Garrett's mother's engagement ring. This is a TIFFANY SOLESTE® ROUND. Isn't it gorgeous?!

300 reads! Y'all are amazing!

-

Chapter Five: Happy Late Birthday?

-

I don't think I have ever this genuinely happy in life before. This past week has been absolutely amazing. I got engaged to my best friend and I got an A on all of my midterms. Talk about a good week.

Garrett had a BYE weekend in his football schedule, so we decided we would fly down to Georgia to tell Matt and Savannah the good news.

Savannah did transfer to the University of Georgia after her sophomore year of college. Matt and her still haven't put a ring on it, but I'm sure it will happen soon.

"Babe, you ready to go?" Garrett called from the living room. I was just stuffing the last bit of clothes into my suitcase as he called for me.

I stuffed the pair of pants into the bag and pulled it down the stairs, "Ready!"

He walked over to me and kissed my forehead giving me a small hug, "Well let's go have some fun shall we?"

I nodded my head and grabbed my wallet and passport off the table, "We shall."

We headed down to the garage where our cars were stored. He opened the passenger door to his truck for me and I climbed in with a smile.

It's the little things that can put a smile on my face.

We started the drive to the airport singing along to Khalid's new song, "Love Lies". I blasted the speakers and sang along to the lyrics that were playing on the radio,

"So baby, tell me where your love lies
Waste the day and spend the night
Underneath the sunrise
Show me where your love lies"

Garrett pulled the truck into a park that was in Brooklyn, what is he doing?

Before I could speak, he said, "Shit, I know you're going to yell at me for doing this but I just wanted to, just because." What is he talking about? He reached into the back seat and pulled out a blue box with a white bow on top of it.

My eyes probably looked like they popped out of their socket as he opened the box and revealed something beautiful.

A gorgeous diamond necklace.

My breath hitches in my throat as I tried to find the right words to say. "Oh my gosh, this is gorgeous!" I grabbed the box out of his hand and caressed the necklace over my finger. It was a double drop necklace, and it was absolutely stunning.

"Happy late birthday?" He chuckled.

I stopped looking at my new necklace and looked up to him, "You didn't have to do that! My birthday was months ago!"

"Yeah, but I have actually had it for a while I just didn't know when a good time to give it to you was."

I leaned over the console, cupping his cheek and kissed him. "I freaking love you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He chuckled kissing me on the cheek, "I love you too. Now let's go see our friends."

-

The airplane ride to Georgia was relaxing and smooth. Finally, an airplane ride that had no screaming babies on it. We arrived in Atlanta around noon, and it took us another two hours to get down to Athens where Matt and Savannah lived since the traffic was terrible.

Sure, New York City traffic was God awful, but there was just something about the Atlanta traffic that made me want to smash my head into a wall.

The two of them had bought a house about fifteen minutes from the university, so they were living together. When is my brother going to pop the question?

He is the only one of our friend group currently not engaged, but I mean we are very young and don't want to rush things. But, when you know it's real, it's real.

That's why I didn't mind getting engaged at the age of twenty-one. We both knew what our career paths looked like in the future; I will be a journalist and my fiancé an NFL player.

There's something you don't hear every day. The writer and the NFL Star. Or should I say the nerd and the jock?

Sounds cliche.

Even though I am very sporty as well, I would much rather have a book in my hand than go for a run.

The taxi cab pulled into the driveway of the sleek white brick house. I smiled at the blooming flowers that were hanging on the front porch.

I had gotten them for Savannah during Christmas. We all came over here for winter break to spend time with family.

My father even came over to spend the holiday with us. It was probably one of the most awkward weeks of my life since Garrett and I wouldn't even look at each other. Too embarrassed to talk.

"Remember the last time we were here?" I chuckled, opening the door of the cab and grabbing our suitcases out of the trunk.

Garrett stood beside me and groaned, "Yeah, one of the worst weekends of my life. I hated not being able to talk to you, I should have manned the fuck up."

