"He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said 'Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone. I love you and that's all I really know. I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress. It's a love story, baby just say, 'yes'." -T.S.
The yacht finally docked on this small, secluded island. We all carefully made our way off the boat and onto the island, taking in all the untouched paradise that now surrounded us. Various conversations trailed around me but I was focused on Erik, as we walked hand in hand through the sand. My nerves were no longer shot from this morning's incident but now I was nervous about the proposal. Or as Jacob humorously named our group chat "Mission get Jacob husband up."
Erik could sense something was off as we walked off from the group. His thumb grazed my knuckles as he lightly pulled me back.
"You okay? You're awfully quiet." His eyes searched for the answers that my tongue bit back.
I debated telling him, because I was sworn to secrecy but I knew I could trust Erik. I tugged his arm to follow and we made our way into the thick jungle. Finding a little spot on a tree stump and we took a seat. The air was thick from the humidity but I was sweating from anticipation.
"You have to pinky promise double swear you won't say anything if I tell you." I extended my pinky out to him. He stared at it for a moment before he wrapped his pinky around mine.
"Pinky promise," he finally said.
"Okay so," I let out a sharp breath, "I have to help Jacob out with something kind of important but he asked me to keep quiet about it. I promise you'll find out soon enough." I covered my mouth, the giddiness shining through.
His smile was sweet and genuine even if he didn't know the whole spectacle I could tell he was amused. "Whatever it is, I know it's going to be amazing if you're involved." His words made me blush, they brought me back to before the trip. Before I tangled myself into a mess and for a moment I let myself believe none of it happened. I looped my arm around his and leaned my head on his shoulder.
"Once I get a text though I'll have to ditch you. But I'll meet up with you soon after!" And just like that I could finally breathe. Even though I still had what felt like the weight of the world, this one thing loosened the load. We stood up from the tree stump and continued on with our adventure. We went on a small hike, ensuring I wouldn't be too far in case I got the text.
We got caught up in several conversations about our future living arrangements. "Wait but what's the difference between a high rise and a penthouse? Cause Dani lives in a penthouse but her apartment complex only has 12 floors." I asked.
"Well a penthouse is just the name for an apartment style, it's usually the entire top floor of a building. Or just special amenities that make it a penthouse. Her apartment complex is considered a mid-rise, while mine is considered a high rise, more than 12 stories. But my penthouse is smaller than Dani's and Marshall's because theirs is the entire top floor while mine is only half of the top floor." He was out of breath by the end of the explanation.
I laughed as he checked over to me to see if I understood what he was saying. I just shook my head and smiled. "Rich people problems." I playfully rolled my eyes as we made our way down to the edge of the shore, our hands still intertwined. The warm sand stuck to the bottom of our feet as we trudged along.
"I think you'll like our place, it–"
"Our?" I cut him off before he could finish his sentence, raising an eyebrow and offering him a playful smile.
"I think you'll enjoy your temporary home." He corrected himself and laughed. " It's spacious and we have amazing views of Seattle. Not to mention we got a patio/balcony thing going on. You can plant that garden you mentioned once upon a time." His eyes gleamed in the sunlight, and my heart stuttered, thinking about the time I told him about wanting to start a garden. My mom had never let me because it was a waste of water. But I was a starry eyed girl back then; it's kinda nice to think I was once her. It's nice to think she hadn't yet been hurt by her mom, or by her own actions.
I swallowed the sentiment and tried playing it off. "Yeah well my plans aren't to stay so I would need my garden to be portable because you sure as heck are not going to reap the benefits of my hard labor." My words came out light but I could tell they stung a little, he knew this wasn't my end game. I stopped walking and slowly faced him, I smiled and threw my arms around his waist. "But maybe, I'll leave behind a plant or two, in case I ever come back, I ha—" I started saying but he placed a small kiss on my temple before I could finish my sentence.
"You hurt my heart and heal it all at once, August." He pulled away enough from me so he could place his hand over his heart and act as if I physically hurt him. Causing a small chuckle to escape from me. He wrapped his arms around me once more, I melted in him, hearing the sound of his heart beating grounded me. This is real. He is real. I want…real.
But before I could revel in it, my phone went off. A text in the 'Mission get Jacob husband up' appeared on my screen.
