A North Carolina Autumn - Chapter 17: Chapter 17

"Hey, when will you be home?" A week and a half had passed since Rylie came home from the hospital, and today was her first day back at work. I was more than a little bit anxious for her to get home, but for a completely different reason.
"I'm on my way now, Aspen." Rylie laughs. "I should be there in 15 minutes. Want me to pick up dinner?"
"No, I got it!" I say excitedly. I'd spent all afternoon cooking, and for once, it had gone well.
"Oh, well maybe I should pick up something just in case..." Rylie teases.
"Hey!" I laugh.
"I'm kidding. I'll see you soon, love you."
"Love you, Ry." I reply before hanging up. "Okay," I say, rubbing my hands together as I spin in a slow circle to survey my work. "Time to make Rylie my fiancé."
The roof of our apartment complex has a small area used for gatherings or parties or just hanging out. Somehow, I'd managed to reserve it for the evening. It took a lot of convincing for the owner to finally agree, but he loved my Aunt Cassie, so he'd eventually given in.
The good news is that the rooftop was already pretty cute and well decorated. Comfy grey chairs are spaced out along the floor, some in groups, some alone, depending on who moved them last. There are three fire pits, and I have one in a more closed off area lit. The flames crackle softly, filling the quiet air. From this high up, only soft city sounds reached the roof, which was nice.
My favorite part, obviously, were the strings of twinkle lights strung between pillars. I knew they'd leave a warm glow over the rooftop once the sun set. Since we'd missed celebrating her birthday, I'd also planned this to make up for that.
On the ground, I'd set up a blanket with rose petals, the pictures of us, and a bottle of sparkling cider with the food. Cassie wasn't here to get the champagne for me like I'd hoped, but I knew Rylie wouldn't mind.
The room had these hammock bed things that were super cool, and I'd thrown some blankets and pillows on the one close by so that we could stargaze when it got dark enough. Soft music plays from the nearby speakers, a playlist I'd made just for this.
And finally, in the back pocket of my jeans, I had the ring.
I survey the rooftop one last time before heading back downstairs to wait for Rylie.
"Nothing smells burnt..." Rylie says the moment she walks in the door. I peek my head around the corner with a glare and she laughs. "Kidding! Come here."
I obey and walk straight into her warm embrace, and her scent tickles my nostrils as I take a deep breath. "You smell good." I say into her hair.
"Even after my long day? Wow, this perfume is better than I thought." She teases before pulling back slightly to kiss me. As tempting as it is to let myself get lost in the kiss, I force myself to stay focused.
"So," Rylie says as we break apart. "If you cooked... where is the food?" An adorable grin slides onto her face and I can't help but kiss her once more.
"I've got a surprise for you." I reply with a grin of my own.
"I like surprises."
"Remember how we never celebrated your birthday?"
"Yeah, a coma kind of got in the way." Rylie laughs.
"Well, no there's nothing in the way." I smile. "Come with me?"
"I'll go anywhere with you. Let me change real fast." She walks away but returns a minute later and takes my outstretched hand. "Lead me wherever thou seest fit, my love." She says, bringing on a fit of laughter from both of us.
When we reach the door leading onto the roof, I pause. Nerves fill my stomach, but I manage to keep my voice steady. "I have to cover your eyes, okay?"
Rylie smiles. "Okay." I step behind her before placing my hands gently over her eyes.
"Oh," I laugh. "Will you open the door?"
"Sure." Rylie laughs before fumbling for the doorknob and pushing the door open. I lead her carefully over to the blanket, and instruct her to keep her eyes shut before I remove my hands. She obeys, and I quietly hurry over to my camera that I set up earlier, and start a video. Then, I pull the ring from my pocket.
I slowly get to one knee in front of Rylie and take a deep breath. The sun is just starting to set, casting a beautiful, warm, orange glow over the rooftop. The music still plays softly over the speakers, and the fire crackles softly behind us.
My eyes linger on Rylie's face for only a moment before I smile and take her hand. "Open your eyes, Ry."
Her blue eyes flutter open, and they study the rooftop briefly before landing on mine. All at once, a flood of emotion flows through me as a mix of love, joy, excitement and surprise fill her eyes.
"Aspen..." Rylie breathes, bringing her free hand up to her mouth.
"Rylie," I respond with an affectionate smile. "I love you. Since the day I met you, you've had my heart. The only thing I want is you, for the rest of our lives. Almost losing you was something I never want to experience again, and it only made me want this more. You're my best friend, you've been there for me through some of the worst times of my life, and you've never once let that scare you away. You are incredible, and I'm not going to let a day go by without reminding you about that. My heart is entirely yours. I want to keep loving you for the rest of our lives, Rylie. Will you marry me?"
