A Year Without You

Chapter Nine

we start to drift off to sleep, tangled in each other's arms and legs Carina's head on my chest. But before I fully fell asleep, I had made a decision about something that I was going to do and I wasn't as sure about it as I was now, something that would change not just my life but Carina's too.

Maya's Pov

I had made up my mind I was going to ask Carina to marry me and just the whole thing was how was I someone who for years was allergic to even the idea of monogamy going to pull this off? Honestly up until I met Carina not once did, I even considered I would end up married, but just something that we have feels right and has felt that way for the last year and a half. After this year not having her with me and in our home, I can't see my life with anyone else or fully loving anyone else the way I love her. The whole thing now was going to be how to go about actually asking her to marry me. Thank god for Vic, Andy, and Travis when I told them what was going on, I was one met with a full on tackling from Andy, then once I told Vic and Travis, they both bear hugs me at once in a crushing group hug. It took us at least a good week and a lot of trying not to tell Carina what was going on cause almost all of us had slipped a ruined the surprise, one day Vic and I were working on how the dinner that night was going to go, and Carina came walking in the house and we quickly grabbed up all the papers and looked like a couple deer in head lights.

*Two weeks ago, *

" No not that Vic" I say looking at Vic like she's insane "Oh come on who doesn't like violinist at their table" She says hanging me a beer " Not me and I doubt Carina wants someone with a violin in there face while they're trying to eat" She sighs sitting down at the stool across from me " Ok but at least tell me you are going to try to be at least a little romantic" I throw a fry at her " I can be romantic damn it, just not in front of any of you guys that side of me is reserved for my hopefully soon to be fiancée" Vic laughs eating a bite of her sandwich " Ok, Ok , I believe you just I am rooting for you Maya so don't mess this up," We keep talking about what the plan was going to be and right before we got done I hear the door open and Carina's voice " Maya? I'm home" We grab all the papers and stuff up quickly before she comes home "Bambina?" Me and Vic turn around looking like a couple of kids that got caught doing something bad as Carina comes into the kitchen.

"There you are, Hello Victoria" she says as I pull her into me kissing her quickly "Hey Carina" Vic replies while I wrap my arms around Carina's waist "How was your shift?" I asked because I know Carina had been swamped with patience and deliveries these few weeks. "It was no stop all day just very tiring to say the least" She says resting her head on my shoulder hiding her face in my neck "I just want to take a long bath and go to bed" I just held her close as she said that cause I could tell in her voice that this week took its toll on her and there have been times she had come home and broken down in tears from losing a patient.

"Ok love go ahead let me help Vic with the rest of something and I will be in a minute ok" She looks up at me "Ok" she says softly and nods "Bye Victoria good to see you" She says looking at Vic and then heading to the bedroom "good to see you too" Vic says as we look at each other.

*present day*

That was two week ago and it turned out that Carina had lost three patients that week and it was hard as hell on her, it always is especially on Carina because she feels things with her whole heart that is one of the many things, I love about her just sometimes I wish she didn't take it all on herself. I was just hoping that this proposal would show her no matter what I was there to take things on with her and that she was never going to be alone. Just I had to get this right there was a lot on the line not just me asking Carina to marry me but the future of our entire relationship all I could hear was the loud nervous thumping of my heart in my ears and it was driving me mad, we had it all set up Vic had brought food from her parents restaurant I was in dark wash skinny jeans and a black button down shirt with my hair tied back the ring weighting heavy in my pocket .

Andy had kidnapped Carina all afternoon while I spent the whole afternoon getting ready tonight and Andy just sent me a text saying that they were on their way back to our house. "Ok Bishop you have the food out of the oven the table is set all you need is the girl " I said to myself, I was a calm on the outside but hell who was I fucking kidding I was a mess internally. I had just finished getting everything ready when I heard the door open "She's here" I said to myself. I took a deep breath only to lose it when I turned around to see Carina in a short tight dark green dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. I could have said fuck dinner and taken her right then and there, but I controlled myself. she laughed at me softly "Wow no wonder you wanted Andy to get me out of the house today" she said with a smile, "You really went all out huh? "Carina smirked at me tilting her head causing me to blush "I uh yeah, I wanted it to be special tonight. Just because it has been so long since we had a romantic dinner to ourselves without something happening all I could hear my brain say was shut up you babbling lovesick idiot. Carina just laughed at me softly, I guess she could tell how nervous I was when she said "Aww Bambina you don't need to be so nervous you know" I felt this rush of adrenaline run through me when she looked at me with those beautiful brown eyes of hers this was it tonight, I was going to ask Carina to marry me.

There was no going back now just seeing Carina looking as beautiful as she did confirmed that she is the one for me and she is all I want for the rest of my life. We entered the dining room where I had the table all neatly made, and candles lit with the lights dimmed but enough for us to still can see I had put on some soft music. "wow Maya this is amazing" Carina said turning to look at me smiling "well like I said I wanted tonight to be special and I wanted to show you how much you mean to me" I pulled out her chair for her "Thank you "she said sitting down. I then made my way to the other side of the table taking my seat. As we sat and ate an Italian slow song that Carina loved came on over the speakers. I stood and held my hand out to Carina "May I have this dance?" she smiled at me and taking my hand "Yes you may" I held her close as we swayed to the music my arms around her waist feeling her arms around my neck. I rest my forehead against hers not wanting this moment to end. I slowly open my eyes and I am met with the gorgeous brown eyes that made me fall in love back in joe's bar. " Carina there's something that I want to ask you and I have been so scared and nervous too" I summon up all the courage that I have and take a deep breath, " Carina DeLuca" I get down on one knee pulling the ring out of my pocket " Will you marry me" I say looking into her eyes that are now filling with tears as she nods " Yes" I smile as I stand up " Yea?" Carina is nodding and smiling "Yes Maya I will marry you" I slip the ring on her finger and kiss her deeply picking her up and spinning us around which cause Carina to let out a soft laugh. I finally asked the girl of my dreams to marry me and now came the task of planning and lord only knows what is going to happen when the rest of our friends hear the news cause Andy and Vic are going to go from zero to a hundred, so we better buckle up.