“Maybe we should have dessert back at the hotel?” she suggested.
“I think I would enjoy that.” I kissed her, letting her settle the bill. We had developed a rotating rule for who paid for things, she insisted on it. I tolerated it even though I would be far happier if I could still pay for everything. Yet, I could understand why she wanted her own independence. I gathered the coats off the backs of the chairs, checking the wine bottle in the cooler. Barely half drunk, and it was her favourite brand.
As I walked my love back to the hotel, I mused thinking about when I had last seen her drunk or even tipsy. I couldn’t remember a single time since the night we had got back together. That was when I knew, it was finally time. I sent tout a group text when she wasn’t looking asking for their assistance in what I hoped would be the moment to change both of our lives.
“Is everything ready?” I asked Rose for the twentieth time today, as we stood by the side of the stage.
“Of course, Mr Sparks, all is as you requested. Harry kept Lily busy the whole day, so she saw nothing,” she replied promptly.
“I don’t know what I would do without you all, thank youse.” I looked back at Levi. “And ye, I know you aren’t fond of me, so thank ye so much for doing all of this.”
“You are my boss; I don’t have to like you. Lily is family, you make her happy. So, I am going to do this for her, but break her heart and I will make you regret it,” Levi said firmly.
“Just keep her busy and away from everything is all I ask.” I said nervously, taking the ring box out to check my grandmother’s ring was still there. “I’m ready, I can do this.” I muttered under my breath.
The concert went without a hitch, I was nervous, my energy all over the place. I must have got at least a dozen lines wrong, and I swear I have no idea what guitar chords I played for that final song. But somehow the others covered me, and it worked. Then it was encore before I even noticed. I strode out on the stage shhing the fans. “Normally, we would have a couple more songs for youse, but first. I have something I would like to say.”
Behind me, on the video screen it started to light up with pictures of Lily and me from tour. Fairy lights lit up around the instruments and edge of the stage. The lights dimmed, leaving us in a semi dark, magical place.
“Just over a year ago, I met and fell in love with a totally amazing woman. One that was my match in every single way. A woman that made me a better person just by being around her. A woman who taught me that I was living a half life without having a love of my own. Lily, darling, will ye come out here please?”
She resisted, I could see Levi and Rose practically shoving her out onto the stage until she came over to me. “Hello, English,” I said, kissing her.
“Well, this is all very pretty, but what are we doing here?” she asked.
“Patience Lil, please.” I dropped to one knee. “I know youse know I have this. I have been carrying it for a long time now. Just waiting for the perfect moment, for us to be perfect together. I realised last night; I was waiting for nothing. We already are perfect in our own ways. Me and you, together, just like we should be.” I opened the box, holding it out to her. “Lily Marie Charmaine, will you become Irish instead of English? Will you take both my heart and my last name? Will you be my wife?”
She kissed me pulling me to my feet. “I am already yours, mind, body and spirit forever. I would be honoured to take both your name and your heart. I offer in return my own.”
“Ye know all you had to say was yes right?”
“Oh, shut up and kiss me, Irish!”
I did, as confetti exploded all around us, as the audience roared with happiness, clapping, shouting, the band as well. I didn’t notice any of it. All I could see was my wife to be in front of me. “I love ye, Lily O’Connell.”
“I love you, Adrian Charmaine.”
Chapter 36
Lily’s POV
I sat at the table in the coffee shop, shredding my blueberry muffin into microscopic pieces waiting for my ex to appear. He was late, as always, some things never changed however much time passed. He eventually appeared as I was deep into my second hot chocolate with six sugars wishing it were something a hell of a lot stronger. Sitting across from me with some floaty iced coffee drink. “So, how have you been?” he asked.
I sighed. “Cut the small talk. We are not friends; we haven’t been for years. You asked me here, so just tell me what you need, or I am leaving.”
He nodded. “I saw the press release about you and Adrian getting engaged.”
“Yeah, and? I wasn’t going to wait forever for you to wake up and smell the coffee. I had to move on.”
“I had planned to ask you out again when I got out of rehab,” he said sadly. ”I wanted to tell you what I had been through, and show you how much better I am.”
“Never gonna happen you are way more comfortable dating men, which is not a bad thing. If you had said that when we broke up. Been honest instead of
