The rest of the party went great. Heather was trying to convince me to remove the jacket from its casing. Where as Lanie was talking for at least an hour about weddings and babies until Nate's dad, Alan came over and saved us.
After that I spend time with various people, including Parker's friends.
From what Heather had told me about them I expected cold miserable people, but they were all really nice and friendly. So it turns out the girl Dean was dancing with was Parker's younger sister. She was fifteen, a year younger than Dean.
From what he told me, they swapped numbers and agreed to stay in touch. He said they were just friends, but I knew that look in his eye. I had seen it enough times. He liked her and I am pretty sure she liked him, despite the scar which he showed her and helped him move his hair into a style which helped cover it.
They were really cute together. I love him like my own brother. He deserves to be happy after everything that has happened to him recently.
Later that night Kira and many of the other guests gave me presents. Mostly clothing, DVD's and perfumes.
Lanie and Alan knew that I loved all things old and so gave me an antique silver hand mirror and comb.
Matt on the other hand got me a life size Robbie the rabbit stuffed toy. But it was because he knew it freaked out my brother.
Kira, Robbie and baby Auron give me a beautiful necklace with locket pendant. Inside was a photograph of me and baby Auron.
Not to mention they asked me and Ricky to be godparents.
"Really? Us?" Ricky asked her sounding as surprised as I looked.
"Of course. Who else would we ask?"
"What about Rob's brothers?" I asked my sister.
"We are not close to them." Her husband answered.
"And we have both discussed it and we both agreed we want you both to take care of our son if anything was to happen to us."
Robbie was great too. He and Kira had been together since they were thirteen, but had been friends since pre-school. They were each other's first and only. They had had many ups and downs over the years but who doesn't. I hope Nate and I will be like them in ten years time.
"I am glad mom and dad dumped us on both of you." I hugged them both. "You are the best parents anyone could ask for. Auron is a lucky child and I would love to be his godmother." I said pulling back from the hug and Ricky agreed with me.
Kira began to cry. "Thank you Hope." Robbie hugged his wife.
After that I thanked everyone for the presents and laughed as I watched Matt chased Ricky around with the toy.
The look on his face and Lanie's was comical, but for two very different reasons.
He wasn't afraid of anything else, just rabbits.
"I can just imagine her cooing 'Aren't they a lovely couple?'. That would be so funny." I thought out loud.
"That would be great, especially if everyone heard her." Nate was hunched over in a fit of laughter. I couldn't help but laugh more at the sight.
The party slowly began to wind down and because there were only a few days left before they had to return to college. Ricky and Kira agreed that Nate could stay over. She even agreed to let him stay in my room. Ricky wasn't happy about this, but I was eighteen so Kira said it was all right.
She had to basically force my brother from staying in the room with us.
"You looked perfect tonight." Nate whispered softly as we lied in my bed, he was holding me against him.
"You looked good too." I said sleepily. My eyes started to slowly close. Nate must have thought I was asleep because I heard him whisper to me, "I love you so much." While his fingers were stroking my cheek.
"I can never lose you. You are my forever." I wanted to say something back. Maybe let him know I felt the same, but it was too late. I felt tiredness take over me and before long I was asleep.
The next morning I woke up to an empty bed. I looked around my room and then the bathroom. Nothing.
Not bothering to change out of my pj's I made my way down the stairs, feeling depressed thinking he had just left without a word.
Arriving in the kitchen I was surprised, but happy to see Nate with a frying pan in his hand and Kira stood beside him.
"What are you doing?"
Both their heads quickly turn to me and smiled.
"Morning Sweet Pea."
"Morning Honey." They both said at the same time.
"What are you doing up?" Nate asked me.
I looked at him suspiciously. "I thought you had left. I couldn't sleep anymore." I told him honestly.
He walked over, gave me a quick kiss and hug.
"I would never leave you like that." He told me softly, before returning to pan.
"So, what are you doing?" I walk over to where they are stood.
I noticed a slightly blush appear on his cheeks. "Making you breakfast in bed."
"Awww baby." I cooed. I couldn't help it, he is just so sweet sometimes.
"I didn't know you could cook?" I asked standing behind him and linking my arms around his waist.
"He can't." Kira cut in "That is why I am helping him."
After being ordered to take a seat, Nate placed a large plate of my favorite blueberry and vanilla pancakes in front of me. He also made some for himself and Kira. Robbie was already at work and Ricky still in bed.