"Same here." I had just acted as if he was invisible the whole time. I feel terrible about it down. "But, it was worth it, in the end, I guess."

We walked up to the French doors and ran the doorbell, waiting for the arrival of one of the two most important people in my life.

Though we don't see each other very often anymore, I still consider Sav my best friend. No matter what, Ellie nor Charlie could ever replace her.

She was my go-to-girl.

A few seconds later a blue-eyed blonde girl opens the door, "Jessie!" She squealed bringing me into a hug.

She was squeezing the life out of me, "I missed you so much." I managed to breathe out.

She released and I walked inside so she could give Garrett a hug too. I started giggling as she squeezed him just as hard. He stared at me the whole time as he could hardly breathe from her overbearing hug.

"Come in! Come in!" She gestured us inside her home. "Matt is on the toilet, he should be out soon."

I chuckled. Typical Matt.

We walked into the kitchen so we could get a drink since we hadn't had anything since the plane and my mouth was parched.

As I swirled the ice cubes around the cup, Matt finally walks into the kitchen and shoots us a smile, "Hey guys!"

I walk up to him and give him a sisterly hug, "Hey twinnie! I've missed you."

"Missed you too shorty." He patted my head before letting go and walking over to Garrett and giving him a bro-hug and a handshake.

They guided us into the living room where we all sat down on one of the numerous couches. Why they had so many is what I'm wondering.

Garrett throws his arm over my shoulder and I lay on his chest, relaxing my tense body.

I could really use a nap.

"So, what brings you guys to our humble home?" Matt asks, taking a sip of the water he had grabbed from the kitchen.

I looked up at Garrett and he smiled down at me, "Well," he started.

"We are getting married!" I squealed in my seat, lifting my left hand to show them the ring my fiancé had gotten me.

It was still so weird calling him that.

Savannah jumped out of her seat and shot over to where I was sitting to look at the ring. "Holy shit this is gorgeous! Congratulations!"

I gave her a hug, "Thanks!"

Matt was still seated, looking a little bit more tense than normal. I raised my eyebrow at him and he said, "I can't believe my little sister is getting married, I know he will treat you amazing."

I rolled my eyes, "You're twelve minutes older than me!"

He walked over to me and gave me a hug, "But, you will always be my little sister."

"I love you!" I said smiling.

"I love you too." He released our hug then went and sat back on the couch and turning on the television since apparently our conversation was over.

I bit my lip as Savannah grasped my attention before leaning on my ear, "You're not pregnant are you?"

My face turned red, "No! We just decided that we may as well go ahead and start our future together."

He let out a small laugh, "Good! Just making sure, now tell me everything about the wedding!"

I told her all about what we had planned already, and I asked her if she wanted to be my maid of honor, and of course, she said yes.

After the boys watched a whole entire football game of Alabama versus Auburn, where Alabama won, shocker right? Garrett and I decided to go to the guest room so we could settle in there and place all of our belongings in there.

Sadly, we would be flying back to New York tomorrow since we still had classes and everything, but we just wanted to see our OG friends since we hadn't seen them since last Christmas, almost ten months ago.

I laid on the bed, completely drained of energy before Matt comes bursting through the door, "Bro, Alpha Chi Omega is throwing a party, wanna go?"

Garrett turned to look at me and I nodded eagerly, wanting to go to a real fraternity party since the ones at Columbia weren't as fun as parties in the south. Too many rich classy bitches.

"Give us ten minutes and we will be ready," I assured Matt. He agreed and he walked out of the room.

I run to my suitcase to try to find something to wear. I didn't really bring party clothes, crap.

It was still warm down here, in the low eighties.

I pulled out a white mini dress. It had a black and red pattern running down the dress. I put on a pair of black booties and looked at my outfit in the mirror. Good enough, not like I have anyone to impress.

