Epilogue

Izzy came home to the theta omega house from her internship. When she entered her room JC was sitting at her desk working on his laptop. He turned and smiled when she walked in the door.

“Hey love, how was your day?” He asked and she dropped her stuff, took off her coat and flopped down on her bed. JC had come to visit her for the week, even though she had to work everyday, he was really nice to come home too.

“Long, I’m so glad this day is over, in fact I’m so glad this week is over!” JC pouted playfully as he came over to her,

“Is my being here that bad?” She lifted her head to look at him,

“No, you’ve made my week bearable.” JC sat down next to her,

“Well good, I’m glad.” He picked up one of her feet, took off her shoe and massaged her foot.

“Mmm, baby, that feels wonderful, thank you.”

“Anything to make you happy.” He said and repeated the measure to her other foot,

“So are you ready for tonight?”

“Tonight? What’s tonight?” She asked staring at the ceiling, all she wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep for days.

“Did you forget we’re having dinner?”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. Where are we going?” JC dropped her foot and laid back next to her with an impish smile across his face.

“Some where special.” She eyed him suspiciously,

“What do you have up your sleeve, Mr. Josh?” JC looked up his sleeve and then showed her,

“Nothing.” She groaned and he leaned in, “You better get going, if you’re going to shower.”

“Okay.” She said unsurely getting up from the bed. Two could play at this game she decided and slowly began to unbutton her shirt. JC flipped on his back as he watched her intently and licked his lips. She smiled sexily at him as she let it slid off her shoulders and dropped it on her bed. The she pulled the pins holding up her hair and shook it out. She saw JC gripping the covers, trying to hold himself back. She slowly unzipped her skirt and slid it down her legs before tossing it on top of her shirt.

“On second thought, I think I’ll join you in that shower.” He said and got up from the bed and grabbed her waist.

“Oh no, you won’t mister.” She teased pushing him back down on the bed. JC kept his grip and took her onto his lap. Izzy wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear, “But if you’re good, I’ll let you watch.” She left a quick kiss on his lips before jumping up and going into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. JC let out a deep breath, he was going to need a very cold shower before tonight.

Bell,
Just wanted to let you have some time before I sweep you off your feet.
Love always,
Josh

Izzy squealed happily to herself and went to get ready. She did her hair exactly the way that JC liked it, straight with the ends curled. She slipped on a calf length dress in a pale pink pattern with simple thin straps that crossed in the back and hugged all the right places on her. She only had to wear a sweater cardigan because it was unusually warm in Edward. It was like seventy degrees out which was typically summer weather.

Izzy had just finished getting ready when there was a knock on her door. She answered it and there was JC standing behind a bouquet of pink rose and star gazer lilies.

“Hey Bell.” He handed her the flowers,

“Oh, Josh they’re beautiful, thank you.”

“Yeah, well they don’t even compare to you.”

“You don’t look half bad yourself.” She smiled and gave him a once over he was wearing slightly baggy khakis, a dark green fitted shirt and a leather jacket. He looked simply delicious. Izzy put the flowers away in her room before hugging JC and snuggling his neck. JC held her close, just breathing in her scent.

“Ready to go?”

“Of course.” She said taking his hand and letting him lead her away. She followed him to his car, where he blind folded her.

“JC, what are you doing?”

“Trust me, it’s a surprise.”

“Okay.” She agreed and he kissed her once the blindfold was in place. JC helped her into the car and then quickly hopped in himself. They began to drive and drove on for what felt like forever.

“Jace, where are we going?”

“You’re not very good at this surprise thing are you?”

“I’m just impatient.” She half whined,

“I know.” He laughed, rubbing her knee. “We’re almost there.”

Finally JC slowed down and parked the car. He quickly got out and opened up Izzy’s door.

“Can I take the blindfold off yet?”

“Nope, come on.”

“Jace!”

“I swear only a few more minutes and then you can take it off.”

“Okay.” She playfully pouted and he just laughed as he led her to the spot he was taking her.

“Now, you can take off the blindfold.” He said, she whipped it off and gasped at the sight before her. It was a small clearing surrounded by trees. They had been driving for so long that it was now night time and the night sky was a warm velvet blue sprinkled with twinkling stars. In the clearing there were four columns wrapped in thousands of white Christmas lights, strands were strung in between each of the columns, illuminating the clearing. In the center of the four columns was a dinner table set for two and there was soft music playing in the back ground.

