The Ring

THREE

[INGRID'S POV]

When I return home from work, there's a gourmet dinner and a rack of wines on the dining table. My favorite song is playing from the stereo, a bouquet of roses is on the table beside the food and there are petals spread all over the floor from the doorway. It is very quiet, except for the playing music.

I drop my bag in the couch and look around. There are pictures of Adrian and I taken with a Polaroid stuck to the wall, hanging on strings.

"Adrian?!" I call, but there's no answer. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Welcome back." A voice whispers behind me. "You're back so early." It's Adrian's voice. He wraps his hands around my waist and I am not mad at him anymore. His touch is very intimate and just gets my heart racing.

"You did all this?" I ask. I know Adrian cooks, but not for us. I always make the food.

"Yes. And it's all for you. Do you like it?"

I look away, pretending to be mad. "No."

Adrian leaves trails of wet kisses along my collar bone and nibbles on my ear. Oh my God, his touch just leaves sparks in my body. I just melt in his arms.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asks, and now I feel guilty.

"We need to talk about it. I need you to stop kissing me. I want us to talk." I decide, looking all serious.

"We can talk like this."

"Adrian..."

"I'm sorry. I did all of this to say I'm deeply sorry. Sophie and I..."

"Tell me the truth." I disentangle myself from him and look into his face. "Do you love Sophie? Because if you do, we can just go our separate ways so that you two would be happy. I don't want to be a hindrance in your life anymore. But this isn't working between us." I rehearsed all this when I was at work. I wanted to let him know about how I feel.

Adrian sighs. "I don't love Sophie. I love you." My head feels small in his palms as he holds it. "You are all I want and need. Last night was a mistake. She came up to me and I couldn't control myself."

"I want the truth. I see the way you look at her all the time. You want her and not me, and I'm fine with it. I won't force you. I know how it feels to lose your control and feel suffocated."

"Trust me, Ingy. I know what I want. And it is you. Sophie and I had a thing back in high school. That's why she comes up to me all the time. That's the truth. But I am over her, because I found you. And it's you that I love."

I sigh. "I'm just...scared that you don't want me anymore." Tears roll down my cheeks in the process.

"Ingy, it doesn't matter how pretty, or fashionable you are. It's you I fell for. That's what you should understand."
I wipe my cheeks. "It's not so easy, when there are other girls around you. Look, I'm not jealous or anything. I just care about you and what you want."

"It's not all about me, Ingy. What do you want?"

I look away. "I want you."

"Good." He smiles at me. I try not to blush.

"But it doesn't matter what I want," I say. "It still wouldn't work if you're not sure about me. I need you to choose. Right now. Because I can't take it anymore."

"Forget about all the hot girls around me. I know I'm a hunk and a pervert, but the truth is that I still fall in love with you even when I try to hate you. I love everything about you and so you should be proud of the kind of man you've made me. I want to be with you forever."

"Adrian, I want you to be sure. Do you want me?"

"Yes I do." He says with a laugh. "You ask a lot of questions."

I laugh between tears. "I'm sorry." I say. Then I lean in to kiss him, but he stops me.

I frown. "What happened?" he smirks and suddenly goes down on one knee.

I put my hand over my mouth, knowing what's next.

He reveals a small black box from his pocket and opens it. In it lies a beautiful ring with a blue jewel in the center. "If you agree to this proposal, I'll make you the happiest woman alive. I'll be devoted, committed, and loyal to you. Ingrid Meyers, will you marry me?"

I gasp, laugh, join him on the ground and give him a big hug. Though his body is too large for my arms, I try my best to engulf him, and that makes him laugh.

"Oh my God, Adrian. You cannot imagine how happy I am. This is what I've wanted you to do!" I say, still hugging him. I press my lips against his and kiss him. "I love you so much." I kiss every part of his face and repeat the words 'I love you' after each kiss.

"Ingy," Adrian laughs. "You still haven't given me an answer."
I laugh excitedly and let go off him.

"Yes. Yes, I'll marry you." He sighs with relief in between laughter and puts the beautiful ring on my finger. Then he kisses my hand. "Is that enough assurance?" he asks.

I kiss him again. "It is more than enough."

He then carries me bridal style and plunges me onto the couch. He climbs on top of me, begins to kiss my neck and caress me.

"Adrian, we still haven't eaten the food." I say, looking over at the dining table.

"It can wait. Right now, I'm only hungry for you." He says huskily, and begins to undress me.

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Yikessss! I hope this chapter didn't make you cringe and go like: WTF is this? I don't know, that's kinda how I felt rereading this chapter. But I was like, maybe someone else thinks otherwise. So let me know your thoughts. And please vote if you liked it.