JJ's POV:
Tonight was Kie's rehearsal dinner. She was marrying a fucking kook named Caden Miller. He was a dick. I was here to support Kie and because John B, Pope, and Sarah made me.
Kie and I went on our surf trip after high school for three months before she left for college. On the first night of the surf trip, we kissed for the first time. I had dreamed about kissing Kie for years and it finally happened. Apparently, she had a thing for me the whole time and on the second night, we were sleeping together.
We moved pretty fast and said the first 'I love you' on the third night and the rest was history. We spent three months together as a young couple in love. Let's just say we have some crazy stories.
Our last stop was the Bahamas and I picked Kie out a beautiful short white dress with thin straps for our last date. She said it was perfect and very 'boho' which I guess was a good thing. She looked stunning in the dress.
We had the most incredible last night together. We were having sex in our room right before the sun went down. We were going to go walk the beach and watch the sunset but those plans were ruined because the hotel started on fire and we had to evacuate. So we just went to the airport and got on an earlier flight. Kie left for college that night. We also broke up that night as she was moving to Arizona and I was staying in OBX.
We didn't talk much for the first few weeks and before I knew it, she met fucking Caden. What are the odds that Caden Miller, a kook from OBX went to the same school and fell in love with my girl?
They have been together for four years and now here I am standing at the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. I suddenly saw Kie and wow, she looked beautiful. I then realized she was wearing the same white dress we wore our last night together.
I walked up to her and said, "Nice dress"
"Uh, thanks.. I found it in my closet and decided to wear it last minute. My other one was super tight"
"You do remember that dress don't you?" I asked as I couldn't believe she'd wear it here
"Yes, of course, I do. Stop talking about it. I didn't think you'd recognize it." She said annoyed and quietly as she didn't want people to hear
"How could I not recognize it? I picked this dress out because it's the dress I wanted you to be wearing when I proposed to you" I said letting my secret out by mistake and Kie froze
"What?" She asked thinking she heard me wrong
"Nothing, it doesn't matter anymore. You look beautiful, Kie" I said walking away before I said anything else stupid
I found John B and Pope and said, "Guys, I just fucked up"
"What'd you do?" John B laughed taking a sip of his beer
The boys knew about the relationship I had with Kie on the surf trip. They just didn't know about the proposal part.
"I told her that was the dress I bought because it was the dress I wanted her to be wearing when I proposed" I said feeling so embarrassed
"JJ! You can't tell her something like that the night before her wedding" Pope yelled at me
"I know! Okay! I just can't say anything else because it will only make things worse"
"Were you actually going to proposed?" John B asked
"Yes, I even bought a ring"
"Let's see it" Pope challenged
"I don't have it with me. Why would I bring it to Kie's rehearsal dinner?"
"I don't know but it seems like something you'd do. I mean you already told her you were going to propose" John B teased
I slammed the rest of my beer and decided I needed to leave and get out of here. I went home and sat on the couch feeling so pathetic and stupid.
I fell asleep and woke up to knocking on my door around 2am. I got up half asleep and Kie was standing there. She was still in her rehearsal dinner outfit.
"Hey, listen about what is said earlier, I'm an idiot and I'm sorry. Please just forget what I said"
"Did you mean it?" She asked sincere
"I wouldn't lie about something like that but I shouldn't have said it"
"But you did and now I can't stop thinking about it" She admitted
"Fuck!"
"J, calm down. I'm not here because I'm mad at you. I'm here to listen and to ask why you never proposed? What happened?"
"The fire happened and we came home and you went to college. We broke up for stupid reasons and I was pissed. When I was finally ready to talk to you, you told me about your new boyfriend Caden. It was too late. You moved on and it was my loss, Caden's gain. I just want you to be happy."
"So you were really going to do it?" She asked still not believing me
"Yes, plans changed and we went to the hotel and had sex which was totally fine with me. After, we were going to get dressed and take a romantic sunset walk on the beach and that was where I was going to propose"
"Wow..." She said lost in her thoughts
"I'll be right back" I said walking into the house and rummaging through my stuff and I pulled out a small velvet box
I brought it outside and said, "I even bought this"
Kie took the box and she slowly opened it to reveal the gold band with the small diamond. The ring I got for her was pathetic compared to the giant rock she wore on her finger from Caden.
She looked speechless when she saw the ring. I saw tears pooling in her eyes as she blinked them away. She looked at the ring and then at me. I didn't know what to say.
^ Ring JJ picked out for Kie ^
"Sorry, I know it's ugly and nothing compared to what you deserve but it literally was all I could afford" I said as I drained my savings and emergency fund to afford the piece of shit ring
She looked at the ring on her finger from Caden and then back at the one from me in the box. She closed the box and handed it back to me. My heart was racing.
I put the box in my pocket and said, "I can't wait to see you up at the alter getting married later today to Caden. You'll be the most beautiful bride"
She hugged me and said, "Thank you"
She left in her car and I went inside and I broke down crying. This was it. She was marrying Caden in a few hours. Today was her wedding day.
I legit started to cry myself to sleep. I called John B and Pope and asked them to come over. They came over and told them what just happened. I also showed them the ring and they both freaked out.
It was now close to 3am and there was a knock on the door and it was Kie. John B and Pope left to go back to sleep at the chateau and Kie came inside.
"Caden is great, he really is. It isn't about money. I promise you that. But he literally didn't want to spend money on a ring because he thinks it's stupid. So the big diamond is fake. He asks his parents to borrow their yacht, to pay for trips, and shit like that. His parents bought the house we are moving into. He's a kook who depends on his parents."
I laughed and said, "At least you'll be set for live and you'll give your kids the kook life"
She just looked at me in a way she hasn't in so long. Tears came to her eyes and she sounded like she was fighting back those tears.
"You drained your bank account and more to buy me a ring. You worked your ass off throughout high school just so the two of us could live our dream on the surf trip. You put my own happiness before your own. That is the kind of guy that I want to marry. The guy that I want to have babies with. I don't care about letting my kids life the kook life. I want my babies to see how in love their parents are and take them on surf trips. JJ, I want you. I love you"
I didn't hesitate before I kissed her. This kiss was intense. It was four years overdue. I looked at her hand and I noticed her ring from Caden was gone. I grabbed the ring I bought and I got down one one knee.
"I know this isn't a beach in the Bahamas at sunset but it's real and it's us and I love you. Will you marry me?"
She was now fully crying as she said, "Yes"
I stood up and hugged her and then put the ring on her finger. She looked at it and said, "It's so beautiful. I love it!"
"And I love you" I said kissing her again
We were making out and she started laughing and said, "I never thought I'd get engaged on my wedding day"
I laughed and said, "Now to plan our own wedding"
"I can't wait, but first bedroom. Now" She said and I picked her up and carried her off to the bedroom where we did everything but sleep