"Mmmm." I moaned taking a bite. "My favorite."
"I know." He answered eating his own and watching me.
"How? Did you tell him?" I asked my sister.
She shook her head and we both looked to Nate.
"Well?" We looked at him expectantly.
"I..." He looked down at his plate nervously as he spoke. "I know everything you like."
If anyone else said that I would be creeped out.
"You used to love them. You would always ask mom to make them." He remembered.
"And I seemed remember you hating them." I said smirking.
"Urm... I never really hated them." Kira was watching our exchange as if it was one of her daytime soap opera's.
"I just liked winding you up." his cheeks reddened "You were... are adorable when you are annoyed or angry."
"Let me get this straight..." I sounded annoyed but wasn't really. "You would pester and tease me just because you thought I was adorable when annoyed at you?"
He took a minute to answer and when he did it was only "Maybe" in a very low whisper.
"But I never ever meant to hurt you." He said now looking at me "I love you. I always have."
I couldn't help but wear a huge grin. Two months ago I was hoping never to see him again, despite how much I both loved, yet disliked him for bullying me.
I would have never guessed he had felt that way about me. But now I think back I see it.
All the times I caught him staring. The times he would sit next to me and refuse to go away. When he would frown when I cried or hurt myself.
Not to mention a lot of other little things. But I was so young I didn't understand. I thought he was doing most of it to annoy me or because he hated me.
But now I know different. He was just a little boy who wanted my attention.
"I love you too Nate."
Kira swooned and kept telling me how lucky I was and how much Nate worshipped me.
She didn't need to tell me, I already knew.
We ate in comfortable silence and once we had all finished Nate reached over and placed a small velvet box in front of me.
All I could do was stare at the box.
He leaned forwards and pushed it closer to me.
"Open it."
I did as he asked and was surprised to see a ring inside, but not just any kind of ring.
"I know we haven't been together long enough to get engaged and also you are probably not ready for that.
But I wanted to show you how much I love you" Taking the ring from the box, he took my left hand in his and slipped it o
n my ring finger.
"This is a Claddagh ring, also known as a promise ring. It's meant to represent love, loyalty and friendship.
I wanted to give you this as a promise that even though we may be apart for a month or more at a time, I will forever be loyal to you. No one can compare to you or change the boundless amount of love I have for you.
You are my forever. I wake up praying my time with you has not been a dream and wishing in the night time for this ever to end." He was now knelt in front of me. He reached out and brushed his fingers across my cheek and then my lips.
"This isn't an engagement ring, mealy a pre-engagement ring... I hope." He gave me a nervous smile.
"I love you more than I ever thought was possible and in the future I do want to marry you and for you to have my children. But only when you are ready. I want this ring to represent that I will do everything to keep you with me for eternity and do nothing to mess that up. You are my angel, my sweet pea, my consistent love since the moment I first met you." By this point I was tearing up. He got up on his knees and moved forwards until his lips were almost touching mine.
"You are m..my soul..mate." He stumbled over the words, before placing a sweet delicate kiss on my lips.
With that the dam broke and all the tears of pure happiness fell down my cheeks. Nate pulled back and looked over my face.
He tried to dry the tears with his hand but they kept coming.
I could tell by his expression that he was worried by my reaction.
"Say something to the poor boy." I turned my head to see Kira watching us intently with a tear stained face too.
"The poor darling just poured his heart out to you." She sounded as if she was shouting at one of her shows.
Turning my attention back to Nate I gripped the back of his head and pulled his lips back to mine. The kiss was sensual and full of love. We both pulled back shortly afterwards. Breathless, we rested our foreheads against each other's.
"I feel the same Nate. I love you so much that it hurts. I feel like breaking down just thinking about losing you. You are without a doubt in my mind, the one."
He gave me the biggest grin I have ever seen. Stood up and picked me up and spun me around and making me giggle.
"Well at least it's a step in the right direction."
With me still in his arms and hovering off the ground Nate turned in the direction of the voice to see Ricky standing in the doorway with Auron in his arms and smirking.
He walked over to Kira. "When did he wake up? I didn't hear him cry?" She asked sobering up and taking hold of her young baby.
"Don't know. He was just laid staring at the door when I got up and checked on him." Ricky and all of us got into the habit of checking on Auron whenever we were near by.
