I heard the knock at the door and rolled my eyes. Alan wasn't home and I honestly hated being the one to answer the door.

It was 11:30 on Monday morning, which meant that Syd was already on her flight back to New York and I was stuck at school wishing that she were still here with me.

The knock sounded again, a bit louder this time as I forced myself to get up from the couch, still in my pajamas with bed head and monkey slippers. Classes for the new semester didn't start until January 18th, so I was planning on sleeping in and relaxing while I still could.

"I'm coming!" I called out in annoyance as the person knocked for a third time, the banging sound feeling like needles poking the inside of my ears. "Chill out." I mumbled under my breath as I reached the door, yanking it open and looking up groggily to see who had interrupted my pity party.

Instead of being able to see who it was, I was immediately unable to see anything as the person on the other side tackled me in a huge bear hug, knocking me on the ground with the force of their excitement.

"Dan, this is a really weird way to show up at your old apartment." I commented as my head hit the carpet, only increasing my rising headache.

"Shut up, you idiot." Sydney rolled her eyes as she looked down at me, and I felt my heart practically stop as I fully comprehended that she was here: she wasn't on a plane, she wasn't in New York, she was here with me. "But I guess I should be grateful that you didn't assume it was another girl."

"No girl except you would be able to take me down with one hug." I laughed, "You've been working out, babe."

"I definitely have." Syd grinned, "I have to keep up with my jacked boyfriend."

I nodded, smiling slightly. I was hoping the word "boyfriend" would have transitioned into something else by now, but then again, there was nothing I could do about what she wanted.

"Why aren't you on a plane to JFK?" I asked as we both stood up and I closed the apartment door behind her. "I thought your flight left half an hour ago."

"It was supposed to." Sydney nodded, "But I had some unfinished things to take care of before I left, so I got a different flight that leaves tomorrow."

"Won't you miss a day with the Symphony?" I asked, concerned. "Will Amy try and take over?"

"Not if she knows what's good for her." Sydney laughed, "I think my little threat worked its way into her head." She paused, looking up at me with slight confusion. "You don't seem too surprised to see me."

I couldn't help but smile.

"I don't think I ever really convinced myself that you left in the first place." I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer, placing a kiss on her forehead. "If I may ask, why exactly are you still in Virginia?"

Sydney drew away from me and looked me in the eye, tears starting to form in hers. I felt my heart start to break at the image of her crying as she took my hand in hers.

"I wanted to apologize." She whispered, "I wanted to apologize for saying stupid things and never knowing the right way to behave in romantic situations."

I laughed. She was right; she never knew how to respond to romantic gestures. For our second anniversary I had thrown her a surprise party with all of our college friends and she had responded by slapping me and saying that she wasn't wearing the right makeup for a party.

Of course, they way she was awkward about romance was one of the things I happened to love the most about her.

"You know you don't have to apologize for that, Syd. We've been dating for four years, if that were an issue then I'd be long gone."

"I know that, you dork." Sydney rolled her eyes, "Let me finish." She took a deep breath, "I'm sorry for last night. For saying that I wanted to take things slow."

I felt my heartbeat start to pick up as I pictured exactly where the ring was located in the apartment: just a few feet away, on the kitchen table, still in the black velvet box it had been in when I had planned on proposing the night before.

"I didn't mean that." Sydney shook her head, "And I took some time to think about it afterwards. So I know why I said it in the first place."

I nodded.

"Why did you?"

"Because I was scared." Sydney replied, "I was scared that you wouldn't want to move things along. I know that you're usually quicker to move than I am, but at the same time...that means that you were quicker to break up with me than I was you. I didn't want to be the desperate person who was dumped and then wanted a ring..."

"Syd, shh." I whispered, as her shoulders started to shake with her crying, "I would never do anything to hurt you, ever again. I'm always ready to do whatever you want. I...wait, so does that mean that you didn't want to move slow?"

Sydney shook her head.

"No, I didn't. I would marry you in a heartbeat, Connor Hall. I would start the rest of our lives whenever you said the word."

I backed up a foot or two and grabbed the box from the table behind us, bending down until I was on one knee in front of the love of my life.

"There's no time quite like the present."

Sydney's hands covered her mouth as she continued to cry, shaking her head as I began to speak.

"Sydney Porter, I've loved you since the day we met. I loved you even before we met for the first time. We had such a unique way of coming into contact with each other, and I don't think that I would have it any other way." I forced myself not to cry, wanting to appear manly. "You're beautiful on the inside and out; you're the only person I think I would ever be able to call mine with no qualms about it. I love you so much, Syd...there's no one on this earth I would want to share my life with besides you."

I opened the box, revealing the rock I had saved and saved for. Her eyes widened in amazement as she looked down at the ring, her tears starting to cease as the reality of what was happening started to hit both of us at the same time.

But I was so ready.

"Sydney Porter. Will you marry me?"

A/N: *Sydnor/Conney shippers screaming everywhere*

Also, I think updates are going to have to be Sunday and Thursday, because now that I have a part-time job at school I'm not going to have time to write on Monday-Wednesday. So that's the new upload schedule for the rest of the book!

Thoughts? What will Sydney say?

Also, check out the #WattpadBlockParty on February 14th to see my entry to it! 

-Katherine