The Crystal 3 by Jones M (best beach reads TXT) 📖

flickering. With furrowed eyebrows, I walked towards it. When I was near it, I realized it was a small spherical bulb. It had been pinned high on a tree.

I looked around, noticing that I was on the path to the location Zane had requested to meet him. I continued forward, seeing another spherical bulb.

It was then that I figured it was something planned by Zane.

My feet covered more distance as I was reaching closer to the spot, smiling as I found other bulbs hanging on the trees. Minutes later, I came to a stop when I was in a clearing. There were more bulbs placed on the surrounding trees. They were many, and they were bright enough to illuminate the grass and the river flowing beside me.

I stood in silence, only hearing the sounds of birds as they went to settle in their nests and the flowing river.

"Zane?" I called out.

Then suddenly, a piano was being played. A couple of voices followed that.

"♪Oh no,

Did I get too close?
Oh,

did I almost see

what's really on the inside?
All your insecurities
All the dirty laundry
Never made me blink one time♪"

The song was being played slowly, unlike the dance version by Katy Perry. 

Confusion settled in for a while, but then I soon realized I heard Selena's voice. She was the one singing the slow version of the song. Like, she was right there. Moreover, there were male voices that sang the song with her. I looked around, my eyes searching for her or whoever was hiding in the trees.

"Emery," Zane's voice broke through the music. I turned to face him, finding him standing and staring at me. He had worn casual clothes, but the atmosphere felt anything but relaxed.

"Zane...hi. What's going on?" I asked him with a confused expression. He just smiled at me as he began to approach me.

"I thought about doing this on a fancy date, but your cousin told me it wouldn't matter to you. All that matters is what I plan to tell you right now."

"Okay... Zane, I'm confused," I replied with an uncertain smile.

"Of course you are," he said with a grin before pecking my left cheek with his lips. I blushed as I felt electricity run through my form from the contact, a reminder of how Zane still affected me.

"Emery, I remember the first time I saw you."

Huh?

"The only thing I could think about was how beautiful you are. You were the girl who kept to herself, and I admired that about you. I wanted to get to know you, but I couldn't. I was scared to admit the feelings I have for you, and I was afraid that you would reject me."

"Zane--" I went to speak, but he cut me off.

"I loved you then, and I still love you now. After the crap I pulled on you in high school, you disappeared. I was sad and angry with myself, but I felt glad when I saw you in the Starbucks café years ago. I felt like the universe was giving me a second chance. I thought I could show you the real me, but I ended up ruining that too. In fact, I still can't understand how I created a bigger mess than I did when we were in high school."

"Zane--"

"I regret the thirteen years that we spent away from each other. I regret all the crap I did to you, and I mostly regret making you shed a tear because of what I did to you. You didn't deserve it. No woman deserves that."

"Zane--"

What the hell is going on?

"In spite of all the things I did, I got to be near you again. You being the beautiful, wonderful person you are, you decided to forgive me."

Zane chuckled.

"I didn't expect that, and I believed I was a ticking time bomb for you. But you showed me that I wasn't, and you were willing to give me a chance that I still don't believe I deserve."

"Zane--"

"I was determined to stay away from you, but I couldn't. I am a selfish person when it comes to you, Emery. I decided I couldn't escape wanting you. I couldn't avoid you and the feelings you invoke in me. We had been separated for more than a decade, Emery, and I did not want to see that happening again. I wanted you to be mine, and I am not planning to let you go. I want everyone to know that you are mine. I want everyone to know that I am deeply in love with you, Emery."

Zane then knelt with one knee on the ground. I gasped, and so did someone in the background. I didn't turn, too focused on Zane as he took out a small blue box from his pocket.

"I love you so much, Emery. There is no other woman for me but you."

Zane opened the box, revealing a diamond ring that glistened in the light produced by the surrounding bulbs.

"Will you marry me?"

Oh, my. Oh, dear. He did not. He did not just--

BUT HE DID!

My eyes focused on Zane before drifting to the ring.

Was I ready for this? Was I ready and certain about spending the rest of my life with Zane?

As I thought about it, the immediate answer was 'yes'. Zane and I had declared our love for each other in the previous year. We had started dating. I had spent most of my time at his home ever since we became a couple. We knew everything about each other, and we were comfortable around each other. Zane was there for me as I was for him.

Was I really ready for a future with Zane? Was I ready to be his wife and to have kids with him?

An image regarding the last thought formed in my mind. Instead of being scared, I was happy. I pictured living in a house with Zane, and I pictured having little versions of us running around the house. I was being offered that at the current time.