Jacob: "this bird must fly in five minutes."
Auggie: "this bird will fly in five minutes."
Justin: "i'm on the boat."
Our secret phrase to know it was time to set the motion in action.
"That's my cue. Please meet me at the dock in an hour." I stood on my tippy toes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. My hand slowly fell from his chest but before I could walk away he pulled my arm back enough for me to turn back around. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed my lips with a fire I'd never felt from him. Leaving me swooning more than I'd admit to him. I pulled away just enough to meet his eyes.
"I'll be there," he whispered.
I turned around before he could see the stupid grin I had that was taking up half my face. The heat flushed my face as I made my way through the trail. Jacob and Allie were only a few yards away from us by sheer coincidence.
They stood there watching the horizon as I slowly walked up to them. "Hey love birds! Am I interrupting anything?" I quietly asked as I approached.
Allie's warm smile greeted me first, a huge contrast to Jacob's uneasy smile. "Not at all Auggie! I was just telling Jake that we needed to go parasailing before we leave but you already know, he's—"
"Terrified of heights," she and I said in unison. A smooth laugh slipped through my lips. I was more nervous than I thought I'd be.
"Yeah, yeah whatever." Jacob pouted and rolled his eyes. "So whatcha up to Augs?"
I hesitated, not because I wanted to but because I had to. I had to play up my very real anxiety to make it believable. "Uhm I was actually hoping I could steal Allie for a bit?" I bit my lower lip waiting for their response.
Allie looked over at Jacob who nodded his head to make it seem like he was concerned for me. "Not at all take the time you need. I'll see you later baby. I love you." He placed a small kiss on her forehead and I melted at the sight. The love he has for her was evident. I was so grateful to be a part of this. "Bye Auggie, please return her in one piece." He joked as we walked away.
We walked silently up the trail I had just come from, ensuring we were far enough away from the rest of the group as well as the dock area. We finally made it to a little area that had a fallen tree trunk, perfect for "girl talk". We took a seat on the trunk facing each other.
"Is everything okay Auggie?" Her voice was hesitant, I could tell she was actually worried about me. I wasn't sure to be relieved I was playing the part perfectly or if it's believable because I'm not playing the part and this was just my true reaction.
"So," I looked down at my hands for a quick second before I gathered enough courage to push through. "By any chance did Jake tell you about what happened early this morning?"
I knew I had to ease into it, no way could I just drop 'hey, I've been fucking Justin this entire trip' like a bomb on her lap. Only small slices at a time. I had to be smooth.
"Yeah he said he woke up for water but couldn't find any…but what does that have to do with you?" Her face slowly filled with what I could only describe as horror.
Before she could come to a conclusion I didn't need her to get to, I blurted it out. "Jacob walked in on Justin and I having sex on the top deck." I covered my mouth because that was anything but smooth or a slice at a time.
Her eyes went wide as her jaw dropped. "What the…"
"I made Jake swear to secrecy and the only way he agreed was if I told you personally. So please don't be upset with him for not telling you anything."
I let her sit with the new information that I presented to her. "That's why he's been acting weird all day! Oh my god. I thought I had said something or I don't know but…how? When? Why? I need all the details."
I giggled a little because I knew this would be her reaction. "Well," I checked my phone trying to keep track of time. "Okay. I'm about to tell you something and I need you to promise you won't say a word to ANYONE." I glared at her, she needed to know how serious I was.
"Cross my heart and hope to die." She smiled, I could tell she was excited for the gossip that was my life.
"I know you had kinda called me out on the way Justin and I…what did you say? The way we lingered around each other? Yeeeaaah you were right to be suspicious of us. We've kinda been hooking up since the start of the trip." I bit the side of my cheek, my anxiety was still at an all time high. This was my first time saying all of this out loud. Up until this point everyone that knew only knew because they had been there from the beginning.
"I fucking knew it!" She said it triumphantly. "I told Jacob, but he insisted there was no way because you and Erik had a thing going on and how it was obvious you had eyes only for Erik, but nope I told him there was something hidden under the surface." She beamed at herself being right but my guilt grew hearing how Jacob had perceived me versus who I clearly was.
"So uh, how did you know something was going on? Were we actually that obvious?" I looked at her puzzled. Because we would avoid each other throughout the day to avoid suspicion and she still caught the vibe.
