The Ghost Of You, chapter 7
Brie found herself alone in the restaurant's large, fancy bathroom, surrounded by freshly waxed floors and sparkling clean sinks, mirrors that reflected every flaw and imperfection back at you in perfect imagery. She hurried into one of the stalls and used the toilet, then washed her hands. She tried to avoid herself in the mirror, seeing as she had never really had such a great relationship with mirrors anyway... but tonight was even worse. She realized how shaky her hands were. She turned off the water and finally raised her brunette head up to look at herself in the mirror. She felt so weird in this beautiful, fancy green dress Tré had bought her just for this occasion. They were all four dressed nicely, but she and Tré seemed more dressed-up than the others. She tried to dismiss that as her own imagination, but still couldn't help but wonder.
And what was the deal with Billie giving her those looks all night? Did he really hate her? He seemed like such a nice guy. And he was! That first night a few months ago, when they first met, he was really nice to her in the car and at the bar. But then he witnessed the first kiss between her and Tré...
She shook her head, then went over and grabbed up one of the towels, drying her hands off. She left the restroom and tried to clear her thoughts of the nervousness and paranoia, joining the table again just as the waiters came by and began setting out the ordered desserts.
"You okay, baby?" Tré asked as Brie sat down and scooted into the table.
She looked over at him and smiled softly. "Yeah. I just... I kind of feel a little out of it. But I'll be fine."
He nodded and reached over, placing a hand on her leg comfortingly. She placed her hand on top of his, then picked up her silverware and began on her dessert.
Once they had all finished, they stayed sitting, resting and waiting for the check. Mike and Brie were conversing, Brie's nerves seeming to have finally disappeared. But Tré and Billie were silent. Tré found himself becoming increasingly nervous. He felt in his shirt pocket for the bulge and found it. He found himself suddenly questioning this decision. What if she said no? What if she fainted? What if HE fainted?! What if he puked all over her? Ew, he didn't really want to think about that... Thought he was feeling a bit queasy. But then...
What if he chickened out?
'Shit,' he thought, trying desperately to calm himself down and convince himself to not chicken out. This was not the time. He had to go through with this. It was the perfect opportunity, and he knew it was what he really wanted.
He reached over and gulped down the last of his glass of water. Was he beginning to perspire?
'Oh, real attractive, Tré.'
His heart was beating so fast, surely it would pop out of his chest at any moment. He still had his hand over the square bulge in his pocket, cupping it protectively and hesitantly. That comment Billie had made kept running through his head, worrying him more and more...
"If she says yes, that is..."
"Tré? Tré, honey, are you okay?" Brie's voice drifted through the pounding in his ears. Her hand rested on his knee.
He looked up. She was looking at him with a worried look on her face, clearly concerned.
"Tré, do you feel okay? You're really pale," Brie said.
He smiled weakly, trying to steady his breathing. "Yeah, I-I'm fine. I just..."
His eyes drifted over to Mike, who was staring at him expectantly. He raised his eyebrows at Tré, his expression saying, "Well, are you gonna do it or not?"
Tré took a deep breath, then scooted his chair back and stood up. He felt all the blood rushing through his veins, all the adrenaline shooting through his body. This was it. This was his leap of courage.
He stood in front of Brie, then got down on one knee, the bristled carpet digging into his knee through his suit leg. He reached into his silky shirt pocket and pulled out a red velvet box (which he preferred to the original blue). He then held it out in front of him, cradling it carefully in the palm of his hand. Brie gasped.
With a choked swallow and an extra gasped breath of air, he managed to clearly speak. "Brie, I-I love you more than anything. You've shown me a love I never would've known if I hadn't met you. You're so... amazing, and-and beautiful, funny, smart, understanding, loving, accepting, unique... just everything. In the time I've known you, I've fallen in love with you. Deeply in love. And I've realized that I never want to fall out. I've realized... I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Brie... will you marry me?"
Tré popped open the box with shaky hands and revealed a beautiful, silver-banded, diamond ring.
Brie's hand was covering her mouth, and her eyes were filled with tears. She was shaking, hardly able to breathe from the excitement and shock and pure happiness. She reached out a shaky hand and touched the ring with her fingertips, as if to assure herself this was all real and the beautiful, glimmering jewelry wasn't just a figment of her imagination. Finally, she nodded her head slowly.
"Yes," she whispered through tears.
Tré looked at her expectantly, wanting to hear her say it louder to assure himself he'd heard correctly.
"YES!" she cried out happily, finally getting past the knot in her throat.
Tré took the ring out and slid it onto her finger. Suddenly, the restaurant erupted into applause and cheering, and there were flashes from cameras as people, including Mike, got snapshots of the perfect moment.
Tré and Brie stood up, and Brie wrapped her arms around his neck joyfully. He held onto her tightly as she cried, purely grateful in his grasp on her body.
"I love you so much," she told him over and over again, as if she couldn't tell him enough.
"I love you, too, baby. I love you, too," Tré told her, a huge smile on his face.
When they finally let go of each other, they stood together for Mike to take a picture of them. Once they'd gotten it and frozen the joyful moment in a snapshot, Tré leaned his head over and close to Brie's ear, whispering, "Look on the inside of the ring."
She looked up at him to see him smiling proudly. She carefully took the ring off and looked at the inside of it closely. Sure enough, there was an inscription on the inside of the sparkling, silver band.
"I Love You More Than Life Itself. I Promise - Forever. Love, Tré."
