Luke

It’s the night of the big event, and to say I’m nervous is an understatement. Whisper wouldn’t get ready here, she said she wanted to surprise me. So, she got ready at Delilah’s house. I gave her a credit card with her name on it since I added her to my accounts after she officially moved in with me. She didn’t want to take it, but then I told her how much money my grandparents had left me and she reluctantly took it. I told her to get whatever she wanted to get, costs be damned.

I’m getting in my truck to head to the Dream Sky Hotel, wondering how she is going to take my little surprise. I will admit, I had to ask for Delilah’s help pulling it off. The box in my jacket pocket is burning a hole in my pocket. We’ve been living together for three weeks now, and I have loved every minute of it. I have loved going to bed with her every night and waking up next to her in the morning. Not to mention the sex, holy shit the sex is amazing.

I get to the hotel and give my keys to the valet. I walk into the swanky ballroom that’s all decked out in red and gold. Damn, Delilah knows how to throw a party. I see waiters walking around with appetizers and glasses of champagne. I grab a glass as one walks by me and look around for my woman. I see Delilah with her husband Kyle, and then I see her. Holy shit do I see her.

She’s wearing a skin-tight ivory colored dress. One sleeve is long and the other one is bare. I can see what looks like a tattoo on her shoulder blade, and I know for a fact she didn’t have that in the last three weeks. Her honey blonde hair is curled and pinned to one side, and I can’t wait to mess it up later. She must sense me behind her because she turns around and gives me the biggest smile I’ve ever seen her give me before. She’s simply glowing, and I can’t but wonder if it’s just the lighting and the atmosphere or something else.

I walk over to the group, wrap an arm around my girl’s waist, and lean down to give her a kiss on the head. She looks up at me, so I lightly kiss her bright red lips. We sit and talk with the group for a while and I see that she’s made friends with another woman named Lilly. It warms my heart that she has found someone to talk to and be friends with.

Leaning down, I ask her if she would like to dance with me. She looks up and nods, smiling. We go to a separate ballroom because I didn’t want to do this in front of everyone except Delilah and Kyle. They are pretty much family to her, so I wanted them to be here to share this special moment.

“Luke, what are we doing? Everyone is in the other room,” she asks as we walk into the other room. Looking down at her beautiful face, I simply smile.

Just then the stage lights up and she looks over to see her favorite music group Pentatonix on stage. They start singing all different Christmas songs as we danced for a few hours. I looked up and gave them a small nod, indicating that it is time. They start with the opening notes of “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts and the whole ballroom lights up with twinkling lights. Whisper gasps as I drop to one knee.

“Whisper, when I saved you six years ago, I didn’t realize you’d be the one to save me. You were so scared when I took you in. So young but so mature at the same time. You’d been through so much. You changed my life, in that short amount of time. You’ve made me see what I’ve been missing out on. Someone to love. Someone to cherish. A reason to come home at night. Who could’ve known that girl would be the one for me? I didn’t know back then that I would love you forever, but I will, Whisper. Marry me. Make me the happiest man on Earth,” I say as I pull the ring out of my pocket.

She looks down at me with tears in her eyes. She nods quickly. “Yes, a million times yes, Luke,” she yells. I slip the ring on her finger, get up off my knee, and pick her up while swinging her in a circle.

Delilah and Kyle come rushing over with hugs and handshakes. I look down at the woman who is my future and can’t wait to get started on it.

“I can’t wait to marry you, Whisper. Let’s get married right now,” I say.

I want to be married to her right this minute, but apparently, she has other plans.

“Sweetheart, we still have the rest of the ball, and I want to have a real wedding,” she says.

“You can have a real wedding after we are married. I want you to have my last name as soon as possible. You have two days, and that’s all I’m giving you,” I demand.

She rolls her eyes at me but agrees. “Christmas Eve it is,” she says.