Intrigued

Chapter Eighteen

*And if you're lucky - if you're the luckiest person on this entire planet, the person you love decides to love you back.*

-Nathan Scott, One Tree Hill

Brian's P.O.V.

The other night, as my girlfriend was telling me she was pregnant, I couldn't help but to think back to that night. The night I overdosed and died. All the premonitions my uninvited visitor made that night had come true so far. Visitor... or ghost? Dream? Time traveler? Spirit? My spirit guide? Whatever. I have no clue. The point is, the guy hadn't lied to me about anything. 

Roxanne told me, as the mystery guy had, that the voice on the other end of the phone belonged to her friend from school - a married guy named Rob. She told me - as he had, that she had never wanted to break up for good, she just needed some time to think. Finally, of course, his pregnancy prediction had come true. But maybe prediction was the wrong word... prediction implied some type of guessing - and this guy didn't seem to be doing any of that. Everything he said, was spoken like a fact. Somehow he knew exactly what I had been through, and exactly what was going to happen in my future.

I knew now, that I had been seeing pieces of my life. I don't know how. I don't know why. But sure as shit, it was true. My life had flashed before my eyes - just like they always said it did in books and movies. And not just up until that point, but what it could be from that point forward - if I got my shit together. Which I desperately wanted to do. Not only for Roxanne and our daughter, but for myself too, for once. The life I had been shown for myself that night, was a better one than I had ever hoped for - and I knew I would do anything to make that vision come true.

The next thing I had witnessed that night after blacking out, was myself proposing to Roxanne. As utterly petrified as I was at the thought of marriage, because of my past - I knew that no matter what, I had to take the risk anyways. I could not lose Roxanne again. I wouldn't survive it. Especially now that she was going to be the mother of my child; I wanted more than anything to do this right. Yes I was afraid, but I had been afraid at the thought of relationships too, and putting that fear aside, happened to be the best decision I've made thus far.

Not only that, but relationships are meant to be investments, not hobbies and ultimately you should be striving for marriage, if you're with someone you really love and care about. I couldn't just selfishly keep Roxanne around and waste her time if I had no intention of spending the rest of my life with her. She deserved the world, and if I wasn't willing to make her my wife, it wasn't fair to her in the long run. No matter how terrified I was, if I couldn't do it - I had to let her go, so someone else could. And that was not happening. Not over my dead body. I knew Roxanne would never pressure or rush me to marry her; she had the patience of a saint, but I also knew that if marriage was ever going to happen for me - it was now, with her. Something about the timing just felt right. And I mean actually right... not like it did the first time I thought it.

Once I had made my decision, I began planning right away. I knew that Roxanne didn't care about a fancy proposal; I knew she would never want anything big and public. I knew that simple and genuine was the way to go with her. Knowing she would be at school until 8 p.m., I decided to just dive right in, and go get her a ring. I called up Sal, and told him I was coming to pick him up. 

"Hey." He greeted me, climbing in the passenger seat. "What are we doing?"

"Going to the mall." I replied.

"Why? What do you need?" He asked.

"A ring. I'm asking Roxanne to marry me. Today."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Are you sure? Isn't this kind of hasty? Don't get me wrong buddy, I love her. We all do. She's an absolutely amazing woman. But I just don't want you jumping into anything. I mean, you guys have had a rough road lately."