Chapter One – The Proposal | Now | 

 

There was a limit to everything. I was compelled to believe that I’d reached mine.

“Miss Monroe, is it true that you’re marrying Oliver?”

“Are you dating him?”

“When’s the wedding date?”

“How long have you known him?”

“Are you pregnant?”

My eyes remained glued to the screen as I watched myself panic. My eyes were wide and I looked like death had come to take me in the form of inquisitive journalists. Then, Landon appeared beside me, his blue eyes fueled with anger. He took my hand in his. That really set the paparazzi off, but he didn’t stay for long.

Then, the video ended and a reporter appeared on the screen. “There you have it.” She said, looking directly into the eyes of the camera. “Oliver, the lead singer in Coveted Hearts, is officially engaged. Though we were unable to get the words out of Oliver or the new lady in his life, we have an inside source telling us that this is the real deal. If we doubted it before, seeing their hands together really confirms it. Miss Faline Monroe is not seen wearing a ring yet, but we’re sure that—”

The screen in front of me suddenly went blank, and I looked up to see Landon holding the remote. I glared at him. “Why did you turn it off?”

“Why are you watching that?” He asked me. “They’re insane. They say stupid meaningless things. They’ll say horrible things about you. Why do you want to put yourself through that?”

“I’m not putting myself through anything. They’re just talking about wedding rumors.” I told him. They weren’t saying anything that I already hadn’t heard. I was the new lady in Landon’s life that appeared out of nowhere, and the weird thing was, I wasn’t even a lady in his life. I was just his best friend—that he wanted to marry.

“We’ll hold a press conference and make it official, Faline. Don’t worry. Remember that I’m the one who asked you to marry me, not the other way around.” He told me, his blue eyes boring into mine. “I was the one who brought you here. I got you involved in all of this. It’s my duty to protect you from it, too. These people are brutal. They’ll do anything for news. Right now, the biggest news is that I want to marry you.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do you want to marry me?” I asked him. “Why me?”

“Who else can I trust enough to marry? I’ve known you since the beginning of time, Bambi. Besides, I already explained all of it to you.” That’s what he always said. The way I saw it, Landon had barely explained anything to me, other than the fact that he wanted to marry me.

He knew I could never tell him no.

We’d known each other since we were kids. We never separated from each other until he was discovered online and got invited to L.A. Now, he was famous. He was a singer and an actor, and he wanted to marry her. Why? He’d already explained all of it to me, of course.

And I never saw any of this coming.

There was a sudden knock on the door and I saw Landon’s manager, Eduardo, poke his head inside. “Landon?”

“I’m here.” The man in question responded, getting up.

“The band’s waiting for you.” With that, Eduardo left. Once he was gone, Landon looked at me.

“I just got an idea.” He said, his eyes brightening.

“What?” I asked, not liking the expression on his face. It meant trouble.

“It’s nothing bad.” And that confirmed it. “Just make sure that you’re right in front of the stage, okay? I want to see you when I look down when I’m singing. Take Karen with you.” Karen was Landon’s make-up artist. “But be there, okay?”

I could only nod.

Landon gave me a quick hug and then vanished from the door.

Why did Landon want me in the audience when I could easily watch his performance from backstage? There was a television here.

I figured I had nothing to do in Landon’s dressing room either, so I went out. I instantly saw Karen. “Karen!” I called, hoping to catch her attention. I succeeded. The emo girl in question turned to look at me, then waved.

Karen was, like I said, Landon’s make-up artist. Even though she was still young, even younger than I was, she’d somehow managed to get the job. She probably had pretty colored hair, but she dyed it all black. She wore netted black clothing and boots.

“You want me?” She asked.

“Landon wants me in the audience. Will you come with me? Please?” I begged her.

She laughed. “Of course!” 

It was a tedious task to get to where Landon asked us to be. Thankfully, I had Karen to shamelessly maneuver us through the crowd. We made it to the stage just as Liam appeared.

The crowd went wild.

“Hello everyone!” Landon screamed into the microphone. The crowd cheered, everyone waving their hands and phones in the air. I momentarily wondered how many phones they’d find in the audience after the show ended. “I’m super excited to be here, too!” Landon screamed back into the chaos. “To prove it, I’m going to sing a special brand new song here, tonight. I wrote it a little while ago and you guys will be the first to hear it!!” That really made the crowd happy. “Are we ready?” He asked, glancing back at his band, the group of boys that I’d grown up with.

