The Missing Gem

44 | Chasing Happiness

Lucas

"I thought you said you didn't need my help."  I could sense a hint of amusement in Diane's voice on the other line as she picked up the phone.

"Hello to you too."

"Hi." She said with a small laugh. "How's it going?"

"It's... going. I spoke to the owner of the shop and we have it all to ourselves for tonight. I'm going there in a couple of hours to set it all up."

"You better do a good job at it. My best friend deserves the best marriage proposal to ever exist."

"I'm with you on that and that's exactly why I called."

"You got my attention."

I started explaining Diane everything I had planned for tonight's special moment. Where I would do it, what I had been up all night writing while Nicole slept soundly next to me last night, how I planned on decorating the place.

"Do you think she'll like it?"

"I think she'll love it."

I curled my lips upwards into a smile that only my shadows could see.

"Thank you. Let's just hope she says yes." I said as I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"I have no doubts she will. And neither should you."

I hung up the phone and went back to my morning.

"Who were you talking to?"

I turned around in my heels to face Nicole, with a white bath towel wrapped around her body, the sight making my heart do a backflip and my blood to rush down to a very specific area.

"No one."

She furrowed her brows and I quickly changed my answer with the hopes to save myself.

"Not no one... It was Henry. He was saying we should meet up with him and Sophie."

"Oh." She seemed a little suspicious but didn't try to dig anything else out of me. Instead, she walked barefoot towards her suitcase and picked out some underwear, jeans and a dark red wool sweater that brought out her eyes and hair. "Sure we can go. When is it?"

"Uh... Saturday night I think."

"Sounds good." She said with a smile before getting on her tiptoes to peck my lips quickly.

She got dressed, we had lunch together and I said goodbye to Nicole afterwards. I knew she had a speech she had to work on to read on tomorrow's read at a bookstore in Greenwich, so I took that as an excuse, telling her it would be better for her to work on it on her own while I was going out with Lexi on a special uncle and niece walk in the park after I picked her up from school.

My sister was working, Lexi was in school and Nicole would have the place all to herself.

She didn't question my choice and sat by the fireplace with her laptop on her lap, writing away.

Before going to the record store in Camden, I took a little detour and made my way to the store that I knew like the palm of my hand, and where I spent most of my days. The special place called Gems of The Heath, where I met the woman who brightens my days and makes my heart jump every time she looks at me.

"Lucas! How I missed you, my friend."

Henry smiled as he saw me and he rushed out from behind the counter to wrap his arms around me in a tight hug and pat my back.