Lucas

"I thought you said you didn't need my help."  I could sense a hint of amusement in Diane's voice on the other line as she picked up the phone.

"Hello to you too."

"Hi." She said with a small laugh. "How's it going?"

"It's... going. I spoke to the owner of the shop and we have it all to ourselves for tonight. I'm going there in a couple of hours to set it all up."

"You better do a good job at it. My best friend deserves the best marriage proposal to ever exist."

"I'm with you on that and that's exactly why I called."

"You got my attention."

I started explaining Diane everything I had planned for tonight's special moment. Where I would do it, what I had been up all night writing while Nicole slept soundly next to me last night, how I planned on decorating the place.

"Do you think she'll like it?"

"I think she'll love it."

I curled my lips upwards into a smile that only my shadows could see.

"Thank you. Let's just hope she says yes." I said as I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"I have no doubts she will. And neither should you."

I hung up the phone and went back to my morning.

"Who were you talking to?"

I turned around in my heels to face Nicole, with a white bath towel wrapped around her body, the sight making my heart do a backflip and my blood to rush down to a very specific area.

"No one."

She furrowed her brows and I quickly changed my answer with the hopes to save myself.

"Not no one... It was Henry. He was saying we should meet up with him and Sophie."

"Oh." She seemed a little suspicious but didn't try to dig anything else out of me. Instead, she walked barefoot towards her suitcase and picked out some underwear, jeans and a dark red wool sweater that brought out her eyes and hair. "Sure we can go. When is it?"

"Uh... Saturday night I think."

"Sounds good." She said with a smile before getting on her tiptoes to peck my lips quickly.

She got dressed, we had lunch together and I said goodbye to Nicole afterwards. I knew she had a speech she had to work on to read on tomorrow's read at a bookstore in Greenwich, so I took that as an excuse, telling her it would be better for her to work on it on her own while I was going out with Lexi on a special uncle and niece walk in the park after I picked her up from school.

My sister was working, Lexi was in school and Nicole would have the place all to herself.

She didn't question my choice and sat by the fireplace with her laptop on her lap, writing away.

Before going to the record store in Camden, I took a little detour and made my way to the store that I knew like the palm of my hand, and where I spent most of my days. The special place called Gems of The Heath, where I met the woman who brightens my days and makes my heart jump every time she looks at me.

"Lucas! How I missed you, my friend."

Henry smiled as he saw me and he rushed out from behind the counter to wrap his arms around me in a tight hug and pat my back.

"How have you been?"

"Good. You know what brings me here."

"I do. And I got it ready and shiny for you." He said as he turned around and made his way to the back, returning with a black blue velvet box in his hand.

My fingers started to softly tremble at the sight and my mouth was suddenly dry.

He handed me the box for me to open and as I did so, my eyes met the sight of the shiniest and most beautiful engagement ring. I was biased though, this was the ring that I had designed myself. And it was meant for one woman only.

It was a very thin and fine engagement ring, entirely silver with tiny diamond crusts that decorated it as it twisted into the form of the infinity sign. Where the lines met, on top, rested a small diamond stone.

"Wow... It looks even better than what I had imagined."

"It's the most beautiful ring we've ever had here. And your best project."

"Can't deny that." I tilted my head to the side as I spoke with Henry, not letting my sight go off of the ring.

"When are you planning on proposing to Nicole?"

"Tonight."

The silence that fell between me and Henry made me look at my friend, who gave me a reassuring look, a silent "Everything is gonna be okay." I sure hoped so.

"Alright, how much do I owe you?" I asked as I grabbed my wallet from the back pocket of my jeans.

"Nothing."

"No, I won't do that." I instantly denied, nodding my head. "Just give me a number and I'll pay you the ring."

"I insist. You gave your heart and soul to my store and allowed it to grow, that's enough for me."

"I insist harder." I sternly said. "I'll pay for the diamond crusts."

"No. You aren't going to persuade me out of this. It was my utmost pleasure to make your design come true and most importantly, take a part in your future with Nicole, that I know it's going to be a great one."

Arguing with Henry was plain pointless, I should know better than to insist on such a thing.

"Thank you." Was all I said, softly.

I stared at the ring again and smiled to myself, proud and satisfied of the three dimensional version of the piece of jewelry I had created on a piece of paper, that looked so beautiful yet simple, exactly how I wanted it. Exactly how I knew Nicole would like it.

"So, tell me, how's it been in America?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Good. I'm really loving the work there."

"That's amazing. I'm really happy for you. I'm not gonna lie, the store needs you but... You had to go your own way."

"I did. What about you? How's Sophie?"

"She's good. We've been trying to have a baby but... it's not easy."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Nicole and I are actually expecting."

His smile took over his features and he walked towards me to hug me once more.

"Congratulations, my friend!"

"Thank you." I said, beaming with pride and happiness.

With more hugs and thank yous out of the way, I walked out of the store and got on the tube to make my way to Camden Town, where I would be working on the final preparations for tonight.

