BitterSweet

Chapter 37

"Sup, bro." He doesn't look at all surprised to be seeing me.

"Niall." I acknowledge him. "What do you want?"

Hailee and Aaliyah soon find their way up the stairs. I look behind me when I feel Camila standing near me. She's now wearing my dress shirt but she still has the sheet wrapped around her body for extra coverage. When I look back at our uninvited guests, they all look thrilled to see us in the state we're in and together.

"Listen, man," Niall goes on to say. "I feel really bad because I forgot to give you your best man gift before the wedding."

"That's okay." I'm a little apprehensive at why he's choosing now to say all this.

"Well, I thought I'd give it to you now since we're going to be leaving soon for our honeymoon."

I feel Camila holding my arm as Niall reaches inside hie tux jacket pulling out an envelope just as our parents join the group. Mom blushes at the sight of Camila and myself and I feel Camila moving more behind me to block everyone's view of her in my shirt with a sheet wrapped around her body. It's clear to everyone what happened here. Niall hands me the envelope and waits while I open it.

"What the fuck?" I'm astounded when I look inside.

"What is it?" Camila asks, hopping on her toes to peer over my shoulder because she can't see anything behind me.

I look up at Niall, unable to believe what I'm looking at. "Is this real?" How the fuck did he even know about this?!

"Yup." He nods. "On one condition."

"Anything." I look back at Camila. "Well... almost anything."

"I don't want you to get married. Buuuuut-" He drags out the word. "With the way you two are right now, and the fact that a lamp was broken in the process, not to mention, I saw Lauren being escorted out of the reception, I'd say I don't have anything to worry about."

"I have something for you too, son." Dad speaks up. He too reaches inside his jacket pocket and hands me an envelope. "No college or children required." "I shouldn't have held it against you, son. I just didn't want you to waste it on some 'big business deal' only for it to blow up in your face because you had no experience. Then you'd be without it and I would worry about you. But I put that away for you, it's yours regardless of what you decide to do with it."

"Back to my gift." Niall chimes in, not wanting the attention off him and what he gave me.

"What is it?" Camila asks again so I give her the envelope that Niall gave me.

"He bought the company I was interested in." I tell the group because I'm not sure who knew or not. I'm still... flattered that he would do this. His stipulation, "Did you do this so I wouldn't get married?"

"I suspected that may have been the reason behind it." He says of my plan to marry Lauren.

I know Camila probably told them why we... broke up. That I was marrying Lauren for money, but I don't think Camila would. She's not the type to gossip. But how else would they know, unless it was obvious. I laugh wondering if they would take it back now that I don't want it. I'd rather have Camila. And being here, on my brother's wedding day, makes me realize I want to be with her for the rest of my life.

"I'm sorry to tell you this," I begin, "But I'm still getting married."

"WHAT?!" Everyone, and I do mean everyone shouts.

I feel Camila pull away from me so I turn around and grab her wrist pulling her back. She looks devastated, especially with what we just did and everything we said, and she's struggling to get out of my grasp. I know everyone behind us will intervene so I need to act fast.

"Marry me!" I blurt out causing her to stop struggling. If it wasn't for the soft music playing outside, I'm sure you could hear a pin drop with how quiet everyone is now.

"Mila, this definitely isn't how I imagined doing this, believe me." Especially not nearly naked and in front of my family. "I love you, and I want to love you for the rest of our lives. I know we haven't been together, or back together however you look at it, for very long, and we weren't very friendly when we first met. But those few weeks with you is all it took for me to fall so deeply in love with you. It's a shame that I'm only realizing that now, but now that I know, I want nothing more than to live my life with you everyday. Please. I don't have a ring but what I do have is a heart that is yours. Marry me."

It's quiet again. I'm going to faint with how long she makes me wait.

"You told me you didn't care about the money, that you only cared about me,-"

"I do." I tell her honestly. "I don't want it, not if I can't have you."

"I want you to keep it, Shawn, do whatever you planned to do with it. I know it was your dream to start your own company and I want all your dreams to come true."

"You are my new dream."

"Then I want it to come true," She smiles as a tear falls down her cheek. I really hate that women get emotional, I can never tell what they are thinking, especially when they cry. I don't know if it's sad or happy tears. "Not just because I am your new dream, but because you're my dream come true too."

The girls behind us get excited, but the guys are just as confused as I am. I'm glad I'm not the only one. She sees that I'm still waiting for her answer and that I'm a little unsure of what she's saying and why she's crying.

"I'm saying yes, Shawn." She puts me out of my misery.

"Oh thank fuck." I breathe as I wrap her in my arms and kiss her. When we pull away from our kiss, because of the coughs alerting us that we are not alone and should keep it rated PG everyone congratulates us. I can't believe how lucky and blessed I truly am. It's amazing what a friends with benefits relationship can do. I'm now the proud owner of the company I wanted to start my business and I have enough money to branch out as quickly as I want, but I'm just going to enjoy life with the beautiful woman in my arms that I'm so lucky to call mine.

I've never had a girlfriend before, and I know she's never had a boyfriend, but we both jumped right into the friends with benefits thing without thinking, and I couldn't be happier because it lead to the marriage thing. Now we'll be together forever and we can get to know each other more as the days pass. We've had a lot of fun together thus far and that was as friends with benefits, I can only imagine how our life will be when we're finally together. And with each day that passes, I'll get to spend it with her. My friend, my lover, my girl, my real fiancé.

This wasn't my plan, but I wouldn't change it for all the money in the world. I guess you never really know when life comes at you, unexpected.

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so this is the end. :) the story just passed 20k readers, im so thankful for everybody for reading, voting, commenting and loving it. i know u guys probably want me to continue it but i dont have inspiration anymore :( thats bc i have been working on an other story. im taking a lil break ( maybe a week but maybe a month) but after that i'll be back with the new story and my normal updating schedule.

thank u again 4 everything💕

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