Page 45 of Something True


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Chapter 20

Unable to stop myself, I practically ran to the door and yanked it open. Sure enough, there he was, looking as good as I remembered. As if in a dream, he moved forward and pulled me into his arms, saying, "I got your message."

I was so overwhelmed by the feel of him, I could hardly think. Somehow, I managed to ask, "So why didn't you call?"

"Screw calling," he said. "I didn't wanna wait."

I wasn't quite sure I followed, but I really liked the sounds of what he was saying. I swallowed. "Really?"

He nodded against me. "It was almost three in the morning when I got the message." He ran a soothing hand along my back. "And I didn't wanna wake you. So I said, 'Screw it.' I got in my car and hit the gas."

I gave a small laugh. I could totally see it.

Maybe thiswasa dream. But if it was, I was determined to enjoy it while it lasted. Wordlessly, I soaked up the feel of him as he cradled me close, just like he used to, back before everything fell apart.

Into my hair, he said, "Would you believe I've been driving all night?"

"Really?" Against his chest, I asked, "Where were you?"

"Cincinatti. But forget that." He pulled slightly away and said, "I've got a question."

"What?"

"Wait, I wanna do this right." And then, right there in the doorway, he sank slowly to his knees. "Melody—"

My breath caught. "What are you doing?"

His gaze met mine in a look so intense, the force of it almost sent me reeling. "Youknowwhat I’m doing."

My heart was hammering, and my knees felt weak. Suddenly, I was afraid. It was official. Thishadto be a dream.

Damn it.Probably, any second, I'd wake up, only to find myself alone in my bed, longing for him like I always did.

In front of me, he reached out, taking both of my hands in his. And then, in a voice that sounded surprisingly real, he said, "Will you marry me?"

And just like that, the world stopped spinning. I wanted to pinch myself, but I didn't dare. Again, I swallowed. "What?"

"I don't have a ring," he said. "But we'll get one this week, I swear." He gave me a crooked smile that melted my heart. "Not much open at seven in the morning."

I almost didn't know what to say. Even in my wildest dreams, this wasn't anything like what I'd been expecting.

I'd been missing him for weeks. I'd been thinking of him every day. I'd been longing for him every night. And yet, all this time, I'd received no sign whatsoever that he'd been thinking of me at all – no calls, no texts, no nothing.

And now, he was proposing? Against all logic, I wanted to say yes. I loved him. I loved him so much, it hurt. But the mental whiplash was making it hard to think. I gave a confused shake of my head. "You can't mean that."

"Why not?"

"Well, because, you've been gone, and –"

"And miserable."

I stared down at him. "What?"

"Without you?" He gave a slow shake of his head. "I've been a miserable bastard. You don't believe me? Ask Cal. He'll tell you."

I recalled Cal, his friend from the parking lot. At the moment, I couldn’t even remember what he looked like. Cripes, I could hardly remember whatIlooked like. My head was too filled with images of Joel. The images spanned our entire acquaintance, from the day I'd first met him, to the night he'd broken my heart.

And here he was, kneeling in my open doorway, offering me the promise of forever.