It was hard not too, he is so damn cute.
"Mummy's brave little soldier." She kissed his forehead and began to pull down the front of her dress. Both Nate and Ricky turned away as Kira gave her breast to her baby.
I couldn't help but laugh making her look up. She rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath "Stupid men."
"Hand me the cover." I knew instantly what she meant and went into the neighboring room and grabbed the muslin cloth type blanket.
Returned to the kitchen and handed it to her. She placed it over the suckling infant so nothing was on display.
"You can look now." I told them. They both sheepishly turned and sighed.
"Sorry." They both mumbled.
"It's fine. Just sit down and tell Hope more romantic things."
"Yes and you can tell me when you plan on getting married." Ricky added.
Nate spent the next hour convincing Ricky it was a good idea to wait until I had finished school to get married. It was pretty comical the way he did it. Nate tried to make it sound like it was my brother's idea.
I spent the rest of the day with Nate. We went to the beach where we went on our first date. This time though Ricky and the others all came. Kira stayed at home with the baby because she didn't like the idea of him being in the sun so long. The following days were all spent with Nate. We would spend all day together and then either I would stay at his house or him at mine. I loved waking up in his arms and I am not going to lie, I did cry on the morning he was due to leave.
"Don't cry Sweet Pea." He held me in his arms and rocked me back and forth. I had woken up only minutes before and almost straight away broke down when I remember he was leaving. "I will visit at least once a month and you can visit me whenever you want. We will Skype every night and text all day. You will never be truly without me. I will message you so much you will get annoyed with me." He told me as he was drying my face.
"That could never happen." I tried my best to stop crying. "I know you have to go. I just don't want you to go and find someone better."
He pulled back slightly, but kept his arms around me "Are you crazy?" He asked looking at me with a blank expression "I could never find anyone else." he pecked my nose.
"Don't you remember my speech the other day when I gave you the ring?"
I nodded "But you are just..." he cut me off pressing his lips to mine.
"I love you." He says against my lips.
"You are my future." He said pulling back "Don't ever forget that. I want you and only you to be my wife and have my children with."
We sat in silence for a while, Nate just holding me.
"I know. I'm sorry." I sighed having calmed myself "I just hate being away from you. I'm just overreacting."
"No, you're not. But you need not to worry."
We continued to embrace until Ricky called telling Nate they had to leave in an hour.
They had already left it and until the last moment, I knew there was no more waiting.
We both got up and took one last shower together before heading downstairs to have breakfast.
Before we knew it, it was time for the three men to leave.
His family and mine were both standing outside saying our goodbyes. All their bags and cases were packed in the car.
"Don't worry little Hope." Matt came over and gave me a hug. "Me and your brother will make sure Nate is a good boy." he said grinning.
Ricky was the next to hug me "Damn right we will." he agreed, picking me up and giving me a bear hug. "I'll miss you Hop."
"I'll miss you too wimp." I teased.
Nate rolled his eyes at his and my brother's words and waited for the moment Ricky to put me down. Nate immediately walked over and took his place, bringing me into his own arms.
"She knows she is my one and only." He told them.
"I'll miss you Sweet Pea." He literally covered my face in kisses, making me laugh.
"Enough kissing. We have to go." Matt told his brother with an amused expression.
"It's never enough, but that hopefully will keep you tied down until I can come back." He gave me one last kiss on my lips this time.
"I love you so much. Never forget or doubt it."
"I love you too." I said taking my best not to cry again.
He pulled back reluctantly and got into the car.
"I'll call you when we get there and Skype with you tonight." He said with tears of is own in his eyes.
I silently nodded my head and I felt a pair of arms wrap around me.
"It's alright Hope. Take care of her Dean." He asked his brother. They had become closer over the last week and Dean had even unofficially started dating the girl he met at my party. "Don't worry. I will make sure she doesn't forget you or get too depressed." Dean told his older brother.
The car engine started up and the car began to pull away.
"I love you!" He calls once more before disappearing around the corner and out of sight.
I broke down for the second time that day and cried into Dean's shirt.
Lanie soon led us inside and took Dean's place.
"He loves you so very much." Her voice was low and comforting.
We were sat on the sofa in her house together. She had
told the others to leave us alone.
"You know..." she chuckled to herself. "He actually originally wanted to ask you to marry him."
My heart stopped and my eyes widened. "But we talked and I made him see that you needed more time."