I've Been Waiting Such a Long Time for Someone to Come Along

"They should be here any minute." John's mom said as she looked at the clock on her cell phone.

She invited me over for his homecoming, knowing that we both needed to talk as soon as possible.

"Do we really need to be here?" Ross whined. "We don't even like him."

"Ross, as long as you're staying here you are going to be polite to your brother, that goes for Sierra as well. What has he ever done to you?" She asked.

Ross just shrugged and groaned, sinking further into the couch.

"Millie, how have things been with you two?" She asked.

"Well, they could be better." I shrugged.

In the last few days I had only received one drunken phone call from him telling me how much he loved me. It would have been sweet if I could have understood him. It made me just a tiny bit nervous, but I'm sure Garrett would have told me if he did anything bad on tour.

"I'm sure it'll all work out. You two have been perfect since day one." She smiled as she patted my knee.

I just nodded and looked down at my lap.

What if John did do something bad? Would the guys even tell me? Or would they keep it a secret to save him? Bros before hoes, right? Ugh. Stupid boys.

I just wanted him to be with me. For real, with no strings attached. I wanted us to be a legitimate couple. I wanted to hear him tell me that he loved me in person. I wanted him to kiss me and hold me like he used to. I wanted him.

"I think he's here." Shane called from the kitchen.

We were about to get up to look, until we heard the door open. John came stumbling in, holding his head.

He looked pale and like he hadn't showered in days. His chin was stubbly and he wreaked of smoke. I hated that smell.

"Honey, are you alright? You look sick." Cindy said as she felt his forehead and cheeks.

"I'm fine." He said, pulling her hands away and giving her a big hug.

Shane greeted him next with a simple bro hug.

"Welcome home, John." His dad greeted. "Your pretty girlfriend has been waiting here for awhile so you'd better get over there and thank her."

I blushed and stood there playing with the hem of my dress. I looked up and my eyes instantly met his sad ones.

"Do you wanna go outside?" He asked, gesturing to the front porch.

I nodded and followed him out. He shut the door behind us and stood in front of me with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"I, uh, I think I need to explain myself." He started. "First off, I'm sorry I completely ruined that moment before I left. I wanted to say it back but I thought that you were mad at me for having sex with you so soon and I just wasn't thinking straight. I'm sorry."

"It's-"

"No, there's more. I'm sorry for posting about you everywhere and telling all these people that you were my girlfriend when I didn't even know if you really wanted to be mine. And I'm sorry for not texting you lately, but I think we need to t-"

"Oh God." I gasped as I looked inside.

"Wha-"

Before he got the chance to see what was happening I burst inside the house pulling him inside with me.

"John just proposed!" I exclaimed, interrupting the real proposal that was taking place.

Ross looked up at me from the one knee that he was on, and Sierra looked like she was about to spit fire.

"John! You didn't let us see?" His mom joked as she came over to hug the both of us.

"Yeah, John. Re-enact it for us." Shane smirked. I wondered for a second if John had told him, but my thought were cut off when he got down on one knee and grabbed my hand.

"Millie, I used to think that you were the most annoying, yet cute person in the world. I never dreamt in a million years that I would be doing this, but here it goes." His voice was shaky as he looked up at me. "From the very beginning I would get nervous every time you touched me. I thought that it would wear off, but it still hasn't. When I feel your soft skin touch me I get weak in knees and I can't help but think that I don't deserve you. On that trip to San Diego my whole perspective on life changed. I used to live for good times with my friends, but I learned that good times with you are so much better. You always keep me in line, and you don't take any of my shit. And you're so beautiful, babydoll. I get so confused when you put on make up because you don't need it. You always know how to make me laugh, even when I'm in a bad mood. I just- I can't be unhappy around you. You're so polite, yet you're so sarcastic at the same time that it throws me off, but I love it. I love you. I love everything about you, even the bad parts. I love the way I can read you like a book. When you're mad at me you don't try to hide it. And when you're happy you show it. When I'm with you, my heartbeat speeds up like crazy. When in holding you I can't help but think how perfectly you fit in my arms and how I want you to stay there forever. I really wish that we would have realized how perfect we are for each other sooner. I'm so in love with you, Millie. Will you marry me?"

I stood there in shock. Nobody had ever said anything like that to me before. My breathing was shallow and I thought I was going to cry. I nodded my head and threw my arms around John's neck. He kissed my cheek and few times before picking me up and swinging me from side to side. When he finally let me down we looked to see his mom with tears in her eyes and his dad holding a proud grin.

"Welcome to the family Millie O'Callaghan!"

Shane started clapping his hands, and soon everybody followed. With the exception of Ross and Sierra. His dad excused himself for a moment and came back with what we had been working towards all along.

The ring.