to him. Sarah sighed, but nodded in defeat.
"Okay, give me a second," Nat said to the phone as she got up and walked away in a hurry.
Sarah crossed her arms over herself. Was this a bad sign? Had she messed up that bad?
"Hey," said Will's voice above her. Sarah looked up at him as he dried sweat and water off his hair and face. "Where did Nat go?"
"She's talking to Connor," Sarah said simply, yet cursed mentally at the sound of her own stiff voice.
Will furrowed his brow. "Everything okay?" he asked, sitting down next to her and accepting a cold beer from Maggie.
"I wouldn't know. He wouldn't talk to me."
Will nodded. "Well, if a sweaty man's advice is worth something, I'd say-"
"I know… I should be more-"
"He's an ass," Will cut her off.
"Wait. What?"
"He's an ass," he said, taking a chug of his beer. "What he should be doing is face his mistakes instead of using someone else to help him get out of things."
Sarah kept silent, deep in thought.
"Don't get me wrong," Will added, "Connor's a good guy and all, but he's messing up badly with this one."
"What makes you say that?"
Will darted his gaze away towards the ocean, avoiding her. He felt like he had said too much.
"Come on Will, tell me," Sarah insisted. She leaned on the armrest as she searched to decipher his frown to no avail.
He sighed, finally conceding. "No man in his right senses should let the girl he loves leave like that. Least of all ask someone else to take care of her for him."
He didn't look at her as he kept drinking. Sarah felt as if his words had slapped her and she looked down in anger. But he was right. Will was nothing but right. How could Connor do this to her? He had let his pride get the best of him, and she didn't know how to deal with that.
April looked at Will in disapproval. She knew very well how these things could get to her best friend. "Come on, Sarah. Let's get back to the hotel. We need girl time," she said, taking a long look at Will, who made an apologetic grimace.
Sarah sighed and swallowed back tears. She didn't know what she was feeling. It was stupid to cry over something that was not that big of a deal, but with Connor, everything felt important. Everything he felt, he did, said and thought was important to her, and with good reason. She loved him. She couldn't bear to let that go. Let him go. No matter how angry she was at him.
She got up and dusted sand off her black bikini, then wrapped a towel around herself and set off, followed by both April and Maggie.
"Don't take mind of what he said, Sarah. I'm sure Connor had his reasons to talk to Nat."
Sarah whirled around. "He had his reasons? Like what? Do tell me, April, because all I can think about is that he chose his pride over me."
"But-"
"Excuse me!"
The three turned to look at the voice and almost dropped their jaws. They were now standing face to face to a sweat-drenched Mr. Blue Shorts.
"Excuse me. Um… hi," he said looking directly at Sarah. She quickly took notice of his thick Australian accent. His hair was blonde, matching his shade of a beard, and his eyes were bright like the ocean. Then there was his body. He had muscular arms and a marked abdomen that he bore effortlessly. He looked like a movie actor.
Sarah blinked hard and blushed for taking that into account.
"Hi."
"Hey, um, so I met your friend Will and he said you girls came here with him. I was wondering…" he shook his head. "I mean- I'm Kyle," he blurted.
Sarah looked down at his extended hand and shook it gently, a slight frown on her face. She quickly exchanged looks with April, who stared at the man as if a fallen shooting star was now in front of her.
"I'm Sarah. This are April and Maggie."
April quickly darted out her hand for him to take, which he shook warmly.
"Lovely to meet you girls. I was just wondering if… you were free this afternoon."
"Free?" Sarah blinked. "For what?"
"To hang out. My friend over there," he said signaling to the guy with the sunglasses, "is having a party tonight. I was just wondering if you'd be interesting on going."
Sarah shook her head. "I'm sorry, we-"
"We're going!"
Sarah looked at April with wide eyes. She chastised her with a look that April quickly ignored.
"Oh! Great! The party won't be far from here. It's a casual thing, so you don't have to worry about fancy clothes. I'll come get you. What room are you staying at?"
Before April could open her mouth again, Maggie got ahead of her. "Don't you worry, we'll come to you. Where will the party be?"
"Oh, at that building over there," he said pointing to a white tower. "Twelfth floor, nine o'clock. I'll see you there, then," he finally said, looking straight at Sarah. The latter turned away slightly. She didn't want to come off as rude, but she also didn't want him to get the wrong idea.
"Can't wait!" April said to his back as he got back to his friends.
Once the man was gone, both Maggie and Sarah cleared their throats at April.
"I thought this night was about relaxing? Girl time?" Sarah quoted her accusingly.
