CC's New Year's Eve party was almost in full swing by the time Ash and I arrived. We were greeted at the door by Anna, who looked absolutely stunning in her dress. CC wasn't far behind her, and he showed us where everyone else was. Andy greeted us with a raised glass, and Juliet winked. Jinxx and Alice were already dancing, and waved us over. With a grin, Ash grabbed me and pulled me onto the dance floor. Spinning me out and then back into his arms, he grabbed my waist and swayed with me.
"You know I'm a terrible dancer." I said to him, wrapping my own arms around his neck.
"You have to learn sooner or later." He replied, kissing my nose.
As the night progressed, more people arrived. Drinks flowed, and we partied hard. At one point, Ash disappeared and I was left to mingle with people on my own. I was talking to Juliet about their new show Paradise City when CC took a mic.
"Excuse me, everyone. Someone here has something very special and important they'd like to do. And I need to admit that this is not just a New Year's Eve party. Ash?" He said, handing him the microphone.
Craning my neck, I tried to see him. But the crowd parted as he walked towards me. My nerves started to go haywire and I was hit with a wave of anxiety.
"Bella, we've known each other forever. You're the most important person in my life, and I love you with my entire being. I want to keep loving you, in every way, for the rest of my life."
Handing the mic to Andy, who'd magically appeared, Ash dropped to one knee and pulled out a small box. My heart jumped into my throat, tears pricked my eyes, and my hand jumped to my mouth. Opening the box, he revealed a beautiful opal ring on a black band with rubies around it.
"Bella, baby, the angle that counteracts my deviance... will you marry me?" He asked.
I hesitated for half a second, attempting to remember how to speak.
"Yes! Absolutely, a million times yes!" I finally said, a grin breaking out as a couple of tears slipped out of my eyes.
He got up, slipped the ring onto my finger and kissed me with more passion than I'd ever felt in my life. Everyone around us burst into cheers. Laughing as we broke the kiss, he took my hand and we accepted the mass of congratulations. Partying the rest of the night away with our friends, we all waited for the ball to drop.
Everyone gathered around for the annual countdown.
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
Ash wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder so our cheeks were touching. I entwined my hands in his, my ring flashing.
3
2
He gently spun me around to face him, cupping my face in his hands.
1
His lips met mine once again, gently and then harder. Meshing our bodies together, he squeezed me gently. I knew what he was implying, but we had to get through the last of the party and the ride back to the hotel. Luckily, an Uber was already outside.
The tension was nearly palpable as we traveled across town. He helped me out of the car, nearly dragging me to the elevator. We were the only passengers, and Ash wasted no time in getting his hands on me. Quickly sliding the key card through the scanner, he kicked it shut behind him.
"I've been waiting all night for this." He growled.
We spent the night in pure bliss, wrapped in the warmth of each other. Finally dozing off in the early hours of morning, he kept at least one part of his body touching me at all times. While he slept, I admired my ring. I knew he'd picked it because opal is my birthstone, rubies were one of my favorite gems and black was one of our favorite colors. I love it.
We were flying home the next morning, so when he got up, we grabbed a quick cup of coffee and headed straight to the airport. We had a layover in Austin, and finally we were home. When we touched down in Nashville, I texted Juliet to let them know we made it.
After a quick shower at home, I called my parents.
"Hey babe" my mom answered, her face lighting up the screen via FaceTime
"Hey mama. How was your New Years?"
She was sidetracked by one of my siblings for a minute before she answered
"We put everyone to bed early while the older three went to the New Years dance."
We made small talk for a minute before she started to get distracted again.
"Is dad there?"
"Right here kid."
"You know we went to LA after Florida, right?"
They murmured in agreement. Instead of talking, I just brought my hand up and rested my chin on my fist. After a delayed reaction, my mom screamed.
"Did he propose?!?"
Smiling, I nodded. She almost started crying, but my dad didn't look surprised.
"He asked you the last time we visited, didn't he?" I asked, and he nodded.
Leave it to a Ash to be old fashioned and perfect. We didn't talk for much longer after that, because the kids needed to go to bed. Ash was asleep when I got upstairs, so I crawled in next to him. Curling against his side, I wrapped an arm around his waist. Sleepily, he rolled over to press a gentle kiss to my forehead.
"I love you forever, Angel." He murmured.
"I love you forever and more." I replied
