Chapter Fourteen
Ethan
I watch her drive away, and only when I don’t see her anymore do I walk back inside the house, going straight for the couch. I sit with the box on my lap, just staring at it.
When I was in the shower and heard the doorbell, I thought I was hearing things until she rang the bell again. I rushed out, not expecting her when I opened the door.
She was one step away from bolting, and her face looked so beautiful that it literally took my breath away. I couldn’t understand why she was here, and I wanted nothing more than for her to come in so we could talk. I was hoping she’d come over so we could talk. I never expected her to be returning all my stuff.
My hands shake as I open the lid to the box and find my T-shirt right on top. Picking it up, I run my hands over it. She used to wear this all the time to bed. She would make me wear it when I was over and then cuddle up to it when I would leave. Placing it beside me, I see the pictures next, and everything hits me right away. I take them out and look through them. The picture of us on the beach with the purple sunrise was the day I knew in my heart that she was the one. I mean, I knew before then that she was the one, but at that moment, watching her as her eyes lit up when the sun rose just cemented that there was no one else I wanted to be with. There was no one else for me, and I knew it then. I know it even more now.
There is one of my class books and some random papers that I left over there, but in the bottom corner is the brown velvet box. My heart beats so fast in my chest I have to move the box off my lap. My mouth is suddenly dry and my palms sweaty. Opening the box, I see the engagement ring sitting in the middle of it. My hand moves to take the ring out of the box, and I hold the ring between my thumb and forefinger. Looking down at the ring, I remember the day I gave it to her.
“Sunrise,” I whispered when my alarm went off at four thirty that morning. I didn’t plan to drive up and see her, but with the ring in my pocket, I didn’t want to wait another minute. I kissed her neck. “Sunrise.” She turned over this time and cuddled into me like she always did when she didn’t want to get up. “I have a surprise for you,” I said, and she groaned. Moving her hand down, she grabbed my cock. “Not that surprise.” I laughed at her and pushed her hand away. It took one touch from her, and I lost all my senses.
I scrambled to get out of bed as I hopped over her. I put my T-shirt on and then slipped on my jeans. “Why are you getting dressed?” She opened one eye this time. “You don’t have to leave for another two hours.”
“I want to watch the sunrise with you,” I told her, and her eyes lit up as she smiled. “So get dressed.” She got up and put on sweatpants and my shirt. She slipped on her flip-flops and grabbed my hand. We walked to our special part of the grass, and she sat in front of me as usual. I pushed her hair aside and kissed her neck right beneath her ear. “I love doing this with you.”
“It’s my favorite time of the day,” she said as she laid her head back on my shoulder far enough for me to kiss her. “Every day with you is my favorite.” She looked ahead as I waited for the sun to peek out from the horizon.
When I saw the little yellow start to come out, I moved into place. I got in front of her on one knee, but she didn’t know what was going on until I took the box out of my pocket. “Sunrise.” Tears poured down her face, and she put her hands in front of her mouth. “I want to do this with you every single day for the rest of my life. I want to sit with you on our porch and watch every sunrise with you. I want all my days to start with you by my side.” I slid the ring on her finger. “Will you be my wife?” All she could do was nod her head.
I put the ring back in the box and make my way to the bedroom. I can’t explain to anyone how this moment feels. I feel almost empty. When I left her behind, I closed myself off. I locked it down and never looked back, but now seeing her, being near her it’s so much more than I ever thought it would be. I collapse in the bed, and tonight, the nightmares are almost unbearable, so when I wake up gasping for air at four a.m., I give up and head over to the gym. I work out while the sun rises, and at seven fifty-five, I show up at the barn.
“Look who it is,” Quinn says, walking out of the barn. “Dad said you would be coming in.”
“Did he?” I look at him and see that he looks exactly like Casey when he was younger. “Where is he?”
“He had a meeting with Mom somewhere,” he says, “but he said you would know what to do.” I nod my head and look at the training facility where I spent most of my time. I would train
