Stay Close✔️

24: French Kissing

24: French Kissing

I gazed at the ring in awe, turning it every which way to see the light from the cars bouncing off the diamonds.

"I can't accept this," I murmured.

"It was only one or two hundred," he said softly.

"No! I mean, I can't say yes. We're in high school!" I said incredulously.

"It's not an engagement ring," he said, amusement clear in his tone. "I'm not proposing."

"You're not?" I asked, still unassured.

"Of course not," he said, smiling. "Besides, we haven't been dating long enough for that even if we had graduated. It's been, like, one month and four days."

"How do you remember that?"

"We went on our first official date on November third, the Friday after we first kissed." I nearly blushed just thinking about that kiss. He must have been remembering as well, because a smirk appeared on his lips.

"Why don't you count the day we first kissed?"

"Because the thirty first is kind of a sketchy date to celebrate. What about the months with only thirty days? So I count our first real date," he explained.

"So if you're not proposing, why'd you buy me a ring? Is it a promise ring?"

"I'm getting there. Hold your horses." I nodded, smirking. "Since the third was on a Tuesday and you had a huge test on Wednesday and spent all night cramming stuff into your brain for it, I couldn't take you out. So I figured I would just do it for your birthday. Then, I got our flight booked and realized we will have just arrived in Michigan on the eleventh, so I just decided to cut the slumber party Selena had planned short and take you on a date then. I have had this ring since last Friday."

"Okay. So..?"

"It is kind of a promise ring, but really, it's just something to look pretty because I know you like pretty things. I mean, hello?" He gestured to himself and I rolled my eyes. "I knew that, even though we've known each other for, like, four months, you don't feel like you know me well enough for something as big as a promise ring."

"So it's not really a promise ring. It's just something pretty."

"When you look at that ring or fiddle with it when your nervous instead of twiddling your thumbs, or when you run your hand through your hair like you always do and it gets caught on one of those untamable tangles, I want you to think about how you're my princess and will be for as long as you can stand me. I won't say forever, because I know you hate that word."

I felt warm at the fact that he noticed those things, and that he knew I loathed the word because I didn't know if there would be one.

My tears were finally spilling over as I watched him, raking a hand through his hair in frustration as he tried to get the words out. He'd obviously planned a speech but gone too off track to stick to it anymore.

"Emmett, it's beautiful. I know I'm your princess for as long as you'll be my prince. I get what you're trying to say."

He gave me a flat look. "You're ruining the speech."

"You forgot your lines, obviously." I rolled my eyes and leaned my head on his shoulder as he put the car in gear to leave. "But it's okay."

"Don't lie. You just like seeing me embarrassed."

"You embarrass me so much, it's nice to have it reversed for a change," I said shamelessly. He scoffed. "Besides, I thought it was cute."

As soon as it came out of my mouth, I regretted saying it because it was extremely gooey and made me look ridiculous. He didn't seem to notice though, planting a kiss on my forehead.