He's ... in LOVE with me?

Chapter Sixteen

Vascaria's P.O.V.

The house was absolutely beautiful; inside and out. Joey said he had something for me so he left me for a moment creating the perfect chance to explore the house. Each step I took up the stairs seemed to add two more to the top. I finally made it to the top of the staircase and found myself in a circular room. It must've been a bedroom long ago, for an aged quilt hung on the bed post.

I sat down on the bed and it sunk with me. It creaked and moaned as I raised again. I noticed something behind the small bureau. I nudged it aside and uncovered a small door.

It wasn't a passageway-on the contrary- it opened to a small...safe place. I shimmied in through the narrow door and found myself able to stand up straight. I looked around the magical secret room. There were tons of old books, crinkled envelopes yellowed with age, pictures that curled on the edged, and other little trinkets that you'd never have imagined. I picked up the pictures and saw a woman. Undoubtedly she was beautiful- an actress or model. One of the 1930's perhaps. Curious, another had shown the same gorgeous woman, but this time, with a man. She stared straight at the camera but the man looked lovingly down at her. His arm draped around her waist pulling her in and holding her close. I wonder if Joey ever looked at me that way?

My thoughts were interrupted as I heard Joey come up the stairs.

"I thought I'd find you up here." He said.

I smiled and he did too.

"Well you know me, so intrigued by everything around me." I retorted.

"I have something for you"

Joey looked excited yet nervous as I moved closer to him to see what he had. He seemed anxious and I wondered what he was going to give me that made him so edgy. He took my hand and sat down- me with him. Beginning the story.

"My grandparents met in 1902. They were babies, and knew each other so soon because of their parents friendship. They grew up as the best of friends. Things got complicated as they grew up. Just before World War II they were together and in love. They knew no matter what happened they always were, and always would be friends. Just as my grandpa was leaving he kissed my grandmother and told her: "You were my best friend from the start and you've been my friend to this very second. But I can't just be your friend. I have to be more than that, because you're more than that. You're my everything. I've loved you since for ever, could you promise to be mine for forever?" He held out this ring, this beautiful ring that was said to have a story behind it, some sort of crazy heirloom. So she nodded and held out her hand to him. The ring was on her finger until she gave it to my dad, who gave it to me. My dad told me that he believed in me, that he knew I was more than the man I was acting like. He was right. Vascaria I feel as though I've known you for forever, so I've loved you for forever. Now, could you promise to be mine for forever?"

I was speechless as he finished. So all I did was hold out my hand and nod, never looking away from his gorgeous eyes. He slipped the ring onto my left hand and I felt the tiny weight of it on my index finger. I looked back up at Joey who was still looking down at me.

"Joey...I love you."

"I love you too"

I don't know what it was but I felt like such a sap right then. My eyes began to water a bit and I'd never felt more emotional and awed. I hugged Joey as tight as I could without hurting him. I didn't let go until I absolutely had to.

*

Joey and I relaxed for the rest of the day stayed at his grandparents house. Things had been too complicated and stressful and we just needed to untangle the difficult things we'd been through. He said his parents were out of town on an anniversary thing so I was welcomed to sleep over. We left his grandparents house and drove back into town.