“Are you ready for this?” Chay looked across the car’s seat at me.

“Ah, yeah, I think so. Are you?”

“Yeah.” He smiled. “Let’s go.” He climbed out of the car, flipping the collar of his coat up to ward off the brutal Michigan winter winds, and opened my door for me. I grabbed my things and got out next to him.

“My first day as a college student.” Chay blew out a breath.

“How does it feel?”

“Scary.” He laughed.

“You’ve fought demons from the underworld and college scares you?” I turned him so he faced me.

“Well, yeah, a little.”

I laughed.

“Actually, it isn’t college that scares me,” he said, his face turning serious. “It’s what comes after that does.”

“Working? Because the thought of that scares me a little, too. The idea of working at the same job for the rest of my life is… Well, what if I pick wrong and I hate the job? Then I’m stuck in a job I hate…”

I was still babbling when I saw Chay smile and shake his head slightly. “No, not the job,” he said quietly. “Something better. Something I know I’ll like.”

“What? You’ve lost me. If you’re scared of it, how do you know it’ll make you happy?”

Geez, he’s as gorgeous as the day is long, but he’s just as confusing. I don’t think I’ll ever figure him out. It’d be so much easier if he came with instructions.

“Look, I was planning to do this tonight when we were at dinner celebrating finishing our first day of classes, but everyone is going to be there and, as much as I love them all, I really want to do this privately. This isn’t the best time, I know, but I can’t wait any longer. If you answer the way I think you will, it’ll make my first day as a college student the best day of my life. Of course, if you don’t answer how I think you will, it will totally ruin it for me.” He laughed, and I could hear his nervousness in it.

“Chay, you know you can ask me anything.”

He put his hand on the small of my back—that still drove me wild—and guided me to a bench in the small courtyard outside the main building, brushing off the snow before I sat down. Sitting his books on the bench, he crouched in front of me. He took his gloves off and held my hands in one of his.

“Milayna, what are you doing after graduation?”

“Huh?”

When I said he could ask me anything, I meant anything that made sense.

“If you’re free, I was hoping you would marry me?” He twisted a gold band around his finger, revealing a diamond engagement ring.

I looked at the ring, and then at him. I knew it was my turn to say something, but I couldn’t get my brain to form a coherent thought, so I blurted out the only word I was thinking. “Yes!”

He leaned forward and gently touched his lips to mine. They were warm, soft, and fit mine perfectly, like they were made for me. I sighed when his tongue dipped between my lips. He kissed me long and deep. I didn’t pull away until I felt him slide the cool band onto my finger.

“It’s beautiful,” I said, looking down at the ring.

“You’re beautiful.”

“It’s so big that it’s obscene!” I held my hand in front of me, moving my finger so the diamond sparkled in the sunlight. “Wait…”

“Your dad gave it to me,” Chay whispered, sitting next to me. “I thought you would like it.”

I glanced at him, and then at my hand. “I love it.” I ran my finger over the ring and pictured Grams. “When I was a girl, I used to admire Grams’ ring. It was—is—so beautiful, and I told her I was going to have one just like it when I got married.”

“She left it for you when she died. I thought you’d like to wear it.” He shrugged slightly. “You know, keep a part of her close.”

I dropped my hand to my lap and turned to Chay. “Thank you.” I bit my bottom lip to keep it from quivering.

“Only the best for you.”

I cupped his face. “But I already have the best. I have you.”

“Forever and always.” He turned and kissed my hand.

I smiled. “I love you, Chay. Always have.”

“I love you, too. Always will.”

“So what do you have planned tonight to celebrate? We need to celebrate our engagement and your first day as a college student,” I said with a smile.

“Oh, I have the perfect thing. We’re having dinner with our parents and then you and I are taking Ben bumper bowling. It’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself from the embarrassment of last time we went.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

He smiled and shook his head. “Nope.”

I just got engaged and his idea of celebrating is to take me to migraine central? Oh, wow, our life is going to be a roller coaster. But I have a feeling I’m gonna enjoy the ride…

The End.