WHAT COMES AFTER THE END OF THIS

Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Yrene's PoV

January rolled into February and bitter winds became our friends, snow fell, storms raged, fires glowed and blankets were our protectors. My days were spent mostly with Jason and my friends and occasionally with Chase. He had started dating a woman named Nicole, a sweet, beautiful woman and although the news had initially tugged at my heart a little I soon accepted it as none of my business and we quickly became friends. School was back on. Rebecca was still a bitch to me. My mother screamed at me non stop the moment she found out about the tattoos while my brothers just high fives me just like my father had, Michele had told me it was 'so cool' and how she wanted one for herself too which consequently led to her getting her hip tattooed with the date of her wedding anniversary. And now here we were, fourteenth February, the day where half the girls got hoards of chocolate and truckloads of teddy bears from their boyfriends as show and while the other half got their heartbroken and cried for not having gotten a 'Valentine'. I for one had never, before, in my life awaited this particular day anxiously but this year was different. I found myself waiting in increasing anticipation for what Jason would do for me. Would he give me cards? Chocolate? Jewellery? Stuffed toys? Or would I be amongst the second half, having to cry myself to sleep for my beloved having forgotten about the existence of the day? Deciding it wouldn't matter either way I curl the ends of my hair, button up my long black coat over my leggings, put my red beanie on my head and zip up my boots before grabbing my burgundy scarf and rushing down the stairs. A chorus of good morning's greets my descent to which I respond with equal enthusiasm but my mood is soon bummed out by Ross's revelation; due to some issue Jason wouldn't be here to pick me up and so I had to ride with Ross. The entire ride to school, Ross is uncharacteristically quiet as if he is biting his tongue but I ignore the fact and think that it has something to do with the bouquet in the backseat which I know is for Aelin. Finally, my brother was taking my advice and asking out my best friend, the same advice I had given to Joss who had disregarded it or so it had seemed. We were in school now and girls carrying baskets filled with goodies were stuffing their lockers with them as they made doe eyes at the men they loved while the others gave them envious glances. The cutest of all, however, had been when my brother had, in the middle off the hallway, asked out Aelin, handing her the bouquet and telling her to open her locker where I had earlier on hid a basket. The expression on my sister like best friend's face had been nothing short of priceless as she eagerly nodded at him, hugging him as he lifted her up.
"Don't you dare hurt her you goon!"
"Why would I ever hurt such a beautiful lady, sister?" This made my love struck, doll faced , sweetheart of a friend blush the deepest shade of vermilion. At first I wasn't bothered by the fact that Jason hadn't given me anything for Valentines or even wished me via message but when he texted me, telling me that he would be out of town for the day it hurt me quite a lot. He could have texted, couldn't he? I guess not. I solemnly pass the day and as soon as the last period bell rings Ross meets me with Aelin in the hallway and tells me that he is taking me home. I let Aelin sit in the front seat and layback with my eyes closed, disappointed to have not heard from my boyfriend. I don't open my eyes but the journey seems longer and at some point I fall asleep. I feel someone's strong arms wrapping around my waist and carrying me bridal style to what I assume is my room, only it is not. I am put on the ground and Ross shakes me slightly to wake me up and the moment I rub away the sleep from my eyes I see that I am back at the lake, Jason and I's lake, and there is no one else, not even my brother, the one who woke me up.
"Follow the trail" he had whispered before disappearing.
I try to pinch myself; thinking that I am asleep but I am not. I look around, and there's a trail of blood red rose petals in the pure white snow, I follow it, hoping to make something of the situation at least. I reach the middle clearing and there k stand between the ring of the most beautiful lush, red roses and although I think red roses are cliché, these were the most beautiful specimens I had ever laid my eyes on. No sooner do I stand in the centre of the ring than soft music starts playing and I turn around in my spot looking for its source. I find none. It's as if the snow coated trees have started giving off their own music. It's beautiful, so beautiful that I almost cry; a chorus of piano, violin and guitar.

"Every night in my dreams
I see you, I feel you
That is how I know you go on,"

I hear the most tuned and beautiful male voice sing and with every lyric I feel the singer getting closer to me and I am instantly reminded of the Christmas when Jason gifted me a CD of all his favourite songs; songs that reminded him of me along with the most glamorous diamond pendant locket that had inside of it a picture of both of us when we were young and carefree.

"Far across the distance
And spaces between us
You have come to show you go on," the voice has gotten extremely close to me and a smile of pure bliss splits my features when I realise that it is none other than Jason himself, my Jason. Tears begin to form in eyes as he walks out from in between the thick shrubbery dressed in his usual black, guitar in hand. Putting the guitar on the ground he takes my hand, kisses it and continues singing,

"Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on,"

I smile and cry at the same time; the beauty of the situation making my heart swell to the point where I fear it would burst. Spinning me around in the same manner he always does, Jason lifts me up and twirls us around; tactfully singing the whole time and after what seems like the most beautiful moment in my life he places me down finishing off the Celine Dion classic,

"You're here, there's nothing I fear
And I know that my heart will go on
We'll stay forever this way
You are safe in my heart and
My heart will go on and on."

As soon as he finishes singing, Raymond with his violin comes out with Michele in tow making it easy for me to figure out who was behind the piano. They are followed by Ross and Aelin who are smiling at each other, holding hands, and by Joss and Katie, who too, are holding hands to my utmost shock. Joss sends a wink my eye and I realise my brother wasn't the only one who took my advice. I take one look at everyone, wiping away my tears when I see Jason getting down on one knee in front of me and even the birds go silent in that one moment.

"Yrene Andrea Jones," he begins and my eyes widen at his actions, " I am in love with you and have been in love with you for as long as I can remember; I don't know when it exactly happened, why it happened or how it happened but all I know is that it did happen. I am madly in love with you. You give meaning to poetry because I feel like every verse I read is about you, you are the reason for my smile, the cause behind me wanting to wake up and start the day. You are my everything, my world, my universe and I don't know what I'd do without you and hopefully I shall never find out. May my lungs not breathe, may my heart not beat the moment you detach yourself from me; you make me feel alive Yrene. And you don't know it but you are the most beautiful creation of God that I have ever had the pleasure of beholding; I could stare at you forever and never get bored and it's not in my hands but if it were I'd plaster that lovely face of yours all over the world, in every town of every city of every country and yet that wouldn't have been enough. You are my queen and I swear on my worthless life to treat you like one, baby, I love you so much. I love you so so so much that there's no night that passes without me dreaming of you, without thinking of the way your skin feels on mine, of the way your lips taste. Trust me, darling, I wouldn't have it any other way and so will you, Yrene Jones, make me the luckiest boy alive by forever being my girlfriend, by promising yourself to me? And when we're ready perhaps, marry me?"
He pulls out small velvet box and I cover my mouth with my hands as I give him the answer I am more sure of than I have ever been of anything else. Inside the box is the most exquisite piece of diamond I have ever seen, he takes it out and places the and on my left finger where the engagement ring rests no longer since Jason had taken it off and chucked it in the bin saying that he wanted to do it himself, properly, when the time felt right. And now it did feel right. As soon as the ring is slipped on he picks me up and I wrap my hands around his neck as he spins us around, kissing me. Our audience claps loudly and Raymond clears his throat signalling for us to stop the public display of affection. Aelin by now has her camera on and is recording everything. Recording the moments that would become the  last precious ones in my life. The moments I would later on wish for to have lasted forever.