Cupid's Soldier

Epilogue

I'm happy. I've been so fucking happy these past few years, so disgustingly happy, and, still, I'm not used to it. I'm not used to smiling every day. I'm not used to feeling like I could touch the stars. I'm not used to having hope. I'm not used to someone making me feel like I can be a good person.

Today's the day I propose to the woman who's allowed me to feel free. Today's the day that I propose to the woman of my dreams and I've never been so scared in my damn life.

"Kaden, come on man..." I mutter to myself. He promised that he would be here to give me the finishing touches I need to actually get her to say yes.

"I'm right here idiot," he says, smacking me over my head. "Dude, why are you sweating so hard? I know you're nervous, but this is kind of extreme. Calm down, I doubt you want to smell like B.O when you propose to her. This is why I'm not about to propose to Zoey anytime soon, Austen. I already act like an idiot around her, I don't need to make myself look like I'm more of a jackass than usual."

I tug at my tie, sweat drips down my forehead, and I wipe it away. My hair must look ridiculous right now. I groan, she's definitely going to say no to me.

"Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?"

"Dude, like I said, it's just your nerves. Calm down."

Normally, I'd punch him in the throat for trying to tell me what to do, but lately we've been getting along. I remember the day he came knocking on my apartment door trying to apologize to me. His girlfriend, Zoey, was the one who brought him down here. Opening the car door, I take deep breaths to try and relax. I need to calm down. She isn't going to say yes to me if I look like a scared, sweaty puppy.

I sit down inside the comfy, tan car and smile. I'm at her favorite place, the lake beside her church, sitting in a rented, black, 1967 Chevy Impala, her favorite car.

The car is a piece of crap but she likes it because of some stupid show that she's hooked on. I think it's called Supernatural?

Whatever, I sit inside the car with my asshole brother, who keeps talking.

"And, come on, why settle on this chick, Austen? She's kind of cute and all, but she's got a lot of emotional baggage."

I turn around and glare at him.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? I asked for your help because you're my brother. All I wanted you to get was the damn Impala and then leave. If you're going to stay, then don't you ever say a word about Sel. She's everything to me and I won't toler-" before I can finish speaking I see Sel walking out of the church with her mom. She looks gorgeous. She's wearing a pale pink dress that flows to her knees. It accentuates all of her curves. Her hair is down and waving down her back like water.

"Wow," I whisper. My eyes are drinking her in. She walks seductively towards the lake. Her legs are long and tan. Gosh, she's perfect.

She lays down in the grass and stares up into the sky. Her skin glows as the sun hits her, I gulp. How the hell am I supposed to propose to her when she always looks like a damn goddess!?

I glare at her and stomp out of the door, slamming it shut. She jumps, looking up into my direction. She smiles at me, and I glare at her.

"Is that what I think it is!?" She squeals, and I sigh. "Is that a 1967 Chevy Impala?!" She questions, and I ignore her.

"What are you wearing?" I ask, her smile fades. She glares right back at me.

"Excuse me?" She asks, one eyebrow raised. I try not to look intimidated, but she's probably the only person in the universe I've ever been intimidated by.

"I'm sorry, I'm just nervous. I have something I want to ask you and it's hard to keep focus when you look so gorgeous."

She smiles, and I grab her hand. "Yes that is what you think it is," I say. "It's a 1967 Chevy Impala, and I'll buy it for you if you marry me."

At first, I wasn't planning on bribing her, but I'm not very romantic, and I don't want her to say no.

"You wanna repeat that?" She asks, but when she turns around, I'm already kneeling on the ground.

"I love you so much, Sel, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please, baby girl, marry me and make me the happiest man in the world." I heard that "make me the happiest guy in the world" crap from a movie and it rang true to me. I would be as happy as I could get if she agreed to marry me.

I fish out the diamond ring that I bought for her, a couple of days ago, out of my pocket and open the little black box.

She smiles, her eyes filled with unshed tears, and I close the box.

"It's okay, don't cry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pressure you or anything. You can say no, I'll wait till you're ready." I stand up and try to put my arms around her, but she slaps me. I press my hand to my stinging cheek and raise my eyebrows in shock.

"Of course I'll marry you, you idiot!" She shouts. "You didn't need to try and bribe me," she rolls her eyes. "I would've still said yes."

I wrap my arms around her and hug her, lifting her up off the ground and spinning her around. Her beautiful little giggles ring in my ears, I never want to put her down. She's breathless and panting when I finally put her on the ground.

We smile at each other, our eyes locked onto one another's. I pull the white box out of my pocket again, and open it. I slide the small ring on her finger, knowing that we're going to be spending the rest of our lives together, helps me breathe. I feel alive.

"I love you," I whisper to her, and she smiles at me. Her whole face brightening up, her bright eyes hypnotizing me.

"I love you too." My heart pounds and shakes inside of my chest. Kaden's standing off to the side, staring at us with a smile. Mrs. Winters is standing by her car, watching us too. Normally when people stare at me, I get furious. But with my fiancé in my arms, the world just stops. And, suddenly, I'm free.