Just Friends? No, It Must Be More

Chapter 27

5 months later...

ALISON'S POV

“Just tell me already!” I whine for the hundredth time. He just laughs and continues to drive to wherever he was taking me. “Ryan, please?” He shakes his head, “When will you just give in and tell me?”

“Never”, he smiles. “I’m going to keep giving you surprises till we’re old and grey and unable to walk.”

He wasn’t budging. I already knew he wasn’t going to tell me but I can’t help but try to get him to tell me. I just get so excited and anxious. He has been extremely secretive about where he has been and what he’s been doing lately. I would catch him whispering into his cell phone. I’ve caught glimpses of some of his conversations. A lot of it sounded like business transactions. And when I asked what he was doing he’d just smile and say, “You’ll see.” Every time those two words were said to me, it killed me. The anticipation was unbearable.  Now, two weeks later I finally get to see what he has been up to.

He shoots me yet another brilliant smile as he takes my hand in his and brings it to his lips to place a sweet kiss on it, “Patience is key Miss Stewart.”

We pull up into an empty parking lot of what looks like an old run down restaurant and bar. There wasn’t much light. The street lights were the only light source illuminating the area. It was dim and I just couldn’t help but wonder why his surprises took place in the dark. We parked and he came around to my side of the car and opened the door for me. As he helped me out of the car I took another look at the abandoned building and suddenly saw something familiar. The large windows… they had a very familiar flower design on the glass. I’ve seen it before, but I couldn’t remember where I’ve seen it. I try to link these windows to my memory but I just can’t figure out where I am.

“I’ve been here before” I tell him.

He doesn’t say anything. He just continues to escort me to the entrance. He reaches into his pocket to retrieve a set of keys. He unlocks the knob and opens the door. The door slowly swings open with a slight creak. He reaches for my hand and slips his fingers between mine. We step inside and he switches the lights on. And immediately I remember. I look back and he just gives me that adorable boyish smile. He takes my hand and leads me further inside, all the while glancing back to see the reaction on my face. I can’t quite tell you what my face looked like but I’m sure it had a mixture of surprise and awe. I couldn’t help but lose my breath when I saw what was before me. We were at Randy’s. This is where I first met him. It looked about the same except it was empty. All the tables, chairs and booths weren’t there. But there were twinkling lights all around the room hanging from the ceiling. It was beautiful. It reminded me of our first date.

“This is where I first met you.” He finally said as he led me to the far right corner of the room and slowly walked backward away from me, still looking at me, “You were standing right there in this frilly crème colored top with a simple pair of blue skinny jeans and flats sipping on some red colored drink. I had no idea who you were, I just knew that the moment I walked into the room I just saw you. And you were beautiful.”

By now he was at the entrance just gazing at me from across the room. Then he started walking back towards me, “Then Kenny started walking in your direction and for some odd reason I was a little disappointed because I thought you’d be the Anna he had been talking about. And if you were his Anna, he and I would have had a little problem because I knew that I was attracted to you. But the moment Anna said, ‘this is my roommate Alison’ I was so relieved.”

He shook my hand, his eyes never leaving mine. “Even then I was drawn to you. You know the saying, ‘When we first met, I had no idea you would be so important to me?’ Well… I knew. I knew you’d be the most important thing to me, even if I didn’t want you to be, and even if I wasn’t ready and willing for you to be. And even though I never cared to show interest in any girls I’ve met before you, I just wanted to know you. I wanted to know what made you smile that pretty smile of yours. I wanted to know what it was about you that drew me in. We talked the whole night. I never thought I could have such a magnetic attraction to anyone. But with you, it was easy. Before then, I couldn’t remember laughing so hard or smiling so big. Then I got to walk you home. You would talk about the most random things.”

He smiled to himself,  “It was cute. And you know what I loved most about that walk?” he asked.

“What?” I said.

His eyes bore through mine, “The way your eyes lit up whenever you told me something about your family. A lot of people would think that talking about one’s family with someone they had just met is strange or odd but I liked it. A lot of people made me feel like I missed out on having a real family, but you made me feel like I didn’t. Like I was a part of your family, the kind of family I’ve always wanted. You made me think that I still had a chance to have that family I’ve always wanted. I needed someone like you to help me realize that. And I’m so grateful to have met you and to have you now. That first day with you was just the best. And from then on, my time with you has been the happiest of my life. And I don’t want this… us to ever end. I want this forever. I love you so much, I am so in love with you Alison Noelle Stewart. Alison, you’re the most incredible girl in the world. You’re absolutely beautiful, inside and out. Before I met you, I was afraid to want or hope for anything because I didn’t want to get my hopes up to just be disappointed in the end. I thought everything and anything I wanted would never happen for me. But then you came along.”

He smiled so big. I can see so much emotion in his eyes.  “You made me believe in myself. You let me know that it was okay to hope and dream and want things for myself. You made me realize that I can have anything I want. You made me believe in things that I thought were impossible for myself. You have done so much for me and given so much to me, I only hope I can do half of what you have done for me. Alison Stewart, I love you with all of my heart. You are the most important person to me. Nothing would make me happier than for us to be married, for me to be your husband and for us to finally have that family and life I’ve been waiting for all my life. And if you say eyes in a minute, I promise to continue adoring you, appreciating everything you do for me, and cherishing the way you make me feel for the rest of our lives.”

And then he got down on one knee and revealed a stunning white gold three stone diamond engagement ring. I was mesmerized. It was beautiful and perfect and exactly what I could ever want in an engagement ring. He looked nervous. He looked at me with so much love and bit down on his bottom lip before he asked, “So, will you marry me?”

I certainly didn’t see this coming. I had no clue he was going to propose, not until he actually asked me. A whole bunch of different emotions took over my body. I couldn’t even bring myself to speak. I just stood there smiling with my mouth wide open in shock.  Poor Ryan, he was just anxiously waiting for my answer and I couldn’t even get the tiniest voice out of my mouth. I just nodded slowly with the biggest smile plastered all over my face. 

“Is that a yes?” he asked, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.” I finally said.

He quickly stood up, picked me up in his arms and kissed and kissed me, only stopping to give each other the goofiest grins. This feeling was nothing like I’ve ever felt before. I can’t ever remember being this happy. I just couldn’t believe that Ryan and I were engaged. I get to marry my best friend. Life couldn’t get any better.