Falling In

“Surprise!” I heard from behind me, making me jump. I turned around, clutching at my chest and smiled weakly at them, taking a deep breath.

“Oh you guys!” I laughed and hugged them. The Dolciani’s were there, so were my family and my friends. Everyone greeted me and I was having a tough time masking my anger and disappointment. I huffed as everyone made their way downstairs talking to each other.

I looked up to the sky, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill out. Once I’ve regained my composure, I made my way downstairs to join everyone and it saddened me even more that the person that I desperately wanted to be there wasn’t. Which was probably a good thing because I would’ve smacked him.

Deegan ran at me with a giddy smile on his face. “Happy Birthday!” he yelled. I rolled my eyes at him and pinched his cheeks. “Ow. What what that for?”

“Ugh,” I frowned. He looked at me in a weird way, and then laughed. Fucking laughed. “Shut the fuck up,” I growled and spun on my heel, away from him and walked the opposite way towards the back of the boat.

“You thought it was a ring!” he accused me, whispering in my ear.

“I did not!” I defended.

“You did too!” he pointed at my face with a knowing smirk. I blushed and snapped my teeth towards his finger that he quickly retracted, and glared at me. He opened his mouth to say something but he was cut off by the eerie silence and a movement that I noticed at the corner of my eye.

My breath hitched in my throat as I turned to look and for some reason, I just knew.

“Ethan,” I smiled softly. I could literally feel everyone’s eyes on us, but I couldn’t care less.

“Hi Stells,” he winked as he started to walk towards me with a decent sized cake that he held in his hands. “You didn’t really think I’d miss this, would you?” he asked me when the only space between us was the cake.

“I was having second thoughts,” I teased.

He chuckled and winked at me. “Well, my gorgeously beautiful girlfriend. Happy Birthday,” he smiled and lifted the cake, urging me to blow the candles. I did so and everyone cheered. My mom gave me us a quick smile before taking the cake off Ethan’s hands and hurrying off inside to cut the cake.

I shook my head as everyone went back to their conversations

“You sure know how to make an entrance, Versace,” I teased my boyfriend as I stepped closer to him and gripped onto his jacked.

“Only for you, Descenzo,” he laughed and leaned down to give me a quick peck. “How was your day?” he asked as we walked to the very back of the boat, and looked over the clear waters of Lake Tahoe and back at the Descenzo lake house.

“Good and tiring. I woke up, went to San Diego, hung out at Beverly Hills and came back to this.”

“Seems like you had a busy day,” he said as he wrapped his arm around my waist from the back and rest his head on my shoulder.

“Very. So I don’t know what you were thinking throwing me a party so late at night,” I smirked.

“5 years ago you said I couldn’t get you anything until you were 22 because if I got you something for your 21st birthday, I would most likely throw a party on a yacht in Florida but then I decided that I should just give you a small gift on your 22nd and save it all for your 23rd but didn’t go as far as throwing a party on a yacht in Florida when I could do it in your backyard,” he explained in a matter-of-factly way.

I just rolled my eyes at him and leaned back into his chest, feeling his heard thump rapidly against my shoulder blades. “You sir - are a very strange man.”

“But you love me anyways,” he confidently claimed.

“You seem confident about that,” I told him as I craned my neck back to raise an eyebrow at him only to see him with a very arrogant smirk.

“Well beautiful, I indeed am very confident about that,” he said as he gave me another peck on the lips and hugged me tighter.

“I really thought you weren’t going to show,” I said to him after a moment of silence.

“Why would you think that?”

“Your note on your gift,” I huffed.

“Do you not like your gift?” he asked me.

“I do, I do! I promise I do,” I quickly said, knowing he panics over the gifts he gets me. I hate when he gives me gifts because I know they never drop below five hundred dollars. “It’s just that…,” I paused, trying not to reveal what I was thinking. “I wanted you to be the one to give it to me,” I finished lamely.

“I’m here now,” he said turning me around. “Here, hand it over,” he said to me. “I’ll put it on you.”

I reached into my pocket and handed the box to him. He took the necklace out, and I turned around, pulling my hair to the side as I felt the cool metal make contact with my skin. I felt him put my hair back in place.

“Thanks,” I smiled at him.

“You’re welcome,” he grinned at me. “Oops, hold on to these, my shoelaces are untied,” he said and handed me two similar cubes. One I knew was for the necklace I had on, the other I wasn’t so sure.

“What’s this?” I asked out of pure curiosity.

“Oh it’s the pair for the necklace,” he mumbled, still looking at his feet. I shrugged and curiously opening the box, knowing Ethan wouldn’t mind. My eyes widened as a giant rock stared at me.

I looked down at Ethan and he was on his knee, grabbing my left hand – causing my heart to beat right out of my chest.

“Stella, the first day I laid my eyes on you was at Gerald’s party and I was singing this corny song. We were young but I knew you were the one. You’re an amazing woman and an amazing person in general. When you walked out of my life – I didn’t know what to do, and those three years were hell for me and that’s when I confirmed that what I felt when we were teenagers wasn’t some infatuation or some puppy love but real love. I knew that I couldn’t live without you and I want you to be by my side forever. Will you marry me?” he asked.

My heart stopped, and I could tell he was starting to get nervous.

“You’re crazy you know that?” I finally got out. “Stand up,” I commanded. He stood up, and I stepped closer to him, and put the box in his hands.

“I’m taking this as a no?” he asked nervously, avoiding eye contact. “I’m just gonna go,” he whispered and was about to turn around but I stopped him.

“You haven’t gotten an answer yet.”

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m not stupid Stella. Giving me my ring back means no. I get it - you’re not ready. I’m sorry I’m rushing into this,” he sighed. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he sighed and walked away.

“Ethan Jay Versace. Get your ass over here and put that damn rock on my finger,” I called out.

He turned around, and his defeated look turned into a look of pure happiness. He ran towards me and engulfed me in a breathtaking hug, spinning us both around. He finally set me down and slid the ring onto my left ring finger and pulled me into a kiss that was so full of emotion.

I just knew. I just knew that it was him. It’ll always be him.