Four Years Later

Skye's PoV

My heart was hammering in my chest as he knelt before me in the middle of our work's Winter Bonanza, a small box held open in his hands as he spoke to me. I covered my mouth in surprise, trying desperately to hide my true thoughts and feelings at this moment. Before me knelt the CEO of the company I worked for, Travis Heinbecker; his black hair was parted like a typical business man, smoothed down to perfection so that his image never faltered. His three piece suit was one bought straight from a fashion designer, one that he boasted about knowing since High School. This man was who I had been dating for the last six months but I'd never expected a proposal. I was convinced it'd never happen.

I'd been at this company now since I left college. It took me years of hard work and graft to move up to this level, now as the PA to one of the executives. It was during a meeting with these people that I had met Travis in the first place. I'd been there as the minute taker whilst the people around the table discussed just about anything and everything. Whilst everyone else filtered out and ignored me like usual, he actually stopped and thanked me, offering me a handshake. It was strange, I'd thought, but also nice. He'd taken the time to recognise me. A month of near on daily meetings with him showed both of us that we had interest in the other and not long after, he had asked me to go out for dinner after work with him. Six months had gone by as we whizzed through the year focussed on work and sales, making sure the company was in credit and looking good for the papers and we were all ready to let our hair down at this party. Except this had happened.
I'd always imagined how I'd get proposed to. It had been something I'd thought about a lot as a teenager and I'd always thought about it being with one particular man... not that it mattered any more. Hayden and I barely spoke now. It was as if I'd imagined that palpable feeling in the room when our eyes met, or how the corners of his lips would always turn up slightly as soon as he saw me down the corridor, or how I'd have to play with my zip or pockets to stop myself feeling so nervous around him. That last day of college still stung. I should have told him how I felt but I was young and stupid and scared. Now I'll never know and instead of him proposing to me like I'd always dreamed - by the beach as the sunset, the two of us sitting together in the sand discussing our future, we would then write our names in the sand and let the water take them into the horizon where I imagined they would stay forever - I was being proposed to by Travis, in the middle of a party of people who barely knew who I was, making me nervous as everyone watched on. Exactly the opposite to what I wanted.

"Travis, I-" I was in shock. Everyone waited expectantly for my excitable, emotional yes but the delay between his proposal and my response was starting to make everyone uncomfortable. I could see his eyes pleading at me to answer, to get him out of this awkward situation I'd thrown him in. We could always talk about this after the party, right? "Sorry, I'm just so shocked. Of course, I'd love to marry you!" I lied through my teeth, his Colgate smile flashing and nearly blinding me as he picked me up and spun me round like a princess in a Disney movie. My head hurt, as did my heart, realising once again that this man wasn't Hayden. He may have been CEO of the company and a very rich and handsome man - probably the perfect partner for half of the world - but he would never live up to how I felt about Hayden, despite all those years apart. Four years had passed since the day I said goodbye to him and he stayed in my thoughts all the time. A few times a week I would draft him a text or hover my finger over the call button just to see how he was but every time I talked myself out of it; I thought he'd be busy, successful in his fathers business that he was taking over, being able to have any woman he wanted - and that wouldn't be me. I just had to accept it, but a part of me always refused. There was still a minuscule chance it could happen and so I clung to the hope.

"Thank you Sweetheart, I love you." Travis had once again stunned me with his words. In front of so many prying eyes, eager for gossip, he was announcing his love and an engagement. We'd never discussed it before so something in my mind nagged that this was protecting his image or job, that somehow having me by his side would help him so I went along without question.

"I love you too, honey." I said through practically gritted teeth, the cheers erupting from all those who had enjoyed the free show. I sunk into myself as I looked around, realising just how many had been there. Suddenly, paparazzi were on us like lions to prey, their flashes blinding me for minutes as they shouted their congratulations and said it was a surprise. I grinned and acted happily, counting down the minutes until I could finally get out of this hellhole party and finally spend some time by myself. As Travis pulled me into a hug, his lips moved inches from my ear.

"Thank you for playing along. I'll explain it all back in the room when I know noone is listening." I kissed him on the cheek to satisfy the hungry lenses of the paps.

"So this proposal isn't real?" I double checked, my body finally relaxing at this possible good news.

"No."