[56]

                                    

                                          
           
                          
"So Alicia?" Torrance asked with a very interesting look on his face. He was normally very transparent, but I couldn't read him.
                          
"Yes, Torrance?" I replied in a laugh. We had eaten dinner and now we were strolling along in central park. It was twilight and I was carrying my wedges in my left hand as Torrance held my right. He held his own shoes in his right hand because we both had a quirk to be barefoot.
                          
"What do you think about Europe?" he asked. 
                          
"Europe?" Europe? 
                          
"Yeah. Europe, the continent," he repeated.
                          
"Oh. I thought you meant the movie," I joked. Was there a movie called Europe? I don't know.
                          
"Ha ha," he replied. "So what do you think about it?"
                          
"Europe is vague."
                          
"Then...France," he stated. "Is that less vague for you?"
                          
"I think it's alright," I shrugged even though it was one of the places I yearned to go to. Think of all the chocolate. It's one of the places I really want to go—Paris for fashion, Italy for food, and Switzerland for the chocolate and amazing views.
                          
"Do you believe it's the love capital of the world?—Paris I mean."
                          
"I guess so," I pursed my lips. 
                          
"So when we get married, would you prefer the ceremony to be there or the honeymoon?" he asked with a weird tone in his voice. I stopped walking and turned to him. He dropped his shoes, turned and faced me in order to grab my hands and kneeled. He pulled a box out of his pocket and revealed a shiny ring.
                          
My entire body tensed up while also feeling like I was being electrocuted. I couldn't tell if it was a good or bad way though. 
                          
"Torrance, we're in college. I'm not even twenty yet—"
                          
"That's alright. You're graduating in two years and I care about your education. I also care about you. I love you," he told. I felt a tear of happiness fall down my cheek. "So, Alicia Lindros, will you marry me? We don't have to talk ceremony dates until after you graduate or however long you want to wait. Just know that I want you to be my wife and me be your husband."
                          
***
                          
"He proposed?" Jasmine asked. 
                          
"Yeah. We just got engaged," I repeated the information. 
                          
"When?" 
                          
"A few hours ago—that's why I'm still freaking out," I clarified while gazing at the ring on my left hand. Freaking out was an understatement. I was just glad Jasmine was finally back from her honeymoon. Thankfully she hadn't moved all her stuff out of her dorm so she came back here and Eli had gone home. I was glad their new apartment was ready because she could actually be here with me.
                          
"Well congrats, bestie," she said and hugged me before examining my new rock for herself. "How do you think Wes and the guys will take it? OMG. How do you think Chase—"
                          
"It doesn't matter how they take it because they're not finding out until the day of," I interrupted while taking off the ring. 
                          
"You're gonna hide your engagement for two years from your best friends and mate—"
                          
"What's the big deal?" I asked. Jasmine gave me a weird look. "Look. They don't need to know. Otherwise, they'll either make me want to rush it or break it off."
                          
"Lili..." she whined as she realized her discretion with Eli would be required. 
                          
"Okay enough," I shushed. "How was the Bahamas?"