The Choice (25 page)

Completely overwhelmed by his words, I begin weeping again into his shoulder, making him chuckle.

“Are you freaking kidding me right now?” I wail, my arms squeezing him tightly again as he plants kiss after kiss into my hair, still chuckling beneath me. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to anyone!”

“It’s true, Baby,” he says quietly. “This is the first of many,
Sophie. I plan to spend my days devoted to making you this happy every chance I get. If I can make you smile like that at me every day, then I know I deserve to be the one who holds your heart.”

“Oh! My God
! Chase,” I grip my chest as I sob into his. “Stop it, you beautiful jerk! You’re going to make me cry myself to death!”

“Well,” he laughs as he parks the Jeep in a spot before
splaying his large hand over my stomach and pulling away to meet my eyes. “We can’t have that.”

“I don’t deserve you,” I say softly, shaking my head slightly and biting down onto my lip. “Why are you so good to me, Chase?”

“You’re my girl, Sophie,” he says, looking at me like I’m insane. Pressing lightly on my chin and making me release my lip, he kisses me sweetly before running his mouth up the side of my neck, whispering huskily. “Don’t bite your lip here, Baby. You’re going to make me want to give you a magical ride on Chase’s Space Mountain.”

***

“Okay, there’s one catch to this whole surprise,” I tell Sophie once we step off the shuttle, taking in her curious expression. “You are not allowed to worry about anything at all today. Your only responsibility is to have fun, be completely carefree and not hold back on anything.”

“Okay,” she agrees. “I’m gonna warn you, though. I’m pretty excited, Baby. I hope you’re up for it.”

“I am.”

“I mean it! I’m gonna freak the hell out if I see Mickey Mouse in here!”

“If you don’t, I’ll be devastated!” I laugh.

“Alright,” she laughs, arching her brow. “Well get ready for it! I’m about to spend the whole day making a complete ass of myself!”  

“Well, at least I won’t be the only one,” I hug her to my side and kiss her on the top of her head
.

Fifteen minutes later, we’re stepping in to the most magical place on Earth.

We spend the day doing exactly as we’d set out. We rode every ride, ate horribly, sword fought in the gift shop, watched the parade and made out on the Pirate’s of the Caribbean ride while we donned our custom mouse ears proudly. I’ll never forget the way Sophie squealed with excitement on the teacups or the look of childlike excitement in her eyes when she saw Mickey for the first time as she jumped up and down and ran towards him.

We’d taken a million pictures, all of them with us grinning
like idiots and we’d need an entire suitcase to carry all the souvenirs we’d picked out. I’m sure we’d be exhausted tomorrow, but I can only think of a handful of times I’d ever seen her so happy. The day was exactly what we needed, especially Sophie.

As our perfect day comes to an end, we walk hand in hand towards the castle to watch the fireworks. It’s gotten chillier out since the sun has set,
so we huddle close together. When I notice how quiet she’s being, I glance down to see her reaction to the lighted sky we’re standing beneath. I notice her eyes watering in awe and know this is the moment I’ve waited for all day.

Pulling the box that I’ve had nestled in my pocket since six thi
s morning, I discreetly pluck the vintage diamond from its velvet pillow. I smile as I remember my mom crying when I asked her for it as I release a sigh of both nervousness and excitement. Tilting Sophie’s face to meet my eyes, I lean down to kiss her gently.

“I love you,” she says softly as she gazes up at me, her emerald eyes putting the fireworks above us to shame.

“God, I love you,” I breathe against her lips before kissing her again, taking her left hand in mine and slipping my great-grandmothers ring onto her finger.

Feeling what I’ve done, she doesn’t pull away to look like I thought she might.
Instead, she grips her arms around my neck and lifts herself up, wrapping her legs around my waist.

When she breaks the kiss, she nuzzles into my neck and tightens her grip on my shoulders.

“It’s gorgeous, I love it,” she whispers into my ear before kissing my neck. “Thank you, my handsome Prince.”

“My pleasure, Baby,” I beam, stealing another kiss. “Did you have a good time today?”

“Best day ever,” she grins.

Looking at my girl,
she’s still wearing her hot pink sequined Minnie Mouse ears. She’s smiling so widely, her adorable dimples are on full display. Her kiss tastes like the cotton candy I’d just bought her and the flashing sword that hangs from her belt loop is digging into my side. Standing beneath the fireworks with the most perfect lips in the world against mine, I finally understand why they call this the happiest place on Earth.

“Holy shit,
Soph!” Ana exclaims as she takes in the massive engagement ring that now resides on my finger.

“I know, right?”
I yawn my way through a chuckle.

“It’s so gorgeous!”
she muses as she takes in the cushion cut, four carat, vintage diamond over breakfast.

