Loving yourself is hard. Trying to find love in a family who objectified you? Seems like work. But try finding love in someone as a hopeless romantic too.
• • •
Smart, nerdy, pretty, and kind are all the words she's gotten used to. Being a Junior in...
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All my life I've been told of what choices will be the best for me. It was like everyone else knew the right choices but me. I followed them, of course, thinking that they do— but they never did. They knew nothing of what's best for me. They tried to, but they never did.
I thought I knew what love meant. Kisses, sweet nothings, and poetry. A fantasy for the greatest. That's what I thought it all was. Until him. The man with his hands intertwined with mine, walking on the streets of Sicily. Everything I ever knew wasn't what I thought they were—especially him.
I dreamt of the prince who would come and save me. The knight in shining armor who was as chivalrous as the perfect husband would be. He would have pretty blue eyes and blonde hair like those in books I read to escape the life I already had. My first kiss was supposed to be with someone who I was sure of yet it wasn't.
All of that changed with just one person. He wasn't a knight or a prince with blue eyes. He wasn't perfect and everything with him was unexpected. But all those things are canceled out when I know that he's mine. He didn't have to be all the things I dreamt of. He just had to be with me and me with him. And that came true because out of all the decisions I had made, this was the one I was so sure of.
The moment I made that rash decision to leave everything I've ever known behind to be with the man I loved was the moment I knew I'd want him for the rest of my life. It was the moment I knew that I've written his name in gold and I wanted to be where he was. It was the moment when I knew that the chains I've had my whole life disappeared because of him.
It didn't matter that this was more than life-changing, it didn't matter that I couldn't finish my studies when I can do all that here. Without all the pressure, the drama. Here, I can say I've finally lived.
It's true what they said. When you truly love someone you'll do everything with them. You'll know when you dream of standing at an altar with them, speaking vows you'll remember for the rest of your life. You'll know when you are happy in their arms because they gave you the love you solely deserve from the moment you entered this world.
He was it. Despite all his flaws, all the fights, and broken glass. Yes, he gets angry, and drinks sometimes smoke too when he feels it but he makes sure it doesn't damage us. Everything he does is to make sure we are happy; not perfect but happy.
Busy as he gets, he tries to make time for us any chance he got and I could never be more grateful. He loves what we had and I do too. I love the sweet dinner dates or when he would cook dinner sometimes when he wanted to impress me. Our apartment would never daily to smell like a bakery on a Sunday when he's around.
He became someone I never saw he'd be and somehow, I was scared that I had changed too much. But when I see him smile as he wakes next to me or laugh at the little things I do, it lets me know that he wanted this as much as I did. I know now that all the hurting, the pining, and waiting lead us here. If that wasn't meant to happen then we surely beat the odds,
For when I was given the chance to choose between my blood or my heart—I chose a part of my soul.
"Happy Anniversary," he whispers as we walked down some bricked stairs. I stop and laughed.
"Hun, our anniversary isn't in for another two months." I reminded him but he pulls me closer and leads me down. He didn't exactly tell me where we were going but he said he just wanted to go for a walk.
"No, I want to celebrate the exact day I saw you at that damned frat house." He smirked and I cringed.
"Bleh," I gagged and he raised a brow making me gag. He never really settled on the fact that he's actually the romantic one between the both of us.
"Ok, fine, I'll play along," I laughed, following him as the sound of waves became more eminent to where we were headed. The air became stickier as the sunset presented itself in orange and pink skies.
"Well, babe, that was the moment I think we both knew that every decision we made would be insane and basically fuck all. Wouldn't you agree?" He chuckled, halting us both at the bottom of the stairs.
"Yes, I'd agree." I giggled while he cupped my face.
"You keep telling me, whispering that everything you do with me is unexpected and you never thought you'd ever experience." He said.
"And all of that is true," I reassured him feeling like a puddle in his hands as my gut churned.
He let's go of me and starts walking backward and I frowned trying to follow him but when I looked behind him I immediately stopped in my tracks like a woman in quicksand.
"Then I hope this is just as unexpected. You know, to keep in theme."
Behind him were Cade and Danica. His brother Alejandro and a few people I recognize from his office. There were probably a dozen of them there standing in a circle of candlelight. They had roses on one hand and A candle on another as lanterns flew overhead like a scene from a movie. Behind them were the waves crashing like music to my ears and before I knew it my eyes landed on Matteo— on one knee.
"Oh my god," I gasped when my feet walked swiftly towards them, feeling the sand on my feet. I saw tears brimming my eyes as I reached him. Everyone was silently smiling, watching as the scene unfolded before them. I tried to say something but no words came out.
"Evie I don't know what goes on in that little mind of yours and I have no idea if you would say yes. But I do know what goes on in my mind. All that I could think of is spending the rest of my days with you. All my hours, minutes, and seconds. I know you hate it when I smoke or drink and honey, it was hard to move on from those when it was the only thing I know. Then, I found you and I knew you were the only thing I can be addicted to. There are parts of each other that we still have yet to see. Parts of our hearts that we need to heal but when we do that, I want to know that you are mine and I am yours." He said with a smile as he tried to fight off the tears. I was too until he oom out a velvet box and when he opened it, my eyes widened and I gasped.
"So, Evangeline Jane Collins, will you take my happiness like the ocean take back the sand and be my home— forever and always?"
"Oh my god, Yeas Matteo Cadwell— yes! I will." I jumped and he places the ring around my finger as everyone erupted into cheers.
"I love you, my future wife, " he whispered to my ear as he hugged me.
"And I love you— my prince."
• • •
Our story wasn't the easiest, it was the best and it surely wasn't the happiest. There was a time when we both thought that we would never figure out what we truly feel yet here we are; knowing that we are gonna love each other for the rest of our lives.
A small thing like a kiss can mean so much to one person and maybe the link to their story.
A hopeless romantic who has never kissed a boy with parents darker than the night. That was me. I had a life that was built on being certain and knowing what was gonna happen next. Then I met an Italian boy who had alcohol and anger issues. The boy who teased me for being so uptight and a perfectionist. We didn't know what we were gonna be in two months let alone a year.
Our story was then filled with surprises, hauntings, and problematic friends. But we chose each other.
If me, a hopeless romantic, can find someone who Incan spend eternity with through thick and thin then who's to say, anyone else can't? It's all about the patience, the connection and the love. No matter how long you wait, as long as you know you've got the right person then it will all be worth it.
And now, here I am, finding my home with the man that I love. Forever and Always.
