prologue
Paige Ryder stared up at the man who claimed her heart years ago when he prevented the class bully from bullying her. Ever since then Paige and Spencer Cummings had become inseparable. She tilted her head back some to look at Spencer better, her being five three and him six-two.
Spencer laid his hand against his girl’s cheek softly.
Paige moved her hand up to his quickly as she closed her doe brown eyes. “I love you, Spencer, please just, just come back to me.” This was so hard for a nineteen-year-old girl but she managed to fight back the tears.
Spencer hugged Paige slowly than sat his backpack on the ground, “Baby girl look at me,” he whispered, brown met icy blue that always looked warmer and had a glimmer to them. “I love you, Baby girl, I’ll come back, I’ll come back to marry you, then we can start our family.” He grabbed his class ring from his right ring finger. He slid it onto her left ring finger, “I’m sorry I couldn’t get something better but this is my promise to you I am going to marry you.” The twenty-three-year-old man bent down and caught her soft naturally pinked lips gently. “Everything will be okay.”
Paige bit her lip as she looked down at the ring he slid on to her finger. It was gold and had two thousand and one down the side of it, the stone was garnet color being born in January while she was born in October. She thought about telling him the news but she wanted to be sure before. She squeezed his hand, it was probably foolish to believe they would have a future after today but she wanted that future. She held back the tears until he turned away from her and his family.
She felt a pair of arms wrap around her, holding tight, “Don’t worry Paige, he’s very strong, if anyone can survive and come back he will.”
“I know Gabe, it hurts so much, I love him, I’m going to miss him.” Paige let the tears flow freely as she watched him board the plane to take him away from them. She was grateful he didn’t turn back around.
“I know Paige, six months will fly by we will get to see him and everything will be okay.” Gabe Cummings squeezed Paige gently laying his chin on top of her head. He was just as tall as Spencer if not a little taller, all the Cummings’ men were tall. He felt him clutch his arm in her hands as they watched Spence go. With being twenty-eight seeing his twenty-three-year-old brother leave was harder than he thought it would be, he loved his baby brother too but he could be strong for his girl. He didn’t have anyone and it was what fit his style the most.
“I hope you are right Gabe, I hope you both are right.” Paige turned into Spencer’s older brother’s arms and squeezed his waist tightly in a hug. She could do this. They could all do this.
