You Can't Hurry Love

Chapter Twenty-Six

'There is something beautiful about watching two people lovingly act silly together; behaving as though no one else existed.'

This is a quote from Military Veteran turned bestselling author Steve Maraboli and if there was ever a way I could describe the relationship between Ben and Isaac, this would be it. Despite the animosity and prejudice these two wonderful human beings have had to face on a near-daily basis, they have tackled it with love and laughter, two powerhouses against the rest of the world and I couldn't be happier at the thought of them spending the rest of their lives in such a blissful union.

And on top of that, the fact that Isaac has asked me to be a part of their proposal has me wanting to shout it from the rooftops, the excitement of knowing I get to take Ben on this wild goose-chase knowing just what was waiting for him on the other end . . .

I can't even think about it. I have to keep my head straight otherwise I was going to burst into tears again and what with Ben being due back at any moment, I didn't want to arouse any suspicions.

'Do you really think we can pull this off?'

Isaac was hovering at the front door, looking every bit the nervous proposee and although I felt just as tense as he did, I push it to the side, painting a massive smile on my face to let him know that I had everything under control.

'Absolutely! We've got this Isaac.' I grip his shoulders in an attempt to rile him up, and he tries to smile back at me but ends up looking like he'd just eaten something rather unsavoury and he was having trouble keeping it down.

He nods solemnly, and just when I think he was about to listen to me and leave, he lets out a strangled sob and I notice that his eyes were filled with tears too.

'What if he says no?' Isaac chokes from behind his fingers and I grab a tissue from the box I'd been carrying around with me for the last two hours and hand one to him, which he takes gratefully and starts dabbing at his nose.

'You're being silly now, Iz. Do you really think Ben is going to say no to you? After everything we have planned for him?' I say soothingly and he looks fixedly at me as if desperate to believe what I was saying to him.

'I hope not.'

'I promise you, this time everything is going to go exactly to plan because you have me on board now and you know I'm a sucker for a good to-do list. Especially one as important as this.'

'You're right.' He straightens himself up, a look of determination now clouding his face. 'You're absolutely right. And you have the first envelope?'

'Hidden safe and sound. Now go, before he comes home!'

Isaac lets out a long tense breath, gives me one last hug and with an assertive nod he walks away, muttering words of encouragement to himself as he disappears from view.

* * *

I'd been pacing the living room back and forth ever since Isaac had left twenty minutes ago, racing to peer out of the little peephole in the door every time I could hear a new set of footsteps approaching and I find myself cursing every time they didn't belong to Ben's. I didn't even know we had half of these neighbours and I'd lived in this building for nearly three years. I'm pretty sure they've just sprung up out of nowhere to test me whilst I was at my most on edge and it was working.

Where has he got to? If he's decided to stop off at some random bar on his way home to drink away his misery, then I'll kill him.

I stalk off into my room, checking on the envelope Isaac had left me, and I'm considering hiding it in yet another new place when I feel a hand clasp my shoulder and I fly into the air, just about managing to keep a hold of it as I spin around and come face to face with Ben.