by Leila Lucas
“Happy Birthdayyyyyyyyyy,” she squeals in my ear.
The boys decide to do a group hug, almost suffocating me.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHLO-MEDIA,” Jackson yells out.
“Dude! Not on her birthday!” Chester says in all seriousness.
“I’m so happy you guys are here I don’t even care what you call me.” I admit.
I stand and stare at them all while they’re shuffling around the table trying to re-organize the seating arrangement.
“Happy Birthday,” Dylan whispers in my ear behind me. “I kept trying to think of something special to get you and whenever I thought of the things you love, it always came back to these idiots.” We both laugh because at this very moment they definitely do pass for a bunch of idiots. Chester is sitting on Vikki’s lap while Ben and Jackson are arguing over where everyone will sit.
“Thank you,” is all I manage to say before my arm gets pulled by Ben.
“Come onnnnnnnn. You can’t just stand there staring at us. I know we’re so sexy and it’s hard not to stare, but you have to sit.” Everyone re-shuffles once again until everyone is satisfied with the seating position.
“I can’t believe you’re all here.” The boys all look more mature. A bit hard to believe when you see them act like twelve-year-olds in a restaurant, but they all have a more polished look to them. They’re not in their usual old T-shirt jeans. Also their hair doesn’t look like it’s four months overdue for a haircut.
I turn to Vikki. “I was starting to think you forgot my birthday for the first time!”
Vikki is notoriously known for sending extravagant flowers and balloons for my birthday. I would be lying if I said I didn’t notice that I haven’t received them today.
“I was so scared I’d give it away! Dyl has been planning this for so long he would have killed me if I ruined the surprise in any way.”
My hand is resting next to Dylan’s at the table, so I slide my pinky finger over his. Without any hesitation he grips it with his pinky.
I haven’t seen Dylan interact with the boys since they left for L.A. So watching them talk about the album and photoshoots without any awkwardness from Dylan is melting my heart right now.
“Look how hot we are.” Ben slides his phone over to me. The boys are all wearing black and white, staring off into the distance. Individual shoots with each one of them and their instrument, tops unbuttoned enough to be sexy without looking like a pop star.
Vikki leans over to look. “What sort of photoshop magic gave you skinny minis those guns?”
“WHAT?” Jackson stands up and takes his flannel shirt off, revealing a T-shirt underneath. “Look at these. All real, baby!” A few people turn to look at him, but he’s oblivious to their stares.
“Eh, not buying it. Your junk looks bigger in the photos too.”
“Jackson, no,” I warn him before he unzips his pants too. He pouts and sits down.
“Well, you know mine isn’t photoshopped.” Ben winks at her.
“Ew.” I wince.
“It’s kinda true.” She shrugs.
“I missed you inappropriate weirdos.” I gush. I don’t think I could have gotten a more perfect birthday present.
* * *
Dylan and I walk behind the others. I purposely walk slowly because we’ve both been busy catching up with everyone that we barely spoke a word to each other all night. I edge my hand toward Dylan’s and slips my fingers between his. He squeezes my hand and keeps a gentle but firm grip.
“We’re going to pick up a tub of ice cream,” I call out to them. I’m so grateful that everyone’s here, but I really want a tiny bit of alone time with Dylan tonight. The boys are too busy attempting a three-person piggy back to hear me, but Vikki turns and gives us a thumbs-up before walking off with them.
Fortunately the ice cream shop has been so busy that there’s a ten-minute wait for our two tubs. We find a quiet spot on the corner of the shop to wait. The entire time Dylan hasn’t let go of my hand only occasionally brushing his thumb against it. He leans against the wall, so I turn to face him, taking his other hand in mine too.
“I know you’ve done a lot of nice things for me, especially helping me build the stuff for my apartment. Not really helping. More like doing it yourself or fixing my mistakes.” I laugh. “But tonight… tonight was special. I really can’t thank you enough.”
“You don’t need to thank me. You’ve had a shitty year too. I just wanted to do something to make you happy. You deserve it.” He gently pulls me closer to him. I let go of his hands and wrap my arms around his neck. He wraps his arms around my waist.
“I love you,” I whisper, nuzzling my head under his chin. I wasn’t entirely sure if he heard me, but then he tightened his grip.
“I love you too.”
DYLAN
I spent most of the morning putting frames, candles, and random things on the higher shelves that Chloe couldn’t reach properly herself. Why do girls have so many candles? And why do they have stupid names and impossible scents? I open the jar that’s sunrise scented and sniff it. I’m pretty sure sunrises don’t have a scent. Neither do angels or heavenly dreams.
Girls are weird.
The one candle I do like is a big fancy black and gold candle that she always kept on her bedside table. She told me once that she keeps it there because it smells like me. I take the candle to her bedroom and put it on her bedside table, right next to the framed photo of us. She took it the first time I stayed the night. I fell asleep on top of her while she was reading to me. I didn’t see it right away, but on the dresser was another frame but this time the four small photos were of me. I remember this day like it was just yesterday. We were at a pizza place and we were being stupid while we were waiting for our order. I thought she was recording me telling a—long, bad—joke but apparently she was just taking photos of my face.
