Chapter 6

Laura links her arm through mine as we stroll through the college campus, coffee in hand.

It had been three or so weeks since she found out Jared and I were together, but she came around to the idea faster than I thought I would've if I was in her shoes. Sure, she still finds it odd, and I try not to tell her any of the details to save her sanity, but she has declared she doesn't want to lose her best friend and I've never been so grateful for anything.

I don't know what I'd do without her, and I'm so glad I don't have to find out. We even went out to dinner with Laura and Ryan, a slightly weird sort of double date, but it went surprisingly well. It fills me with so much joy knowing I get to keep the love of my life and my best friend, and I've never been happier.

Our last class of the week ended half an hour ago, and Laura's chatting my ear off about the holiday she and Ryan plan on taking in the summer. I listen eagerly, nodding and squealing with her when she tells me about the resort Ryan's taking her to. It feels normal between us, and the relief is unreal.

"Oh, wait!" Laura exclaims, pulling me to a stop. I curse, nearly falling over, and I'm grateful that I already finished my coffee so I can't spill it all over myself. Laura stops us right outside the theater where our performances are usually held. I frown, confused.

"What's up?" I ask, looking around.

"I left something in the wings," Laura says, tugging me towards the theater entrance.

"Wait, what? When? We weren't practicing there today," I protest, but when Laura's got her mind made up, she's impossible to sway and I find myself following her anyway.

Laura shoulders through the double doors, and we head to the main theater, the one I danced on weeks ago on the night I met Jared. The memory makes me smile, and I'm so caught up in it that it takes me a moment to register what I'm seeing in the present.

The stage lights are on, and in the center of the stage, Jared is standing holding a massive bouquet. I turn to gape at Laura, only to find her beaming and bouncing on her feet.

"What…what is this?" I ask, looking between them with wide eyes. My heart begins to pound so hard in my chest that it feels like there's a stampede happening behind my ribs.

"Get up there, girl!" She shoves me towards the stage.

I stumble in surprise but quickly catch myself, grinning so wide that my cheeks begin to hurt while scrambling up the short set of stairs leading to the stage.

"Jared…" I whisper, unsure if he'll even hear me with the way my voice trembles.

"Come here, little fairy," Jared says with a smile, holding his free hand out to me.

I take it and let him pull me closer until I have to tip my head back to meet his eyes.

"I never got you flowers for your performance," Jared says softly, his eyes sparkling as he stares down at me. "But you deserve a whole garden of them, beautiful."

I swear I nearly melt right there in front of him at the declaration.

"They're beautiful," I gush, smelling the sweet, floral fragrance even though he hasn't handed me the bouquet yet.

"They don't hold a candle to you," Jared says with a smirk that makes me giggle and blush. "Before I say what I need to say, I have something to tell you both."

I glance over my shoulder to find Laura sitting in the front row, watching us with that same giddy smile on her face.

"My transfer to the closer office has been finalized," Jared announces.

"You mean…" I say, excitement bubbling up wildly inside me.

Jared grins and nods. "I'm staying. I'm not leaving you ever. And…" He turns to smile at Laura. "I want to be closer to my daughter, too. I want to be close by for both of you."

Laura and I cheer, and I fling my arms around Jared, the poor flowers getting a little crushed between our bodies. Jared pulls away before I'm ready, and I pout at him, even as he presses the flowers into my grasp.

The expression is wiped off my face by shock when Jared drops to one knee. The stage lights illuminate us like a golden halo, and in that moment, I feel as ethereal as Jared tells me I am.

Now that I've taken the flowers, I can see the ring box in his hand. He opens it, holds my gaze, and reveals a sparkling silver band holding three square-cut diamonds, the middle bigger than the ones nestled on either side of it. It's stunning, and my eyes blur with the sting of tears.

"Juliet, from the second I saw you dance across this stage like you had stepped out of a fairy tale book, I knew you were it for me," Jared says, staring up at me with utter adoration in his gaze. My knees are so weak I think I might join him on the floor. "I love you, little fairy. Will you marry me?"

"Oh my God, yes!" I shriek, doing just as my knees threatened and falling to them in front of him. The bouquet hits the stage beside me as Jared takes my hand and slips the beautiful ring on. A perfect fit.

The second it's on my finger, Jared pulls me to him, kissing the breath out of me. I cling to him, happy tears making our kiss taste of salt, so in love I don't even have the words to describe it. I hope he can sense it in the way I clutch him and kiss him like he's all I need to survive.

Laura cheers and whoops from the audience, but when Jared and I don't pull apart, she calls out, "Alright, that's about as much PDA as I can take, Dad!"

With a laugh, Jared and I break apart, and I turn to find my best friend grinning wildly at us. I hop off the stage and rush to hug her, realizing she must've had something to do with setting this up.

"You can get married as long as you don't ever call yourself my stepmother," Laura warns teasingly, making me laugh and smack her playfully on the arm.

"Shut up!" I laugh, grinning as she pulls me into a hug.

"I'm so happy for you both." She embraces me, and I hug her tighter until she complains that I'm crushing her.

"You know you're the maid of honor, right?" I say to her immediately, and she cheers again.

I turn back to Jared, happier than I've ever been, and so damn excited about the life we're going to have together.