Page 90 of Promise Not To Fall

Jake laughs. “Be careful what you wish for there.”

Watching closely, I sit on the stool in front of him just like I used to do when I used to be City Girl. I don’t even know that girl anymore. Now I manage a bar. A bar my boyfriend just happens to own. I worked for Stevie for six months after I moved here, and I hated it. I don’t want to live my life taking care of others any longer. For so long I enjoyed being a personal assistant, but when Jake started to build his own bar, I found a different calling—making sure he knows what he’s doing. He needs someone to boss him around. The decision to help Jake with his bar was easy. We didn’t do it for money, there isn’t much in owning a bar, if anything. But it does provide both of us with a sense of accomplishment.

I realized something very important sometime after I left this island that first time. And Jake was the one to show it to me. Who I am now on the inside is who Jake said I was. The drunk me he got to know was me getting out of my own way, seeing past my insecure flaws I never knew ran so deep. He was right when he told me that if you hate something about someone, it’s because subconsciously you hate that about yourself.

Before I met Jake, I was controlling, harsh, and… what was the other one?

Callous.

Here on the islands, I’m none of that. Being here allowed me to find myself, relax enough to get out of my own way, and show someone the real Kendall.

“I need to ask you something,” Jake says again, pushing my drink toward me. It’s filled with orange wedges and a lime, and there’s something in the bottom of the glass.

“Then ask me something.” Picking up the glass, I attempt to see what it is. You never know. Nash washes the dishes, and he sucks at it. I’m constantly back there trying to scrub shit out of glasses and plates. “Don’t ask me a question to ask me something. That’s redundant. Just ask it.”

“Don’t be mean.” His eyes hold amusement.

I continue to tip the glass around and realize it’s not a dirty glass, and my eyes snap to Jake’s.

He says nothing, but the words are written in his eyes by his intensity. There’s no longer amusement. Just passion.

And then I’m pissed. Livid, even.

With a good amount of annoyance, I glare at him. I slam the drink on the bar without even tasting it and stare at him.

“Okay, well, I guess that’s a no?” He looks nervous as hell.

With an angry jab, I reach into the pocket of my jean shorts and slam the ring I’d bought two weeks ago on the bar.

Jake looks at the black ring and then at me. Then back to the ring, and me again. “Seriously?”

“Fuck off,” I snap. “I hate you. I was going to do it first, and you went and ruined it all.”

He nods dramatically. “I see. That’s why….” He stops, laughter taking over. “Why didn’t I see that coming?”

“I was going to propose to you, asshole.”

Hopefulness returns to his eyes. “So the decision is unanimous then?”

I nod, not exactly giving him the answer he’s looking for, since he’s ruined my plan. Stupid jerk. He has no idea how hard it was for me to wait this long after I bought the ring.

My anger doesn’t stop him or the smile on his face as he sweeps me up into a hug, his arms tight around my waist. A few girls at the bar realize what just happened when Jake dumps my drink out to retrieve the ring and places it on my finger.

“Can’t take it back now. It’s final.”

I smile. “It’s not final until we’re married, silly.”

He places his fingertips to my lips, halting my words. “That might be true,” he breaths, his lips on my temple. “But I know you. You keep your promises.”

“You’re right, I do,” I gush, looking down at the ring.

“You deserve your fairy tale, Kendall. You do. And I want to be the one to give it to you.”

There are lucky people in this world. I can now wholeheartedly say that I am one of them. I’ve heard people say there’s one person where there’s no awkwardness. You just mend, bend, and break where the other is strong, and heal where the other is broken. They don’t need to add notches to their headboards. They break them.

Lucky people do that.

As we walk home, our home, the house on the beach we’re renting together, Jake stops on the beach and turns toward me. “I can’t believe you’re going to be my wife.”

---