“It’s absolutely wonderful, Josh.” She whispered still in shock. JC took her hand again and led her to the table,

“Come on let’s go eat before the food gets cold.” Izzy walked in awe of her surroundings,

“How did you do all this?” He pulled out her chair for her,

“I had a week and a lot of time to myself.” He kissed her before letting her sit down,

“I love it.” She placed a hand on his cheek,

“So did I sweep you off your feet?”

“More than you know.” She breathed and kissed him again.

They sat down and JC served her chicken marsala, her favorite dish. It was a wonderful intimate dinner together. There were no phones, no computers, no work, no other people, nothing to distract them at all. After dinner JC pulled Izzy out of her seat and danced with her. She laid her head on his shoulder,

“I never want this night to end.” She whispered to him, “I wanna stay here forever.”

“Me too. I’m having a great time.” He whispered back to her and she nuzzled his neck,

“I don’t want to give you up.” JC pulled away a little to look at her,

“You never have to give me up.” Izzy pulled him close again and rested her chin on his shoulder,

“Not like that Josh.” She assured him, “I mean that I have to give you back to the fans, to your work. I loved having you to come home to all week but you have to go back on tour and I won’t get to see you for at least two months. I wish I could just keep you with me but I know that’s selfish.”

“I wish I could just keep you with me too. That’s why I brought you out here tonight.” He said taking a deep breath and Izzy looked at him,

“What are you talking about?” Izzy asked and JC stood back a little still holding her hands,

“Now let me finish what I’m saying before you say anything, okay?”

“Okay.” She nodded wondering what this was all about,

“Now I know we didn’t have the best restart of a relationship.”

“You can say that again.” JC looked at her, “Sorry.” She smiled and JC chuckled before going on,

“Well, now I can’t even imagine my life without you in it. I know lately you’ve been feeling that you can lose me at any moment to someone you think is a better fit for me and seriously I think you’re a pretty good fit. You love me, the real me, which isn’t always picture perfect. You love me when I’m pissed off, moody, not showered, haven’t shaved in days and wearing my dirty sweats. You love me at my worst and that’s why I couldn’t, can’t, and won’t find anyone better than you. You love me and ALL of my flaws. You also don’t understand how scared that makes me feel because I feel that I could lose you at any moment too. You put up with so much from me and I wonder when is it going to be too much. It would be so easy for you to leave me and find someone else who you can come home to everyday and hold you every night. So this had got me thinking a whole hell of a lot lately and one day I looked in the mirror and said to myself, ‘You’re an idiot. You should have done this seven years ago when you met her, it would have saved you a lot of hassles.’ So I decided that I wasn’t going to wait any longer to do this,” he paused as he knelt down in front of her and Izzy panicked,

“Whoa Jace what are you doing?”

“Bell will you marry me?” He interrupted her statement as he held out an opened square velvet box with a 5 caret emerald cut diamond with two 3 caret princess cut diamonds gracing the sides and diamonds circling the platinum band.

“Oh my.” Was all Izzy could say. She didn’t know what to do. This was exactly the opposite of what she had been expecting from him. From the sounds of his little speech, she thought that he was going to break up with her, “Oh my God.” She stated again as so many emotions were running through her mind. So many questions, then she looked into JC’s hopeful eyes and it felt like the world stood still around them. Izzy’s mind cleared and she knew her answer.

“Yes.”

“Yes?” JC asked her almost in shock. Izzy nodded,

“Yes.” She smiled the biggest smile she could muster. JC jumped up, grabbing Izzy in his arms and swung her around laughing joyously. When he put her down he said,

“I was scared that you were going to say no.”

“When I saw your eyes, there was no way I could.” JC pulled out the ring and slipped it on her hand,

“You’re shaking.” He whispered to her and she smiled up at him,

“So are you.” He chuckled and she laughed too, “I’m in shock, I thought that you were trying to break up with me.”

“What?”

“Just from your little speech, that’s how it sounded.”

“I just want you to be mine so you couldn’t run away so easily.”

“I’m never gonna run away from you.”

“Good because I want to spend forever with you.”

“Forever’s a long time.”

“It’s not nearly long enough.”

“No it’s not.”