Chapter 75 - To Say That You're Mine

Jon and Beth look at one another as the story ends.  Both are expressionless as they look at one another.  Finally, Beth cracks a smile and says, "I hope this is it.  I hope we can finally be left alone."  


Jon reaches over and takes her hand and she continues, "I mean think about it, the world now knows every detail of our lives, even the ones that WE kept out of the press and now there is stuff out there that isn't even true.  This has got to be the end."

He smiles at her, loving the way that she looks when she gets all fired up, her face gets pink and her eyes have a sparkle, a fire in them when she feels passionate about something.  He's turned on by her cocky tone, the tone that he's heard alot over the years and she only uses it with him.  "I'm sure that there is going to be a backlash come tomorrow, but we will be long gone and out of communication range."  he cracks a smile, "Picture it, we're going to hide and we are going to be unreachable - it's going to be awesome."

"It is!"  she rubs his hand and slides in close to him, "Life with you is a bitch, but it's a bigger bitch without you."

"I am a package deal.  You get me and all of my baggage, my fans, my family, my problems but you get all of my joy too."

Moving closer, she climbs onto his lap and kisses his cheek, "Baby, I take you and all of your bullshit, because the joy you have given me if far better than all of the grief that we have had."

His arms go around her and he holds her tight, his heart is beaming, he loves he so much and for her to say that to him, right after they just watched a news story about them and their tragedy he can feel that they are finally to that place that they both have longed to be.  The place that they both could see, the place that they talked about, the place that they deserved, "You," gently he grabs her chin, directing her to look at him, "are the best thing that has ever happened to me, in the worst way."

Beth chuckles, "What does that even mean?" he brow crinkles, "Best thing in the worst way?"  Jon's tongue darts out of his mouth and he quickly licks her lips.

"Life with you hasn't been a breeze, you know." he kisses her lips, gently, they are still moist from his little lick, "But all that we have been through got us to this point right now, and even though it practically killed us both, it was the path that we needed to take."

"I agreeeeee" she drags out agree, still not seeing what he meant by she was the best thing in the worst way.

"You have made me the man that I am today, and even though we hit dynamite and blew up a few times, we always put US back together and get a little stronger, a little tighter."  Beth nods her head and smiles, thinking about what he's saying - waiting for him to make sense of what he's trying to say.  "I breezed through life before I met you.  And once you were in my life, it was one explosion after the other - and facing that with and without you has made me a better man, a better father and I really hope that it's made me a better partner."

"You're a wonderful man, Jon.  You know that."

With his million dollar smile that reaches his eyes, he adds, "My heart has broken many times and there were things that I never thought that we would make it through, but somehow we always found a way and it always brought us back together."

Beth turns her body and straddles him, his back against the headboard, looking in his eyes she says, "I wanted to forget you a million times and pretend that I never knew you, but it never happened.  It never could have happened, you are my soul mate.  I believe that we are meant to be together, regardless of how hard we fight it."

"I gave up fighting it."

"Yeah, me too."

"Did you pick a date yet?  I am ready to marry you, are you ready to marry me yet?" he asks her, softly in her ear.  She can feel the warmth of his breath and it gives her chills.  He can feel her little quiver and that makes him smile.  "I'm ready to make it official and get on with life."

Beth takes his hands, straddling him she leans back and lays on his legs.  He can't resist the urge to slide his hands up her belly, as she's in this vulnerable position with her feet tucked under her.  She laughs because he's tickling her, "I'll marry you as soon as you plan it."

"Me plan it, are you crazy?" he asks, running his fingertips down her belly, catching the waistband of her panties, "You don't want me to plan it babe."

Beth lifts her head and looks at him, "Oh yeah, why is that?"

"Because I'll hire a planner in the morning and it will be so over the top that you will hate it."

"You think so?" she rolls off of him, kneeling next to him, "Why does it have to be so big we need a planner?"

"You might not need a planner, but if you want me to plan it - that's exactly what will happen."

"How about we start planning when we get home from California.  By then, I'll pick a date." she tells him, seeing the expression on his face go to content.  She can see that he's happy with that idea.

Jon and Beth manage to get out of New Jersey before the book hit the shelves and the internet.  They were relaxing in Calabasas after arriving at Richie's, poolside, when the boys came running in with Ava, "Dad, can we go shopping with Ava?"

Jon looks at them all and asks, "How are you going to get there?  Who are you going with?"

"Can you take us?" Jake asks, "We really want to go to the mall."

Richie is watching Ava's little plan unfold, and he smiles, "Ava, is this your idea?" he asks his daughter.

Ava grins at her dad, "Nope, this was all Jakey."

"Can you take us dad?"  Romeo jumps up and down, "Please, dad!?"

Beth, sitting at the patio table with Jon, Richie and the twins jumps in and says, "Let's go to the mall, babe.  What could it hurt?"

Jon looks at her, very puzzled by what she just said, his thoughts were said aloud by Richie, "The mall is the last place you need to be today, guys.  The book comes out in 20 minutes here, you aren't out of the clear yet."

Beth looks at Richie, as she picks Brianna up from her walker, "That's the last place that anyone will look  for us, don't you think?  And anyway, I'm not letting this run our life."  She lifts her shirt and starts to feed the baby.  The raising of her shirt, pretty habitual for her, made Richie and the boys a little tense.  She could see it on Richie's face and that made her laugh, "you okay Rich?"  She winks at him.

"I'm good." he nods to her, "I can take the kids to the mall, if you guys want to hang her and just chill."

The adults sit around the patio table with kids itching to go to the mall and discuss what they will do.  Jon tells the kids, "I'll take you to the mall, but we can't be there long and you know why."  He stands up, rubbing his palms on his thighs, "Go get ready while Beth feeds the twins and then we'll go when she's done."  He reaches over and rubs Beth shoulder, "You want to go, right?"

"Yeah, yeah - I want to shop till we drop." she looks up at the man standing over her and her thought quickly changes to something else.  She reaches up and pats Jon's hand and clears her throat, "Hey Richie, can I ask you something?"

Richie, sits up giving Beth his undivided attention, "Gorgeous, you can ask me anything."

Brianna is still latched, her arms and legs moving a mile a minute.  She wants to get down, she wants to explore - but her want for eating was a little stronger.  She keeps her gaze fixed on her momma and finds her daddy when he says, "Want me to take her?"

Beth smiles, shaking her head, "No, she's just about done."  Beth bends over and kisses her daughter, feeling just how blessed she is and then she says to Richie, "Jon and I are getting married soon, will you walk me down he aisle?"

Richie gives her the deer in headlight look and is stunned by what she just asked, but he's not the only one.  Jon takes his seat, next to Beth and gives her the same shocked look.   After a few moments of silence, Richie manages to say, "Are you serious, you really want me to walk you down the aisle?"  He gets up and walks toward her, forgetting that she's nursing a baby, "I can't believe that you two are finally going to do it.  When is the big day?"  He leans over and hugs her, kissing her cheek, "Beth, I would be honored."

"I haven't set a date yet, but I promised Jon that I would pick a day before we left here."

"She promised."  Jon tells his best friend, "I told her she needed to pick a date or I was and I was going to plan the whole thing."  Spencer starts to fuss, needing some attention. His dad gets up and scoops up his son and smooches his face.  "So, we will be getting married soon."

Richie steps over and hugs his best friend, as he's holding his son, "We are having one bad ass bachelor party."