hard | daniel seavey

chapter nineteen

   Daniel's cello played loudly throughout the house when Corbyn let me in. He said most of the boys had gone out, but Daniel and him stayed in to edit some music. Then it turnt to Daniel getting lost in his own music.

    I watched him from the doorway. His hand slid the bow over the strings so effortlessly while the other plucked at the top. I loved the way he expressed his passion without even trying. It was clear that music was what he was made to do. His head lifted up, finally noticing me. He jumped a bit but then covered it with a smile.  

   "You need to stop doing that," Daniel laughed, holding his hand over his heart. He moved from his cello and sat on the edge of his bed. "How did dinner go?"

    I sighed and stood in front of him. I dug in my pocket and pulled out the tiny ring. Holding it in front of him, his face dropped.

    "He proposed." I said flatly. Daniel's eyes slowly trailed from the ring to my face, then down to the floor.

    "I'm gonna assume you said yes since you have the ring.." His voice was sad, no sight of happiness whatsoever.

     "I didn't say yes," I lifted Daniel's face up to me with my finger. "But I didn't say no either. He gave me the ring because he thinks it'll help my decision. But there's something I need to think about."

     "Your high school sweetheart proposed to you. What's there to think about?" Daniel stood and walked away from me.

      "You." I said, making him stop. He didn't turn to face me, but I kept talking. "I have you to think about. And us. And the feelings we obvious share."
 
    Daniel's back was still towards me. He didn't say anything in response, which only made me keep rambling.

    "I know I haven't made the last few weeks easy. I know I find ways to mess things up without trying. But I also know that it's you, Daniel. You're the one I want to be with. From the first day I saw you in the studio, I knew there was something about you that was different. In these few short weeks you've made me feel something no one ever has. You make me feel safe. When I'm in your arms I feel like I'm home. When it comes to you there's no hesitations or second thoughts. And I wish that I could explain your eyes. And how the sound of your voice alone is enough to give me butterflies, how your smile makes my heart skip a beat. With you, I'm complete." I stepped towards him, turning his body to face me. When his glossy eyes looked at me, I knew. I knew what the feeling was.

   "I love you, Daniel. And I think it's safe to say that I have since the moment I met you." Tears were streaming down both of our faces at this point. I had just poured my heart and soul out to Daniel, and I meant every word. This was the man I loved and longed to be with for as long as time allowed.

    "You don't know how long I've been waiting to be able to say that," Daniel's hands pulled my face to his, crashing our lips together. The saltiness of both of our tears slightly coated our lips. The kiss was rough but all the more passionate. He trembled a bit as he pulled away, breathing deeply to catch his breath. "I love you. So much."

    "I promised I'd come back to you. But my heart was always with you." I said, laughing slightly.

    "C'mon don't make me cry again." He smiled down at me. I wipped away the remaining tears on his cheeks and  stood on my toes to kiss him once more.

    "I'll go to him tomorrow and give him the ring back, I'll tell him I'm done for good." I said confidently. Daniel nodded, followed by a yawn. I put my hands on his chest. "You had a long day. Go get some rest."

    "Stay with me tonight?" Daniel asked like a child, intertwining our fingers. I laughed a bit and nodded. He went into his closet and brought back a pair of his sweatpants and a t shirt. He stepped back into the bathroom while I changed.

     "I can't wait for more nights like this." Daniel said once we had laid down in our normal position. I looked up at him, confused.

     "We've slept in the same bed almost everyday for the past two weeks, Daniel." I pointed out with the raise of an eyebrow.

     "But I've never been able to give you a goodnight kiss and tell you that I love you." He smiled down at me. He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. "Goodnight, I love you."

      "I love you," I said and laid my head back on his chest. My eyes began to grow heavy as I listened to the heartbeat of the man that I loved.

       As usual, he was right.

       I couldn't wait for more nights like this.