Chapter 142 – Amara's POV
I woke up with the sun streaming gently across my face, warm and golden. But it wasn't the sunlight that made me smile the moment my eyes opened — it was the memory of last night.
Ethan had proposed.
He had gotten down on one knee, looked up at me with trembling eyes, and told me he loved me — not with promises or excuses, but with sincerity and vulnerability so raw it left my heart wide open. I had cried, not out of confusion or doubt, but out of relief. Because every part of me had been aching for him, terrified he was slipping away.
But he wasn't.
He had been planning something beautiful all along.
I shifted slightly, careful not to wake him. His arm was draped across my waist, his face relaxed and peaceful. He looked younger in sleep, his usual seriousness softened by dreams I hoped included me.
Last night, after I'd said yes — a thousand times yes — we hadn't gone back to the apartment right away. We had stayed up late, lying on the couch, our legs tangled, whispering plans we hadn't dared voice before. I couldn't stop looking at the ring on my finger — simple, elegant, perfect. Like he knew me better than I knew myself.
I gently slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the kitchen, my heart still fluttering.
I needed to talk to Arya.
She had been the one to hold my hand through the first heartbreaks, the nights I cried wondering if Ethan was pulling away for good. She had believed in him even when I couldn't.
She deserved to be the first to know.
---
Arya answered on the second ring, her voice groggy. "Hey... everything okay?"
I grinned. "Sorry to wake you, but… I had to tell you something."
A pause. "What is it?"
"He proposed."
The silence that followed was sharp — and then suddenly loud.
"WHAT?!"
I laughed, pressing the phone tighter to my ear. "He proposed last night. At my door. He had been planning it for weeks — that's why he was acting so weird."
"Oh my God, Amara!" Arya squealed. "Wait—like a ring and everything?"
"Yup." I glanced down at my hand, wiggling my fingers in the air. The diamond sparkled just as brightly in the morning light. "It's beautiful. Everything was beautiful."
Arya's voice softened, full of emotion. "I'm so happy for you. You deserve this. You both do."
"Thank you," I whispered. "I was so scared, Arya. I thought I was losing him."
"I know," she said gently. "But you never were. Ethan's stubborn, but he's never stopped loving you. I could see it."
I blinked back sudden tears. "He said he wanted the moment to be perfect. That he wanted to give me something magical. And he did… even without the rooftop and lights."
"Oh, stop," Arya giggled. "I'm crying. I need details! Wait—have you told Damon?"
"Not yet. I wanted to tell you first. You're my person."
There was a pause, then Arya whispered, "And you're mine."
My throat closed up for a moment. Our lives had changed so much in a year — babies, weddings, healing — but our bond had only grown stronger. She was more than my sister-in-law. She was family. Soul-deep.
"I can't wait to start planning," Arya said suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Have you picked a date? Are we going big or intimate?"
I chuckled. "Slow down! It just happened. I haven't even told Ethan I called you."
"Well, tell him I love him for not screwing this up," she teased. "And tell him I expect to be your maid of honor."
"You already are," I said softly. "Always."
---
I ended the call, still smiling, and turned to find Ethan leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, watching me.
"How long were you standing there?" I asked, cheeks flushing.
"Long enough to hear you tell Arya I'm off the hook."
I crossed the kitchen and wrapped my arms around his waist. "You are. But you were never really on it."
He rested his chin on my head. "I was scared you'd say no."
"I was scared you didn't want me anymore."
He pulled back to look at me, eyes full of quiet ache. "There was never a moment I didn't want you, Amara. Even when I was silent, even when I was overwhelmed — I still looked at you and thought, She's the only one."
My heart melted.
"And now?" I asked.
"Now I'm going to marry you. Properly. Loudly. Boldly." He lifted my left hand and kissed the ring. "We've come too far to hold back."
I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.
I still didn't know what the future held — the dates, the venue, the inevitable chaos of wedding planning. But one thing was clear: I wasn't alone.
Not anymore.