We’ll be leaving for the airport this afternoon and heading back to Texas, so we’ve decided to spend the morning with Chase’s family. After we got back from our Disney trip, the hotels were booked again so we’ve stayed here. I’m still in my pajamas
using my right hand to drink my coffee and eat my cereal since Ana won’t let go of my left. She’s been staring at the ring for the past twenty minutes while I attempt to wake up. She’s obviously been up for hours already because she’s already asked me fifteen different wedding questions.

“Well, do you think y’all will do it in Rockport?”

“I don’t know, Ana,” I yawn. “I don’t even know if we’ll have a wedding. We haven’t talked about any of that yet.”

“You don’t know if you’re going to have a wedding?” she asks,
the combination of her deadpanned expression and offended tone causing me to laugh.

“Well, I’m sure we’ll do something, I just don’t know what yet. Can I wake up before we continue your interrogation?”

“Sorry,” she blushes. “I’m just really excited for you!”

“Thank you,” I say, squeezing her hand.

“What kind of dress do you think you’ll get?”

“
Ana!” I groan before letting out a laugh. “I need coffee!”

“Okay, you go get that and I’ll grab my phone so we can look some stuff up!”

Internally cringing, but ecstatically happy, I make my way to the kitchen to start another pot. While I’m waiting for it to brew, I feel Chase wrap his big arms around me from behind as he burrows into my neck and plants a half dozen kisses there.

“Good morning, Baby,” he says softly, his scruff
tickling me and making me giggle.

“Good morning, Honey Bee
.”

Twisting in his arms, I face him to take in the crazy bed head he’s still
wearing and smile.

“You’re up early,” he says, reaching around me for a coffee cup. “How did you sleep?”

“Good,” I answer with a yawn. “I’d still be sleeping if Ana hadn’t come over to begin the wedding inquisition.”

Smirk
ing, he kisses me on the forehead and walks to the fridge to pull out the milk.

“Speaking of,” he says. “Do you have any thoughts on that?”

“If you tell him and you don’t tell me, I’m gonna pummel your ass, Sophia!” Ana threatens from the other room.

Rolling my eyes, I turn to find her still sitting at the table, eyes glued to her phone. The little I can see from where I’m standing resembles a sweet sixteen party from the fifties and I groan.

“You know what they say about eavesdroppers, Ana,” I call back.

“Blah
blah blah,” she responds. “Come look at this fountain.”

“A
fountain,
Ana?” I say incredulously. I turn to see Chase chuckling as he pours us more coffee.

“Yeah! You can put it in your backyard after the wedding. It’ll totally pay for itself!”

Apparently the look of anxious disbelief on my face is amusing, because when I look at Chase he nearly doubles over in laughter.

“She’s going to make us
buy a freaking fountain, Chase!” I whisper to him in panic as he continues to chuckle.

“It’ll go nice with the gazebo,” he jokes, pulling me to his side as I shake my head and hear her gasp in excitement from the other room.

“How did I not think of a gazebo? That’s a great idea, Chase!” she calls, causing a feeling of horror to enter the pit of my stomach. Chase, on the other hand, thinks it’s hilarious.

“Yeah, great idea, Baby,” I say
, twisting his nipple harshly as I retreat to the dining room, settling in for another hour of impromptu planning.

When Ana excitedly remembers the wedding books Emily left for me, she runs to the living room to grab them for the plane.

This is going to be such a long day.

***

After we got back to Rockport, Sophie and I had a couple days off before returning to work. We’d not made any wedding plans yet, much to Ana’s disappointment, but decided after the first of the year, we’d get started.

“I don’t need a long engagement or anything, but I don’t want to be stressed out over Christmas and all that,” Sophie had said and I agreed.

Next weekend, we
were planning to take a trip to Camden to visit JT. Not only had Sophie not seen him in a couple of months, it would be his birthday.

After getting everything unpacked and taking a day to rest, we spent our Sunday at the farmer’s market we’d both come to love.

Sophie picked out some new books and a few things for supper while I browsed around, just happy to spend the day with her. We’d been having the same ridiculous argument all morning, but otherwise our time together was perfect.

“I just think it’s stupid,” she says bluntly as she thumbs through the records.

“How is it stupid for me to want to take care of you, Sophie?” I respond, lifting the David Bowie vinyl I’ve just spotted.

“Ooh! That’s a good one! Let’s get it!” she says happily. “It’s not stupid for you to want to take care of me, Baby. It’s stupid for us to both work and you insist on not letting me pay any bills.”

“Fine,” I shrug. “Quit your job.”

“I am not quitting my job, Chase! What the hell would I even do all day while you’re at work?” she says defiantly as she pulls a Linda Ronstadt from the bin. “Do we have this?”