Tears stream down Rylie's face, followed by a single word. "Yes."
"You will?" I ask, slightly in disbelief, and Rylie laughs.
"I want nothing more than to be your wife." She says before pulling me up and pressing her lips against mine. I let myself melt into the kiss, feeling the love and exhilaration pouring from Rylie as her lips move with mine. I don't know how much time passes before we finally break apart, both breathing hard.
"I love you." Rylie says, pressing her forehead against mine. I carefully take her left hand and slip the ring on, feeling relieved when it's a perfect fit.
"I love you." I reply as I kiss her once more.
"Oh my God..." Rylie breathes as she stares down at the ring. "It's beautiful, Aspen! This must've cost a fortune." She gasps.
"You're worth it. Plus, I didn't work all those extra hours just for fun." I tease.
"I knew there was a reason!" Rylie laughs. I pull her down onto the blanket but keep her hand in mine. "Why did you seem surprised when I said yes?" She asks after a moment.
"I don't know... I guess some part of me was scared you weren't ready..."
"Hey," She lifts my chin until I'm meeting her gaze. "You had to know I wanted to marry you. I know we didn't really talk about it, but after the accident... you saw the hotel room, right?" The painful memory flashes through my mind, and Rylie's hand tightens in mine. "Not being able to propose that night was the worst part about it all. I'd spent so long working up the nerve and planning and setting up, and then you had to walk in there alone, read that letter, and turn to see nothing. I hate the thought of the pain that that caused you. I was supposed to be there." Rylie's voice breaks, and I pull her into my arms.
"You had no control over what happened, Ry. I do wish you could've been there though, because that was a damn good proposal." I smile.
"It was, wasn't it?" Rylie grins. "Yours is pretty amazing, too."
I'd made a simple sweet and sour chicken dinner, which was Rylie's favorite. Surprisingly, it turned out pretty good and wasn't even a little bit burnt. "I'm impressed. This was good!" Rylie laughs.
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence!" I tease before putting away the rest of the store bought cheesecake and cleaning up our dishes. The sun had completely set, leaving only the light from the string lights above illuminating the rooftop.
Once everything is cleaned up, I shut off the lights and use my flashlight to guide us over to the hammock. Rylie curls up against my side as we stare up at the stars, or what can be seen of them, anyway. City light pollution wasn't our friend tonight, but I didn't mind.
As a new song starts, I smile when I recognize it as Find Our Way by Midnight Kids.
It's our song. I think as I toy with Rylie's fingers.
"Hey, Aspen?"
"Hm?" I respond, snuggling closer.
"How does this feel?" She asks, and I feel something small and cold slip onto my finger.
"Is that...?"
"Yeah." Rylie says with a small laugh. "I know I wasn't there when you saw my proposal, but I want you to pretend I was. You read the letter. I need you to know that I meant every word."
"I know. That letter meant everything to me. So did the bear."
"The bear! Oh, I was so excited to see your reaction to the bear!"
"I mean, at the time there were a lot of tears and heartache, but that was such a cute idea. Being able to have your smell while you were in the hospital really helped."
"I do have a good smell." Rylie teases. Her lips find mine in the dark, and I kiss her eagerly, enjoying the way her fingers leave trails of goosebumps along my skin.
"How long do we have the roof to ourselves?" She whispers into my ear.
"All night, but I don't think we..."
"We definitely should." She grins. I don't need to be told twice, since my body is already craving her.
"Okay." I reply before kissing her again. The kisses quickly change from sweet and innocent to deeper, hungrier kisses.
Rylie sighs into my mouth as one of my hands comes up to cup her cheek, and the sigh quickly turns into a moan when my other hand slips beneath her panties.
"Oh, God." She hisses, moving her hips against my hand. I slip my tongue into her mouth to deepen the kiss even more, enjoying the way she squirms beneath my touch.
The cool September night air flows around us, the still quiet music our only companion. The fire, still crackling nearby, sends brief waves of heat our way, combining with the heat and intensity of our movements.
My lips move to Rylie's neck, and I suck gently while moving my fingers faster. Rylie clings to me as her orgasm flows through her, and I memorize the way she feels in my arms.
When she flips us so that she's straddling me, her blue eyes land o n mine, and she studies me for a moment before kissing me.
"Touch me, "I whisper against her lips, and she obeys. I gasp as her fingers slip between my already wet folds, and moan after moan escapes my mouth as she pumps her fingers. Her palm stays against my sensitive bundle of nerves, and the combined pressure brings on my climax quickly.
As my orgasm pulses through me, Rylie's eyes lock on mine, her lips whisper words of love and encouragement, and I realize once again how unbelievably lucky I am to be able to call Rylie mine.
My fiancé.