"But… How can you say no to that!" she said.
"That, April, is a man we know nothing about," said Maggie with her arms crossed.
"Exactly! We can get to know him at the party. Come on, we can see whales and go snorkeling tomorrow, but please, let's go to this thing! Don't let me go alone" she pleaded. "You said this vacation was about having fun. Well, let's have some fun!" she said with puppy eyes.
Sarah rolled her own and sighed. Maggie was right. For all they knew they could be talking to a sugar daddy or something of the sort. But then again, April was right. The man seemed like a nice person, and this vacation was in fact about having fun. What could possibly go wrong?
"I'll think about it," she said, much to Maggie's surprise.
April's eyes widened as she jumped at Sarah and hugged her tight. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"I haven't said yes yet!"
April kissed her cheek. "But you will!" she sang as she set her way back to the hotel, Sarah and Maggie following suit.
The hotel was not far from the beach. Thanks to a friend of Ethan's, they had managed to stay at a very elegant place. They booked three suites: one for Ethan and Will across the hallway, another for Nat, Owen and Maggie and the last for April and Sarah, which was next to the other girls' room.
Once they got to the main entrance, Sarah stopped walking as she took a glance of a very cheerful Natalie on the phone, resting an arm on the grand staircase's rail as she overflowed with enthusiastic mannerisms. Sarah felt both April and Maggie tense at the sight. Nat was laughing and apparently having a great conversation with whomever she was talking to.
"-kay. Don't worry. Thanks for confiding in me. And don't worry, I won't say a thing, bye!"
She hung up with a smile that instantly dropped once she saw the three girls in front of her.
"Who was that?" asked Sarah nonchalantly.
"Hmm?"
"Was that Connor?" she asked with feigned confidence, her insides filling with dread at the thought of him not speaking to her.
"Oh! No, no. He hung up a long time ago. Just my mother-in-law. She wanted to change some drapes in the house, nothing important," she brushed off. "Let's head back our suites," she said quickly, avoiding eye contact.
Sarah and April exchanged looks.
"What the hell was that about?" Sarah mouthed to her best friend as they tagged behind the other two. "Her mother-in-law? Seriously?"
April shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, confused.
Sarah didn't know what was going on, but she was determined to figure it out. She took hold of April's arm once they reached the elevator doors that were now opening.
"Aren't you coming?" asked Maggie as she followed Nat inside the metallic box.
"Need to go to the bathroom," Sarah said dryly as she yanked April's arm a little too hard when she looked about to say something.
Maggie nodded. When the elevator doors shut close, April withdrew her arm.
"What's with you?" she complained, rubbing her arm.
"Nat was not talking to her mother-in-law. No way. Laughing about drapes? Come on…"
"Then what? Do you think she was still talking to Connor?"
"That's exactly what I'm thinking."
"But that doesn't make sense! For one they must've been talking for more than half an hour and two, why would she be laughing at anything he'd say? I thought Connor was upset?"
"So did I."
April pursed her lips. "This is…"
"Weird?"
"Very weird. But let's not give it much thought until we're sure it was him she was talking to."
"And how will we be sure?" asked Sarah.
"Leave that to me. I can get anything out of Nat. We just need a plan to distract Maggie so I can get her alone."
Sarah nodded with a sighed. "Thanks, April."
"Hey, don't mention it," she replied with a wink.
"Just don't be too obvious."
"Don't worry about it," she said calmly. She then proceeded to whack Sarah on the stomach a tad too forcefully.
"Oww! What the hell was that for?!" she asked, doubling over with a hand over her stomach.
"Almost ripping my arm earlier," she said with a sweet, innocent smile as Sarah almost rolled over on the main entrance's floor and kept from flipping her off as she ascended the stairs.
April set her plan in motion when they reached the suites. It was Sarah's job to drag Maggie away and distract her with some excuse so that April could get Nat alone, which was working out not so great.
"I told you a thousand times not to leave your phone behind, or else you'd lose it! You always lose your phone Sarah," Maggie scolded as if she were speaking to a child.
"Well I'm sorry I lost it, but talking about it won't help me find it!" she said feigning exasperation. Truth was she had hid her phone inside one of the bathroom drawers, a place she knew Maggie would look last, so that she could be entertained a long time.
"Ok, let's split. You search this room and I'll search Nat and mine's."
Sarah felt her stomach drop. "No!" she yelled a tad too loud.
Maggie turned, shocked at her outburst. "Why not?"
"I mean… I'd never leave my phone there. I don't remember even going into that room. It must be around here somewhere."