I pulled my hair into a ponytail, not wanting to do anything to it, and added some extra touches to my makeup. I took one last look in the mirror before exiting the bathroom to find my fiancé so we would leave.

"Damn, my girl is smokin' hot!" Garrett whistles as I walk out to greet him. I laughed and kissed his cheek, grabbing my purse to bring with me.

I look at his outfit, he was wearing a pair of khakis and a navy blue polo with a Columbia football logo in the corner of the shirt. My mouth watered at the sight of his muscles almost ripping out of his shirt. "You look hot as well, like gosh! I'm really going to marry this?"

"I can't wait for summer. Going to be the best day of my life. I can't wait to marry my best friend."

I smiled, "It is going to be a painful wait. Part of me wants to go to the courthouse and just get a marriage license and the other part of me wants to go to freaking Bora Bora and get married on the beach."

He chuckled pulling me in for a kiss, "Same. But I kinda would like to see you in a bikini wedding dress if that's a thing?"

"Uh, no I don't think that's a thing."

"Damn." He stood up and grabbed my hand so we could go meet Matt and Savannah downstairs to head to the fraternity.

When we arrived, the party was in full swing even though it was only nine o'clock.

As we walked through the door, Matt was greeted by some frat guy, they did a handshake and then we walked inside, taking in the alcoholic smell that devoured us is all around.

"Well, I can't drink even if I wanted to so, I'm gonna get a water," Garrett said, trying to find the kitchen. I placed my hand on his hand, so I wouldn't lose him. Since he was still in football season which means, no drinking. If his coach found out he had drunken anything he would be benched. They take things very seriously at Columbia. I would not be surprised if he didn't get in trouble for even going to a party.

I chuckled, "Same, I don't feel like flying with a hangover tomorrow."

Why did we even come to this exactly if no one was drinking? I'm sure Savannah and Matt were, I mean their bodies were probably used to the high alcohol intake from all of these college parties.

Once we found a bottle of unopened water we walked around before I stopped at a ping-pong table where a group of guys was playing beer pong. One of the guys threw the ball, totally missing the shot. And then missing the second shot as well.

I laughed, and they turned to face me. "What? You think this is ea-zz-y?" He slurred taking a sip of whatever was in the red solo cup, attached to his hand.

I bit my lip to refrain saying something stupid, "I mean, no, but when you have good aim it is."

"Okay get your fine ass over here and play." The guy spoke, earning a glare from Garrett who immediately wrapped his arm around my waist. He was so sexy when he was jealous.

The other team missed the ball on their two tries. I picked up the ping pong ball and chose which one I was going to sink the ball into. "Back right," I called. I bounced the ball in a perfect motion, letting the ball slide across the rim and into the cup.

The boys immediately shouted and threw their hands up in the girl because they just got showed up by a girl. I smirked, picking up the other ball, "Front ball." I flicked the ball and it bounced into the cup in a fluid motion.

"I believe that's balls back, and you have another drink to drink," I told the boys on the other team. They groaned as they chugged the liquid down their throat.

-

After a long two painful hours at the fraternity party, Garrett and I decided to call it a night. The others still were living it up, so we told them we were going back to the house. Savannah gave me one of her keys so we could get in, thank god.

Once we arrived at the house, I immediately kicked off my shoes as we entered the guest bedroom. I hated heels. Why are they so uncomfortable?

"I feel like we were too old to be there," I laughed, "Like hi, I'm engaged, why am I at a frat party? But I'm only 21 so it's so not too young."

Garrett chuckled in response, taking his shoes off as well, "I completely understand, it felt like we were playing beer pong with a bunch of thirteen-year-olds."

I laugh, grabbing my pajamas out of my suitcase so I could change into them. Garrett came up behind me and rubbed my shoulders, my body immediately relaxing. He then whispered in my ear, "Shower?"

My ears got warm as I thought about all of the dirty things we always did in the shower together, and the fact we were at my brother's and best friend's house, "Yes please."

Not like he uses this shower, right?