The buzzer goes off and team starts stepping in. My eyes search frantically for number seven jersey and when I see it, my lips part into a huge smile. A cheering yell escapes me as I pull up the poster of 'Your biggest fangirl' which honestly, I was bribed into bringing.

Evan's eyes search the audience as the announcer continues to speak but it takes him two minutes to find me. When he does, a laugh escapes him to see the poster I am holding up because it has his half-naked picture with a towel around his waist.

He winks before setting his eyes back on the court. The buzzer for the starting of the game goes off, and it begins.

I shush everyone up beside me, earning a few glares as I focus on nothing but Evan. The guy actually manages to score ten points in first half. Someone hands me a packet of chips and I chew on it through the second half by which Evan's score is fifteen, and his team wins by a lot.

I get up in excitement, spilling the chips packet on the person sitting in front of me but I don't give a shit. These things happen in a game.

"You go Evan! Woohooo!" I yell and people around me give me weird looks.

"Now we understand why he asks not to bring you to games." Breanna speaks from besides me and I give her a middle finger.

But soon, we are following the rest of the audience towards the parking. When we pull our car, I receive a text from Evan to meet him after taking the first left because he sneaked away from everywhere.

"Hey Luke, take the next left." I tell him since he's the one driving.

He nods and does as I say and when we take a left, I see Evan stepping out of an alleyway and immediately getting in the car.

"Holy shit, be a little more creepy." I swat at his chest and he gives me a cheeky grin.

"Missed me, cupcake?"

I grunt in response before Luke turns to fist-bump him, "You were amazing, man!"

"Thanks, bud. Hey Bri." He tells her and Breanna waves at him without even turning around. "Is she still mad at me?" He asks us both and I nod.

"I mean, just get the girl a written I love you Breanna from that guy. Put her out of the misery." I tell him and he gives me a look.

"That guy is a champion, and I recently got picked, An. I am still working my way around the team." He tells me before turning to Breanna, "I promise I'll set you both on lunch double date. He can bring his girl and Luke can be grumpy while you fangirl over him."

She gives him a sideway glance, "You promise?"

He nods, "Promise. An and I can join you too." He winks at me and I elbow him in the stomach as Luke starts driving again.

Evan Cypress Smith actually got his acceptance to his dream college, and recently got picked by NBA. He's achieving his dream right now, and today was the second game he got to play, which was why people still think he's a new face but anyone would be shitting me if they say that girls don't drool over him.

He has a much more toned body now, and his face is annoyingly handsome. And god, he's such a flirt.

"Where's your husband?" Evan asks me and I glare at him.

"Boyfriend. He's my boyfriend." I correct him before turning away, "He was in Chicago until yesterday, no idea where he is now."

Evan sighs, pulling me a little closer, "You guys fight more than Scott and Paula, and that's saying something."

Paula is my well, my father's girlfriend who lives with him in my childhood house now. I moved away to Penn State when two months later my father finally got himself a date, and though they are crazily in love, they argue so damn much.

"We are not fighting. I just hate long distance." I pout and he pinches my side, making me yelp.

I look out of the window to realise that we have been driving for a while now. I frown, turning t everyone. "Hey guys, where are we going?"

"Highland Park." Breanna grins at me and I gasp, making sure that it's believable.

"What, that's like three hour drive from here!" I say and the couple just smile annoyingly at me. "You guys suck, why wasn't I part of this plan?"

"When are you ever?" Luke teases me and I glare at him in the rearview mirror even though this plan was completely my idea.

"Don't make me complain to your pregnant girlfriend." I warn him and Breanna gasps at me.

"Don't use that against either of us, you bitch." She says and Evan and I laugh at her.

She found out she was pregnant two months ago, after an year of her graduation, from the same college as Luke. They both went to University together, and like I had assumed, Breanna and him hit a rough patch into the second year because she started dumping the skipping year plan on him, which was wrong. But they sorted through it after months of fights.

