Where the Story Ends (ending to the Story of Her Life trilogy)

Where the Story Ends: 9

He walked up to the front door. He gathered his thoughts and ran his fingers through his hair before knocking. He was standing there for a short while before someone answered the door.

Her face was pale and her eyes looked bloodshot behind her glasses. She faked a smile when he saw him.

"Hi Niall, it's nice to see you." she walked out onto the porch, rather than inviting him in.

"Is there something wrong? Have you been crying? You look like you haven't slept in days."

"Wow, thanks." she sat down on the porch steps, and he sat down next to her.

"There's something I've been wanting to tell you."

"Niall, just stop for a minute. I already know what you're going to say."

"Was I really that obvious? I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Some surprise."

"It was going to be."

"Anyway, I'm sure you have some great speech ready, and you've practiced a thousand times. Go on ahead, say it."

"Are you sure?" she nodded. "Okay." he took a deep breath. "By the way, I wasn't expecting you to know. This would've been more subtle if you didn't already know. Here goes something, actually." he took another breath and laughed from the tension. "Chealsi, it has recently become clear to me that our relationship... our relationship has changed. I see, and I know that you can also see, that things are different between us. And, now seems like as good as time as any to say that there is no one else for me."

She sat up and looked at him. A confused look set upon her face.

"I want to be with you," he continued, "and I want you to be with me. I know that you are my princess, you always will be. All I want, is for you to stop being Chealsi Rose Jones, the girl of my dreams, and to be Chealsi Rose Horan, my wife. And I guess the only thing left to say is, will you marry me?"

She sniffed and wiped the corners of her eyes. "I can't believe that I'm crying right now."

"Will you?"

"I will."

"You will!" he stood up and took a ring out of his coat pocket. "You may need this." he took her hand and slipped it on her finger. "It's not much, but-"

"Can I tell you something?"

"Yeah, you can tell me anything."

"I thought you were going to break up with me."

"I would be the stupidest fool to ever let you go."

"So now I'm the stupid fool because I had a break up speech planned out."

"You did?"

"Actually multiple ones, but now I want to show you something."

"What?"

"Come on, I'll show you."

//\\

"And now... open your eyes?" she moved her hands out from in front of his eyelids. In front of them stood her piano.

"That's the piano I got you." he walked up closer to it.

"I know. I've been working on something, and I want to show you." she sat down on the bench and patted the area next to her for him to sit. "So I started this when I first got back from the hospital, when I found it. I was really happy and exciting then. Then when I thought that you were going to break up with me I was upset, then I was really frustrated and annoyed. And now I think I know how to finish it."

She stretched her fingers over the keys and ever so delicately, began to play. I couldn't tell you exactly how it went, but it left Niall in tears, the good kind.

"That was beautiful." he was blinking frantically.

"That's how you're supposed to play, with your heart."

"And your fingers, and you're feet for the pedals." he added.

"Well obviously."

"So, I had planned to take you out and then propose to you, but then there was a misunderstanding, so do you still want to go?"

"With the best kind of food?"

"The kind that you eat, yeah."

"Great. Let me get my coat, and I'll meet you at the door."

//\\

"Where are we going to live?" Chealsi asked him.

"Together." he responded quickly.

"But where?"

"I assumed that you would come back with me. It would be easier for the band that way."

"I understand, but here it's just my mom and my sister. If I leave, they'll be all alone."

"I know, I know." he reached across the table for her hand. "It's a decision that neither of us want to make."

"The first of many."

"I'll drink to that."

"Not here you won't."

"See, look at you. You keep me in check."

"If I couldn't do that, then I'd be useless."

"No you wouldn't. You can still have the piano. You're funny, smart, beautiful, you have the most wonderful smile." she tried not to smile, but couldn't do it. "See, there it is."

//\\

"Bye Mom." she pulled away from the hug. "I'll call you when we have a set date."

"Bye."

He put his arm around her, and waved goodbye to his soon-to-be mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

"I'm glad that you decided to come back with me."

"Me too."

"It'll be easier to tell the boys with you next to me."

"Oh, I need to see Eli. I haven't talked to her in a while, so this will be a nice surprise for her. How are her and Harry?"

"They're in another fight."

"What is it about this time?"

"I don't actually know."

"The gossip magazines have been quiet about Louis, Harry, and Eli lately."

"Good, that means that there's room on the cover for us."