Let's Forget Everything (Michael Clifford)

Chapter 40

(Michael's POV)

"Losing my grandma made me realize how precious life is, how precious you are." I could hear my voice shaking as Jessie sleepily played with my hair.

Her eyes finally moved down to meet mine; now's the time, I have to do it now.

But before I had the chance to pull the little ring out of my pocket, her lips were on mine and I was lost in her kiss.

It's so crazy how different things are now, how different I am. The change I see in myself is because of her, I know it is. Yeah growing up and graduating high school had an impact, and my grandma dying flipped my whole world upside down and put things into perspective. But it all started with her, I wouldn't be who I am today without her.

I put my hand up to her cheek to deepen the kiss, but I think she could feel my hand shaking because she pulled away fast, a worried look on her face.

She started to speak but I wasn't listening, I was too busy trying to reach into my pocket and pull the ring out. Why did my jeans have to be so tight, I can barely fit my hand in my pocket.

After Jessie had told me and Calum off for fighting, we talked things over and had a little bro heart to heart. It was kinda nice, we even hugged it out.

We both know things won't be the same for a while, but we both realized-I realized, that we need each other. And I mean, I can't really blame him for falling for her, if the roles were reversed and he met her first I can guarantee I would fall for her too. I just have to trust that she picked me, and she loves me. I have no idea why, but this girl loves me and I can't do anything to screw it up again.

That's why i'm doing this, because I know she's it for me. She's my forever, my end game. I need her to know that I will never leave her again, and hopefully she can promise me the same thing. I selfishly need to know that she feels the same about me.

When i finally pulled the ring out, I held it up. It was an antique since it used to be my grandma's, nothing flashy or anything. I suddenly felt insecure because it wasn't from tiffany or, what's that one place called? Every kiss begins with K? I don't know, Zales or whatever.

She didn't say anything, she just stared at the ring and stared at me, and stared at the ring some more.

I felt so insecure and nervous that I did the one thing I knew how, I tried to lighten the mood by saying something dumb in what was supposed to be a serious moment.

"Man my knees are really sore, do you mind if I stand up now?"

I tried to crack a smile but I think I ended up just looking really uncomfortable. My knees really did hurt, I had been kneeling in front of her for so long trying to prepare for this moment.

I had it all planned out; I would find a way to already be on my knees so she wouldn't catch on to what I was doing, then I would swiftly take out the ring and tell her that it was my grandma's and that she would have wanted Jessie to have it. Then I would have gone on about how much I loved her and how she completes me. Then she would jump in my arms and smile her big, crooked-toothed, lopsided, imperfectly perfect smile and crack some joke that makes me love her 1,000 times more. Then we would make sweet sweet love and live happily ever after and buy a puppy.

But no, instead I had to abandon the plan completely and say, "Man my knees are really sore".

Jessie didn't say anything, she just nodded, her eyes really big.

My heart was pounding so hard as I got up off the floor and sat in front of her on the bed. My one hand held onto the ring and the other went to her thigh immediately, without even having to think about it. I just instinctively wanted to be touching her.