Losing Love

59

Hope's POV:

"You ready?" Dominic questions as he knocks on the side of the wooden door, he leans his shoulder against it as he eyes me down. "Yep" I answer, clapping my hands together as I turn to look at him. Dominic is now wearing a black suit with no tie and a white dress shirt.

"You look beautiful" he quotes as he pushes himself off the door frame and makes his way towards me. He grips onto the blue sapphire necklace and gazes into it lovingly.

He seems to jump out of his stare once I clear my throat, his eyes lift from the necklace around my collar to my face. He smiles at me as his green eyes twinkle and he places a soft hand on the small of my back, guiding me out the door. I grab my black bag as we make our way out.

Dominic grabs the keys to a space grey McLaren 720s and leads me towards his garage. He opens the passenger side of the door for me to jump in, before turning and walking along the front of the car to get to the drivers side.

I connect my phone to the Bluetooth and play my music while Dominic and I sit in a peaceful silence, I stare out the tinted windows at the city surrounding me. A numerous amount of expensive sports cars, yellow taxis, and limousines can be spotted along the crowded roads.

After around 30 minutes, the car finally comes to a stop. Dominic opens his door and gets out through his side as I grab my bag and open my door. The second my heels touch the ground, Dominic stands in front of me. "I was going to open your door for you" he sulks, I chuckle as I reply, "too late".

"No, get back in" he orders in a sweet voice, "you can't be serious?" I utter, though it comes out as more of a question. "I am, now get in" he raises an eyebrow, I shake my head with a grin plastered across my face. Dominic places his hands on both sides of my waist and guides me back into the short car. I finally sit on the red leather seats, he closes the door next to me and waits for a second before finally opening it again.

I step out of the car with my bag clutched in my hand, "you're ridiculous" I comment as I shake my head in amusement and place my palm on his chest, he flashes me a childlike, bright smile.

Grabbing my hand in his, he escorts me to the spacey, dark elevator at the end of the ground floor. The elevator opens up to the top floor of the tall, glass building. The walls are windows with a view of the active city beneath it, there are purple lights along the high ceiling and tables spread around the large room.

"Surprise" Dominic's face turns to his left in order to look down at me. His lips are curled into a huge smile which reveals his perfect, pearly teeth. I look around the room and recognise almost every person in it instantly, my gaze falls on the far corner of the room where Elijah, Iliana, and the Ace's stand. In the middle of the room stands Kyle, Carter, and Cole each with drinks in their right hands. A large circular table on the other corner of the room seats Luca, Anna, my mom, my dad, and Elisa.

I turn my head to my right, back to Dominic who is still staring at me with the same happy expression across his face. "Did you do all this?" I question him in disbelief, he nods his head. "I-it's perfect" I stutter, my eyes leave Dominic and analyse the room once again, before landing back on him. "Thank you" I add, in almost a whisper. His smile grows even more before he answers, "I'm glad you like it".

I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn back to my front, I instantly come face to face with Elijah and Iliana. "Hey cugino" he smiles while leaning down and wrapping his arms around me, I lift my arms and hug him back. "Congratulations, you actually made it through college" he smirks at me, "thank you, stupid" I giggle at him. "I'm sorry I couldn't come see you sooner, how are you?" He questions me with pure curiosity, "I'm good now, thank you for coming" I smile back at him and place a hand on his shoulder to convince him as I turn to face Iliana.

The second my eyes land on her, she leaps forwards and wraps her arms around my shoulders excitedly. She pulls away as she looks me in my eyes, "congratulations, you deserve this" she smiles. Her eyes fall to my necklace, she reaches for it and examines it. "This is gorgeous" she expresses as she looks back up at me, she turns her head to Dominic's direction, "did you get it for her?" She questions him. He simply nods his head, the childish smile still playing on his face.

I grab drinks with Iliana as Dominic and Elijah follow closely behind us, "are you ready?" I overhear Elijah whisper to Dominic. "Absolutely" Dominic replies, I turn around to face them. Dominic is already looking down at me with his eyes twinkling under the lights hanging from the ceiling. I open my mouth to question what they were talking about but I'm interrupted by Iliana passing me a cosmo.

Three drinks and a whole meal later, I'm standing in the middle of the floor dancing slowly with Dominic.

"I love you, Hope" he says in a low voice, I glance up at him, "I love you, Dominic" I reply, my lips tugging into a smile. "That's not all" he continues, taking a step back and away from me. My facial expression changes to a confused and worried one as my mind fills with as many questions it could possibly come up with.

"Hope Emelia Ficci, you make me the single most happiest person in the world." Everyone in the room stops what they're doing and turns their heads towards us, Elijah and Iliana and the Ace's all take a few steps away from us on the dance floor as they watch carefully.

"When we first met, I didn't want to get involved with anyone. I didn't have the time or energy and I didn't think I was ready for it; but when I met you, everything changed. I found myself instantly falling for you. I found myself getting jealous over the tiniest things when it came to you, I found myself getting defensive over every little thing said about you. And I found myself not being able to stay away from you, no matter how hard I tried, you were always on my mind. I could name a thousand things I love about you, but the main reason I fell in love with you was because of the millions of things you never knew you were doing." My vision layers with wet tears and I feel the first one fall and travel down my cheek.

"I finally understand what true love means when I'm around you. It means that you care for another persons happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choice you face might be. And fuck, Hope. I would do anything for you. I crave you in the most innocent form. I crave to say goodnight and give you forehead kisses and to say that I adore you when you feel at your worst. I crave you in ways where I just want to be next to you and nothing more or less. I love the way I feel when you smile at me, I love the way I have a mini heart attack every time you look over at me. You make me feel things I have never felt before, you make me feel things that have no words to describe exactly how I feel." Dominic takes a deep breath as he places his hand in his pocket, he breaks his eye contact with me for a small second as he glances over at Kyle. Kyle gives him a slight nod, his eyes are cloudy as well.

Dominic turns back to me as he pulls out a small red velvet box, he slowly gets down on one knee as he opens the box the reveal the most gorgeous diamond ring I have ever laid my eyes on. I gasp as I hold my hand to my heart, the tears keep storming through my eyes. I notice the flashes of a camera from my peripheral vision.

"I love you, and I choose you, Hope. And I'll choose you over and over and over. Without pause, without a doubt, in a heartbeat. I'll keep choosing you and I'll keep loving you until the day I die. I want to grow old with you, I want you to be the angelic mother of my children, I want to wake up with you beside me every morning. So will you do me the honour of being the last man you will love." He pauses once more, taking a deep breath in. "Will you marry me, Hope?" His eyes are filled with vulnerability and desperation.

I nod my head vigorously, unable to make out words. He smiles the brightest I have ever seen him smile as he gets off his knee and strolls towards me. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and smash my lips onto his, his arms are wrapped around my waist; pulling me close. Everyone in the room begins to clap as they watch us. We finally pull away and I wipe my cheeks with my fingers. Dominic lifts my left hand and slides the gleaming ring onto my ring finger.

I look down at it, admiring its beauty before looking back up at Dominic. I wrap my arms around him once again, kissing him a countless amount of times.

- - - - -

hennyyy_23 for more Elijah, Iliana, and the Ace's.