I had no idea of how long I stared at the ring, and so my eyes shot up when I brought my focus to my surroundings. Tears had started to form in my eyes, and I was startled that I missed them disrupting my vision. I soon found myself nodding as a smile took over my features.

"Yes. Yes, I will marry you," I replied as I blinked the tears away. Zane too had been tearing up, and so he took my right hand. He helped me put on the ring before he stood up. He was smiling as he embraced me in a tight hug.

I wrapped my arms around his back as he spun us around on the grass. He was laughing with happiness. He stopped moving, staring into my eyes.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," I replied before we kissed.

"I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU GUYS!" Selena yelled. Zane and I abruptly ended the kiss, turning to see her come out of the forest with Ashley, Harry, Erick, Elizabeth, Ethan, Liam and Logan.

"You knew about this?" I asked Selena once they were a few feet in front of us.

"Of course we did," Ashley replied. "Selena was meant to distract you while the rest of us helped Zane plan how he would propose to you."

"Aw, thanks, you guys," I said, going to embrace everyone.

"Congratulations, Emery," Harry said with a grin. "So, when's the wedding?"

 

 

Chapter 27

 

Months later

Emery's P.O.V

I was in my former room in Crystalia's castle with Elizabeth. Ever since Zane proposed and the news about our engagement spread throughout Crystalia, Trisha, her daughters, my cousin, Ashley and the former queen of Crystalia had been in an excited buzz. A week had not even passed before we started planning for the wedding.

I thought about having a simple ceremony with close friends and family, but the said people denied the idea. They wanted the extravagant kind of planning. Guests, waiters, sitting arrangements, food, the dresses... everything. It was slightly annoying, but I found it great to be the bride. I was mostly excited that I got to be a bitch and to get away with it.

Ha-ha, just kidding. I only acted like a bitch when something I wanted was not happening.

"You look gorgeous!" Elizabeth complimented me as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I had worn a white, flowery organza wedding dress. It had sleeves that reached my wrists, and it barely hid my figure. I had applied a decent amount of makeup, and my hair had been curled, reaching my shoulders.

At the moment, I had worn high-heel shoes. I knew it would hurt later, but I told myself it was worth it for the wedding.

"Thank you," I replied with a smile, making a few spins as I observed how I looked in the dress.

I indeed looked beautiful.

The sound of clicking heels distracted my focus on the mirror. The door leading to the room opened, revealing Selena and Ashley. Ashley was the maid of honor, and Selena was one of the bridesmaids. When we were planning the wedding, I told them to decide among themselves who would be the maid of honor. I did not want to be included in a fight that could have happened.

The theme of the wedding was a mixture of colors between yellow and brown. Ashley and Selena had worn dandelion-yellow dresses, with Ashley's being a couple of shades lighter than Selena's. Both of their hairs had been styled into buns, with Ashley having placed a white hairband around her bun.

"Oh my gosh! That looks so cute!" Ashley gushed at the sight of me. With a smirk, I spun around, giving her and my cousin a good eyeful of my dress.

"Emery, you look beautiful," Selena said. "Wait until Zane sees you in that. Do you think he could faint in public?"

I rolled my eyes at her with a smile.

The door was pushed open, and in came Zane's mother.

"Trisha!" I greeted her with a smile.

"You look beautiful, Emery."

"I know, right?" Selena stated. "Could your son faint in public at the sight of her?"

I couldn't believe Selena repeated the question, but I remained silent, watching as Trisha gained a thoughtful look.

"It is possible, and it would be funny if he does."

We laughed as I turned to look at my reflection.

"Emery, how are you feeling?" Elizabeth asked. She had settled on the bed that was behind me.

"Currently a mixture of emotions. I'm nervous, excited and happy at the same time."

"We know. You are getting married!" Ashley yelled before squealing in excitement.

"Okay, okay," Elizabeth spoke. "We only have a few minutes left before the ceremony begins."

"WHAT?" I shouted as my eyes widened in disbelief.

"Relax, Emery. You just have to wear the veil, and you are all set," Ashley said as she walked around the room to get to me. Once she was close, she took the veil that was hanging on top of the mirror and handed it to me. She also helped me put it in place.

"There. Now let's go and get our wedding on," Ashley stated as she made dance moves, making the rest of us turn to face her with weird looks.

"What?"

"No," we all said at the same time, referring to her dancing. Ashley chose to roll her eyes at us.

"Are you ready, Emery?" Trisha asked. My heart thudded