Chapter 24

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2017

The engagement ring was burning a hole in my pocket. It had been for several months now.

I had bought it before we even celebrated a full year together - that's how convinced I already was that we were going to go the distance. Let's face it, I'd always known, deep down, if we managed to finally get together, Iona would be it for me.

And the past fifteen months had proved it over and over.

With Iona back in my life, and now in the place she should have been all along, everything had finally slotted into place. It made sense. It was perfect.

I remember the day after we finally got together, waking up alone in bed, and thinking "fuck, was that all another dream?" Had my brain really did the ultimate number on me, and finally blurred my subconscious completely with reality?

Then I'd realised I wasn't in my own bed, and Iona had quietly let herself into her room, with the bacon sandwiches she'd rustled up for us in the kitchen. And I knew that finally my dream had come true. She was actually mine.

We needed to work that Saturday, of course, but for the first time it didn't really feel like work for me. Sidelong glances and stolen kisses, as well as the anticipation of more togetherness later, made the day seem far easier and brighter.

I know, I'm a massive sap. But finally I was where I wanted to be.

After a lifetime of hiding feelings, of not being honest, all of our truths were now spilling out. I told her about the many dreams I'd had about her, and it turned out she had also dreamt of me. Curled up together in bed most nights, we filled each other in on the parts of our lives we had missed out on.

We also spoke in far more detail about all the interactions we remembered from over the years. "Imagine if we had kissed at David's party all those years ago," Iona had said dreamily. "If I'd got there earlier, and Christine hadn't already kissed you."

I'd laughed. "I sometimes wonder if I'd actually have had the guts to make a move that night, if things had been different," I admitted. I'd had a lot of time to muse about that over the years. "I'd definitely have told you how I felt at prom though. The words were so close to coming out."

"Fucking Martin," she had muttered. That phrase was bandied about a lot over those first few months. You'll be glad to know, by the way, that he shot off with his tail between his legs the morning after our confrontation . . . And his girlfriend Monica dumped him shortly after for a semi-famous actor. Karma in action.

Anyway, back to the ring. As soon as I'd spotted it, I knew it was perfect. Platinum, set with an amethyst stone. The grown-up equivalent of the purple pen. A gesture far more massive than the pillow fort. That ring was absolutely made for Iona Stewart . . . Or Iona Thorne, should she choose to take my name.

I just needed to find the perfect moment to propose.

And yes, like I've said before, I know waiting for such a moment had ruined my life in the past, but this time I knew I didn't need to worry about that. Iona and me were together, regardless of that ring . . . We had all the time in the world.

I stopped walking, and Iona turned to look at me questioningly.

"You okay?" She asked, brown eyes sparkling.

We were in Sidari, on the Greek island of Corfu. Our first holiday abroad together. The sandy beach was deserted, and I couldn't have designed a more beautiful sunset for this moment.

And this was the moment.

I fumbled in my pocket, my finger closing over the coolness of the ring, and took a deep breath.

"Iona?" I said softly. My mind was racing, my heart thumping frantically against my ribcage. I'd thought about the proposal so many times, even before I bought the ring, but I'd never been able to arrange my muddled thoughts enough to actually formulate the words. I was going to have to wing this.

"I've been in love with you for more than twenty years," I blurted out. "I had so many opportunities to tell you, and I fucked it so many times, and you have no idea how glad I am that we found each other again."

She smiled. "I actually think I do have a pretty decent idea," she countered. "Every bloody day I feel so thankful you came down to Glasgow looking for me on impulse like that, and so relieved that our mums decided they were going to try their hand at match-making." She laughed and reached out for my spare hand, squeezing it gently. "I just can't imagine my life without you in it now."

That was the perfect opening. I dropped down on one knee. "On that note . . ." I pulled the ring out of my pocket, my hand shaking. "Will you marry me, Iona?"

Her eyes filled with tears. "Of course," she replied, without hesitation. Unable to stop smiling, I slipped the ring on her finger. "Took you long enough," she added brightly. "I found the ring in a drawer months ago." She glanced down at it in admiration. "It's perfect, by the way."

Everything about this was perfect. The setting, the ring, her smile. The fact she'd said yes. The future I could see with her, spread out in front of me. "I love you, Iona Stewart," I whispered as she wrapped her arms around me. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

"You don't need to wait," she replied, snuggling into me. "You already are."

And that, of course, was also the perfect response.

The End


I never planned to write Ryan's side of this story - and then, when the idea came to me, I was simply intending to add it as a few bonus chapters to the original "No Reservations". But then it grew metaphorical arms and legs, and I realised how much Ryan actually wanted to say.

In some ways, it was actually easier to write than my other stories as I already knew the plot and just needed to tell it from the other viewpoint... but this also made it difficult at times, because I didn't want to tell exactly the same story twice. I hope those of you who read "No Reservations" first didn't find it too repetitive: I did my best to try and mix it up!

A note on location . . . The Thorne Inn obviously does not exist in real life. I mean, I'm sure there are hotels named this, but my version of it is completely fictional, albeit based on many hotels I've visited in the Scottish Highlands. The unnamed village is fictional too; just look at the road between Inverness and Ullapool on a map and imagine it somewhere roughly halfway between! I didn't want to commit too much to an exact location.

Obviously, other places visited by Ryan - Torridon, Loch Maree, and Mellon Udrigle - very much exist and are very beautiful. If you ever visit Scotland, I'd definitely recommend!

I hope you enjoyed "Ryan's Version" and once again want to thank you all for your support and comments. I'll be back soon with another story . . . Just need to sort out a cover, title, and - er - most of the plot first.

Thanks again!xx


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