"It's not that you were obvious, it's just a body language thing. Occasionally I would notice the way he would be close to you he would kinda hover and watch you closely. But also if he accidentally bumped into you, you both had a glint in your eye. Like a hidden secret you shared. That and when Justin went with us on our work out he made a comment that solidified it for me." She raised an eyebrow, and laughed, I could only imagine the comment he made.
I hesitated, but I was truly curious. "What did he say?"
"Jacob asked Justin what he thought about all the girls. Jake was just being Jake. But when Justin got to describing you he said you were the 'star of his wet dreams,' he tried playing it off afterwards but no yeah the look in his eyes said something different." She pursed her lips slightly.
My heart sped up hearing Justin talk about me in a way I never thought he would. I mean, I know what we're doing but the star of his wet dreams…that was definitely something. I know the way he sees me but hearing him describe me to someone else kind of made my heart skip a beat. It definitely shouldn't have.
"I guess it's better than being the star of his nightmares." I laughed but I didn't really find it funny. It was more of an "I'm uncomfortable" laugh.
"Wait, so how did this start? And what about Erik? I saw you guys holding hands when you were getting off the boat." She calmed down enough to ask in earnest.
"It's complicated. Or not complicated but…I really like Erik, things are going great with him. Except I have this side thing with Justin. It's strictly sex, just some unattached fun." I started explaining it to her but she didn't seem convinced.
"It's never just sex Auggie. Someone always catches feelings. When you introduced Jacob and I we started off just hooking up. We said we weren't compatible but look at us. Now I can't imagine my life without him and he's the person I want to plan my future with." Her voice was sweet but her words were sharp. But all of this I had heard before, from Dani and Mallory, I understood very well what the implications of friends with benefits entailed.
"I know Allie. I know that fuck buddies never work out but we're going just fine. The only reason I'm telling you truthfully was because we got caught." I shrugged my shoulders, pretending like this was less than what it actually was.
"So why Justin? Is Erik not a good enough lay?" She laughed a little but quickly shifted back to a more serious tone.
"This is where it gets complicated. Erik thinks I'm a virgin." I whispered, as if the birds around us would tell the world.
Her brows furrowed deep, and her head tilted slightly. "Why does he think that?"
"Because when we first started talking I was a virgin…" I looked down, the guilt weighing heavy on me again.
"Wait, so Justin is—"
"My first."
She looked more shocked than earlier, her mouth agape, her eyes so wide I'd thought they'd fall out of her. "The lore just keeps getting deeper! Like how did that even happen? And Justin? You lost your virginity to him over Erik? No offense."
My face twisted a little but I knew she wasn't trying to be ruthless even though it cut deeper than she would ever realize.
"Well for starters Justin and I sat next to each other on the plane. And well I was an emotional wreck for seven hours so we kinda bonded and then there was like a spark but not like romantic. Just like a flicker of electricity." I laughed a little reminiscing about what happened two weeks ago. "We both were kinda flirty all day whichI blame it on the liquor. And then we kissed a few times during truth or dare and it spiraled from there I guess? We got so drunk though that neither of us remember the first time, we only know something happened because we woke up next to each other half-naked, with no recollection but a bunch of hickeys and a headache."
I could tell she was processing everything I just told her. Like she still couldn't believe it all. "So you lost your virginity while you were black out drunk? Yikes. But then how did you guys continue it?" She blew a quick breath and shook her head.
"Well it was my first time because I had been waiting for marriage. Correction out of respect for my mom, I was waiting for marriage. Because those were her rules. But then…" I paused, she knew what my mom did. I didn't need to retell this. "Well I won't rehash the mom drama, but truthfully at the time I was more mad that I couldn't remember it versus having actually done it." I shrugged, as if I could shake the weight off my shoulders. But it stuck.Still, Allie was listening, like really listening. So I kept going.
"If anything I was relieved that the pressure wasn't there anymore. But I was curious what it felt like to have sex and he let me be curious with him. And then we just kinda formed this twisted friendship." I watched her reaction closely, I could tell she was still shocked.
"So Erik doesn't know?" She asked quietly, maybe finally grasping the situation.
