His Little Secret by Aubree Valentine

Chapter Seven

Keegan

Five months later…

I didn’t plan on asking Brooke to marry me at my graduation party. I wanted to wait until our first real vacation together – an all expenses paid trip to Cancun, a gift from my parents for finishing college.

But seeing her out on the beach, mingling with all of my friends and family like she’s meant to be here. Watching her help my mom with anything and everything, I can’t help myself.

I don’t want to wait a minute longer to ask her to be my wife.

It’s something I’ve been planning since Thanksgiving when we went to New Haven to celebrate the holiday with her parents. Her dad and I had a nice long chat and I asked for his permission to marry her. Keith Lansing had his apprehensions and was worried we were tying the knot for all the wrong reasons but the more we talked, the better he understood just how much I loved his daughter and gave me his blessing.

Ever since, I’ve occasionally gotten a text from Mrs. Lansing asking if I’ve popped the question yet and asking me what I’m waiting on.

Something tells me, they won’t be surprised when she calls home tonight and tells them we’re engaged.

“You’re gonna do it, aren’t you,” Lawson nudges me.

It’s the first time Lawson’s came back to this side of town since everything happened. He said it was time and he wanted to be here with me to celebrate. Now that I know for sure that tonight’s the night, I’m twice as happy that he decided to come.

“I think it’s time.”

“I’m surprised you waited this long,” Lawson chuckles.

He was the first person I talked to when I decided I was going to propose to Brooke. I needed to make sure he was okay with it and that he understood that I wasn’t replacing Laurel. No one could replace her – something that Brooke actually told me after the first time I brought her home. He admitted that he never expected me to live the rest of my life alone and he understood better than anyone that it wasn’t about replacing Laurel. It was about healing.

“Waited this long for what?” Brooke sways up beside me and curls into my side.

Lawson nearly doubles over in laughter. “She’s always got great timing, man.”

I take the beer from his hand and dump it out. “I think you’ve had enough,” I joke.

“That is a party foul. I’m going to get another,” he says, clearly understanding his assignment.

I playfully dance Brooke around in the sand for a minute before kneeling in front of her and pulling the ring from my pocket. “He thinks I’ve waited long enough, for this…”

“Oh my God,” Brooke gasps.

“Brooke Lansing, if I’ve learned one thing in my lifetime, it’s that time is precious and fleeting. You’ve taught me to live it to the fullest and take chances, so this is me, asking you to take a chance on forever with me,” I tell her as I slip the ring on her finger. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes. Oh my God, yes!”

Everyone that’s still here begins to cheer, and I notice a couple camera flashes. With a little luck, Lawson caught the whole thing on film, too.

Standing up, I pull her into my arms and swing her around while kissing her like my life depends on it.

When I finally put her down, Brooke holds out her left hand and wiggles her fingers, starring at the antique diamond on her ring finger. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Family heirloom,” I tell her.

“I’m so happy right now,” she kisses me again. “I can’t believe we’re going to get married.”

One my one, the rest of the party guests make their rounds to congratulate us. My mom’s crying and my dad is busy handing everyone drinks.

“I should call my parents,” Brooke says when things start winding down.

I hand her my phone and as she unlocks it, she shoots me a weird look.

“My mom sent you a text.”

I already know what it says so I tell her to open in and read it.

Momma L: Did you ask her? Today would be the perfect day! Hint. Hint.

Brooke laughs. “My parents knew?”

“Give me some credit. I was raised with a little bit of old school in me. I asked your dad for his permission at Christmas.”

“You’ve been keeping it a secret for that long?” She gasps.

“I wanted to wait for the perfect moment. I thought that moment was next week, on the beaches in Cancun. Then I realized, the perfect moment was happening right in front of me.”

“You’re really something,” she tells me with a kiss then quickly dials her parents’ number, putting the call on speaker.

“Keegan? Did you ask her? Tell me you did. She said yes, didn’t she?”

