the boy next door • jenzie

16 | I Just Couldn't Resist

It feels like at least three-fourths of the town is crammed inside Brynn's large house. Her father, the mayor, makes sure to host an open New Year's Eve celebration every year, and almost everyone accepts the invite. Being allowed to enter the mansion that is the Rumfallo house is an annual luxury that nobody wants to miss out on.

Brynn, Hayden, Kenzie, and Johnny, being used to going into Brynn's house, have taken refuge from the masses upstairs in her bedroom. Kenzie sits wrapped in Johnny's arms while watching their time zone's version of the Times Square party she's usually at on the large TV on Brynn's wall. Meanwhile, Brynn is on Hayden's lap, kissing him more feverishly than usual.

"The hell's gotten into you guys?" Johnny asks.

Brynn whispers something into Hayden's ear so neither Kenzie nor Johnny can hear what she's saying. When Hayden nods his head, she jumps up from his lap and scurries over to her dresser. She opens what Kenzie knows is her underwear drawer and rifles through it for a little. She pulls something out and runs back over to the bed.

A small red box is handed over to Kenzie. She opens it to reveal the prettiest diamond ring she has ever seen. Johnny lets out a whistle.

"We're getting married!" Brynn squeals.

"Congratulations!" Kenzie cries.

Johnny just stares at Hayden. "Dude, how long you been keepin' this from me?"

Hayden winces. "Christmas Day?"

Johnny glares at him. "Why'd you keep this from me? This is big news, man. Congrats!"

Brynn jumps in to defend her man. "He wanted to, like, right after he proposed, but I wanted to tell Daddy first, and I haven't found the right time."

"So, when's the wedding? Have you started planning anything yet?" Kenzie asks.

Brynn smiles at Hayden as she leans up against him. "We wanna have it over the summer, probably July, so anyone who's going to college can still come. It's obviously going to be outside." She pauses and looks at Hayden, who kisses her nose. "Other than that, we don't know. Just the traditional white dress and tuxedo and my dad walking me down the aisle and all that."

Kenzie snuggles up next to Johnny even closer. "It's going to be beautiful."

Hayden looks over at the clock and says, "We should probably go downstairs. It's almost midnight."

The four leave the bedroom, Brynn hiding her ring back in her drawer, and enter the main part of the house, squeezing through the large crowd of people in order to find some breathing room.

"Ten... Nine... Eight..." the entire house chants.

When they get to three, Johnny kisses Kenzie. They keep kissing long after the party shouts "Happy New Year!"

Kenzie giggles when they finally break apart. "You were a little early there."

He shakes his head. "I just couldn't resist."