A Series Of Firsts

That Was A Surprise

I hear a knock at the door and call for my little sister to answer it even though I'm sitting on the couch.

She walks in the living room and looks at me sitting upside down on the couch, my head on the foot rest and vise versa, and yells, "Seriously?"

I just laugh as she moves to answer the door. "Hey, is your sister home," says the dude at the door. I'm not quite paying attention to the person, I'm reading a book on my phone.

"Which one?" she asks. I have three sisters, hooray.

"Alex," he says, catching my attention. That's me.

I look up and notice that Dominic is standing on my porch. "Hey! You didn't tell me you were coming over, I would have been dressed," I'm wearing yoga pants and the shirt of his he gave me when we first started dating. We're not any more.

It's fine, it only hurts when I think about it, or when he smiles at me when we talk in class, or when I see him talk to other girls, or - you know what, it just hurts. But, even though we didn't end on so great of terms, we've gotten to a point where we can be friends again.

"No you look fine - I didn't know you still wore that shirt. But anyways, can I talk to you for a bit. It- its kind of important."

"Yes, absolutely," I tell him as I usher him to the couch. "Courtney," I yell at my sister, "bug off."

I wait until she leaves to go to the computer room before I ask what's up with Dom.

"It's just - I just - I missed you...," he trails off a bit, but then starts again. "You know, I realized something really important. I realized that I made a huge mistake. I can't just stop liking you, stop loving you. The time I spent with you was the best of my short life," he laughs nervously.

"So many people told me to stay away from you, that you just wanted a hook up. Why did I listen?" he asks and I don't answer, I have a feeling I'm not supposed to. "I shouldn't have, I should have known that they were just trying to get me for themselves. So jealous, so jealous of me or of you.

"I'm not sure you realize how many of my friends think you're beautiful. I never realized those girls just wanted me away from you... I thought they were my friends and just wanted to help me, I think they saw me falling hard for you."

I'm still silent, just watching him say all the words I ever dreamed of hearing. I can't tell if he's lying to me, he was never this open when we were together. What changed? I ask myself.

"I get that you probably never want me back and that I lost the one chance I'd ever have to make the most amazing girl in the world mine, but I just want you to know I love you. I love the way you get so passionate about books and how you always threaten to punch me when I make fun of anime and how your eyes change colour when your mood changes and -"

I slap my hand over his mouth. I don't think I can keep listening to him. Everything he says is just breaking my heart. I was just starting to get over him, I was starting to move on. Okay, that's a fucking lie, I think to myself.

I love him, always have. Probably always will. Maybe I should just accept his apology and let myself love him.

Are you fucking stupid, Alex? No, you can't. He might just be lying. How do you know he isn't recording this, waiting for you to make a fool of yourself.

Because he used to love me, I know he did.

I let the soft side of me win. I quickly take my hand away from his mouth and replace it with my lips. He kisses me back lovingly, like he never wanted to let me go in the first place.

The kiss was slow slow at first, then rougher and quicker. One of his hands wrap around my waist tightly and his other hand grips my short black tightly, I throw my arms around his neck. His tongue brushes over my lower lip and I open my mouth and allow his tongue to tangle with mine as we deepen the kiss.

I pull away before things get too out of hand, even though I really don't want to. "Dom," I say so quietly I'm almost whispering, "you know I love you, but why? Why now? Just show up and profess your undying love for me - that only happens in the movies. So why?"

"Why?" he asks me back, almost stunned. "Because I've spent the last few months watching you flirt with Dan and Trey and Jayson and everyday it killed me more and more. I never stopped loving you. I lied to you that day we broke up, I didn't stop loving you, I just thought you were going to hurt me because that's what they told me!"

He's starting to tell, but I can tell that he's not mad at me; he's mad at himself and his friends.

"Alex, I have loved you since I met you and I will love you until the day I die." He stands up then drops to his knees in front of me, "Please, please, take me back. I swear, I will love you with everything I have if you just take me back."

Okay, I think.

I drop to my knees with him and hold his head to my chest and he engulfs me in his strong arms. I think he's crying because my shirt - well Dominic's really - is suddenly wet.

"Dom, my Dominic, yes. Of course. Yes, I love you, I love you. Yes, I'll take you back. I love you, yes," I coo into his hair over and over.

"I really hoped you would say yes," he mumbled against my chest and pulls back. His face is tear streaked, I was right about the crying, but he's smiling. "I have something for you, but just know that you don't have to say yes. Not right away..."

He pulls away completely and grabs my hands as he stands to pull me up with him. "Do you promise not to freak out?" he asks me.

I laugh awkwardly, between his smile and his tears I'm not sure how to feel. "I promise I will not freak out."

He pulls a small box from his pocket and drops to his knee. I gasp.

"Alex, Alexandria, I love you. Always have always will. Please, you said you'll take me back, now promise to be mine forever. Alex, will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?" He opens the box and sitting squarely in the center is a white gold ring with a small diamond surrounded by six yellow topaz jewels.

I gasp once more, "Dom, oh, of course! Absolutely. Yesyesyesyes," I throw my arms around his neck in less than a heartbeat.

He laughs throatily, "Alex, darling, you're choking me."

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, you said yes. You can choke me every day if you want," he winks at me and I blush knowing that he's talking about kinky sex.

"Well," I say.

" 'Well' what?" he asks.

"Aren't you going to put it on for me?" I hold out my left hand to him.

"Oh, right! Yes, um, yeah," he fumbles with the ring trying to get it on. I laugh at him struggling and take the ring from him and do it myself.

"Well. That was a surprise. I didn't expect that to happen when I woke up this morning."

Dom laughs at me before bringing his lips to mine and locking them in another passionate kiss. The first of many.

AUTHOR'S NOTE
|I hope you liked it, more to come if you did. Remember to tweet me any requests at @teegan_anya.|