[chapter twenty-one]
Disclaimer: If you've heard of them, I don't own them. Everything else is mine, so no stealing, pretty please. ;-)
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A few days later, Alexa sat in near darkness in the house, nervously spinning the engagement ring Robby had given her around her finger.
She had to ask him. She had to know.
As if he had heard her thoughts, Robby burst through the front door, dropping all his keys, wallet, bag and helmet on the floor next to him. "Hey babe." He said happily. "Why are you sitting in the dark?"
Alexa's heart swelled just at the sight of him. Sometimes she still felt like she had the schoolgirl crush on him, despite how their relationship had grown. She wondered if she would ever get over that feeling, that crush, that difference in age between them.
That's why she had to be sure.
"I'm just sitting here thinking." She said simply.
"About what?" Robby asked, throwing himself down on the couch next to her and planting a kiss on her left shoulder.
"About you."
"What about me?" Robby asked happily, stretching his legs out to balance on the coffee table and settling against her.
"Rob…are you sure about this? About all of this?" She asked, flashing the engagement ring in front of him.
Robby's expression turned angry as he saw what she was talking about. "How the hell can you…" He began, his voice rising until he harnessed his spark of anger. "Alexa, what do you mean? How can you ask me that?"
"It's just…" Alexa didn't know how to say what she needed to say. "I don't want to be your midlife crisis. I want this for real. If it isn't…" Alexa sighed. "I don't think I could take it."
Robby considered what to say for a moment, not wanting to fly off the handle or get angry with her. He couldn't stand that. "Lex…you're forgetting something. I didn't have a life before I met you. Therefore, it's not possible for me to have a midlife crisis. I didn't have a life. I didn't have anything but a bad temper and a bad reputation before you. Everyone keeps asking me what the hell happened to me…where's my anger? Where's my perpetually pissed off attitude?" Robby looked at her. "I just tell them about you, and they understand."
Alexa closed her eyes, letting his words wash over her.
"I didn't have a life before you. And I'm not letting you go. I'm not." Robby said with resolve. "Don't make me tell you this every day for the next 50 years, but if I have to, I swear to God, I will. I mean it, Alexa."
Alexa finally looked up into his warm brown eyes and felt herself melting at the rush of emotions in them. "This is nuts." She said simply.
"Yeah." Robby affirmed.
"We'll never hear the end of it."
"I know."
"This is nuts." Alexa repeated, not sure what else to say.
"I know. Marry me anyway."
Alexa sighed as she snuggled against
Robby's chest and closed her eyes. "Okay."