"To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable." 

- Aaron Copland

Asher POV

This is not what I expected to happen when I arrived here an hour ago.

I got noticed as soon as I entered through the halls of the university, some guy has walked up to me and lowkey asked for an autograph, who someone else overheard and then some girl literally screamed my name, which caused a scene, making it impossible to get out of this situation.

Until security showed up, I was felt up, pushed into a corner, and had my eardrums almost burst from the newly graduated people of this university.

But not of that shit matters, I got to see Hailey graduate. 

I arrived early this morning and watched the whole thing from afar, without a single person noticing me, I kept my head down until they called her name 'Hailey Quinn', I had never been so mesmerized in my life until she stood up and walked on stage, smiling from ear to ear.

I've never seen her look happier. She always looked beautiful when she smiled, she had this air about her that felt warm and homey to me, I always felt complete whenever she smiled, even heavenly when she directed that smile at me.

After the ceremony, I had tried to reach her but I didn't want to risk anyone seeing me, and it seemed like she was here with someone, an older man and a woman who was accompanying him.

Hailey didn't mention much about her family but I'm guessing it's her parents with how happy they looked when she walked up to them, with tears in their eyes.

I had no idea that I would be meeting them though, not today at least.

After I told her I came here for her, she invited me to stay and meet her family and friends back in the hall where all the students who just graduated were. She led me there with my hand still firmly intertwined with hers.

I've missed touching her, her soft skin that would melt butter, the way she smells, damn it, everything about her has me on the edge of my seat, I can't take my eyes off her and everyone in this room can now see it.

I don't have my cap on anymore and my glasses are in my pocket, she leads me towards a table her parents are sat and I would be a lying shit if I said I wasn't a little nervous to meet her family.

Did she even mention me to them? I wouldn't bet on it.

Once we reach the table, with a hundred eyes now on us, the old man speaks first. "Hailey, I thought you left, there was a commotion earlier.." He trails off until his eyes meet mine. "Who's this?" He hints at me as his eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"I'm sorry Dad.. I.. er, ran into my.." Hailey looks at me worriedly and I clear my throat with a cough.

I step forward and give smile at the man in front of me, I exchange my hand and he stares at it with a hard stare. "Hello Sir, I'm Asher Reed, I'm Hailey's boyfriend, I just came to congratulate her on graduating, it's nice to finally meet you." I say with my signature smile as he cautiously shakes my hand.

"Boyfriend?" 

I can feel Hailey tense beside me. 

"Well damn." He whistles out with a look of shock on his face as he looks back at Hailey and eye, not missing my hand in hers. 

"My little girl has a boyfriend." He mumbles, sitting back down on the chair, causing the woman beside him to chuckle.

"Hello, I'm Kate, James's friend, it's a pleasure to meet you Asher." She says warmly to me and I shake her hand with a smile.

"You too."

Hailey sits down beside her dad and I sit beside her, not missing how uneasy James, Hailey's dad feels with the obvious attention now on our table, not just some eyes, everyone in this room and outside of this room is looking at me or trying to get a look at me, and the girl whose hand is in mine.

Shit, I shouldn't have stayed, I didn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

"You're not some politician are you son?" James asks me and I keep the smile off my face as I shake my head.

"No sir." 

He grumbles and glares daggers at the people closest to us, staring at our table and listening to our conversation within reach, once they meet James's cold glare they turn in their seats awkwardly causing me to chuckle out at the thought of how good Hailey's dad would be as a bodyguard.

"Damn rude, what's the fuss all about?" James huffs out, causing Kate to put her hand on top of his with a knowing smile on her face as she looks at me with amusement in her eyes.

She knows who I am, but Hailey's dad has no clue. 

I feel Hailey squeeze my hand under the table as she speaks. "Asher is.. well known in the music industry dad, he has a lot of fans." She says with a nervous laugh as she looks at me nervously then her dad.

James hums and shifts uncomfortably on his seat. "I'm sorry, I didn't plan on staying long, I don't want anyone feeling uncomfortable with me being here." I say apologetically.

He waves me off. "Nonsense, stay and have a drink and something to eat, after all, I need to know the boy who has my little girl shy all of a sudden." He teases, getting up from his seat, giving a wink to Hailey.

Hailey blushes a deep red as she groans out. "I will go help him, back in tick kids." Kate says with a grin as she gets up and walks with James towards the bar.

I turn in my seat and lean forward towards Hailey, still red on her face. "That went well." I whisper in her ear, amusement dripping off my tongue.

She peeks up from her hand and glares cutely at me as her eyes shift from me to people watching us with their phones out. "Ignore them, focus on me." I tell her, moving her head to face me.

I place my forehead on hers and kiss her gently on the lips, loving the feel of her hand now touching my leg as I caress her lips against mine.

The kiss which only lasted a few seconds wasn't meant to affect me, but this is Hailey, and she affects me more than I care to admit out loud, not wanting to embarrass myself with how obsessed I am with anything Hailey Quinn.