Even when I was away, I sure made new friends but every break we promised to come back home to each other. I was honestly shocked when Evan didn't come home with a girlfriend but he has this new tagline, 'Basketball is my girlfriend.'

And I understand that, but he hasn't dated anyone since high school. Sure, I am aware about his hook ups, but he never committed to anyone. Whenever you'll question about him, he'll just shrug and say, 'I have my reasons.' But that's getting old by now.

We catch up on the three hour ride since we are meeting after couple of months. Jordan and Sawyer were supposed to come too, but they couldn't make away time from their adorable little girl they adopted a few months ago. But now that we are going back to Highland Park, I know they can join in since they have their own house there now.

God, we have grown up. They got married two years ago, after almost all of us were graduated out of college. Jordan cried like a baby when Sawyer proposed, but I was so incredibly happy for him.

How has it been more than six years already since high school ended?

When Luke parks in the house of my driveway, all of us get down and Evan picks up his gym bag before we reach the porch, ringing the bell. Paula answers the door after two minutes and her face splits into a huge smile when she looks at Evan and I.

"Oh, the champ's here." She gushes at him and I slide in the house from side.

I get in the living room and notice everyone gathered around, so I shush them up before Evan enters and everyone erupts into cheers, making me laugh and he stares wide eyed.

"What the fuck!" He gasps.

"Language, Evan!" Miranda scolds him as she goes to hug her son who immediately hugs her back. "Congrats on the win today, hon." She kisses him on the cheek.

"Aah, nice way to get the girls, bro." Sawyer teases him, smirking as he hugs him next and Evan pats him on the back.

"I thought you were too busy with Penny to make time." He tells him and Sawyer gestures towards the couch where Jordan waves at him, holding that adorable little girl's hand who has my heart since the second I laid eyes on her.

I rush to them and Jordan chuckles when I pull Penny to myself, "Hey babygirl, did you miss me?" I ask, and she erupts into giggles as I tickle her sides. "Aww, Pen, I missed you too."

She's just two and honestly a ball of sunshine. Jordan keeps one arm around my shoulder when I see Paul approaching Evan and congratulating his son.

"Where's Dad?" I ask Paula who's on the verge of tears from the happiness, because that woman can cry over literally anything.

"Right here, An!" Dad says, stepping into the living room with a little flour stained face and an apron around his clothes.

"Hold her." I tell Jordan and he takes his daughter from my arms before I stumble to my father. "Hey Dad!" I hug him, not caring if I ruin my clothes because I haven't seen him over three months now.

"Hey girly. Missed your old man?" He asks and I nod.

"You stopped sending me cheques, I had to come down." I joke and he playfully shoves me away, making me step to hug Paula who has actually given me a chance to see that my father can be such a sap.

"Who's plan was this?" Evan asks, looking at everyone gathered around.

"Do you even have to ask?" Luke says, sitting on the floor besides Breanna.

Evan's eyes meet mine and his smile turns so huge, that I knew the late night convincing phone calls to everyone to be here at the same time would be worth it.

He opens his arms and I walk right into it as he whispers in my ear, "Thanks, An."

"You have been away from home for an year, you deserved this." I tell him, because I know how hard he had been working to get where he is.

Sure, we met, but he could never fly down here which sucked a big time. I have been working as a freelancer as of now, so I hate that I don't have a permanent home. In fact, the last permanent address I had was the apartment I shared during the last three years of college.

After college graduation, I have been all over the place, trying out for temporary jobs as literary agent.

The door bell rings and I wonder as to who it could be before Paula moves to open the door. When I hear her happy squeal, I frown as I wait for the person to make the presence known.

But then he steps inside the living room and my breath catches in my throat. I see Evan staring at me from the corner of his eyes as my expressions turn into a scowl.

Christopher Jay Jones. Man of the hour. Late as always. In fact, I didn't even know if he was coming after our argument last night. But god, has he turned even more good looking in last couple of months? He's just wearing jeans and a v-neck yet he looks drool worthy.

