AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thanks!” She picks up the bouquet of roses and looks at it as if she’s never seen flowers before.
“What’s this?”
“Flowers? You know … that stuff that grows in gardens and smells nice?” I reply sarcastically.
“Oh. Are they … for me?” she asks.
“Are you planning on bringing someone else to dinner?” I laugh.
“No.”
“Then, yes. They’re for you, Emmy. I thought you might like them.”
“Thanks.”
I close her door and make my way back to the driver’s seat.
Once I settle in and buckle up, we sit there in silence for a moment, looking at each other, and I try to figure out what to do.
Should I kiss her? Or should I wait for us to talk about all this first?
The awkward atmosphere of the car is difficult to navigate.
It’s more than obvious that neither of us is used to this.
I begin driving to the restaurant, and we spend the next few minutes in a very challenging silence. She clears her throat a few times but doesn’t follow it with actual words. I pretend that I’m paying attention to the traffic but, in reality, my entire focus is on her.
“Here’s the restaurant, then…” I say.
“Yeah…”
She exits my car and leaves the roses inside. Normally, I’d say something, but I feel like now is not the time. Instead, we walk inside and the waiter shows us to our table.
“A bottle of champagne and two glasses, please,” I order.
“Of course. Right away, sir.”
Emmy starts to fidget slightly and plays with the cutlery on the table.
Enough is enough—we need to address whatever monster we created with that kiss.
“Emmy … you know that we need to talk about it, right?”
“Yes, I know. But what I don’t know is … what I should say,” she replies.
“Then let me start. I know exactly what to say because I’ve been wanting to say this to you since we were in middle school.” I reach across the table and take her hand in mine. “Emmy, I’m in love with you. And I always have been. You’re my soulmate.” I swallow before continuing. “Do you remember that conversation we had about our past relationships and how they all failed? How most of our ex-partners were always jealous of our friendship? I know now why that used to happen. Because no one compares to you. No one understands me or knows me better than you. No one can make me laugh like you do. No one completes me like you. There is no one—no one else—that I can see myself spending my life with other than you. You’re the one I want to wake up next to every single day, the one I want to talk to and share my existence with. You’re the person I want to marry and have children with…”
I pause for a moment to catch my breath.
Emmy doesn’t say anything, so I continue.
“The reason why I asked you to make that marriage pact back in high school wasn’t because I was afraid of never finding anyone to marry. It was because I wanted to marry you. I knew way back then, just like I know right now that I want to marry you. Nothing has changed for me. Today, when we kissed, it was like a seal of approval for my heart. So, what I’m asking you is this. Emmy, will you honor the marriage pact? Will you marry me?”
She looks into my face for a moment more.
And then, slowly but surely, she withdraws her hand from mine.
My mind understands what this means but my heart doesn’t want to.
