Everything Between Us

Chapter Nine - Slate

I stood in a beautiful old Victorian on the same street as Mackenzie's house. It was so perfect. There was open space and natural lighting and the renovations were needed but not impossible. And everywhere I looked I saw things Olivia would love just as much as I would.

I had known as soon as I walked in that this was my home, Olivia was walking around as well and she walked back up to me, "Do you like it?"

"I love it, it exactly what I wanted."

She smiled, "It is pretty special, with some renovations it will be everything you had talked about."

I loved it and I wanted but I wanted to know if she liked it as well. Even though she didn't know it I hoped that this would be her home as well one day, "Do you like it? If you were looking for a house would you buy it."

"I think so, it has a homey feel and it's just so... beautiful." Her eyes filled with amazement as she looked around. And with that I knew this was the one I wanted. I loved it and she loved it, that's all we needed.

***

Through the next week or two Olivia continued to develop our relationship, staying together most nights alternating between her place and mine. I was moving into the house in a couple of days, the owner had wanted a quick closing and I was eager to start renovations. I had ordered furniture and didn't need to move much so I was set. The first thing I planned on doing was redoing the master bedroom and bath. It was what I was talking over with Olivia right now as we laid in my bed this afternoon, we had been up late last night for work and decided to sleep in.

"I think the master bedroom and bathroom are perfect as is but I really want to put in some hardwood floors before moving on to the kitchen." I showed her a picture of the floors I was going to put in.

"That will look amazing!" She says as she looks at me from where she was pressed against my side. Then her head bops up as she remembers something, "Also, I forgot to mention that Mackenzie invited us to a honkey tonk bar on the edge of town that just opened up. I think she also invited Ethan too."

"Do you want to go?" I wouldn't mind going out it with them the four of us always had fun together and we had not been out with a group as a couple before.

"Yeah I think it will be fun and I haven't hung out with Mackenzie in a while." She was being casual but I could see the excitement in her eyes at the idea of hanging out with her best friend. Her and my sister frequented bars and always seemed to get themselves into trouble.

"Then let's go, it will be funny for me to watch Ethan get pissy when guys flirt with Mackenzie. He's got it so bad, I don't understand why he doesn't just ask her out."

"It's so obvious too, but Mackenzie insists that they're just friends."

***

Later that night I watched from the bed as she got ready for our night out. I fiddled with the small box in my pants pocket as I watched her apply her makeup. I had bought an engagement ring, I know we had agreed to take it slow but I knew she was who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I had known it six years ago and I knew it now.

But, I would wait a little bit before I actually proposed because I didn't want to freak her out even though I was pretty sure she would accept when I did propose to her.

"I'm almost ready, Slate." She calls out to me from where she was standing at the bathroom sink.

I slip my hand out of my pocket drawing my attention back to the woman I love, "Okay, we'll leave whenever you're ready. No rush." I was being jittery because I was thinking about how I could propose but I tried to act as normal as possible.