"Hey." He looks at me, nodding at Evan who removes his arm from my shoulder as he pushes me forward.

"You're an ass and I don't want to talk to you." I tell Chris, not missing the way his lips turn into a small smirk at my words. "And it's not funny, get lost."

"Aah, didn't we all miss the sound of Adrianna and Chris arguing." Jordan jokes and I glare at him, noticing how he has shut Penny's ears at the use of my foul language.

Chris shrugs at me before he turns to everyone and starts greeting them and I grunt in response, staying by Evan's side who gives me an amused smile.

"What was the argument about this time?" He asks.

"He told me he wasn't coming." I pout, causing him to chuckle. "It's not funny, I haven't seen him in months, Ev."

He nods, ruffling my hair a little, "Well, he's here now and he's staring at you. Go talk to him." He pushes me towards Chris and I roll my eyes.

"I hate you."

"I love you too, best friend." He grins as I walk towards the most annoying yet the most handsome man I know.

Chris eyes me as he notices me walking towards him and moves to kitchen, to get us some privacy. I continue to scowl, crossing my arms against my chest as I glare at him.

"How long are you going to stay mad at me?" He asks, sighing as he tugs at my elbow to loosen myself but I shrug. "I told you I wasn't coming because I wanted to surprise you Claire, but that's ruined now."

My eyes meet his grey ones, and I continue to look at his expressions, but don't speak up until I know he's being sincere about it.

"You were rude, and you pretended like I was the only one dying to meet you, Jay." I frown at him and he smiles a little.

"Do you really think this has been easy for me?" He presses a kiss on my hair, "It has been two years and I still haven't gotten used to living without you in the same apartment." He complains and I swallow, because it has been the exact same for me.

When Chris and I went to Penn State together, freshman year of college, I stayed at the dorms while he got himself an apartment with a roommate. But by sophomore year, he gifted me a key on my birthday, which was the key to our apartment. So we moved in together.

Things haven't always been smooth with us. We argue, a lot. Damn a lot. And we drag everyone into the mess sometimes but I know if relationships were easy, life would be too predictable.

I never thought I would turn into this insecure jealous girl who would start doubting if he was cheating on me, but that happened when I started entertaining those thoughts in senior year. He was out working his ass off to get into law school, and I just kept feeding those thoughts until one day I literally exploded into tears in front of him.

He told me he couldn't be in a relationship where there was lack of trust, but he also assured me that he would never cheat on me — ever. Plus, Evan was a major role player back then who actually flew down to my college to knock some sense into me. But it worked.

It all worked out at the end. Until the time he got accepted into University of Chicago Law School. I knew I couldn't go with him because I was just starting my job in Pennsylvania. He didn't even ask me to leave, because he knew we both needed to focus on our careers.

But it wasn't until we were both in different states did we realise how habitual we became to living together. It was a torture to live apart, it still is a fucking torture every day.

I am done, though. He's done with his Law School, he graduated last month and now he's working with this firm in Chicago itself but I don't care, I am moving there if that's what it takes to be together because I am sick of long distance.

"Can we get out of here?" Chris suggests and I notice all the people, my family gathered around in the living room.

I sigh, nodding because I really need to be alone with him. "Okay, what do you have in mind?" I ask and he grins at me.

When we enter the living room, he takes his hand in mind and turns to my father, "We'll be back in a while." He tells him and Evan eyes me but I give him a small smile which he returns.

"Look out for any blackouts though, the town has had a few since last week." Paula says and I frown.

"Really? We never had an electricity problem in this town." I say.

"Yeah, they only last a few seconds, hon. Don't worry, just keep the headlights on, yeah?" Dad tells Chris who gives him a nod before hurrying me out of there.

When we get outside, I notice the lights of his house turned on across the street, "Jacob's home?" I ask him and his eyes move to his house.

