And for a split second, the voices of the crowd fade away, and my heart tells me to say…
No.
The realization that my immediate answer isn’t “yes” shoots through me like lightning. My chest tightens and my throat closes up as the voices around me fade away. And just as quickly, I push against that knee-jerk reaction. Why would I say no? What’s wrong with me? I’ve been with Zach for ten years. Our families are closer than friends. Of course this is what I want.
But something flickers in the back of my mind—this sense that things aren’t quite right. That having fifty thousand people waiting for my answer is too much pressure. That something about Zach is giving me pause.
And that’s scary.
The voices of the crowd come roaring back into my ears. “SAY YES! SAY YES! SAY YES!” And that’s the push I need to recover my senses. Of course I want to marry Zach. I love him. We’ve been together for so long. There’s no answer other than “yes.”
I blink down at Zach, who seems nervous that I’m taking so long to respond. I give him a big grin and say, “Yes!”
Zach looks instantly relieved and stands, pulling me up with him and wrapping me in a huge hug before planting a kiss on my lips. The crowd goes wild. All the spectators break into a cheer, our parents included. I can’t believe it—we’re actually going to get married.
He pulls back and smiles at the crowd, pumping his fist in the air. “Finally, my first success!” he cries, and no one understands except for me and our parents, otherwise I’d be totally embarrassed.
The kiss cam finally moves on to someone else, and I can breathe a little better. Fifty thousand people watching is a lot, not to mention the fact that this was broadcast on TV.
Oh, my goodness. Everyone at home saw Zach propose.
Ryansaw Zach propose.
Zach pulls the ring out of the box, and I watch as he slips it on my finger. My mouth drops open. The stone is HUGE, with a halo of tiny gems around it. It’s not the style I would have chosen for myself, but it must have cost a fortune.
“How did you…” I look up at Zach, wanting to ask how in the world he was able to afford this ring when he can’t even save up enough money to move out of his parents’ house. A realization pops into my head, and hope fills my chest. “Did you sell the app?”
“Oh, no,” he says, waving me off. “The app is still a long way off from being done.” He holds my hand and admires the ring, then looks up at me with a proud grin. “It’s not a real diamond. Even better, right? That way, if you lose it, we’ll only be out a couple hundred bucks.”
As I look back down at the ring, disappointment washing over me, Zach leans over our moms and gives his dad a high-five. I wish I didn’t resent him for buying a fake ring. But it looks ridiculous on my finger, and I would rather have a simple ring—even just a gold band—than this fake stone.Gaudyandostentatiousare not typically words I use to describe my style. Neither is this proposal, to be honest.
But we’reengaged.Finally. We can start planning our lives together, and soon enough we’ll be promised as man and wife.
So I just smile back at him. “That’s great.” I sit back in my seat, still staring at the ring, and my mom squeezes me around the shoulders in a huge hug.
“Can you believe it?” she squeals.
I lean my head on her shoulder. “I didn’t expect this at all.”
Julie reaches over my mom to grab my hand. “I’m so excited to have a daughter!”
I squeeze her hand and beam at her. She’s going to make a great mother-in-law. I already know it. Our dads are engaged in some man-hug, thrilled that they’re going to officially be family, and I know that saying yes was the right decision.
I pull out my phone, waiting to see if Ryan will send me a text saying congratulations. When minutes pass and there’s no message, I feel a slight twinge of disappointment.
For some reason, his silence seems even louder than the crowd’s cheers.
CHAPTER 4
Ryan
She’s engaged.
ENGAGED.
I sit and stare at the TV, not blinking, as if I can somehow change reality if I think hard enough.
This must be a nightmare, right? I slap myself across the face to check, and the sting proves I’m awake.
