One year later
This past year has been an intense and crazy ride. If someone would have told me two years ago that I’d be coaching AAA youth teams and taking them to championship games, I would have told them that they were absolutely insane. But that isn’t even the craziest part of it all.
Never in a million years did I think I would find someone who fit like the missing puzzle piece to my heart. London Hayes wasn’t expected but she is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I watch her as she paddles around on her new paddleboard before turning to head back toward where I’m sitting on the dock.
After that night last summer when hers got lost from the storm, I ended up buying her a new one with my paycheck from our family shop. The smile on her face made renting out boats and selling nasty fishing bait to all the assholes here completely worth it.
She may not fully realize it, but she’s the reason why I am the person I am today. She helped me transform into a better person. It wasn’t easy—hell, it still wasn’t—but I was constantly making progress. I had even reached back out to my old friends and teammates from my time at Wyncote and managed to patch up our relationships. They were planning on coming to visit us this summer at the lake.
And I owe it all to London for making me see that my life was never actually over.
“What are you smiling about?” London questions me as she paddles up to the dock.
“You,” I tell her with a wink.
Rising to my feet, I hold my hand out for her to help her get off the board. London slides her palm into mine and steps onto the dock beside me. She grabs her towel from the Adirondack chair I was sitting on and wraps it around her body as I pull her paddleboard out of the water. As I turn back around, I see London sitting on the chair, staring up at me with those hazel eyes of hers.
“What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” I question her as I walk over to her.
London smirks at me. “Wouldn’t you like to know…”
“Well, yeah,” I reply, tilting my head to the side. “That’s why I asked.”
London laughs softly. “You’re such a grump,” she says as she rises to her feet and steps into my space. “I was honestly just thinking of how lucky I am to have you.”
I pull her into me, wrapping my arms around her damp body as I envelop her. “Baby, I’m the lucky one. And I can promise you that I will never let you go.”
“You better not,” she murmurs against my bare chest before she presses her lips to my flesh.
“I want to take you somewhere tonight,” I tell her as I rest my chin on top of her head and stare up at the house. “Go get dressed and meet me out here in an hour.”
London pulls away from me. “Should I get ready at your house or mine?”
Since we started dating, it wasn’t often we spent much time apart. I had moved into an apartment near IceWorks and London moved in with me a few months ago. She was living with her parents until they questioned why she was even there, since she was only using it as a storage unit. She spent every night at my place anyway, so it made more sense that we finally lived together.
We came to the lake at the beginning of the summer and London has felt really torn between her parents’ place and mine. We’ve been floating back and forth between both houses since we got here. No one has seemed to mind. Maverick was spending the summer traveling so I think London’s parents welcomed having someone in their house.
“Go get ready at yours and meet me out here on the dock.”
London pouts. “Why are you sending me away?”
A chuckle vibrates in my chest. “It’s only for an hour, baby. I promise, I will make it up to you later.”
“You better,” she says with a wink before she spins on her heel and sashays her way up to her parents’ house. I can’t take my eyes off of her. I’m completely captivated and entranced by her. I’m just as crazy about this damn girl as I was when we first started our relationship.
I tuck London’s paddleboard in the boat house and make my way up to my parents’ house. After hopping in the shower, I quickly dress in something casual and check myself in the mirror as I straighten out my shirt.
This isn’t our first date and we live together, for God’s sake. I shouldn’t be as nervous as I am right now, but I can’t seem to calm my heart as it pounds erratically in my chest. A soft knock comes from outside my bedroom door and I walk over, pulling it open.
My mother looks up at me with a smile. “Are you getting ready to go out with London?”
I nod, stepping out of the way as I let her in. Our relationship had gotten a lot stronger over the past year. After all the changes I made and continued to do, it helped us to grow as well. My mother finally felt like the two years of taking care of me weren’t for nothing. She was as happy to see the steps I was taking and how I was getting my life together.
And London might be one of her favorite people ever.
Turning around, I follow her with my eyes as she sits down on my bed. “I remember when you first met London. Our houses were built around the same time, so our first day here was theirs too. London came over, bouncing around with that huge smile on her face and her bright blonde hair waving around. You were obsessed with her.”
A chuckle escapes me and I shake my head at her. “No, I wasn’t. I was just excited to have a friend.”
“Call it whatever you want,” she winks at me, “but you would not stop talking about that girl. You looked at her like she was sunshine, and you still do today. The two of you were literally attached at the hip. And I’m so glad to see where you both are now in life, together.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I smile back at her. “I really appreciate how supportive you’ve been over the years. Especially when I was going through such a rough point in my life. You never once gave up on me.”
“No matter how old you are, you will always be my sweet baby boy. As your mother, I could never imagine entertaining the thought of giving up on you.” She pauses for a moment and I watch as her eyes grow wet from the tears building in them. “I was so worried at one point and am so grateful that you and London found each other like you did. She really was your saving grace.”
“I know,” I nod, thinking of the girl who lives inside my heart. “She’s pretty fucking amazing…”
“Yes, yes, she is.” My mother smiles at me again before rising to her feet. “You’re doing it tonight, right?”
Swallowing roughly over the lump in my throat, I nod. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous right now. Thinking about it makes my hands start to sweat.”
“Because you’re afraid of rejection, Vaughn,” my mother declares as she reaches up to cup the side of my face. “I know she’s going to say yes. She’s just as crazy about you as you are her.”