“I know it’s a bit stalker-y.” She comes in quietly, scaring the shit out of me.
“Sorry, I’m not snooping through your stuff. I just haven’t seen this before.”
“I felt like I could hear your voice and laugh when I looked at them. It helped when I needed it.”
I don’t know what to say to that. It’s adorably sweet and sad at the same time.
“You do look stinkin’ cute, though.”
I don’t know about cute, but I do look happy. So happy. So in love with the girl I was sitting across from. She takes the frame from me and carries it to the lounge room. “It’s starting to look like a bit of a Dylan shrine in here.” The new spot for my framed photos is next to the library scented candle. At least it’s not next to a shitty one. This one really smells like books. And I only know what books smell like because Chloe likes to sniff them. Then she’d shove it toward my nose and I’d have to sniff it too.
“Do you need help with anything else before I go?”
She said I didn’t need to be here today because she didn’t have much left to do. But I arrived same time as I did every morning for the past few days, with coffee and breakfast in hand. I wish she bought more shit for me to put together because I don’t know where we go from here.
“I need some quick help with my roommate situation.” She swaps two cushions around. Again.
“You want me to help you find one?” I ask.
“I found one. I’m just not sure if this place is too feminine for him.”
HIM.
Seriously?
HIM.
I sit down on the couch.
“Do I tone down the pink accent cushions or maybe swap out the cutesy mugs to something more neutral?” She continues.
Internally my body temperature is heating up. Externally I’m acting as cool as a fucking cucumber. It’s just a roommate. That’s all. Both sexes can co-exist and not fall for each other. Right? Probably not.
“I think he’ll be okay with all this.” I look around her place.
A guy will live here. He’ll be in this exact spot watching shitty movies wit
h her every night. They’ll talk about their day. They’ll have inside jokes. They’ll tell each other secrets. She’ll fall for him, and he, obviously, would fall for her.
“When does he move in?” I ask like it’s no big deal.
“Whenever he wants to.” She shrugs. I keep my head down and nod in response. I’m dying to say something, but if I say the wrong thing we’ll be going backward and I can’t go through that.
“So… when do you want to?”
Maybe he’s gay or Chloe isn’t his type. Or maybe he—
Wait.
What?
“Are you serious?” I tilt my head back on the edge of the couch. I feel the weight on my back lifting and exhale. “I love you, but you’re so mean.”
“Awwww, I’m sorry.” She laughs as she crawls across the couch to sit next to me. “I could see you trying so hard to keep your thoughts to yourself.
“Will you move in with me?” She bites her bottom lip. “If it’s too soon for you I’ll wait for as long as you need.”
Too soon? I would marry her right now without a second thought, so moving in together is fine by me.
“You want us to be roommates?” I ask just to be sure what this means.
“No. I just want to live with my boyfriend.”
“Say that again.” I need to hear that one more time so I can let it sink in properly.
“I want to…” She straddles me and puts her hands on my cheeks.
“Live.” She kisses me quickly and moves back slightly.
“With.” Another kiss.
“My.” And another kiss.
“Boyfriend.” This time I grab her face and kiss her. Properly. For the first time in months.
“So will you?” she mumbles while my lips are still on hers.
“I’ll think about it,” I joke. “Whose room did I just put together?” I point to the third bedroom where we had just put together a bed and other furniture a few days ago.
“Yours. If you need the light and TV or you just want to sleep alone you have somewhere comfortable to go. I don’t want you sleeping on the couch in your own home, so that’s your space when you need it.”
I don’t know what amazing shit I did in my past life to deserve someone like her.
“You did all that for me?” I’m still in disbelief that we are finally here. Finally at the good place we’ve been trying hard to get to.
“It’s not a big deal. And technically you put your own room together.” She shrugs it off.
“It is a big deal.” As much as I’d love to spend every night next to Chloe I know it’s not a reality for me right now. But she understands and she made it easier without me even having to ask. She makes everything easier.
“I can’t believe I have to leave now.” I don’t want to leave her, but therapy doesn’t stop being important because I have her back.
“Can I take you?” she asks as I pull my phone out to get an Uber.
“It’s easier taking an Uber. It’s a twenty-minute drive. My sessions are almost an hour long. You’ll waste half of your day for nothing.”
“Dylan.” She takes the phone out of my hand and tilts my head up by the chin. “For this to work you have to let me help you. I love you and I hate that I can’t make all this go away. But I can do this. Let me take care of you when I can. Please.”
“Okay.” I give in because she’s right. I pushed her away last time when all she was trying to do was make my life easier. “But let me know when it becomes a hassle and I—” My sentence is rudely interrupted by her lips.
“Shut up.” She groans, barely parting her lips from mine.
“So when you finish and I drive you home… which home do I drive you to?” She jumps off me and packs her keys and laptop in her bag.
“Our home.” I kiss her again. Pink cushions, floral mugs, twenty million candles, I’ll happily take it all if it means spending every day with Chloe.