Brie grinned, fresh tears brimming her green eyes. She turned her head to Tré and placed her hand on the side of his face softly, bringing his face to hers and passionately kissing him, the ring held tightly in her other hand.
Billie still sat at the table, silent and motionless. He didn't even bother any fake joy or a weakly forced smile. He just stared at Tré and Brie with narrowed, jade eyes.
They were so happy together...
And what was the deal with Billie giving her those looks all night? Did he really hate her? He seemed like such a nice guy. And he was! That first night a few months ago, when they first met, he was really nice to her in the car and at the bar. But then he witnessed the first kiss between her and Tré...
She shook her head, then went over and grabbed up one of the towels, drying her hands off. She left the restroom and tried to clear her thoughts of the nervousness and paranoia, joining the table again just as the waiters came by and began setting out the ordered desserts.
"You okay, baby?" Tré asked as Brie sat down and scooted into the table.
She looked over at him and smiled softly. "Yeah. I just... I kind of feel a little out of it. But I'll be fine."
He nodded and reached over, placing a hand on her leg comfortingly. She placed her hand on top of his, then picked up her silverware and began on her dessert.
Once they had all finished, they stayed sitting, resting and waiting for the check. Mike and Brie were conversing, Brie's nerves seeming to have finally disappeared. But Tré and Billie were silent. Tré found himself becoming increasingly nervous. He felt in his shirt pocket for the bulge and found it. He found himself suddenly questioning this decision. What if she said no? What if she fainted? What if HE fainted?! What if he puked all over her? Ew, he didn't really want to think about that... Thought he was feeling a bit queasy. But then...
What if he chickened out?
'Shit,' he thought, trying desperately to calm himself down and convince himself to not chicken out. This was not the time. He had to go through with this. It was the perfect opportunity, and he knew it was what he really wanted.
He reached over and gulped down the last of his glass of water. Was he beginning to perspire?
'Oh, real attractive, Tré.'
His heart was beating so fast, surely it would pop out of his chest at any moment. He still had his hand over the square bulge in his pocket, cupping it protectively and hesitantly. That comment Billie had made kept running through his head, worrying him more and more...
"If she says yes, that is..."
"Tré? Tré, honey, are you okay?" Brie's voice drifted through the pounding in his ears. Her hand rested on his knee.
He looked up. She was looking at him with a worried look on her face, clearly concerned.
"Tré, do you feel okay? You're really pale," Brie said.
He smiled weakly, trying to steady his breathing. "Yeah, I-I'm fine. I just..."
His eyes drifted over to Mike, who was staring at him expectantly. He raised his eyebrows at Tré, his expression saying, "Well, are you gonna do it or not?"
Tré took a deep breath, then scooted his chair back and stood up. He felt all the blood rushing through his veins, all the adrenaline shooting through his body. This was it. This was his leap of courage.
He stood in front of Brie, then got down on one knee, the bristled carpet digging into his knee through his suit leg. He reached into his silky shirt pocket and pulled out a red velvet box (which he preferred to the original blue). He then held it out in front of him, cradling it carefully in the palm of his hand. Brie gasped.
With a choked swallow and an extra gasped breath of air, he managed to clearly speak. "Brie, I-I love you more than anything. You've shown me a love I never would've known if I hadn't met you. You're so... amazing, and-and beautiful, funny, smart, understanding, loving, accepting, unique... just everything. In the time I've known you, I've fallen in love with you. Deeply in love. And I've realized that I never want to fall out. I've realized... I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Brie... will you marry me?"
Tré popped open the box with shaky hands and revealed a beautiful, silver-banded, diamond ring.
Brie's hand was covering her mouth, and her eyes were filled with tears. She was shaking, hardly able to breathe from the excitement and shock and pure happiness. She reached out a shaky hand and touched the ring with her fingertips, as if to assure herself this was all real and the beautiful, glimmering jewelry wasn't just a figment of her imagination. Finally, she nodded her head slowly.
"Yes," she whispered through tears.
Tré looked at her expectantly, wanting to hear her say it louder to assure himself he'd heard correctly.
"YES!" she cried out happily, finally getting past the knot in her throat.
Tré took the ring out and slid it onto her finger. Suddenly, the restaurant erupted into applause and cheering, and there were flashes from cameras as people, including Mike, got snapshots of the perfect moment.
Tré and Brie stood up, and Brie wrapped her arms around his neck joyfully. He held onto her tightly as she cried, purely grateful in his grasp on her body.
"I love you so much," she told him over and over again, as if she couldn't tell him enough.
"I love you, too, baby. I love you, too," Tré told her, a huge smile on his face.
When they finally let go of each other, they stood together for Mike to take a picture of them. Once they'd gotten it and frozen the joyful moment in a snapshot, Tré leaned his head over and close to Brie's ear, whispering, "Look on the inside of the ring."
She looked up at him to see him smiling proudly. She carefully took the ring off and looked at the inside of it closely. Sure enough, there was an inscription on the inside of the sparkling, silver band.
"I Love You More Than Life Itself. I Promise - Forever. Love, Tré."
Brie grinned, fresh tears brimming her green eyes. She turned her head to Tré and placed her hand on the side of his face softly, bringing his face to hers and passionately kissing him, the ring held tightly in her other hand.
Billie still sat at the table, silent and motionless. He didn't even bother any fake joy or a weakly forced smile. He just stared at Tré and Brie with narrowed, jade eyes.
They were so happy together...
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