"You followed Nat for some sunscreen, remember? Honestly, Sarah, where is your head today? Is everything okay?" she asked, concerned.
"Everything's fine, Maggie," she let out, stressed. "I just need to find my phone."
"Then let's search the other room as well."
There was no point talking her out of it any further, because she was already knocking on the shared door. There was no answer though, so Maggie knocked more forcibly.
Still no answer.
Maggie opened the door with a furrowed brow as she was followed by Sarah. The latter frowned when she saw Nat and April close to each other as if sharing some sort of secret. Jumping apart, each pretended to attend something on the room without making eye contact.
"Everything okay in here?" asked Maggie, confused.
Nat looked up from the still sleeping Owen and shrugged her shoulders. "Everything's fine."
"Yup," said April pursing her lips. "Everything's great. Eeeverything's dandy," she said with a nonchalant expression.
"Dandy, huh?" deadpanned Maggie. Sarah almost slapped her own forehead, and Nat looked like she wanted to throw something at April. She never used that word. Ever. What on earth was going on?
"Well, I guess April and I could keep looking for my phone on the other room," hinted Sarah, eyes wide and with a head motion towards the said place.
"Oh! Um… I don't mind looking for it here. Besides, I promised I'd help Nat with something," April dragged nervously.
Sarah looked at her like she had grown two heads. What about their plan?
"Something?" asked Maggie with the same quizzical expression as before.
"Yeah, you know… the thing," April dragged, looking at Nat for help.
"Yeah! Yeah, the thing! The thing that is… helping me… run Owen a bath! He moves so much now, I need help holding him while I wash him properly."
Sarah searched April's face for some kind of hint or something that could give away what was going on, but the other woman only evaded her eyes. It was clear that Nat had said something to her. Something that she didn't want Sarah to know.
"Fine," said Sarah with spite. "I'll keep looking on my room. After that I guess I'll go and get a massage," she said in hopes to get April's attention. She knew April would beg her not to so that they could go to the party later.
"That's great! Yes, that sounds like a very good idea!" said April much to Sarah's surprise, nodding eagerly. "Why don't you go ahead and I'll catch up with you in a while?"
Sarah frowned at her unbelievingly. Why was she acting weird? Was she hiding things from her too? Whatever it was, it was starting to get to her nerves.
"Okay then… I guess I'll go keep looking. To the other room," she signaled.
"You do that," April nodded.
"And then I'll just go down to the lobby…"
"Sounds excellent."
Sarah furrowed her brow before she exited the room, confused. There was definitely something going on. Nothing seemed to add up. April was hiding something from her. But what? She hadn't pegged April to be someone to do that. They were supposed to be best friends. Was Maggie part of their secrecy too?
The idea of feeling left out panged at her heart. She felt stupid and dramatic, but she couldn't help the flashbacks of high school that came to her head. Back to when people kept her out of things and pushed her away. When they whispered behind her like she weren't there and made fun behind her back.
This was different, though. She wasn't in high school anymore (thank God) and she wasn't that same quiet, shy girl with dorky glasses and awkward stances anymore. She had grown up. She was braver, tougher. More confident.
She 'found' her phone and left the suite in a trance, Maggie's scolding of how unorganized she was ignored. She was so wrapped up in her own head that she didn't see Ethan coming her way. The collision was not hard, but it almost knocked her out of balance.
"Careful!" Ethan said, grabbing her by the arm.
"I'm…"
Silence. Her thoughts were so loud she didn't realize she hadn't completed her sentence.
"Sarah? Everything okay? You seem… distracted."
She didn't reply.
"Why are you here alone? Connor made us promise to not let you wander off on your own."
The comment brought her back to earth, as it had ticked her off to no end. She clenched her jaw to keep herself from cursing out loud. This wasn't Ethan's fault, but she felt like ripping his head off at that moment. The last thing she wanted to hear was anything about Connor. She blamed him, and she felt furious about it. She was furious at him and at herself for feeling that way. Ethan seemed to notice the change on her facial expressions and backtracked a few steps.
"Sarah?"
She sighed in depth. "I'm going to go to the massage room. I don't want anyone to follow me," she said with extreme calm. "I don't want to hear anything about anyone. I need time for myself. I want to be alone."
"But-"
"Ethan, stop! I won't be completely alone, I'll be with a masseuse! I bet she'll play a good babysitter if that's your concern," she said, rolling her eyes and setting foot to depart.
"What's this about?" asked Ethan, holding her arm to keep her from leaving.