I nodded slowly. "No he doesn't. I'm gonna tell him obviously but I am very much wrapped up in my own mess right now and then Jacob walking in on us…cherry on top." I finally allowed myself to laugh at the ridiculousness of my life.
"That must've been mortifying. I'm sorry that he did, honestly though I'm surprised he held it in all day without saying anything." She laughed at the thought of Jacob dying to tell her this grand secret.
"He didn't see anything by the way, he said he heard furniture moving and then heard Justin say 'fuck August,' and he wanted to make sure everything was okay and he was probably still groggy from sleep he didn't realize it until he got there and we looked sweaty and suspicious." I covered my face, still feeling very much mortified having to tell her exactly what happened. But she giggled anyways, making the energy around us feel light.
She looked around for a second, and bit the inside of her cheek. Like she was debating what to say. "I guess it's just crazy to me that not only did I totally read it but the fact that it's…Justin. I mean he's super hot so I get it but he's also brooding and rough around the edges. He def gives selfish vibes. I wanna ask but I don't know if that's crossing the line."
"Your boyfriend heard us in depths of pleasure. There's not a single question that would be crossing the line at this point." We both laughed at the sentiment.
"Why do you keep going back for more if you have Erik who is so ready to give you the world?" She watched my reaction closely.
Okay maybe there was a question that would cross the line. But I played it off. "That's where complicated comes in. I think maybe I have an attachment issue with Justin maybe because he was there for me right after the most traumatic thing in my life. Or maybe because he's my first. Taking all that away though? He is anything but selfish when it comes down to it, I'm always taken care of first. Like I told Mallory and Dani, it's earth shattering." I laughed a genuine laugh finally.
"You really know how to add shock value don't you?" She tapped my thigh and proceeded to laugh loudly.
"But as for Erik, being ready to give me the world… it's eating me alive. I can't pull myself away long enough to fully give myself to him. I mean I'm there emotionally. When I'm sitting in front of Erik all I see is Erik and this future I so desperately want. But when I'm sitting in front of Justin all I want is to live in the now and forget about the future." My smile faded as I came to terms with what I just said.
Allie looked off toward the trees, quiet for a second. "You know I love messy drama, but like…"
She turned back to me. "Don't let Erik be collateral damage, okay? He's not part of this chaos."
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed. I looked away, grateful for the quick break and read the message.
Jacob: "please return the bird to the dock."
Auggie: "be there soon."
"Well sadly I just got the 'we're leaving in 20 minutes' text so we should probably head back. But thank you for listening to my chaotic life. I promise to not let Erik be collateral damage. I just need to figure a few things out." I stood up off the tree trunk and picked the bark off of my dress. She followed shortly after.
"Thank you for confiding in me and aside from Jacob my lips are sealed."
Lightly brushed her arm, feeling grateful she did let me share. We started making our way back, finally changing the topic of conversation. But the closer we got to the dock the more anxious I started feeling. I was so excited to see how shocked Allie was going to be that Jacob planned this gorgeous proposal. And the best part was the sun was starting to set, my heart raced as we approached the last bend.
Once out of the lush greenery, Allie noticed a seashell candle lit path. She giggled and looked at me. I couldn't help but share a smile back to her.
"Oh my gosh! How romantic! Who's getting spoiled like this?" She squealed the closer we got. I couldn't believe that she didn't realize it was for her. That made it so much more endearing.
As we approached, I looked around and didn't see anybody, not Justin, not Jacob or anyone else from the group.
But once we made it to the entrance of the path I noticed not only were there seashells and candles guiding the path there were scattered rose petals, leading up to a small chalkboard sign. The waves crashed softly against the shore creating beautiful background noise, straight out of a Hallmark movie. Jacob really took his time creating a beautiful scene for her.
"What does that sign say?" Allie walked in front of me trying to read the sign from afar, it felt as if she was interrupting something.
"I don't know, the writing is small. Let's go up there and see," I said as I lightly pushed her forward.
"Wait… are we allowed to be walking through this?" Allie asked, suddenly hesitant.
"Yeah," I nudged her gently. "It's okay, this is our boat. Just keep going."
Jacob tapped my shoulder and took my place. I quickly ran behind him and pulled my phone out to record. I looked around and noticed everybody starting to creep out of the thick brush of jungle with smiles on their faces.