They weren’t just Coveted Hearts. They were my boys. Letting go a little, I joined the crowd and cheered too.

This wasn’t my first time at a Coveted Hearts concert. I was certain that it wouldn’t be my last, so why should it be any different from the others I went to? This was my favorite band. I’d been with the boys when they did gig at local bars and parties. I was the one behind the camera when we filmed their songs and posted them on YouTube. I was the first one who found out when that hotshot producer/manager dude from L.A. called. I was the one who cried when Landon and the boys got on that plane.

I’d been here through the success and through all the failures that this band had gone through. They’d worked hard, and while I wasn’t trying to take any credit for their success, I felt proud of myself for being that firm pillar that supported them when they’d needed it the most. So I was proud every time I saw them singing on stage, or when I saw their faces on a window, or CD cover. I grinned like an idiot when their songs played on the radio. Sure, that might not be like every other psychotic fan girl that obsessed over Coveted Hearts, but I definitely was the first one.

Landon looked down, making eye contact with me. He flashed a brilliant smile at me and I couldn’t help but smile back. The music started playing, and then I was in paradise.

When they broke into the chorus the second time, the audience joined in, too.

“I know that things

Are different from before.

I’m trying my best.

I want to give you more.”

He looked directly at me when he sang those lyrics. I couldn’t help but grin, sensing deep inside of me that those words had been for me—that song had been for me. I listened happily as Landon reached the last verse of the song.

“Today I might not be

The man you want to see

But won’t you give me a chance?

Will you marry me?”

He sang so smoothly, so beautifully, I almost didn’t hear his last words. I was so lost in his voice. I loved his voice. It was beautiful. But when I did hear them, I froze. By then, the song was already over and Landon was speaking again.

From the audience, I couldn’t do anything to stop him. I could just wait and watch, curiously, as to what he wanted to say.

“This was a special song I wrote for a special audience.” He said. “And for a special girl.” He looked at me. If I wasn’t so shocked, if I was any other girl, I might have melted at his words. They were so beautiful. He rehearsed this. I was shocked. The sneaky moron had been planning this all along. “Faline Monroe,” He came all the way to the edge of the stage, kneeling so he was almost face-to-face with me. He held his hand out in front of me. “Faline, you’ve been in my life all my life, and now, it seems I just can't let you go. You drive me crazy. I’m crazy without you. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize this, that you’re the girl for me. You’re the only girl for me and I want to keep you with me forever. Will you marry me?”

Shock.

Complete, utter shock.

I knew Landon was planning on announcing our engagement to the world, but like this? At his concert? In front of the world? There was no way I could back out. So, I did the only thing that I could do in a situation like that one. I slipped my hand into this.

I felt hands on my feet, on my waist and I was being hoisted onto the stage, right into Landon’s waiting arms. He took my hand and kneeled down in front of me. “Marry me, Faline.” He said, looking into my eyes.

I was speechless. Part of it was because I was so shocked. The other part of it was that Landon’s eyes always took my breath away. Another part was because the whole nation was watching us, and the rest was because I forgot that anyone was watching us.

Words wouldn’t come out of my mouth even if I tried, so I did the next best thing.

I nodded.

Landon beamed, a smile blooming on his face that seemed to consume his whole face. His eyes crinkled and dimples appeared on the side of his cheeks. He pulled me into his arms, into one of the tightest hugs I’d ever been consumed in.

The crowd cheered. The crowd was crazy.

In that moment, I became the envy of every single girl and woman in the nation. The man they’d been lusting over, and will continue to lust over was ready to get married to someone. That someone was me. Everyone’s dream man was ready to marry some girl they’d never paid attention to before.

It didn’t matter if she was Landon’s best friend. It didn’t matter that she was just a struggling photographer. None of that mattered, except that she was just an ordinary girl. An ordinary girl that was going to marry the biggest heartthrob in America.

Yet, none of that mattered, because Landon pressed his head against the side of my face, his lips inches away from my ear. I was the ordinary girl. He could marry any girl he wanted to marry. But I was the girl he chose. He whispered, “Thank you.”

This chapter was a bit more introductory. It jumps straight into the story. In the next chapter, we'll meet the rest of the band.

We'll get to know other people. We'll meet new characters.

Oh, and Faline will realize what it really means to be in a world of glamour, so hang tight everyone, the story is just starting.