“No,” I answer, following her to the next table. “And you can do whatever you want, Sweetheart, as long as it isn’t paying my light bill.”

“
Our
light bill,” she argues. “I use half the electric so I should pay half the bill. Did you get The Gambler?”

“Yeah, Baby, I got it,” I reply
, affectionately placing my hand on her waist. “And you’re not my roommate, Sophie, you’re my fiancé. I asked you to move in because I love you, not because I needed help paying my bills. Please drop it.”

“And I agreed to move in because I love you, too,” she nods in agreement as she hands our records over to the cashier. “But I’m
not dropping this. I don’t want you paying for everything. It’s stupid.”

While she’s digging in her purse for her wallet, I pay for the records before she can, earning a death glare from my girl.

“Thank you,” I smile at the cashier and take the bag, focusing on Sophie. 

“Are you even listening to me right now?”
   

“Of course I am,” I laugh, further irritating her. “I always listen to you, Princess. Are you hungry?”

“No, I’m not hungry, I’m frustrated! Why are you being so stubborn?”

“I’m not being stubborn,” I disagree, taking her hand and leading her back to the truck. “I just feel very strongly about this.”

“So do I Chase!”

Opening her door for her, I put our purchases in the backseat before walking around to my side.

“Come here,” I say, pulling her closer to my side. “Do you remember the first time I told you I wanted you to move in? You said you didn’t want our conversations to become consumed by bills and yard work. Do you remember that?”

“Yeah,” she says quietly.

“Well, you’re getting your wish, Baby,” I tell her, kissing her on the top of her head. “Drop it, Sophie.”

Thirty minutes later, I’m sitting ac
ross from her our usual booth at Lila’s. She’s being unusually quiet and still sulking over what she’s calling my “lack of cooperation.” After my third attempt to talk to her about something else, I finally let out a deep breath and set my beer down.

“Fine, Baby, here it is,” I start. “The house
and my truck are paid off, I have no debt and Drake has been overpaying me for years. I don’t want you paying any bills because it’s completely unnecessary.”

“I still think it’s stupid,” she pouts, dropping the French fry onto her plate. “And this better not be some male ego, sexist shit either, Chase. I’m not some helpless, damsel in distress, you know.”

“It’s not,” I chuckle. “But I know you bust your ass for the money you make at the restaurant, Sweetheart.”

Narrowing her eyes at me, a small smirk crosses her lips before she shakes her head slightly at me.

“How much money do you think I make in a week, Chase?”

“I don’t know,” I answer her with a shrug. We’d never talked about money much before this, so I rea
lly have no idea. “Two or three hundred bucks?”

“Double that and you’re close,” she counters.

“You make four hundred dollars a week?” I ask, surprised.

“Closer to six
, not including hourly,” she admits. “Not to mention, with the exception of the six months Ana and I lived in the apartment, I’ve never had to pay bills. My bank account is perfectly fine, Chase. It may not be necessary to you, but it is to me. I can either spend money on the light bill or completely redecorating the house with Ana while you’re at work next week. That decision is all you, Baby. Either way, I’m winning this argument.” Leaning against the back of the booth, she crosses her arms in front of her. “Your move.”

When she says Ana’s name, images of my living room covered in pink glitter and fountains fill my head.
Shaking my head at her, I know she’s got me and so does she. I can’t hide the smirk from my face as I lean back in defeat.

“Fine,” I groan
as I watch the look of victory spreading over her features. “You can pay the water bill.”

The next morning, I wake to the sharp sound of my alarm ringing incessantly through our bedroom. Sophie’s first shift back is an early one, so much to my despair I’m waking up in
our king sized bed alone.

As I roll over to blindly smack my alarm clock into silence, I’m surprised when my arm smashes ag
ainst the side of the some monstrosity. Rubbing my arm in offense, I force my eyes open as I take in the most hideous table I’ve ever seen now taking up residence where my nightstand had previously been.

After silencing the
offensive noise coming from the box, I sit up, rubbing the heels of my palms over my eyes, rubbing them awake. Next to the clock, I see the single sheet of paper with Sophie’s familiar script attached to this month’s water bill.

When I unfold the note, I can’t contain the wide grin that automatically spreads over my face.
Even harder to hold back is the all out belly laugh that erupts from my chest when I read what my girl has written.

Chase,

Thirty nine dollars? Seriously? Nice try, Baby. I found this table in less than thirty nine minutes at four o’clock this morning. Imagine what I could do with an entire day. It is with all the love in my heart that I tell you that you do not want to fight me on this. I
will
win.

Last warning, Mitchell.

I love you, Jerk.

XO
Sophie

***