“Oh, honey,” I said, my voice dripping with sweetness. “You stole that fool from me and my wedding.
I just returned the favor and stole the show.”
Then, with Jack’s hand firmly in mine, I walked out of the hall, leaving my sister standing at her wedding reception, humiliated, betrayed, and hurt.
The wedding was far behind us, but my heart was still racing. The echoes of gasps, whispers, and Erica’s shriek still clung to the edges of my mind.
Now, though, it was just Jack and me.
We sat across from each other in a tiny 24-hour diner, both of us absurdly overdressed for a place that served greasy fries and milkshakes in chipped glasses. My sleek black dress felt out of place against the cracked leather booth, and Jack looked like he had just stepped out of a movie scene.
And yet, this was the most comfortable I’d felt all night.
Jack slid a plate of fries toward me.
“Eat,” he commanded.
“You’ve had a long day.”
“That’s an understatement,” I laughed, but I picked up a fry anyway.
For a while, we just sat there, the hum of the diner filling the silence. It wasn’t awkward, it was easy. But that had been life since I met Jack.
Finally, I set my drink down and met his gaze.
“So… how long were you planning that?”
“The proposal?” he smirked.
He exhaled, leaning back against the booth.
“I’ve wanted to ask you for months, Paige.
But I knew you weren’t ready. Not just for marriage, but the whole commitment thing? You needed time to heal.
I wasn’t going to rush that.”
His fingers traced patterns on the table and then picked up his milkshake.
“But when I found out that she invited you? That was the final straw. I wasn’t going to let you stand there alone while she flaunted him in front of you.”
“And you got a job in the catering industry, or you snuck in?”
“I called in a favor, honey,” he grinned.
“Apparently, I look good holding a tray.”
I laughed, really laughed, for the first time in a long time.
Jack leaned forward, his expression much softer now.
“I meant every word, Paige. I love you. And I’ll wait as long as you need.
But this evening felt like the right moment to finally ask.”
“I think,” I said after a moment, “that you chose the perfect moment.”
And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I had won.
What would you have done?
Source: amomama
