Worthy of you

The first thing I noticed was that his hands were shaking. Not badly. Just enough for me to see it when he reached across the table for mine. The restaurant around us glowed softly in gold light, expensive wine glasses catching reflections from the chandeliers above, conversations blending into low murmurs in the background. It was beautiful in the kind of effortless way expensive places always were. But he looked like he wanted to throw up. I almost laughed. “Why are you staring at me like that?” I asked, smiling. He swallowed hard. “Like what?” “Like you’re about to pass out.” That earned a nervous laugh from him, though it disappeared quickly. His fingers tightened around mine for a second before letting go. Something shifted in my chest then. We’d been together for five years. Five years of sneaking dates between classes back in university. Five years of long calls, tiny apartments, fights that lasted hours because neither of us wanted to give in. Five years of people questioning wandering why we ended up together, why I chose him. “You okay?” I asked softly. He nodded quickly. “No.” I blinked. He looked down briefly, rubbing his palms against his trousers before meeting my eyes again. “I had this entire speech planned,” he admitted. “It sounded better in my head.” A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. “A speech?” “Don’t laugh, please. I’m already feeling embarrassed.” I covered my mouth, still smiling. “Sorry. Continue.” He exhaled slowly, as he adjusted his shirt collar “You know,” he started quietly, “I used to think people like you only existed in movies.” I frowned immediately. “People like me?” “Beautiful girls with rich families and perfect lives.” “My life is not perfect.” “You know what I mean.” I leaned back slightly in my chair, watching him carefully. We'd really come a long way When we first met in university, he barely spoke to me for almost two weeks. Later he admitted he thought I was too pretty, and out of his league. I thought he was annoying. Too serious, rigid and stubborn for his own good. Then one day we got paired together for a project, and somewhere between arguments over assignments and late-night study sessions, he became my favorite person. It happened way fast and before I realized it was already too late and I had fallen so deep It felt like I could never get out. And maybe that was why he meant so much to me. “I don’t know why you’re talking like this,” I said quietly. He smiled faintly, but it didn’t fully reach his eyes. “Because loving you changed my life.” My chest tightened painfully. He looked nervous again then. More nervous than I’d ever seen him. Before I could say anything else, he stood up suddenly. My eyes widened. Then he reached into his pocket. And my heart stopped. “Oh my God.” The restaurant noise faded into nothing. I could only hear my heartbeat. He moved around the table, standing in front of me now, and for a second I saw it clearly….the fear in his eyes. Not fear that I would reject him. Fear that he wasn’t good enough. Around us, people had started noticing. A few quiet smiles. Someone whispering excitedly nearby, while the rest were recording. But all I could focus on was him. The man I loved. The man who loved me more than I would ever know. He dropped to one knee. My hands flew to my mouth instantly. He let out a shaky breath and laughed nervously. “Okay, this is worse than I imagined.” I was already crying. “Matt…” “No, wait, let me finish before I embarrass myself completely.” I nodded quickly, laughing through tears. He opened the small velvet box. The ring caught the light beautifully, but honestly, he could’ve handed me a plastic bracelet and I still would’ve said yes. His voice softened. “You’ve been beside me when I had nothing,” he said. “You stayed even though I have nothing to offer, You loved me when I didn’t even fully love myself yet.” Tears slipped down my cheeks. “And every day since meeting you, I’ve known one thing for certain.” His voice cracked slightly. “I want to spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me.” I could barely breathe. “So…” He smiled nervously. “Will you marry me Olivia?” “Yes.” The answer came out instantly. His eyes widened. “I didn’t even finish” “Yes.” I was laughing and crying at the same time now. “Yes, obviously yes.” The relief that crossed his face nearly broke me. The entire restaurant burst into applause, but I barely noticed as he slipped the ring onto my finger with trembling hands. The second he stood up, I threw my arms around him. And for a moment, everything felt perfect. Like love alone was enough to survive anything. I didn’t know then that sometimes love isn’t what disappears first. Sometimes it’s the people inside it.