Last First Kiss | JJ Maybank OBX

26. Surprise!

(picture above is JJ's outfit the next 2 chapters)

~ 3 months later ~

The past 3 months have been hard. Keeping our engagement a secret from everyone we know and love has proven to be challenging. I've been staying with JJ at his house most days; his dad has been MIA for nearly 4 months. It's easier to stay at JJ's than at the Chateau because we avoid John B. I hate keeping secrets from him. Every time I look in his eyes I want to spill, but I know I can't. JJ has been working at the country club full-time and I've been working at The Wreck thanks to Kie. All I had to do was ask and I had the job, which has been a good distraction from the secret-keeping. JJ and I decided to start working to save up for a place of our own. He's scared of his dad returning, I don't want to live with John B forever, and we're going to be married so we should have a place of our own. With both of us working full-time, we haven't had a lot of alone time. JJ gets off after 10 p.m. most nights and by the time he's home I'm ready for bed. The frustration of long days at work and keeping secrets from everyone leads to frequent fights, always about the engagement. I start by talking about how badly I want to tell people and JJ refuses profusely. I accuse him of being ashamed of me and he accuses me of rushing things. We end up laughing and making up after a few minutes, but nonetheless we fight often. These 3 months have been a true test of our relationship.

At the same time, the past 3 months have been beautiful. The time we spend together means more now than it ever did before. Being engaged has brought long talks, lots of sex, constant photo-taking, beach days every chance we get, and more. JJ has opened up to me more than I ever thought he would. His vulnerability and strength in telling me about his mom, dad, and the personal struggles he's dealt with is inspiring. I've fallen deeper in love with him than I ever thought possible. He trusts me with every piece of him and has let me into his heart; it means everything to me that he is able to share his deepest secrets with me. I've also been opening up and being vulnerable to him. JJ is the only person that knows about my time in New York. I told him about my mother and her drug addiction, how I dropped out of school, and my depression. I opened up despite being terrified of his reaction, only to be blown away by how supportive and caring he is. Not a day went by in the past 3 months where I doubted my decision to accept his proposal. I'm more in love than ever before.

Our plan is to announce our engagement at the country club tonight. We reserved the dining room for a party tonight, telling everyone it's just a random party but really it's our engagement party. Our guest list includes the pogues (including Sarah), Kiara's family, Pope's family, and a few of my cousins on the island. As much as I want Rafe to be there, I know he can't be. JJ is still getting used to the idea of us being friends and I don't want to do anything to jeopardize that. Rafe being Rafe would find a way to ruin our night and make it about him.

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I wake up to an empty bed as I rub my eyes and stretch, expecting to hit JJ but instead feeling nothing. I open my eyes and sit up, looking around the empty room. I grab my phone and look at the time; it's 10:30 a.m. already. "It's the big day," I say to myself, smiling and squealing at the thought of finally sharing our engagement with the world. I look through my notifications, stopping when I see 3 texts from JJ that read:

Good morning baby
I have a surprise for you 😏 Put on the dress I laid out and get ready. I'll pick you up at noon
I love you

I use the love reaction to the messages before tossing my phone down on the bed. I take a deep breath before screaming in excitement, moving my arms and legs around in a moment of pure happiness. Once the initial excitement is out, I crawl out of bed to the bathroom. I showered last night and blow-dried my hair so it's straight this morning. I smile at my reflection in the mirror, thanking the skin and hair gods for giving me a good skin and hair day. I do my morning skincare and brush my hair before it's makeup time. I grab the makeup bag I keep at JJ's and put on a full face today, using powder foundation rather than liquid for a lighter look. Tonight is going to be full of pictures and celebrating, so I want to look my absolute best. When I finish my makeup, I run a straightener over my hair to flatten any parts that curled up during the night.