Chance • {Dominic Sherwood; 1}

053. of course

Dom woke up from his nap after his flight the next day feeling extraordinarily nervous.

He already had a ring; he'd gotten it way before he and Annabelle had even broken up. At first he'd just been going to give it to her as a gift, but then he hadn't been able to get the idea of marriage out of his head. He'd actually been planning on proposing to her the next time he saw her in person, which, funnily enough, he was still doing.

They hadn't seen each other since the day she'd left Toronto. The day she'd found out her mom was dying. The day everything changed between them.

He'd known as soon as she'd called him into the bedroom that day that things were going to be different. He couldn't have told you how then, but he'd been able to feel the energy between them change.

As devastated as it had left him, he hadn't been surprised when she'd broken up with him. In fact, he'd kind of been expecting it.

He got out of bed and dug the ring out of the bottom of his sock drawer, looking at it for a long moment.

He knew that she'd love it; she'd kind of picked it out. They'd been walking past a jeweler in the mall and she'd had to stop herself and stare at the gorgeous ring. She'd pointed it out to him, asking him if he'd ever seen anything so beautiful. He told her he had, kissing her on the cheek sillily and making her giggle. He'd gone back the next day to buy it.

Sighing, he put it down on top of his dresser and went to shower.

A while later, he knocked on Annabelle's apartment door and his hands shook as he did so. She appeared before him a moment later, wearing baggy sweatpants that he instantly recognized as his and an old Nirvana t-shirt. Her hair was tossed up in a bun and there wasn't a stitch of makeup on her face. She was gorgeous.

He smiled, unable to contain himself. She smiled back, surprising him.

"Hi, Dominic," she said, motioning for him to come inside. He did so, sitting down on her fluffy couch. She sat beside him, looking at him in a way that he couldn't quite figure out.

"Hi, gorgeous," he said, not able to catch himself before the word slipped out of his mouth. It was something that he'd called her all the time when they'd been together, but he wasn't sure how she'd react to hearing it now. She just smiled, leaning her head onto his shoulder.

"I missed you," she told him, looking up through her eyelashes.

"I missed you too," he told her, leaning and kissing the top of her head.

"I'm sorry I'm such a fucking mess," she said, and he was instantly shaking his head.

"I can't believe you honestly believe I'm better off without you," he said, suddenly frustrated. She lifted her head off of his shoulder, looking at him carefully.

"Dom, I..." she trailed off, but he shook his head again.

"Don't. Don't fucking start listing all of the reasons in your head that you're no good for me. I know you, Annabelle. I know who you are and I know what you come with, and I'm here. I'm right fucking here. Do you think I'd be here if I didn't think I could handle it? Hell, it's not even something I need to 'handle'. I love you, and I'd walk through fire for you. I'd do anything for you, and I don't care that you have a past or that you still have some issues. The only reason that would be acceptable for us breaking up is if you're genuinely no longer interested in the relationship. That, I could handle in time. But this whole 'I'm scared and I'm too much trouble for you' thing is bullshit," he ranted heatedly, surprising both of them.

Annabelle had never heard him raise his voice before, and he couldn't remember the last time he had. He studied her, steadying his breath and willing himself not to give in to the tears that were threatening to fall down his cheeks. Annabelle stared back at him, and in a second, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Dom... you're right, okay? I know it's shit. I know. But it's true. I've never let anyone in like I let you in. I've never let anyone else see that darker side of me and I'm so scared that someday you're going to decide that it's too much. I couldn't handle that," she told him, her voice quiet and periodically interrupted by sobs. Dom wrapped his arms around her, feeling it when she gave in to his embrace and collapsed into him.

"Annabelle, listen to me. You're amazing, okay? You're the best fucking person I've ever met and I am not going anywhere, not now and not ever," he told her, standing off of the couch and moving in front of her.

She wiped at her bleary eyes, momentarily unable to see what he was doing. When she finally could see him, her breath hitched in her chest and she let out a loud gasp. He was on one knee in front of her, offering her the ring she loved so much.

"Dom," she whispered his name and he shook his head.

"Don't tell me not to do it, Annabelle. I love you. I love you so much and I can't bare to spend another moment without you by my side. Marry me," he said quietly, his eyes sparkling as a few stray tears wandered down his cheeks. "Marry me, Annabelle Woods," he repeated, and she stared at him for a moment before letting out a hefty sob.

She stood, pulling him up with her and jumping into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. He held her tightly, kissing her cheek heavily.

"I would love to marry you, Dom," she whispered, laughing through her tears.

"You would?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"Of course I would," she confirmed, smiling up at him again as he put her back down on her feet.

"I love you so much," he whispered, kissing her sweetly as he slipped the ring onto her finger.

"I love you too," she replied, kissing him back with much more passion behind it.