“I hope so,” I tell her, my voice catching in my throat. My mother steps away from me and disappears from my room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Reaching into the front pocket of my shorts, I feel the small velvet box underneath my fingers.
I’m all in with London and it’s time I show her exactly what I want in our future.
“Where are we going?” London questions me from where she’s sitting on my lap on the boat. Her blonde hair whips around us from the air as we cruise across the lake. I feel the soft material of her dress blowing against my legs.
“You’ll see when we get there.”
“Why do you always have to be so secretive?” She turns her head to look at me as she narrows her eyes. “You know, you could always tell me beforehand.”
The corners of my lips lift into a grin as I shake my head at her. “No can do, baby. Be patient and you’ll be rewarded.”
“Whatever that means,” she grumbles, turning around to face the front of the boat as I continue to drive us away from the cove.
We end up at the same restaurant we came to a year ago. It was our first date and the first time she stayed the night with me. It’s on the long list of moments I will never forget between the two of us.
After docking the boat, I help London off. She slides her fingers through mine and looks up at me. “You brought me back to where we had our first date?”
“It only seemed fitting. This time we can have dinner here as an official couple.”
London pushes up on her tiptoes and plants her lips against mine. “I love you, Vaughn. You’re a lot sweeter than you let people know.”
“That’s because I don’t give a shit what any of them think,” I tell her, my voice matter-of-fact. “You’re the only one whose thoughts I care about. You’re the love of my life.”
London smiles up at me before I lead her across the dock and up to the restaurant. I had it arranged that we sit at the same table we sat at the last time we were here. I can’t keep my eyes off London the entire time we’re there and I’m so goddamn lost in her. The box in my pocket burns a hole through my pants and it takes everything in me to make it through dinner without dropping to one knee right then and there.
After we finish dinner, I lead London back out to the boat and we hop on, untying it from the dock before we begin to drive across the lake again. I pass the turn that would lead us back to the cove where our houses are and head straight for our next destination.
London looks at me over her shoulder as she sees where we’re headed. “What are we going to the island for?”
“There’s something I want to show you,” I tell her before pressing my lips to her temple. London doesn’t press the issue and we ride in comfortable silence until we’re reaching the small dock at the island. After docking the boat, we both hop off and London waits to follow me.
Grabbing her hand, I lead her toward the wooded area and we walk through the clearing before taking the trail that leads to our secret spot. She’s not stupid, she knows where we’re headed, but she doesn’t ask what it is that I want to show her.
We reach the tree house and I release London’s hand, letting her go first as we begin to walk up the steps. My eyes are fixated on the way her hips sway with every step she takes. My heart pounds erratically in my chest and focusing on her ass is the only thing I can find to distract me right now.
I literally feel like I could vomit from how fucking anxious I’m feeling in this moment. My palms are sweaty and my stomach feels like it’s performing a gymnastics routine in my abdomen.
London reaches the top of the steps and she pushes open the door before strolling into the tree house. She stops, a gasp escaping her as she lifts her hands to her mouth. There’s a variation of candles lined around the entire perimeter, each with a flickering flame. The entire floor of the room is covered in rose petals.
There’s an absence of petals that spells out four words I’ve been dying to ask her. I silently thank my mom and London’s for coming to light the candles for me. I set it up early this morning before London was awake, but there was no way I could have the candles lit.
I drop to one knee just as London turns around to face me, her hands still covering her mouth. Her eyes are wide as she watches me open the small velvet box, revealing a marquise cut diamond ring.
“Oh my god, Vaughn,” she gasps as her eyes rapidly fill with tears.
“There was a time I thought my life was completely over. I thought I had lost everything that was important to me and I gave up.” I pause for a moment, a smile tugging on my lips. “And then you came back into my life. You breathed life back into me, London. You showed me what was actually important and brought me out of the darkest point in my life.”
Tears fall from London’s eyes and she smiles as she hastily wipes them away. “You did that, Vaughn. I was just standing by your side, holding your hand as you found yourself again. And I’m so happy I got to be a part of your journey to where you are in life now.”
“Where we are,” I remind her. “You’re my journey and my destination, London Hayes. I want to spend the rest of my days with you. I want to put my babies in your belly and watch them grow as we grow old together.” I pause for a moment, my eyes bouncing back and forth between hers. “Will you marry me?”
London drops to her knees in front of me as she grabs the sides of my face. I don’t expect her reaction as she presses her lips to mine. She begins to half laugh and half sob as she pulls away, her eyes burning into my soul. “Yes, Vaughn. Oh my god, Yes.”
“Even if I can be grumpy sometimes?”
London tilts her head to the side as she laughs softly. “Who are you kidding? You’re always grumpy and that doesn’t make me love you any less.”
“God, I fucking love you,” I murmur, pressing my lips to hers. London moves closer to me, pressing her body against mine, and I almost drop the ring. Abruptly, I pull away and her gaze collides with mine as she raises an eyebrow in question.
“What’s wrong?”
A laugh escapes me and I shake my head at her. “Absolutely nothing. I just don’t want to lose the ring somewhere in here before it even touches your finger.”
London smiles at me as I pluck the ring from the small box and grab her left hand. We both watch in amazement as I slide it over her finger. It looks perfect, which is fitting for her.
“It’s beautiful,” she murmurs as she lifts her eyes back to mine.
“You’re beautiful,” I tell her, pulling her back to me. “And all fucking mine.”