Epilogue
CHLOE
“Both Mom and Vikki said they thought I was going to propose. You didn’t think that, did you?” He gets the keys from his pocket and unlocks the door. The band’s album launch party was today. Well, not the official one because that was a star-studded party in L.A., but a family and friends gathering here in Nashville. We booked a secluded area at a new swanky restaurant that opened in town and invited everyone. My mom of course didn’t show up because she was busy attending yet another event
“Oh of course not,.” I lie. You only brought me up on stage in front of all your friends and family for something special. Didn’t think you’d propose at all.
“Okay, good. I just called you up to thank you in front of everyone. Didn’t think anything of it.” The song Dylan wrote about me when we first met was the first single released, and it hit number one. I obviously take no credit for it, but the guys insisted I go up on the small stage while they spoke about the song.
“I didn’t think anything of it either.” I try to play it cool, but really I was slightly disappointed.
* * *
I open my eyes, head resting on Dylan’s chest, and he is running his hand up and down my arm. I notice that the sun is barely up and check the time. Five a.m.
“Nightmare?” I look up at him. His nightmares have progressively gotten better in the past year, but they do tend to show up every now and then.
He just shakes his head.
“What’s wrong? Why are you awake?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Are you in pain?”
“No.” He smiles. “You know that I meant every word during the speech?”
“Yeah, I know.”
“I love you. So much you have no idea…”
“Okay, what’s wrong?” I sit up and he gets off the bed and stands in front of me, holding my hand.
“I repeatedly tried to write something to say to you, but the words were too cheesy or not good enough. So I’m just going to wing it and tell you everything I’m feeling.”
I nod even though I have no idea what’s happening right now. He takes a deep breath and composes himself.
“My God, you’d never think I make a living off writing songs for the number one band in the country.” He laughs nervously. Right now I don’t know who is more nervous about this situation. At least he knows what’s going on. My heart is racing, but I’m trying to look calm.
“Ever since I met you I knew you were the one for me and I can’t imagine my life without you. I will never forget the first time I saw you at Noah’s and you made eye contact with me. You literally took my breath away. After two years I still feel the exact same way whenever I see you. The first time I kissed you I knew it’d be my last first kiss. On the first Christmas we spent together my mom said I’d be a stupid boy if I didn’t marry you.” He kneels down on one knee and pulls a ring off his pinkie finger. “So here I am, not being a stupid boy and asking you to marry me.”
I put my hand over my open mouth. Holy shiiiiiiit. Is this really happening?
“Chloe Marie Jennings, will you please make my life complete and marry me?” He looks up at me with his hazel eyes as he holds the ring in front of me. Tears start streaming down my face and I’m still completely speechless, so I just nod really fast. Before he gets to put the ring on I lunge at him and hug him. We stay in this position for what feels like hours. “Baby, I need to get up now. I can’t feel my knee anymore.” He laughs.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry.” I pull him by the hand and he sits on the bed.
“Is that a yes?” He grins and waves the ring in front of me. I just nod because if I open my mouth to say something the ugly crying will start.
I put my shaky hand out and he glides the pear-shaped diamond ring with a dainty rose gold band down my finger. I can’t stop staring at it.
“Did I do good?” He lifts his eyebrows.
“You and Vikki did really good,” I tease.
“I’m offended that you think I needed help picking this out.” He sulks. I know Vik
ki had to have helped him because we both had our rings picked out for years. We used to steal our moms’ magazines and cut out wedding inspiration. I’m happy to say most of my taste matured, but pear-shaped diamonds is something I’ve always wanted. And now I got one. From my future husband.
HUSBAND.
“Okay, fine, she helped a little.” He gives in.
“It’s perfect.” I tilt my hand from side to side to watch it sparkle. “I love you.”
“Are you talking to me or the ring?” He laughs.
“The ring. I guess you’re all right too.” I shrug.
“You’re all right too, future Mrs. Chloe Holt.” He lies back down in bed, pulling me on top of him, my face right in front of his. “Or Mrs. Chloe Jennings, Mrs. Chloe Jennings-Holt. Or we can just make up our own last name? That’s legal… right?”
“I never felt like I had a family until I met yours, so I’d be honored to be a Holt. Mrs. Chloe Holt sounds right.”
“I like how that sounds too… Mrs. Chloe Holt.” He grins.
“I lied. I totally thought you were going to propose to me last night.”
“That was the plan.” He winks. “I consulted with your other half and she said you’d want a surprise. If there was one time you wouldn’t expect it, it’d be at home. Not going to lie, I was so nervous I woke up hours ago and have just been creepily staring at you since then.”
I am definitely surprised. And I love that this apartment has yet another big memory attached to it now.
“You shouldn’t have been nervous. I love you and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.” I link my fingers with his.
“Hey, you know what I’ve never tried before?” I sit up and straddle him.
“That’s the best and scariest thing you can ask a guy in bed.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “Nothing scary, I promise. I was just going to say I’ve never slept with an engaged man before.”
