“I changed my schedule, so there wouldn’t be any run-ins,” he said, his voice cold and unlike the Axel I knew. Her eyes went wide and her lips trembled.
“Axel, don’t be like this,” she pled. I felt like I was going to be sick. What didn’t she understand? Axel and I were together!
“Ashley, I don’t want to see you or talk to you, we’re not friends, we never were and we never will be. And nothing is ever going to happen between us, that was just one horrible mistake. I’m with Leah. And that’s not going to change,” he stated. Ashley burst into tears and ran out with a few childish stomps. Axel had gotten her to leave us. I let out a breath of air I’d been holding in. It was hard to see but I was happy and understood why he had done it.
“Ready to head home?” he asked, I loved that he’d made his home my home too.
“Yes.” I nodded, exhausted from Ashley alone.
“You’ll have to come back soon,” Mom told him, hugging him a big goodbye hug.
“Definitely,” Axel agreed.
“Drive safe,” Dad said, shaking Axel’s hand again.
“You did good,” Mom whispered in my ear, as she hugged me goodbye. I smiled as she winked at me, as Axel and I left.
“Your family is great,” Axel said, as he drove us back to his apartment. “I had a blast.”
“I’m sorry about Jackie and Ashley,” I apologized, still upset about how they had acted during the night.
“It’s fine, babe. Like you said, Jackie will get over it and Ashley will hopefully not be a problem anymore,” he said reassuringly and squeezed my hand.
“I could get used to you, being at my family dinners,” I divulged, I loved having him there. It felt so right, like he was supposed to be there all along.
“Me too.” He smiled at me, kissing the back of my hand. We sank into bed, both beat from the long day and the big dinner we’d had.
“So, I met your family, now it’s your turn to meet mine,” Axel said, cuddling up to me.
“That might be hard,” I laughed at his joke.
“I’m serious Leah,” he said, breathing into my hair. “This summer, I want you to come home with me and meet my whole family,” he told me, stunning me.
“Really?” I asked, smiling to myself.
“Really, we’ll backpack Europe for a few weeks and then we’ll stay with my family for about two weeks,” he said, clearly having thought about this in great depth. “I already told them about you.”
“Wow,” I answered, still in shock of it all.
“Is that a yes?” he asked, smiling.
“Yes, Axel, definitely yes,” I answered, but then thought about the reality of it. I didn’t have that kind of money and I couldn’t ask my parents. I guess I could try to find a way.
“I’ll have to get a job,” I told him and he laughed, holding me close, making my body shake as well.
“No, babe.” He chuckled. “I’ve been saving, I’ve got you covered.” He smiled and my heart was so deeply touched. He was always thinking of me and was way too generous with me.
“Really?” I asked, close to tears.
“Really, I always will,” he said, his voice deep as he kissed me.
“I’m so lucky to have you,” I sighed blissfully in his arms.
“No babe, I’m the lucky one.” He sighed happily.
“I guess we’re both lucky.” I giggled and met his warm full lips. Letting down my walls and opening up my heart to Axel had been the best thing I had ever done.
TRUE TO HIS WORD AS always, Axel took me on a backpacking trip across Europe. He showed me places I’d never been and places he’d never been. Both of us enjoyed exploring these new places and each other. Finally, Axel brought us back to the place where it all began: Munich. He introduced me to his family: his parents, his aunts, his uncles and his cousins, all of whom I adored and made Munich even more wonderful, if that was possible. Then we went back to where it all started, St. Peter’s Church, where Axel had seen me even before I saw him.
“Right there,” Axel said, his magnificent green eyes looking down at me softly.
“What?” I asked, standing by a bench in front of the gorgeous Church.
“This is where I first saw you, with all your pencils, drawing. I knew then, that I wanted you in my life, just like I know now,” he said softly. Axel took both my hands in his and lowered himself down onto one knee.
“Leah Parker, I love you more than life itself, you make me a better person. You make everything good around you. I lived without you in my life and it was the most excruciating time of my life. I want to spend eternity and then some with you by my side. Leah, will you marry me?” he asked, getting down on one knee and looking up at me. I didn’t even have to hesitate, the words were already screaming to be set free.
“Yes!” I exclaimed, as he pulled out a beautiful diamond ring from his shirt pocket and slid it down my finger. I realized then that my happily ever after was just beginning.
The End
A big thank you to my mom for always telling me that I could be anything I wanted to be and believing in me no matter what. Thank you, to my friends and family for being so supportive and not letting me give up, even when I really wanted to. A big shout out to my editor Stephanie, you were amazing to work with! To all my readers, I hope you enjoyed reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Corina Eichholz is a Canadian author from Montreal. She enjoys spending her free time with