Sarah fought to retrieve it, but Ethan held his place. Sarah felt her eyes begin to water, and Ethan sighed and bowed down to hug her. Sarah didn't realize she was crying until she sniffed hard. She was stressed and angry and… mainly acting like a child, which was what she was most ashamed of. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Ethan spoke.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.
Sarah shook her head no as she let go of him.
"You're not alone, Sarah. You know you can tell me stuff, right? I'll be there for you," he said, singing to Friend's theme song.
She laughed and wiped the tears away. "I know, Ethan. You're a good friend. I just really think I need to be alone for a second. I'm being a spoiled brat to everyone."
Ethan chuckled. "Well, I don't know if spoiled brat is the right term, but…"
Sarah scoffed and swatted him on the arm.
"I'm just kidding," he laughed. "And you're right. We have no business telling you what to do. Just… be careful and try not to wander off too far?"
"Fine," Sarah sighed in defeat and gave him a brief smile.
"I'll see you later then," he said at last before leaving her in the hallway.
Sarah shook her head and made her way to the stairs, only to collide with someone else again.
"Son of a-" She stopped herself as she took notice of who was in front of her.
"I'm sorry, I should've looked where I was going."
"Kyle. Hey, no. It's okay, I was distracted."
The man smiled.
"Where were you heading off to?"
"Well, I was planning on getting a massage."
He chuckled. "What a coincidence! I was just planning on getting one too."
Sarah didn't buy that, and she looked at him disbelievingly.
"Really?" she deadpanned.
Kyle smiled, and scratched the back of his neck. "Not really. I was hoping to catch a football game on TV. It's just… being in your company seemed like a better idea."
Sarah blushed, but shook her head. "Listen, Kyle, I'm not-"
"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"
Sarah turned to look at April, who was practically running at her.
"I need you to come with me," she breathed. "Hey," she said quickly to Kyle like if he was a normal human being before turning her head back to Sarah. This seemed to confused her.
"Is everything okay?"
"Everything's great, I just need you to come with me," she insisted, taking her arm.
"April, stop," she said, releasing herself from her grip. Kyle seemed to notice the situation become tense.
"I think I should go. Nice running into you Sarah."
"You too."
Once he left, Sarah looked at April in disbelief.
"What is it with you?"
"Come on, I have to show you something."
"What did you find out from Nat?" Sarah replied instead.
"Nat?" she asked confused. "Oh, that! Pshhh," she brushed off with a wave of her hand. "Nothing! She was really talking to her mother-in-law. They get along really well, did you know that?"
Sarah shook her head.
"What?" asked April as her ecstatic features decreased.
"What aren't you telling me, April? I can read you like a book, I know when you're lying."
"Me?!" she asked in a high-pitched voice. "Lying! That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard on this trip. Come on, walk with me to the high terrace," she said, holding her arm.
"Enough, April," she said. "Why are you doing this? And what on earth is on the high terrace?"
April's expression changed to a more serious one. "Just… trust me, okay? I promise you'll understand everything in the end. But right now, we have to hurry," she insisted.
"What do you mean in the end?" she asked as April dragged her up the stairs.
"Just trust me!"
Sarah rolled her eyes and pursed her lips as she let herself be dragged by the other girl. Once they reached the last steps, April kneeled down to tighten a sandal strap.
"What now?" asked Sarah, looking down at her.
"You go ahead, I'll be right behind."
"What are you…"
She stopped talking, her mind clicking. It was then and there that she understood what was going on. The call… the lying… the confusing her… the insisting that she went to the terrace… Did it all have to do with…?
She widened her eyes at April who simply winked at her with a soft smile. Sarah pushed the door open to the terrace to be met with a breath-taking, blinding, orange and pink sunset. She raised a hand to shield her eyes and captured through her peripheral vision a figure that moved:
Connor Rhodes.
Dressed in a tuxedo. Standing behind a nicely set, elegant dinner table, fixed with two chairs and a bouquet of flowers at the center. Joined by a man playing a violin.
He stood there with a look she couldn't read easily. He looked happy and ashamed. Apologetic perhaps. Excited? His arms rested behind his back as he awaited her to come closer to him.
But Sarah didn't move. She was alone with him, at last, but she didn't make a single move. Connor didn't speak either, his brow furrowing slightly.
"So what? You come here after our fight and do this? A nice dinner and flowers?" she asked softly, yet upset.
Connor didn't speak. He moved from behind the table and stood in front of it, his face expressions calm and collected.
"You think this is the way of fixing things? Of making amends?" she asked with her arms crossed. "That after every fight we have a nice dinner is going to make everything better?"
