Todd Stevens

From a young age, Todd never believed in the fairy tale of love and happy endings. According to him, he lived in the real world. The world where money and prestige exist.

Besides networking, college is for having fun. And even more so if you're part of a fraternity.

In his second year, Todd met you shortly before becoming president of KNA. And that night he could describe as the best day of his life.

It started out normal. You in his bed. No strings attached. But the first time he laid a hand on you, Todd felt a jolt of electricity run down his spine. And for the first time in his womanizing history, he found himself prioritizing your pleasure over his own.

The next day, when you left quietly while he slept, Todd felt an emptiness he couldn't name. At first, he thought it was just the best sex of the year. But as the days passed, he didn't know what to think anymore.

A dozen girls in his bed, and none of them could satisfy him like you did in one night. A need to be near you overwhelmed his thoughts every morning. The need to have you close, all to himself, to know everything about you. The feeling was so strong it overwhelmed him.

He searched all over campus for you just to ask you out, something like friends with benefits. No strings attached, just casual. Though the words burned in his throat when he said it.

A short time later, maybe a month or two, one night after having sex in your bedroom, Todd cleared his throat before looking at you.

"Hypothetically."

Todd turned onto his side to look at you.

"If...if I asked you to be...my girlfriend...would you accept?...It's just hypothetical, I insist."

He said nervously as his hand affectionately caressed your side.

With a giggle, knowing that the question was not hypothetical at all, you said yes.

Come on, Todd's not a good actor. The way he looked at you, the way he insisted on spending time with you even if it meant studying, the way he clenched his jaw when you told him you couldn't be with him because you had plans with friends. It was all too obvious; he never knew how to hide his need for you.

And that's how a beautiful relationship was born. Probably Sumpter's most genuine relationship. Todd never stopped pampering you, showering you with kisses in private, joking that he had to protect his reputation as a strict and cold president.

Flowers every week without fail, dinners, dates, photos, expensive gifts, and some handmade. You came into Todd's life and changed his whole world, and he couldn't be more grateful.

Everything was perfect until a year passed. Todd had become a little distant, not in a bad way, just pensive. You thought it was because of graduation, job interviews, and finding a new successor capable of taking the reins at KNA.

But none of that matters to Todd right now.

For weeks, ever since their anniversary, one thought had been stuck deep in Todd's mind: marriage.

He'd never considered getting married, much less young. He wanted to conquer the world, see everything, travel the globe, do whatever he pleased. But now he feels he has it all with you by his side. He doesn't know how to describe it.

He just knows you're not some silly college crush. He just knows he wants to be with you for the rest of his life. When you know, you know. That's what they say, right?

It's not that he's hesitating about proposing. He's completely sure he wants to. The only thing he's unsure about is whether you want it, and when the right time is. Do you want a public proposal?...A private one?...A traditional one?...An engagement party?...Damn. This is all more complicated than he thought.

He knows he needs to know your tastes, but you've never talked about marriage, not even by accident.

But the decision about the ring, that wasn't difficult at all. He chose a rather expensive one, of course, but he chose one that he felt represented everything about you, a unique shape, as beautiful as you are.

Todd tried to keep everything a secret, hiding the ring perfectly, trying to think of the perfect opportunity to do it. Only he didn't yet know exactly how that moment would arrive.

A glimmer of hope appeared during holidays when you asked him if he wanted to visit your hometown to meet your parents. Todd readily agreed. Perhaps on that trip he'd find the perfect moment to ask for what he'd been longing to do for weeks.

When you two were on the plane, Todd kept looking at you and shifting restlessly in his seat, holding your hand, caressing your ring finger.

"Have you thought about what you want to do after college?"

Todd said in a low, slightly hoarse voice, still caressing your fingers.

"I mean...graduation is in a few months and I want to know if we'll be able to stay together and all that."

He swallowed, hoping he wasn't being too obvious.

"We could start planning something. Like living together or something like that."

He said in a low voice, as if an engagement ring wasn't at the bottom of his suitcase.