Never should have happened

Asking her

*Liam's POV*

The front door was still locked, and the lights were off. It was already 10:30 and Kate had said she was going to be home. She wasn't. I unlocked the door slowly, maybe she was just asleep? "Kate? Are you home?" I called from the entrance way, the empty house echoed my voice. She must not be home, I'm not really worried though, she's tough and can handle herself. Well, she's more likely to stand up for herself in a fight than me, I preferred to use words to fight my battles. Kate could use a combination of both. It was strange, the day I met her she could not stand up for herself, and now, she would stick by her opinion no matter the cost. It was just one of the things I loved about her.

'I need to go get something, I'll be back soon. Xx Liam' I wrote it down on our chalk board in the kitchen. I hoped she'd be home when I got home. It was already late, and she never slept well. She was immensely grumpy when she was tired, and although she tried to be happy, I could always tell when she hadn't slept and was annoyed. All these little things about her, they made me want to spend every moment with her. I loved her so much. And I knew where I was going. I was going to my aunty's house, she had a ring. The ring my grandma used to wear, it wasn't her wedding ring or engagement ring, those were lost many years ago, but it was the ring my grandfather had given her on their first anniversary. It was beautiful, it had an emerald in it, Kate wasn't a diamond kind of girl. Meg had always told me that Kate didn't want to be the same as everyone else. She didn't want diamonds or a massive proposal, but something simple and meaningful. And after everything we had been through today, I knew that she was the girl I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

I was about to leave my Aunty's house when my phone went off. It was Kate. Why is she calling me? Didn't she see my note? The phone stopped ringing before I had a chance to answer, I always spent entirely to much time in my head. Time I should spend in the real world. "Hello? Liam, where are you? We need to talk, please, come home." Her voice was shaky and unsure, I'd never heard her sound quite like this before. I just wanted to see her, I wanted to hold her in my arms and make her feel better. But I'm on the other side of town, it'll take me at least half an hour to get home and that's if I don't get caught at every red light. I did though, at every set of traffic lights I had to wait. I had to wait at railway crossing for trains, and at roundabouts for trucks. I never realised that time could move so slowly. But each second felt as if it dragged on for hours. But I finally made it home. I walked up the driveway to the front door. I had been here less than two hours ago, but the entire house seemed different. The bricks seemed brighter and stronger, the door more welcoming and large. The same house, but entirely renewed.

I walked into the lounge room slowly and quietly, taking in what seemed like an entirely new house. I looked at the photos we had put all over the walls. All of our happiest memories. Time was forever frozen in those moments, and nothing would ever change them. It sounds so cheesy, but in the photos without Kate, my smile was fake, she made me smile, a true and happy smile. I loved our old memories together, but we could never go back, to much had happened since those moments of the past. I paused in front of the last photo, it was the oldest one on the world, it was from the night we met, I'm not even looking at the camera, I'm looking at Kate, and she is looking at me. We have always had our own world, our own secret, private universe.

I turned and saw Kate laying on the couch, she was asleep, her face was scrunched up as if she was about to sneeze or like she was laughing. But she was completely silent, her breathing was so slight and peaceful. She looked so beautiful, I had never really told her, but I always thought she looked better without makeup, she was gorgeous naturally, I didn't know why she wanted to change that. I couldn't just stand here and watch her, it was starting to get creepy, but she was so mesmerising. Her effortless beauty was so overpowering and awe inspiring. I hated to wake her, but I needed to. This couldn't wait. I couldn't wait any longer.

"Kate? Wake up, I have something important to ask you." I shook her shoulder slightly and she grumbled in her sleep. She rolled over facing away from me and pushed my hand off her shoulder. "Wakey, wakey." She rolled back over and looked at me, her big green eyes shining from the lamp that she had left on next to the couch. "Mmm, what Liam?" She mumbled. "Come with me, I have something important to ask you." She just laid there and stared at me not saying a word, just occasionally rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Come on Kate, this is important." My voice sounded kind of whiny, but I knew it was the only way to get her to actually get up and come with me. "Okay fine I'm coming, just let me wake up. And why are you rushing me anyways, you're the one that didn't get home tell almost 11:30 when you said you'd be home at 10." I couldn't be bothered explaining to her that she was actually the one who was running late. It wasn't worth it now, there were more important things at hand.

I gently tugged her hand, pulling her towards the sliding doors that opened out onto the balcony. She laughed as I fumbled with the handle and locks, trying to get outside. I finally figured it out, why was such a simple task so difficult today. It's okay, deep breaths Liam, you can do this. "Kate, I have a very important question to ask you, "I tapped my pocket to make sure the box was still in there, "I love you more than I possibly can put into words, and I know that we are made for each other. Even through our past, with everything that has happened, and all of the reasons that we should not have been together, and be as happy as we are, we still managed to get to where we are today. So I would like to ask you something, from the bottom of my heart." She stared intensely at me, and I slowly bent down and kneeled on one knee. "Kate, will you marry me?" My heart was beating so fast that I couldn't think straight. Why was she taking so long to answer? Did I do something wrong? She opened her mouth but no coherent words came out. "I....I....I...."