Page 132 of The Lucky One

“Where are we going?” I shouted, laughing.

“Don’t know! Somewhere we can be alone.”

“I know where to go!”

Taking the lead, I steered him down the halls to the other side of the building. We ran outside into the crisp early evening air, not stopping until we reached the bleachers at the football field. We ducked underneath and Jon kissed me like there was no tomorrow. We could still hear distant echoes of party music blaring in the gym.

He pulled away for a moment. “Are you sure you want to do it here?” he asked, glancing around the space beneath the bleachers.

I nodded. “No one’s here.”

“You little adrenaline junkie,” Jon teased, taking my wrist.

“Maybe you were right: the idea of being caught does turn me on.”

He didn’t respond, only found my mouth instead.

But what truly turned me on in this moment was that I wasn’t breaking any rules anymore. (Okay, ignoring the fact that it was probably forbidden to do it on school grounds.) More importantly, I was finally allowed to have sex with Jon.

We glided to the ground, tangled in each other’s arms. Just when I was sure this night couldn’t get more perfect, it did, beneath a darkening sky with the love of my life touching me, filling me. I only felt pleasure—no guilt, no fear, no holding back. Our souls connecting, bringing us to the highest peaks of our love.

When we came down from our new favorite drug, aka each other, we strolled over the football field, rosy-cheeked and messy-haired.

“That was incredible,” Jon said, a huge grin on his face.

“It was.” I let him kiss me again. “The best prom I could’ve asked for.”

He smiled and nodded at the horizon. “Seems like we can watch the sunset.” I followed his gaze: the sky was transforming into a breathtaking canvas of deep pinks and reds. The combination of colors suddenly reminded me of the painting in my therapist’s office—pink and red did go together after all. So that was what it reminded me of all this time.

When I looked back at Jon, his smile had vanished and his eyes had welled with tears. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I wish I had given you more nights like these. You deserve it.”

He looked so sad, I shook my head quickly and put my palms on his cheeks. “Don’t cry. Everything is okay. We’re here now; that’s what matters.”

“I know, but—” He swallowed, swiping at his tears. “You made me want to live again, Little German. Before I met you, I doubted I’d ever turn eighteen. I didn’t even want to. But now every day is like a blessing. And then I tried to push you away again, but you were right: that just makes it worse.”

“Jon, it’s okay. We still have time. And we’ll make long distance work.”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to waste any more time. I want you with me. Every minute. Every second. Every breath I have left.”

He reached into his pocket. The football field seemed to fade away as he went down on his knee, a small, elegant box in his hand.

I took a few steps back, glancing around to see if I was dreaming. This couldn’t be real, could it? Wait, why was I walking away? I forced myself to focus on Jon again. My heart was crashing so hard against my ribs, I could barely breathe.

He opened the box.

A dazzling silver ring emerged, catching the light in a cascade of sparkles. I covered my face, feeling the first tears trying to escape my eyes.

His gaze was naked, nervous with hope. “Emily Klein, fuck, I... will you marry me? Please?”

I let the tears spill over. This was the impossible moment I had dreamed of, and there was only one answer swelling within me.

“Y-yes!” I couldn’t help but laugh, the sound bubbling up from deep inside. I nodded fervently. “Yes, yes, yes!”

I dropped to my own knees and literally fell into his arms.

I could go with him to Germany this summer, introduce him to my family, resolve my conflicts with Richard, then move back here. Start a new life close to my friends and my American family—Paul, Gena, Henry, Zack... and the love of my life.

Jon’s grin was stupid with excitement. He crushed me to his chest, and we found ourselves locked in an embrace, sealing the promise of forever. “I can’t believe this,” I managed to say between laughter and tears. My makeup was definitely smudged but my heart was bursting with happiness.

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