We silently watched as Jacob quietly approached her. She squinted toward the chalkboard, mouthing the words at first, trying to make them out. I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling the swell of it all like watching someone else's dream come true.
And just as Jacob took one knee, she gasped. "Wait… does that say—"
She turned around, and there he was. Tears were already seeping from Jacob's eyes as he mustered up enough courage to speak.
"Allison Mabel Sullivan, before I met you I knew there was something missing in my life. I walked through the world with my eyes closed. Refusing to change anything about myself." He let out a nervous laugh and we laughed along with him. Allie looked around and finally noticed all of us patiently watching. She smiled at us and then turned her attention back to him.
"And then with the help of a friend, I met you. A fiery, no nonsense, call 'em like you see 'em redhead. And that's exactly what you did. You called me out for all of my shit. Even though we never expected this to go anywhere, I fell in love. How could I not fall in love with the most intelligent, thoughtful, creative and strong woman I've ever met? Oh and of course the most beautiful." He paused for a second, trying to catch his breath. She kneeled down with him, wiping his tears as they fell. They were at eye level now, she cupped his face as he continued his speech. "Now that I have you, I never want to let you go. Will you do me the honor of letting me be your husband and prove to you I am worth the love you give?"
Without any hesitation she nodded. "Yes! I will marry you!" She kissed him and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her deeper into the kiss. It was at that moment that I realized I had spilled a few tears as well. They pulled away from each other long enough for her to finally see the ring in all its glory and she immediately slipped it on. Squealing as she faced us.
I locked my phone and ran over to them. Throwing my arms around them both and accidentally causing us to stumble over.
"You helped with this didn't you August!" She yelled at me as we tried getting up from the sand.
"Guilty as charged!" I said as I finally stood up, extending my hand to help them up. And for a moment, I forgot all about my own mess. Watching them felt like pressing pause on the chaos.
Everyone gathered around, hugging them and congratulating them. I glanced over at Justin for a quick second and a deep smirk spread across his face. Before I could look away he shot me a quick wink and I couldn't help but laugh thinking about him helping set all of this stuff up.
Seconds later I felt sturdy arms wrap around my waist, pulling me in. Erik. I looked up at him and noticed his eyes were a little red.
"Did you cry?" I asked him, half joking.
He pressed his eyes with his hands and laughed. "I'm a sucker for romance." He leaned down and gave me a kiss on my cheek. I let myself melt into him, melt into the moment, forgetting about everything else.
The sun continued dipping past the horizon, painting the sky with brush strokes of lavender, orange and pink. One more round of hugs and cheers, we started making our way back onto the yacht. Leaving the day behind us as we boarded.
By the time we made it onto the main deck, the crew had already set up the champagne. Glasses clinked like bells announcing a fairytale ending, and someone, probably Jacob, in a burst of pre-proposal adrenaline, had queued up the most ridiculous love songs imaginable. Whitney. Celine. Savage Garden, god help us all.
Allie twirled in the middle of the deck like a girl on a cloud, her ring flashing in the dying light, Jacob spinning her like he'd been choreographing this dance since the day they met. Laughter spilled over the railing, carried away on the breeze as the engines sputtered to life and we started drifting back toward the marina.
"Okay," Mallory announced, holding up her glass, eyes gleaming from the deck lights. "Congratulations Jacob and Allie. We cannot wait for the gorgeous wedding I hope we're all invited to. And I just want to wish you a prosperous life. Thank you for letting us into your slice of heaven."
Cheers erupted, and someone passed me a flute of champagne so full it sloshed onto my wrist. I laughed and licked the sweetness off my skin. Even though I hated champagne, the reason for drinking it made it somehow manageable.
And for now, there were no secrets. No tension. No consequences. Just music, motion, and the feeling that maybe for tonight we could be young and invincible and wildly in love with life.We danced, we sang and we drank all the way back to the marina, letting the air feel lighter than it ever has. The love radiated through Allie and Jacob as we watched them celebrate their next big step. Once again leaving me feeling grateful to be a part of it in such an intimate way. Even if that included confessing my deepest darkest secret to Allie, I knew it would be worth it in the end. Seeing her shocked reaction when she realized it was all for her was worth it.