Moving On- part three

~*~

A few days later I was released from the hospital and the next few months blurred together. The trial was long and very emotional for me as well as my friends. Once it was finally over and Robert was firmly behind bars we all managed to relax a little. Nearly a year later we were all sitting at our favorite table at our favorite restaurant, Andrea’s.

“Ahh what a week!” Nicole sighed as she leaned back in her chair and took a sip of her drink. I

“Yes it mush have been so draining planning my demise.” I said dryly throwing a chip at her. Ashley nodded her agreement as she took the chip basket away so I couldn’t throw anymore chips.

For the past week every time I would walk into a room and contained Jordan and one of my friends they would get really quiet and I knew they were talking about me. Yesterday morning I had finally declared that I had figured out that they were plotting to kill me and that I was onto their plan in hopes of getting one of them to accidentally let slip a detail of what they were planning, unfortunately no such luck. Jordan had laughed and kissed me on the forehead, Nicole and Ashley had both agreed with me, and Tony had just burst out laughing.

“Oh yes very draining, you’re a hard woman to get rid of Alexi Michaels. We have to erase all the evidence you know.” Ashley laughed.

I was about to answer back but Jordan and Tony walked up to the table and sat down in the remaining two seats.

“Hey baby.” Jordan said as he sat down. I kissed him on the cheek and grabbed his hand.

“You and Tony done discussing how to kill me then?” I asked him cheerfully as I passed him his drink.

“Of course we are. Why do you think we finally came to the table?” Jordan replied without missing a beat.

I pulled a pouting face as the rest of my friends laughed. Our food showed up soon afterwards and the subject moved on to different things. We talked our way through dessert and all the way till closing time when the manager came by and sat down with to talk with us for another half hour. We finally decided it was time to go and we all piled out of the restaurant.

We had driven two cars and Nicole opted to ride with Tony and Ashley rather than with Jordan and me as she had done on the way to the restaurant. Jordan was driving and he and I were talking and laughing so much that I didn’t even notice that he wasn’t heading home until we pulled up in front of the beach.

“Jordan what are we doing here?” I asked him as he turned the engine off.

“Just wait you’ll see.” He said. I watched him slide his shoes off and I copied him and got out of the truck. He took my hand and we set off down the shore, wading in and out of the water and just fooling around on the beach.

Somehow I ended up challenging him to try and catch me and I dashed away through the sand, laughing as he chased after me. I screamed as I felt his arms wrap around my waist and he pulled me to the ground laughing. We mock wrestled before he pinned me down in the sand.

“Ha, I win.” He said. “What is my prize?”

I laughed, “Come closer and I’ll show you.” I said teasingly.

He leaned his head in and kissed me softly on the lips. We laid there on the sand cuddling and kissing for nearly a half hour before he rolled over onto his side and looked at me.

“I love you.” He said softly with a smile.

I rolled onto my side as well and looked at him, “And I love you my darling.” I replied as I let my head fall onto my outstretched arm.

“Alexi can I tell you something?” Jordan asked, brushing a stray piece of hair that had fallen out of my ponytail, out of my face.

“Of course.” I said, he sat up and criss-crossed his legs beneath him.

“You are the most amazing thing that has every happened to me you know that?” he said. “And I love you more and more everyday.”

I picked my head up off my arm and looked up at him. I opened my mouth to say something but he stopped me.

“Alexi I don’t know what I would do without you in my life. You are the most amazing and beautiful girl I have ever met and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Alexi Michaels, my love, my life, and my soul-mate, will you marry me?”

I sat up in shock and watched as he pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it. Inside was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. I was stunned speechless, for about half a second.

“Oh Jordan yes! Yes of course I’ll marry you!” I exclaimed. He gathered me into his arms and we kissed again but this time I had tears running down my face.

“Here darling put this on.” He said to me after we pulled apart.

He slid the ring onto my ring finger and I was amazed when it fit perfectly.

“It’s perfect!” I said as I admired the ring, “How did you figure out my ring size?”

“I got Nicole to borrow one of the rings you wear on your ring finger and we used that.” He replied.

“Well this is perfect!” I repeated happily, “And it’s so beautiful I love it!”

Jordan lay back down on the beach and I snuggled into his arms, resting my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and we just laid there enjoying each other’s company when I thought of something.

“This is what you have been planning isn’t it?” I demanded softly sitting up and looking at him.

“Of course.” He replied with a smile.

“And you goofballs just let me think you were going to kill me the whole time.” I said in a fake reprimanding voice.

“It was something to keep you occupied.” Jordan joked back.

I smiled as an idea took root in my mind. “Well how about something to keep you occupied then?” I whispered flirtatiously. I pressed my body on top of his and kissed him sweetly on the mouth. As we kissed I snaked my hand down the side of his body and in the flash of an eye I grabbed his keys and jumped up.

Before he could do anything I took off running and waving his keys behind me. I could hear him yelling and laughing behind me. As I neared his car I unlocked it with the remote and I quickly jumped into the cab and shut the door and locked it. Seconds later he came running up and laughed when he saw me sitting in his truck.

I stuck the key in the ignition and started the engine so I could roll the windows down.

“Hey there good lookn’ what are you doing wanderin’ ‘round the beach this late at night?” I asked sweetly, mimicking the best southern accent I could as I leaned out of the window.

“Well ma’am you see this girl stole my keys so now I don’t know what to do.” He replied politely.

“Well did she steal your heart too boy?” I asked.

“She stole that a long time ago ma’am.” Jordan said.

“Well you probably stole hers too then.”

“I sure think so ma’am.” He leaned his arm through the window next to mine and I kissed him again.

“Yes sir you did.” I said, “Common get it here you know I hate driving this thing.” I said as I unlocked the doors and slid over across the seat. He got in and before he buckled up I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

“You sure are a good lookin’ guy.” I whispered, still using my southern drawl.

“Why thank you ma’am, you’re not so bad yourself.” He replied. We both laughed and as we left the beach I reflected on my life.

Sure there had been some really horrible things happen to me but there were some real amazing things that happened to me too. I had amazing friends and an amazing boyfriend, *ahem* fiancé, and although my past was not one to dwell on my future was certainly looking amazing.

~Epilogue~

Jordan and I got married almost six months later on that same beach in the same spot where he had asked me to marry him. I later figured out it was also the same place we had had our first kiss so many years ago in the seventh grade.

Ashley and Tony got married the following year and Nicole brought a date to both weddings, the same guy both times coincidentally. As time went on we all forgot about Robert and everything that had happened involving him.

We moved on to the next chapter in our lives, the chapter where we all got amazing jobs and started families of our own. We all stayed really close and we always joke that eventually we will get sick of each other, but I don’t see it happening. And honestly, I really hope it doesn’t.