The Boy Next Door > jariana (ON HOLD)

seven

"What?" I asked, stunned, and searched his eyes as if I was hearing things. "Justin." I didn't know what else to say. Was he serious? Shit. He was totally serious by the look on his face.

He took the ring out of the box and stared at it, rolling it between his fingers. "I know you're only eighteen. I know that we're young, but I can't imagine my life without you."

He finally looked up and his eyes met my tears. "I want nothing more than to be with you. I want this to last forever." I was so overcome with emotion and elation and so many other feelings.

He smiled, a bit sadly, staring back at the ring. "But you're not saying yes." He searched my eyes. "Look, Ari, I don't expect you to marry me today, but if you wanted to, I would. I would take you right now and marry you."

"That's not what I came here for, Justin..."

"Hey," he cut in. "I know. This is all me, Ari." He placed the palm of his hand to his chest.

"I would marry you, Justin, I want to marry you. I dream about having the perfect life with you." Why wasn't I saying yes? I wanted to say yes, but I was afraid. All I thought about were my parents; obviously I wasn't grown up enough if I kept thinking about my parents.

We sat silent for a few long seconds, both staring at the ring. "It's beautiful, Justin." I lifted his chin. "I love you, so much, beyond words."

He bit his bottom lip, searching my face and cleared his throat. "This is my promise to you, Ariana. When you're ready, we'll get married."

"I love you." I cupped his face in my hands and kissed his perfectly formed lips softly.

He backed away. "Let's put it on this finger, then." He picked up my right hand. "Unless you want to put it on your left."

I smiled, apprehensively. "I don't know. I mean, my parents would shit themselves if I came home engaged, Justin." I gripped his hand. "I do want this...But I'm not even graduated high school yet. I have college. I don't want to disappoint my parents more than I already have," I blurted out miserably, because I so badly wanted to just disappear with him and not worry about what my parents thought.

"I know. I thought about all those things." He hung his head.

Was it disappointment I heard in his voice? Or relief? I was torn with wanting to jump up and scream yes; yes I'll marry you, and with remaining steadfast with my future plans.

"Justin, I'm coming to New York after I graduate. Just like we talked. I want to have a life with you. That's why I'm here. I want all of you, all the time." I laughed nervously. "And I just think maybe you need to talk to my dad, first, if you're gonna marry me."

He smiled and held his head high. "I'll do that then. The old-fashioned way."

I leaned in closer to his face and lingered at his cheek. "I love you."

Justin slid the gold sparkling band onto my right index finger and it fit perfectly. I held out my hand and stared at it. "I've never seen anything like it. It's spectacular." Justin smiled proudly, and kissed the ring on my finger.

"I designed it." He tugged at his black cardigan sleeve to slip off his sweater, and I looked back at the ring.

This made me tingle. Really? "Is there anything you can't do?" I moved over to him as he sat back down, tucking my arm through his, and we both stared at the ring as it sparkled in the light. "You're seriously the most artistic, magnificently creative person I've ever known."

He chuckled. "You're gonna think I'm full of shit, but I think I'm gonna take a stab at designing jewelry."

"For reals?" I pushed away and looked at him skeptically.