"Dada, Cassidy. Say Dada."
Cam laid sprawled out on the ground in front of our daughter, his chin propped up in hands as his elbows dug into the wood floor. Cassidy sat a few feet away on her blanket, holding her pink rattle as she stared at her father with a dumbfounded expression.
"Cam, she's one." I patted his head as I crouched down beside him, "She probably thinks you're a giant oaf talking to her."
"Come on, Cass. Tell Mommy what Dada taught you." Cassidy dropped her rattle and crawled over to me, her brown eyes bright as she stared up at me.
"Mama!" she started clapping as she sat back up. Cam stared at our daughter, a hurt look on his face.
"Cassidy!" I responded, kissing her cheek, "Yes, I'm Mama."
"And I'm Dada!" Cam tried again, giving her a pleading look, "I'm Daddy."
She stared at me blankly for a second before crawling over to Cam and sitting in front of him with a lopsided smile on her face.
"She loves you." I pinched Cam's cheek, "But she loves me more." I rose, feeling Cam's eyes follow me across the room as I grabbed my phone from the counter and checked the time. I cursed quietly under my breath just as a loud knock at the door startled Cassidy and Cam in the living room.
I jogged over, giving Cam a reassuring smile as I opened the door for my best friend.
"Sienna!" I threw my arms around her, gasping, "You look amazing!"
The last time I had seen her, she had been in a hospital bed and looked utterly exhausted. The last four months had done her good.
"Not as great as you!" She pulled away and made a gesture toward my body, "You've been working out, haven't you?"
"We've been running." Cam answered as he came up behind me, Cassidy in his arms, "And Cassidy's been having fun riding in the stroller when we do it."
Robbie decided to take the moment of silence to step in the doorway, a carrier covered with a blue blanket in his hand.
"Can we come in?" he asked with a smile, "This carrier is a lot heavier than it looks." I laughed and moved out of the doorway to let them in. The second they were inside, Sienna threw herself on to our couch and let out a loud groan.
"Are you sure you're okay with watching Cassidy?" I asked her. She rolled over so she was facing me, one of her arms hanging off the couch as she grinned.
"Of course, Blake. She'll be in great hands, I promise." As if to prove her point, she nodded toward Robbie. He had sat down where Cam had set Cassidy in her playpen, playing peek-a-boo with her. I smiled, nodding as she gave me a warm, comforting smile.
"Go have fun!"
*
I could only stare out the window in shock when Cam finally stopped the car and nodded in agreement for me to be able to look out the window.
We were back at the old house. An unfamiliar red convertible and a gray mini-van were in the Mendoza's old driveway. Mom and James had moved out and closer to us a few months ago, which had left a huge FOR RENT sign stuck into the ground in front of my childhood home.
"What are we doing here?" he climbed out of the car instead of replying and walked around the car to let me out.
"Cam, no playing head games with me." I muttered, taking his hand and lacing my fingers through it as I shut the car door behind me. He led me through the winding path behind my house to an old swing set. I felt my heart starting to sink into my stomach at the sight of it. We had spent years on that thing, it had gotten to a point where one of the chains had rusted and broke and still swayed back and forth. The treehouse was above us, boarded off so nobody was allowed in. I knew they'd probably break the thing down once someone moved in here.
"When we were ten we buried a box." Cam started, grabbing a shovel appearing in his hand from out of nowhere. I watched as he headed behind the swings and stabbed the dirt with it.
"You wanted to call it a time capsule, but I found that name ridiculous." he started digging for a few minutes before pulling out and old shoe box with the Disney princess all over it beneath the dirt.
"Remember?" he smiled as he walked back over and dusted the box off.
He slowly pulled off the top, careful not to break it. Not much sat inside, a few old pictures, an old camera, and a small black pouch.
"I was so young then, and an idiot for leaving this in there, obviously. But I knew one day we'd dig it back up." He took the black pouch from the box and pulled out an all too familiar blank velvet box. I had seen it last year when Kai and Ray had finally tied the knot and Kai proposed to him.
"Cameron? What are you doing? Are there rings in there?" I asked, feeling a mixture of excitement and fear starting to spread through my chest. He smiled weakly and opened the box to reveal two rings, both stunning.
"I always pictured this moment in different ways. When I was younger, I thought I'd do it in the middle of Universal Studios. When I was thirteen, I thought maybe it would happen right after our high school graduation. When I was seventeen, I realized it didn't matter how I proposed to you, Blake. Because I could covered in mud and drenched with water and you'd still react the same way." he started to lower himself down to one knee.
"Cam-" I started, a warning tone in my voice. He shook his head, laughing.
"We've been through a lot the last couple years, and it was all my fault. Every day I spend with you, hear your heart beating, I realize that I wouldn't be alive if I couldn't have you by my side. Some people go with the cliché soulmate bullshit, but Blake, you are my other half. You're my best friend, my girlfriend, my entire world. And I'd love to make up everything I ever did wrong for the rest of our lives if that's okay with you." My hands had moved so they were covering my chest, my heart slamming against my rib cage as I tried to catch my breath.
"What?" he stood back up, "Did I say something wrong?"
"No, no!" I quickly shook my head.
"Will you marry me, Blake Hart?" He questioned, "I know I'm an idiot and might make a few mistakes, but maybe you can help me correct them."
I laughed, wrapping my arms around his torso as I closed the gap between us. I allowed him to slip the ring on to my finger before I tilted my head back and kissed him.
"I highly doubt that, nobody can correct Cameron Mendoza's mistakes." I joked, "But yes, Cam. I love you; I'll marry you."
***AN***
*Not edited*
Hope you guys enjoyed! I know it wasn't the greatest epilogue, but I hope you enjoyed nonetheless.
The link to the next book will be posted on the next chapter.
I love you guys so so much and I can't believe how much you've supported me! I really hope you will continue to, and with the last book of the series and the journey we'll take.
Thank you guys so much! I love you!
~ChasingMadness24
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According To You (Just Like You #2) (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
Teen Fiction"Only you can bring me to my knees and make me want to kiss and kill you all at once." Blake Hart has had an image of the perfect college plan since she was ten. A perfect, full college experience. That was before her boyfriend and best friend left...