"Uh-yeah." He nods nervously, making me frown.

We slide into his car that always stays in Highland Park while the new car Jacob gifted him is in Chicago. I know he wanted his son to join his business but something tells me, they'll work something out as time goes. Chris has always been interested in his father's company so I know he wouldn't throw away his hardwork like that.

When Chris takes a familiar route, I smile at him, "Usual spot, huh?" I ask and he smirks.

The way is to the spot where he took me for our first date. We didn't go back there until the day we said I love you to each for the first time. He took me there that night and god, every time that place manages to take my heart away, much like this man.

"Yup, one and only." He replies and we fall into silence as I turn on the radio.

When we reach there, he parks his car and offers me his hand which I take, thanking myself that I planned to wear flats and jeans instead of a dress, something that I am pretty much okay with now.

It takes us fifteen more minutes to reach the spot with the help of our phone flash lights and I take in the darkness of the night as sun had set in hours ago.

"It's a beautiful night." I tell him and realise that my anger is long gone about our argument yesterday.

We argued because we missed each other, and now that he's next to me, I don't want to waste that time arguing with him. He wraps his arms around me from the back and I sigh at the closeness between us because I have missed him so fucking much.

"It is." He confirms as he places a kiss on my shoulder, spring wind passing by us. "I am so sorry for being a dick last night. I just missed you like crazy and I wanted to surprise you."

I sigh, "It's okay. I understand."

"So, forgiven?" He asks and I nod.

"Forgotten." I assure him and we both stare ahead to the beautiful town lights managing to make me grin like an idiot.

But then in one go, the whole lights black out, making me gasp in shock, "Chris!" I turn to him, realising that the only source of light right now is the moon and that isn't much assurance.

I feel him moving away from me, freaking me out. Well, my father wasn't kidding, and neither was Paula when they asked us to look out.

"Shh." Chris says, reaching out his hand to hold mine, "It's alright, I am right here."

"I can't even make your face out, ass." I grumble and he chuckles.

"Turn around." He whispers and I scowl.

"What?"

"Baby, turn around." He says with a little more rush and I blink before doing as he says.

The lights are still gone, and the beautiful town is still pitched black. I feel Chris moving behind me, making nerves pick up in my stomach until the lights come back on and my shoulders relax a little.

Wait —

The town isn't fully lit. Half of lights are still gone but then I squint my eyes, to have a better look. My breath catches in my throat as I look at the lights, my head comprehending what's in front of me.

Will you marry me?

Holy —

It's right there. It's right there, twinkling in the darkness like fairy lights as the words continue to glow. My body finally reconnects with my brain before I turn around to see Chris kneeling down in front of me.

He holds his hand out but I am too stunned to do anything so he takes my hand in his, before he meets my eyes.

"You came into life in the most unexpected way, but ever since you did, things around me haven't been the same. I was too arrogant for my own good, but you literally hand over my ass to me and I have never been more thankful for anything else because you make me so much better. We started everything with an argument, and that is probably reason why we still argue a lot, but we have a lifetime to work on it. But that's only if you allow me to do this.

"Adrianna Claire Brooks, I am so madly in love with you that I can't imagine my life any other way until it's with you. So, will you marry me?"

I don't even realise that I am crying until I feel the tears on my cheeks and a laugh leaves me as my heart feels like it would literally explode out of my chest, "That's the most you've ever said in one go." I tease him and he glares at me.

"Seriously, Claire. I am dying here." He pleads and I grin at him like an idiot.

"Aww, babe, are you nervous?" I ask, and he gives me a look.

"You're the worst! Not helping at all." He complains.

Fuck, how the hell did I get so lucky?

"Yes, yes! Of course, yes!" I say and his nervous face turns into a huge smile as he stands up and wraps his arms around me, his mouth meeting mine in a rush as tear of happiness escape me.

When we part, his grey eyes shine with what looks like matching tears, "I literally thought you would say no after last night."