Fuck, if not for the eyes on us right now, I would pick her up, put her over my shoulder and carry her back to that room and fuck her senseless until we both forget our names and who we are, and where we are right now.

I have missed her so damn much, and not even the nosy fuckers in this room is going to change how happy I am right now, she's with me, she's not running away from me either, this day couldn't have gone any better for me, I'm so fucking happy I listened to my mother and came today.

Being with Hailey today has felt like nothing had changed, but it has, and after today things will change, there's no way I am letting anything get in the way of me being together with her again, things will change and get hard, but I know with her by my side it will be a breeze.

I don't want her to leave again, I won't survive without her anymore, she's mine and mine only.

"I love you Hailey Quinn." 

I don't care if she never says it back if she doesn't feel the same way, if she needs time or-

"I love you too.. Asher Reed." She whispers breathlessly with a soft gentle smile on her lips.

Clenching my eyes shut I try to steady my racing heartbeat in my chest but no matter how hard I try, I can't, I fucking love her and she loves me.

The contents in my pocket start digging into my leg and my heartbeat beats faster, and my nerves are beyond anything I have ever felt before, standing in front of thousands of people has never made me feel like this before.

I've never felt so scared in my whole life for what I'm about to do, but I have to do it.

She's the only girl for me, no one else comes close to how I feel about Hailey, I don't want to be without her ever again, I need her with me, so I can see her smile every damn day, to wake up with her every morning and not wonder when I will see her again, to give her anything she has ever dreamed of, I want to be the man to give her that, all she could ever dream of.

I want that house with the white picket fence that Hailey talked about, with a dog and children running around in the garden, I want so desperately for it to be me who gives her that life, that dream, I'd risk it all just to give it to her, make it a reality.

I want it all, and I want it with her. 

"Marry me." 

Her eyes go wide as she stares at me as I move from the chair I was sitting on, I hold her hand and pull her up with me, once she's standing I go down on a bended knee, taking a deep breath, I take the box from my pocket and hold it out in front of her, opening it and displaying the ring inside, noticing now as people gather around us excitably with flashing camera lights.

"Hailey Quinn, from the very first moment I met you, I knew you were the only one for me, and if I don't do this now I know I will regret it for the rest of my life, because Hailey, you are the only girl I want to spend the rest of my life with, as my wife. Will you marry me?"

My heart is beating out of my chest as I see tears fall from her eyes, with her hand over her mouth, and it feels like I've been waiting forever for this moment, but it's happening, and she's nodding her head, my heart explodes.

There are no words for how happy I feel at this moment.

"Y-Yes, yes!" Hailey jumps into my arms as I stand up to wrap my arms around her.

There are cheers and clapping all around us in the huge hall as people who had watched are now congratulating us as I keep my arms securely wrapped around her, as I feel her sob into my chest. 

I can't help but laugh as I pull back at my weeping girl as I hold her hand in mine as my other hand slides the ring I picked for her onto her finger, fitting perfectly on her beautiful finger.

I've carried this ring around for what feels like a lifetime now, I had bought this the day Hailey moved in with me, I didn't plan on buying anything like this when I walked into the shop, but as soon as I saw this ring in the window, I had to get it, it was perfect, and it belonged on Hailey's finger, I knew it was too soon but I knew eventually I would ask her when the timing is right.

The timing came and it feels so right, she's mine, my fiance, my girl.

From the corner of my eye, I see James and Kate wiping tears from their eyes as they come forward and congratulate us and wrap their arms around Hailey, who is a crying mess right now, who happily accepts her dad's arms he tries and soothes her emotions.

"Congratulations Asher." Kate says grinning widely as she wraps her arms around me, and I hug her back.

"I know you'll look after my little girl and make her happy, congratulations son." James says with a tear-soaked face as he wraps an arm around me, and I nod my head, my own tears threatening to escape with how happy I feel right now.

The moment doesn't last long until I start to see paparazzi cause an uproar and push their way into the building, with news reporters and screaming fans who have learned of my location trying to push their way into the hall to get a photo of me and my bride to be.

I take hold of Hailey's hand and instruct James and Kate to follow me out the back as security makes their way towards us to escort us out safely without being bombarded with questions.

Even with the scene I have caused, I wouldn't change a fucking thing about today, I know after today everything will change for Hailey and her family and I will be there every step of the way to get through this because there's nowhere I would rather be than right beside her, until the day I die.

As we both laugh holding hands whilst being escorted to a waiting car outside the university, with her family beside us, I can't imagine a life without her by my side, we all get into the limo as lights flash all around us, screaming and shouting questions at us as we all ignore them and go to sit inside.

Hailey turns and looks at me shyly, as she smiles up at me, and that is the moment I know I made the right decision, she's the only girl for me, the only one that will ever make me feel like this, this happy and complete, this alive.

My elevator girl, sweet and shy Hailey, the girl who stole my heart in the dark.

The girl of my dreams, my soon-to-be wife, Hailey Reed.

The End.