She felt her breath get caught in her throat as he moved slowly towards her, a soft smile on his face. He looked so handsome, but she wasn't going to acknowledge that in front of him. Not now. She began to feel nervous, and her mouth began to run on its own.
"Well, it's not. That doesn't change anything. I'm still mad at you. Mad at your pride. How could you just let me leave like that? All you had to do was come with me. Why wouldn't you come with-"
Connor stood in front of her, unraveling his arms and holding her by the waist. Sarah pushed back, but Connor didn't let her. He swept in and kissed her hard. Sarah felt her heart drop and found herself kissing him back with force. It was a fight for dominance, an expression of love and a shared apology. She felt tears welling up in her eyes form penned frustration now released.
She took a breath once they drew apart, their foreheads joined together. He traced his thumb across her lower lip, pulling down on it slightly. She didn't dare look at his eyes, because she knew she would lose her resolve then and there. His hand on her chin made her look up though, and she found herself lost in a deep sea of blue.
"Sarah Reese. You are the most wonderful thing to ever happen to me," he said firmly. "You are the light of my life and the source of my happiness, and I love you" he said, clearing his throat. Sarah stopped resisting and listened intently to what he had to say.
"I'm not perfect. I'm far from perfect. I'm the most imperfect man you will ever know, because I mess up. I push the things and people I love away when I'm scared. I tend to be selfish, and self-absorbed. I tend to be stubborn, and because of that I made a mistake. You were right, I should have never let you go. I should have listened. I should have trusted you, and for that I'm very sorry," he paused. "I truly hope you can forgive me. I'm just a dumb man who is in love, and who doesn't think straight when he's around you. Because you make me a better man. You make me love more, and be more. You make me have a good heart. You are the most beautiful creature that I have ever seen, and I knew from day one that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you," he breathed.
Sarah felt her eyes widened at the last sentence. Her heart began to beat fast and she drew a hand to her mouth when she saw him get down on one knee, holding her other hand.
"When you left to get here I knew I never wanted to be apart from you. I knew I wanted to be your companion, your confident, your best friend and your lover forever. I knew I wouldn't let myself live my life without you. So that's why I'm here. To make a promise. To promise to always be yours and to go wherever life will take me, but with you. Always with you."
This wasn't happening. Not to her. Things like these happened to people in movies. She couldn't believe what was going on. Was this real life? Her mind seemed to be spinning away into blankness.
"So," Connor said, retrieving a small, black box from his back pocket. He then looked up with tears in his eyes and a smile that could bright the whole world. "Sarah Jane Reese,"
Sarah felt a sob escape her. This was happening. He opened the little black box that revealed a diamond ring.
"Will you marry me?"
Sarah looked down at him, her mind frozen. She couldn't think clearly. She couldn't speak. But this time it wasn't because of fear. I was because of shock, and love and…
"Yes," she nodded confidently as tears of happiness escaped her. "Yes, I'll marry you."
Connor's smile managed to widen as he placed the ring on her finger before getting up and sweeping her off her feet. Sarah laughed as he spun her around briefly before kissing her again. Finally, Sarah thought. She didn't know how badly she wanted to be Mrs. Connor Rhodes until now. Their kiss was interrupted, by ecstatic cheers and clapping. Sarah turned around, arms still wrapped around him and saw her friends with huge smiles on their faces who have come out from the door she had entered. They had known all along. Sarah shook her head as each came closer to congratulate them.
"I'm so sorry," laughed Nat, wrapping her arms around Sarah. "I'm sorry for acting so weird! He made me promise not to tell you anything!"
"Don't even worry about it," laughed Sarah returning the hug.
One by one they came and offered their congratulations and best wishes. April took her time, apologizing for confusing her and for making her feel left out. But that didn't matter anymore. She was engaged. Sarah was engaged.
"Well, I think it would be best if we left these guys alone," said Will with a smile and taking Nat's hand. Connor nodded back at him and they all left, leaving Sarah and Connor alone with the stars as they slowly filled the sky with glistening and clapping.
Sarah looked down from the starry night at her future husband as he held her close.
"Are you happy?" he whispered in her ear. He kissed her neck as they swayed slowly to the sound of the violin. He ran a hand through her hair softly and Sarah hummed in agreement.
"I'm complete," she said as she let herself enjoy the best night of her night. Who knew what tomorrow would bring? All she knew was that from now on, together they could conquer anything.
They could conquer the world.
I'm happy with how this chapter turned out. Let me know what you thought!