The Life
Chapter 1
The date was August 19th, and it was about a month before I had to go back to work, playing hockey for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. I was on the top of Mount Greylock, with my girlfriend Ashley.
"Hey Ash?" I asked quietly, rubbing my thumb over the velvet box in my pocket.
"Yes?" She looked up at me.
I felt every cell in my body go numb with worry. What if she didn't like me enough?
"I've been wanting to talk to you for a long time." I started slowly.
"You can always talk to me." She said, a touch of worry crossing her perfect face.
I closed my hand around the box, and slowly started to pull it out of my pocket, making sure she didn't see me hiding it behind my back.
"Yeah, but... Not about this." I said. "I wanted to make sure it was the right time."
She looked puzzled for a minute, and got up to wrap her arms around my neck.
Shit! I thought. It's gonna look weird if I don't hug her back, but she's gonna notice it if I do!
I slowly wrapped my arms around her, the left arm first, and the right arm second, holding the box so that she wouldn't feel it.
She sighed, and put her head down on my shoulder, taking deep breaths of the fresh air on the mountain top.
"Ash?" I mumbled, and she let go, sitting back down on the bench at the top of the mountain. "I've known you for a few years, and we've had some pretty great experiences together. I wanted to say that I love you, and I think you're beautiful."
She smiled, and wiped her eyes, as I continued.
"You are, the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, and I love you so much, and... I want to spend the rest of my life with you." I brought out the box, and opened it to show the ring inside. She gasped, and clutched her necklace I had bought her for her birthday. "Will you marry me?"
I cursed myself for sounding so stupid, and looked into her eyes, hoping I hadn't screwed up too badly. She covered her mouth, and a tear fell from her eye, as she nodded.
I smiled, and laughed in relief. I took her hand, and slipped the diamond ring onto her finger.
She pulled me up off of my knees, and onto the bench beside me.
"Really Jake?" She asked, wiping her eyes.
"Really." I nodded.
"Hey Ash?" I asked quietly, rubbing my thumb over the velvet box in my pocket.
"Yes?" She looked up at me.
I felt every cell in my body go numb with worry. What if she didn't like me enough?
"I've been wanting to talk to you for a long time." I started slowly.
"You can always talk to me." She said, a touch of worry crossing her perfect face.
I closed my hand around the box, and slowly started to pull it out of my pocket, making sure she didn't see me hiding it behind my back.
"Yeah, but... Not about this." I said. "I wanted to make sure it was the right time."
She looked puzzled for a minute, and got up to wrap her arms around my neck.
Shit! I thought. It's gonna look weird if I don't hug her back, but she's gonna notice it if I do!
I slowly wrapped my arms around her, the left arm first, and the right arm second, holding the box so that she wouldn't feel it.
She sighed, and put her head down on my shoulder, taking deep breaths of the fresh air on the mountain top.
"Ash?" I mumbled, and she let go, sitting back down on the bench at the top of the mountain. "I've known you for a few years, and we've had some pretty great experiences together. I wanted to say that I love you, and I think you're beautiful."
She smiled, and wiped her eyes, as I continued.
"You are, the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, and I love you so much, and... I want to spend the rest of my life with you." I brought out the box, and opened it to show the ring inside. She gasped, and clutched her necklace I had bought her for her birthday. "Will you marry me?"
I cursed myself for sounding so stupid, and looked into her eyes, hoping I hadn't screwed up too badly. She covered her mouth, and a tear fell from her eye, as she nodded.
I smiled, and laughed in relief. I took her hand, and slipped the diamond ring onto her finger.
She pulled me up off of my knees, and onto the bench beside me.
"Really Jake?" She asked, wiping her eyes.
"Really." I nodded.
