Page 127 of Love Undecided
“I’m up here tonight to ask for your help,” he says looking at me.
I lean over Brad’s empty chair, to Remi, on my left. “If he asks for cancer research donations, I’ll kill him!”
Her eyes twinkle back at me, but she says nothing.
“You see,” Brad continues, “there’s a woman here with me tonight who means more to me than I can possibly put into words.” He pulls the microphone from the stand and begins walking across the stage with it.
“Four years ago, tonight, I met her and she rocked my world. I’m happy to say I’ve never been the same,” he says. A few catcalls and whistles bounce around the room. I feel myself starting to blush. He jumps down from the stage and starts walking toward me.
Lexie lets out a little screech, practically bouncing in her seat.
“Now, I don’t have a lot of practice with this, I’ve only done it once before,” he says. “And my timing wasn’t the best. So, this is where you all come in.” He reaches our table and stands there looking at me. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear his eyes are shining with tears.
“I need your help,” he says as he gets down to one knee.
Holy.
Shit.
Fuck.
Piss.
“In convincing this woman to become my wife.” He pulls a ring from his pocket.
The same ring.
And he holds it out to me.
“Should she say yes?” he asks the crowd, looking only at me.
“YES!” I hear Lexie scream as she pounds on the table with her fists. All the drinks and plates bouncing in place. She’s not alone though, the wordyesresounds through the room.
I can’t speak.
All I can do is look at him. This beautiful man who still wants to spend his life with me. After everything I’ve put him through and knowing everything I’ll probably put him through again.
He wants me.
The feeling is intoxicating.
I nod my head as tears spill over from my eyes to my cheeks.
“She said yes.” Ethan grabs the microphone from Brad and tells the crowd my answer. Amid the cheers, clapping, whistles and camera flashes, Brad takes my left hand in his and moves to put the ring on my finger.
Only, it won’t go past my knuckle. My fingers are too swollen from treatment.
He pushes a little harder, but it won’t budge.
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” I say. I stick my finger in my mouth and try to get it wet enough to slip the ring past my knuckle. It moves a little bit, but not enough. And I realize it now won’t move in either direction; my finger is starting to turn red and throb as it fills with blood.
“Ah! What do I do?” I ask the table shaking my finger.
“We could cut it off,” Ethan says.
“No!” Brad and I both say at the same time.
“I meant the ring,” Ethan says. “Jeez.”
