The Unforgettable Infatuation

Chapter Twenty Two

Casey

"Where are you taking me?" I whine to Tyler, my hands gripping his wrists. The chilly spring air nips at my skin and I shiver. "Tyler!"

"Patience, Darling. This will all come to light soon, I promise."

It's March second already, Christmas and Valentines Day whizzed past. The wound from Delaney healed, Delaney got arrested, and we all moved on.

I walk with him, his hands holding tightly to my face.

"Are you surprised your parents are adopting a fourteen year old?" He murmurs in my ear.

I sigh.

"I guess. I mean, what if she's a bitch? A thirteen year old girl?"

"Maybe she won't be." He says.

My parents told me a weeks ago after they remarried that they were adopting a fourteen year old girl named Amber. We're in Arizona right now and Tyler insisted on taking me out tonight.

"Don't let me trip." I plead, my hands clinging to his wrists.

"I won't let you trip." He stops me. It smells like fresh water and I can hear birds chirping. "When I remove my hands, don't remove your eyes until I tell you." He says. "Promise."

"I promise."

He removes his hands and I keep my eyes shut. I hear shuffling.

"Open your eyes." He says.

I open my eyes.

We're standing on a bridge.

This bridge is when he asked me to be his girlfriend.

We were four years old and our Mom's took us here while our Dad's were at home watching the Cardinals vs. Green Bay Packers game. Tyler picked flowers from a field at the edge of the lake and ran over to me and asked. I remember when I told him yes, he kissed me.

We were just little kids.

Now I stand in the exact same spot, on the exact same bridge. The metal railing is rusted now, but the lake underneath us. Has turtles peeking their head out. There's a bridge crossing the other side of the lake, and I see four blue umbrellas, three pink ones, five blue ones, and two pink ones, and then a black one.

On each umbrella is a word, and there is a person holding up each balloon.

Will you marry me?

My eyes widen and I spin on my heel.

Tyler is behind me on one knee, the engagement ring he stole from me back in December in his hand.

"Casey Nora Baines," he begins. "I have been in love with you since the day you were born. I know we had a hard past, but everything comes down to you. You're the first person I think of when I wake up and the last person when I go to sleep. I want to be the man you wake up next to every day. I want to sneak downstairs and kiss your cheek while you eat cookies. I want to be the one to run to the store to curve your pregnancy cravings. I am so infatuated with you. I always have been. I love you so much, Casey Baines. Will you marry me?"