A Beautiful Lie
Chapter 2
As the old wagon trundled up a dark street, Shannon checked his pocket again, one hand closing around a small box. Still there, he thought, sighing. He’d prepared for this night for a long time; carefully planned it all out right down to the exact second he would pull that little red box out of his pocket and ask Penne to be his wife. Even though he knew deep down that her answer would be ‘yes’, Shannon was still extremely nervous and refused to get his hopes up.
The tension must have shown, because at that moment Penne, who was tucked up against Shannon’s side, turned and looked closely at her boyfriend, large hazel eyes staring at him intently. “What’s wrong, honey?” she asked, one delicate hand moving to massage his chest. Eyes turned from all directions towards Shannon, but only Jared understood, as he was the only other person in the car who knew what was going to happen. His eyes met with his brother’s, and they silently agreed to throw the plan out the window and do it right now, in the car.
Shannon took a deep breath, and turned to Penne, taking her hand. “Ok. Penne, I love you, I love you more than words could even begin to say. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to have a family, and to grow old together.” Penne gasped, hands covering her mouth in shock as Shannon extracted the little box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a stunning diamond ring. “Penne… will you marry me?”
Penne stared at Shannon, tears springing into her eyes. Incapable of speech, she nodded. Shannon beamed and slid the ring slowly onto Penne’s finger, before taking her into his strong arms and kissing her, tears mingling where their cheeks met. A cheer erupted from around them; Tomo was laughing through obvious shock, Jared seemed to be fighting back his own tears, and Dom was banging on the ceiling of the car, shouting incoherently in ecstasy.
Suddenly, there was a heavy bump as the car ran off the road into a park they had been driving past. Dom had turned to face the newly engaged couple, taking his eyes off the road and accidentally spinning the wheel. He didn’t even seem to notice that they were now driving over soft grass.
“Dom!” Jared yelled in anger and fright. “Watch where you’re driving, we’re off the f*cking road! F*ck, man, you wanna get us all… WATCH THAT TREE!”
None of them ever found out whether it was because he was just in shock, or if he was too drunk to realise what was about to happen, but Dom didn’t even try to brake or swerve. Screaming filled the old wagon as it ploughed head first into the massive tree.
The tension must have shown, because at that moment Penne, who was tucked up against Shannon’s side, turned and looked closely at her boyfriend, large hazel eyes staring at him intently. “What’s wrong, honey?” she asked, one delicate hand moving to massage his chest. Eyes turned from all directions towards Shannon, but only Jared understood, as he was the only other person in the car who knew what was going to happen. His eyes met with his brother’s, and they silently agreed to throw the plan out the window and do it right now, in the car.
Shannon took a deep breath, and turned to Penne, taking her hand. “Ok. Penne, I love you, I love you more than words could even begin to say. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to have a family, and to grow old together.” Penne gasped, hands covering her mouth in shock as Shannon extracted the little box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a stunning diamond ring. “Penne… will you marry me?”
Penne stared at Shannon, tears springing into her eyes. Incapable of speech, she nodded. Shannon beamed and slid the ring slowly onto Penne’s finger, before taking her into his strong arms and kissing her, tears mingling where their cheeks met. A cheer erupted from around them; Tomo was laughing through obvious shock, Jared seemed to be fighting back his own tears, and Dom was banging on the ceiling of the car, shouting incoherently in ecstasy.
Suddenly, there was a heavy bump as the car ran off the road into a park they had been driving past. Dom had turned to face the newly engaged couple, taking his eyes off the road and accidentally spinning the wheel. He didn’t even seem to notice that they were now driving over soft grass.
“Dom!” Jared yelled in anger and fright. “Watch where you’re driving, we’re off the f*cking road! F*ck, man, you wanna get us all… WATCH THAT TREE!”
None of them ever found out whether it was because he was just in shock, or if he was too drunk to realise what was about to happen, but Dom didn’t even try to brake or swerve. Screaming filled the old wagon as it ploughed head first into the massive tree.