By the time I got there, after buying myself a cup of coffee from one of my favorite coffee shops in Camden, the owner of the store was already done for the day and ready to hand me the keys to the store.

"Travis, thank you so much for letting me borrow your little baby for tonight."

"It's for a good reason. You just worry about giving me what I want afterwards."

Travis was beyond excited about me wanting to propose to Nicole in his store, so all he asked me was a picture of us after she said yes, so he could hang on his wall behind the counter.

"You got it. I want one to put on my desk at work, too."

After a quick handshake, he left me alone in the small store that smelled like old records and sweet memories and I got to work.

It took me about an hour or so to get the whole place set up like I wanted it to be.

I decorated the small store with fairy lights, covering the walls and some of the ceiling. The black and white floor tiles that resembled a chess board were covered in red rose petals that I spread, indicating the way from the front door towards the place where I'd be standing.

My palms were sweaty as I opened the velvet box to look at the ring again.

I had a few doubts about the ring when I thought about how it all went down for her and Matthew when he proposed, but then they vanished from my mind. If this ring ever gets lost, I won't care one bit about it if I still have my girl by my side. I love Nicole and that's all that matters. I don't need a ring to reassure me.

Picking up some candles I had previously purchased and displaying them on the floor around me, I lit them up as I sent her a text message, telling her to meet me at Spinning Nostalgia, the record shop where we had our first kiss.

She questioned me first, but I simply told her I was here to buy a few records and that we could take a walk around Camden tonight. After my response she sent me a "Okay, I'm on my way. X." and I took a deep breath.

She didn't take too long. The tube ride from my place to Camden Town was not longer than five minutes, and ten minutes after she told me she was on her way, I spotted her from the window pane.

She was walking down the street, standing out from the crowd, like she usually does.

I quickly pressed play on the device that was connected to the large speakers that were displayed around the store and With or Without You by U2 started playing, right on cue.

She closed the door of the store behind her and looked around, taking it all in. Noticing that the store was empty, she looked at me and at the decoration, surprise written all over her beautiful face.

"Lucas?" Her voice seemed to fail her, my name coming out of her mouth as a whisper.

I smiled at her and got down on one knee as she walked towards me, her hands covering her mouth in surprise.

"Nicole, I've been thinking about the day I met you a lot lately. You showed up at my doorstep, lost and tired, heartbroken and starting your journey all on your own. I think I've loved you ever since that moment. You were that beautiful American girl that wanted to make her dreams come true, and that led you to me. And I'm so glad it did, because, all along, you were the gem that was missing in my life."

Tears started to roll down her cheeks as she smiled at my words through them.

"I thought a lot about how to say this to you, how to say I love you more than anyone, but I'm not the writer in our relationship so, this was the only way I knew how: I love you more than anyone." I repeated before continuing, her tears still rolling down her rosy cheeks. "Your smile is the most beautiful smile in the world. Your eyes are the only ones I want to wake up to. Your heart is the most beautiful and pure heart I ever had the pleasure of knowing, your kindness inspires me and makes me be a better man. You're selfless, generous, talented, and if I hadn't said it yet, you're beautiful. I want to spend all my Sundays laying with you and Sparkles on the couch and watch movies all day long. I want to make you coffee in the morning, I want to cook us dinner, I want to sing out loud in the car with you, I want to cry with you whenever we must because you're the one person that knows me better than anyone else. I want to give you and our baby the happy ending you deserve. But most importantly, I want to be happy and make you happy. I want to spend forever with you because honestly, I can't even see a future without you. I love you more than anyone else in the world. Will you marry me?"

I opened the blue velvet box that had been resting in my hand while I spoke and waited for Nicole's reaction.

I could tell I was blushing and smiling like I had a hanger in my mouth, and fighting back tears as they pooled in my eyes, but I couldn't care less about that right now. All that mattered was the smile in front of me.

"Yes! A million times yes!" She said with excitement as she nodded her head, the tears still falling.

I got back up on my two feet and she wasted no time in cupping my face with her hands and pulling my lips into hers. We kissed until we were breathless, until our lungs were close to collapsing. We could never have enough of each other and that was the truth.

"I love you so much." She said in between quiet sobs and big smiles as we caught our breaths.

This time it was my turn to cup her face in my hands and bring her lips back to mine. "I love you too. So much."

I showed her the ring again and held it in my fingers, so I could place it on the fourth finger of her left hand.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it. It's so beautiful." She said quietly as I slid it down her finger.

Her eyes met mine with a matching smile before looking back at the ring.

"We're gonna get married!"

"No," I corrected her. "We're just gonna be happy."

* * * 

Author's Note:

Hey everyone! First of all, I am SO SO sorry that it's taken me this long to update but I have been SO busy lately and this chapter was SO important (as you can see), and I didn't want to rush it. I hope you liked it ❤

As always, if you liked it you know you can vote and comment, I love knowing what you're thinking!

For those of you who didn't read the story from the start (or to those who have), I highly recommend you to read chapter eight, as it has a connection with this one ✨

And... HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 🎃🕸🕷👻

Xoxo, Mars