Finally Found Love! {COMPLETED/EDITING}

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

JAMES'S POV

"Don't mind my manners baby.. Come in and sit" I said to her shaking my head to reality.

Without hesitation, she walked to the sit I had drawn out for her to sit.

"Babe, why did you stress your self to prepare all these" she said looking around "nicely decorated venue" she added.

"Oh, thanks. You know you are a princess, you are my princess and you deserve to be treated like what you are. Sorry if I can't do this for you everyday but you deserve more."

"Mr sweet talker. I pray I don't die of diabetics sooner or later"

I burst out laughing, she called me a sweet talker when I was just telling her the simple truth.

As we were talking, the waiter came in with the food I had pre-ordered, I didn't bother asking for a menu for Maddie because I knew my girl very well and I know what she likes and don't.

As we ate, we talked. We talked about so many things, my family, especially my mom and how she had been bugging me to meet Maddie, how her business with Annie was prospering and their plans of expanding their business. Never a dull moment with Maddie, I guess I've influenced her with my humor.

After we ate, I asked her to dance with me. We danced for some time before the waiter brought in the desert. I asked him to put the plates down that I was gonna serve my lady my self. He did winked at me and left. Maddie didn't see him winking though.

Maddie sat down as I had told her. I opened the covered plate to reveal a ring lying on it. The moment her eyes caught it, she gasped. She looked astonished and before she opened her mouth to say a word, I went down one kneel and began;

"I love you Maddie and if there's any one I want to spend the rest of my life with, it's you. Almost six months ago, I almost lost you. I almost lost this beautiful thing we share and I look back today to realize that I was stupid for taking chances."

I couldn't look into her eyes while saying these words, I wanted to be done first before trying to study her reaction.

"I'm not lucky Maddie, I'm blessed for having you in my life that's why I want you to be my wife." saying these words actually lifted a lot from my head. I had been nervous through out the evening I even barely ate up to half of my plate while we ate. Maddie noticed but I blamed it on the excitement of planning this whole thing out.

Still on one kneel even after about twenty seconds, Maddie was still quiet. That's when I took the courage to look into her eyes. She had this expression of guilt mixed with hurt. Maybe my words didn't prove to her that I'm worth her.

"Maddie listen,.... "

"James you've been through this stage before." she cuts in "You've proposed before. And it didn't work out eventually, that was someone you were with for almost two years. Look we're barely six months and you want to put a ring on it??"

Tears started to trickle down her face.

"Babe, It doesn't matter. My parents got married just two months after they met each other and they are the best couple I've ever met in my life, they stuck together even through their ups and downs. And by the way, I've never been so sure about anything in my life before." she started to cry and her expression became more of hurt than guilt but I continued. She needs to know the truth, what she's worth and also the fact that I'm capable of being the one for her.

"Even when I asked Stacey to marry me, I wasn't this nervous" I could feel my hands shaking, still holding the ring. "I'm here now thanking God for the accident because after I met you, I realized that the love I have for you is nothing to be compared. I can't bare to loose you."

"my parents were high school sweethearts, they were together for a long time before putting marriage in the picture and everything still managed to fall apart when the time came. Look we've barely made it past six months and you're talking about marriage. I'm not sure I'm ready for that. Maybe this whole thing is in your head because our best friends just got married not quite long."

"wake up Maddie, I'm not your dad and you're not as weak as your mom. Your mom might have been able to put up with the things your dad did to her, but you won't. I was the one you dealt with when the issue with Stacey came up, you ain't weak."

"I need to use the ladies room." she said and left.

With those last words, I felt broken. She had just said no to me. I was wounded, I couldn't even find the courage to stand up from my kneeling position.

I managed to stand up. I was deeply hurt, I just decided to go back to the car and wait for her there, there was no need to continue the evening everything had been ruined.

MADDIE'S POV

Looking into the mirror, I had cried my eyes out. Who would have thought that James was going to propose. He didn't give me any signs for crying out loud. Annie must have known but she didn't say a word.

I didn't mean to hurt him, I never meant to hurt him, in fact hurting James should be the last thing I'll ever do but I did it anyway. He should have at least talk to me about this before buying a ring.

I brought out tissues from my purse and wiped the makeup that had smeared on my face and applied powder afterwards.

******

James was no where to be found when I got back. Just then the waiter came in and told me that James had asked him to let me know that he was waiting for me at the car.

******

"Hey" I said when I got into the car but no reply.

"Hi"

"About what happened inside, I uhm.. "

"Maddie, you said you ain't ready right? I'm not going to force. I just want you to have this.. " he stretched forth the ring.

"uhm... James.. I don't think.. "

"you didn't say that you didn't want to get married, you said you weren't ready. And to be sincere, if you ain't ready now I don't think I'm gonna know when you will be. So when you are, just start wearing this and I'll know that you are. No worries, I'm always going to be here for you."

I reluctantly took the ring. I would have rejected it though but two rejections for a day will do more harm than good for our relationship.

"When last did you talk to your dad??" he asked out of the blues.

"So what is my dad doing in this conversation??"

"I asked you a question"

"I told you already, on my graduation night. I was drunk and I called him to warn him to stay away."

"how about you call him.."

"Look James, you ain't my husband neither are you my fiancee, you are just my boyfriend and you have no right what to ever to try and influence my personal decisions in life." I was speaking louder than I should, I knew that but I wasn't ready to bring my voice down.

"Look, the life your parents lived has done more harm than good to you. Just like what Sandra will say, make peace with your situation and everything other thing will fall in place. Your fear of marriage is influenced by your parents and the only way to sort this out is when you get to talk to your dad." James was surprisingly calm when talking.

"I ain't talking to no one. Let's go."

With that, he started the engine and drove off. Till we got to my doorstep, the only words we spoke to each other was goodnight.

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