Save Yourself from Me

Chapter 77

Andy's Pov

We finally made it and I knew that as overwhelming as this all may be, I wasn't going to be letting go of Riley's hand all night, not even after the final surprise.

We greeted all our guests and I was happy to have my parents finally meet her before we moved onto the next step of our lives. It took me almost all week, but I managed to buy the house and set up the party to celebrate our new home as a house warming, but also our love and I wanted everyone to know.

Dinner was served and we finally had a moment to ourselves as we sat at our table. I wanted our own table to give her a chance to breathe and take it all in.

"How are you doing there Rie?" I asked as she squeezed my hand and took a deep breath.

"I'm fine, I... Why didn't you tell me about all of this?" Her words lingered in the air and I shook my head, trying to figure out why it has to be a surprise.

"I wanted it to be special, just like you. The way your eyes lit up when you saw this place, I knew this was going to be our home." I realise this was my reason as the words came out, I wanted her to have all her heart desires. "I just wanted to give you everything I possibly could that you want." I squeezed her hand and let her take it all in. "Do you like it?" I asked, letting my fear escape into the air.

"I..." She looks at me and nods, tears brimming as they lay on the edge ready to spill over, "I love it almost as much as I love you." She laughed and a tear took the leap, rolling down her cheek. I swept my thumb under the eye as I caught the trail of the wetness before I wiped it away, careful not to ruin her make-up.

"Great, now I'm crying and probably ruining Tracey's hard work. She's gonna kill me." I smiled as I caught the next tear before it fell.

"She won't kill you. I think you're allowed. Besides, she'd have to get through me first." I laughed and her laugh chimed in and I fell deeper into the existence that is Riley. "I love you." I couldn't hold back the fierceness and she nodded, too choked up to say anymore.

After we were done eating outside, we made our way into the house and I asked her to dance, Riley was not prepared to dance and she nearly refused me, but I guided her to the centre of the room and everyone else joined us, as we danced to the slow melody of her favourite playlist.

When her favourite song played, Take Me Home by Jess Glynne, she leaned into my chest and closed her eyes as our bodies swayed to the tempo. I gave the signal for the music to be lowered slightly and the lights to be dimmed, the neon sign on the wall was turned on but Riley didn't open her eyes, we were always in our own little world when we were together.

Only after the crowd gasped and we stopped moving, did she open her eyes and look up at me, for the first time realising that the room was darker, lit by candles that filled every open space. I tilted her head back and gently placed a kiss on her plush lips and I slowly turned us around to the tune of the melody. When my back was facing the wall with the sign behind me, I pulled away and whispered my declaration of love once more, "I. Love. You." Before Riley was fully aware of her surroundings, the glaze of the kiss fading, I leaned in to kiss her forehead, one last gesture to gather my nerve as she clung to me.

I knelt down in front of her and took out the box from my blazer pocket. The green sign behind me had illuminated her eyes even more as they grew in size reading the letters behind me, 'Will You Marry Me?', I held the box open and looked at her, waiting for a moment to be able to breathe so I could speak.

When her eyes landed on me, the words escaped me effortlessly. The crowd of our family and friends surrounding us seemed to have fallen away, "I love you so much, Riley Jones. I thought that I was going to die alone after everything I have been through, but you managed to pull me out of the darkness and I hope that I can offer you at least a little bit of the love, comfort and strength that you offer me." I choked back the tears as I felt the love I felt for this woman grow bigger than my own existence.

"I want to spend the rest of my life being your strength, your pillar, your lifeline just like you have saved me so many times from myself and my own demons, I want to be that for you. It's with your love that I'm a better man. Will you..." I choked and a tear rolled down my cheek, Riley's left hand moving to wipe it away, the tears flowing from her eyes, I nuzzle into it and my eyes caught hers, she was so beautiful, standing here looking at me like I was the only man on earth. "Will you be the first person I wake up to and the last face I see before I sleep for the rest of our lives? I will take the wheel when you lose control, I will always take you home. I promise I will take care of your broken soul. So will you marry me, Riley?"

She stood in awe and the music was the only sound I could hear besides the racing of my heart. She shook her head and then I saw her eyes smile and I knew. "You can't do this to me, Andrew. You can't possibly expect me to say anything else?" She offered before she knelt down in front of me and kissed me, her answer whispered into the air between us so quietly, "I would love you love you forever." I smiled, she offered her hand and I slid on the silver band.

"Yes?" I asked for the crowd to hear and she looked around like it was the first time she saw them, then her eyes on me once again.

"Yes, yes I'll marry you. I will be yours forever." She offered loud enough that the room erupted into applause and I held her close before I stood with her in my arms.