“I said yes, Mom. We’ve got a wedding to plan!” Brooke exclaims and her mom squeals in the background.

“Oh, Keith, he did it. He finally popped the question. They’re getting married.”

Her father calls out a congratulations in the background.

“I’ll let you two catch up,” I tell Brooke before kissing her forehead and stepping back outside.

The first thing I notice is that Lawson’s disappeared. Something in my gut tells me that he shouldn’t be alone right now, and I know exactly where he is.

The only graveyard near Rocky Cove is just outside of town, no more than two or three miles from my house so I start jogging over there.

Sure enough, Lawson’s standing over his sister’s headstone with tears in his eyes.

“I thought I was long overdue to come say goodbye,” he mumbles.

“Goodbye?”

“It’s time for me to move on, Keegan. I’ve let this town and my sister’s memory haunt me long enough. I need to start living for me again and not this half ass bullshit I’ve been doing. Alright got a job and a new place lined up too. I was going to tell you but wanted to wait until you came back from Cancun.”

“Lawson, Laurel would want you to live your life to the fullest.”

“I know. And seeing you with Brooke has reminded me of that. I want what you have. I want a purpose in life and a woman to love.”

“What about Constance?”

“It wasn’t serious. We talked and she understands. She’s a good one and deserves someone who can give her more than I can right now.”

Not knowing what else to do, I clap him on the back. “I’m glad you talked to her. You’ve grown up a lot, man. The old Lawson would have just ghosted her.”

He laughs and wipes the back of his hand across his face. “Don’t give me too much credit. I planned on telling you by leaving a note on the counter for you to find when you got back.”

“Asshole,” I chuckle and shake my head. “You know, I used to come out here all the time. Whenever I needed to be near her or needed to clear my head.”

“I didn’t even have the balls to show up for her funeral,” Lawson snorts. “I didn’t want to see my twin sister laying there in that casket, you know?”

“No one blames you. Hell, Laurel wouldn’t blame you either. She wasn’t like that.”

“My parents blame me. They still won’t talk to me and it’s been four years,” he confesses.

“You’re kidding? Lawson, why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”

“What was there to tell? They have their own grief to work through. If being mad a me helped them through it, I was willing to bare that cross.”

“Have you tried to call them or anything?”

“Called, wrote letters, even took a trip up to their new house. Got as far as parking the car before my dad came out yelling and telling me I didn’t have a place there.”

Fucking hell. My best friend has been dealing with this bullshit all along. “I had no idea.”

Lawson shrugs. “I didn’t want you to know. As long as I kept my mouth shut, I didn’t have to worry about anyone’s pity. I could live my life as normal as possible. I promised Laurel that if anything ever happened to her, I’d be there for you. So that’s what I did. Now I need to do something for me.”

“You stuck around, for me?”

“Yes, you stupid fucker. I stayed because my best friend lost the love of his life. Because I needed you as much as you needed me.”

“Well, fuck.” Tears swell up in my own eyes.

“Don’t,” Lawson shakes his head. “Don’t go getting all emotional and shit. You would have done the same. Listen, I’ll call you when I get to where I’m going. You better send me a damn wedding invitation.”

“Wedding invitation? Hell no. You better plan on standing up there at the alter as my best man.”

“No shit?”

“No shit. Who else did you think I was going to ask?”

“Hell, if I know, man. I sent the video and a few pictures to your email, by the way.”

This time, I shake his hand and give him a hug. “I appreciate it.”

He kicks the dirt. “I’m going to get going. I’ve got some packing to finish up.”

“You sure you want to leave?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll be back though. I swear,” he assures me. “Tell your mom and dad that I said thank you, for everything.”

Lawson leaves me standing there alone.

A blue butterfly lands on top of Laurel’s gravestone as if it’s waiting for me to say something. Taking it as a sign, I talk to her for the first time since I met Brooke.

When I finally walk away, I know that every worked out the way it was meant to be.