Page 67 of Krash & Bern

My vision was blocked by the blindfold Krash put on me before he ushered me out of the house and into the car. We’d been on the road for about ten minutes before my impatience settled in.

“Be patient, bae.”

“I can’t. My nerves are bad. I have no idea where you’re taking me.”

“What are you nervous for? You know I’d never put you in harm’s way.”

“At least give me a hint,” I bargained.

I felt his hand rub my thigh. “We’re going somewhere special. This place holds a lot of great memories.”

“Hmm. There are a couple of places that comes to mind. What’s the occasion? I know I haven’t forgotten about an anniversary.”

“Bernice.”

“Not my government…”

“Sit back and relax. All of your questions will get answers as soon as we get there.”

“Fine…”

I sat back and allowed the music coming from his speakers to soothe me. Kenyon Dixon’s “On My Mind” serenaded me.

Every morning when I’m wakin’ up, I just wanna feel you baby.

I hummed along to the lyrics as butterflies swarmed my stomach. Something was going to happen when we made it to our destination, and I couldn’t wait for the reveal. Kenyon’s voice transitioned to Fridayy’s “When It Comes To You.”

I won’t waste no time when it comes to you. Put my pride aside, give it all to you.

Part of me felt like the songs playing on our journey played a role in setting the tone for what awaited me. The lyrics were a little too intentional. My man had gotten better with how he showed his love and affection toward me. In the beginning, he wasn’t the best at being romantic, but he was learning, and I was grateful for it.

When the car stopped, I motioned to remove the blindfold, but Krash stopped me.

“Not yet.”

“Fine.” I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for Krash to open the passenger door and help me out. He wrapped his arm around me and guided me down a concrete path. I tried to allow my other senses to give me a hint of where we were, but all I could feel was the cold air on my cheeks and the hard pavement under my Crocs.

“Wait right here,” he instructed. A second later, his warmth had disappeared from my side.

I felt like a sitting duck waiting to be shot by a hunter. My heart pounded against my chest as I shifted my weight onto the balls of my feet. My hands fidgeted against the bottom of my sweater.

“Remove the blindfold.”

My eyes adjusted to the bright sunny sky. Once my vision cleared, I realized where we were. We were standing at the front door of the high school we’d first met at. On each step were pictures of us over the years. Pictures from boxing matches, homecoming, prom, college days, random date nights, sleepovers, and more. My eyes burned from the tears as I covered my mouth.

The sight of Krash bended on one knee with a ring in his hand made my entire body quake with emotions. The sign behind him read in large gold letters: Will you Marry me?

“Bernice James, from the moment we met in Mrs. Donaldson’s class, I took a liking to you. Back then, I assumed the reason I took you under my wing was because you were younger and more susceptible to bullying. Now, as I look back, I realize my soul knew then that you were the one I was supposed to spend forever with.”

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I listened to him. “Krash…”

“Bern, you’re the honey to my comb. You’re the ranch to my wing. You’re the sole to my shoes. Without you, I wouldn’t be the best version of me. I love you more than there are stars in the galaxy. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

I was at a loss for words. To hear my man express his feelings had me speechless. I nodded.

“Is that a yes?” he asked as he removed the ring from the box in his hand.

Again, I nodded. “Yes. Yes. Yes!”

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