"Ethan, you know that I love my sister, so of course I'd be welcoming to her, but she's hardly ever around either. I've barely seen her since she moved away. I don't really see the point in having a big family dinner just so that she'll show up.""Alright... well... I'll talk to her about it tonight then.""Good, thanks babe." I grinned happily before leaning forward to hug him. He wrapped his arms around me, returning my embrace. The warmth of his body made me smile against his chest.For a while, neither of us spoke a word. But then I realized something. I suddenly remembered the reason why I was planning to spend the whole day with Ethan, I hadn't finished telling him what happened that night in hospital."Hey, do you remember what happened that night in hospital?" I asked hesitantly, breaking the silence between us."No, why?" He frowned in confusion."Because, it's sorta important.""Okay, go ahead and tell me.""Okay, so, you told me to stay the night after I collapsed because I
"My bedroom?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow curiously."Yes. It's kind of obvious now, huh?" Ethan smirked proudly as he gestured vaguely towards his surroundings."What does that mean?" I laughed as I glanced back over at him."Well... I thought you deserved a proper tour of the house. And I figured since you were gonna be staying here permanently, this was as good a time as any to introduce you to my room." Ethan replied simply, shrugging slightly."Alright. Then lead the way. Please." I smiled warmly.Ethan reached out for my hand and held it in his. We started off into his bedroom. I was surprised at how nicely decorated his room was, especially compared to most people in our school. There was a huge bookshelf filled with bookshelves, a desk which was littered with pictures of different landscapes, a set of drawers which were overflowing with papers, a large closet, a mini fridge and a TV mounted to the wall on one of the corners, which contained multiple video games. My eyes
"So, I opened the door yesterday and saw this huge bouquet of flowers sitting on your nightstand, and I just kinda assumed that you had given them to me. I didn't really know what to expect, but I was definitely not expecting this." I chuckled nervously."Oh, yeah, that was my mother. She sent them to congratulate me on winning the competition.""Really? Wow, I didn't realize she knew who I was. Anyway, you're welcome." I smiled."So, you gonna show me what your room looks like?" Ethan asked, breaking the silence which had fallen between us."Of course." I nodded.After unlocking my room, I stepped aside so that Ethan could walk inside. Once he walked in, he took in the sight of my room in awe."Holy shit..." he whispered under his breath in astonishment.The walls were covered entirely in drawings of plants of all different kinds all of different colours and sizes, ranging from normal sized leaves, small stems, and blossoms to huge flowers, butterflies and various insects. The only o
"Ethan, come on. We gotta start packing if we wanna get to the park by 6. Don't forget about that." I reminded him as I poked his chest lightly."Ughh! alright." Ethan groaned before standing up from his position on the floor where he was previously laying.I sat up from my spot on the carpeted floor beside Ethan. As I brushed some stray pieces of grass off my skirt, I glanced down at myself. I noticed that Ethan hadn't packed a single item to wear that day; instead he had left a pile of random clothes lying around. Not that it bothered me, of course, I just didn't know whether to laugh at him or hit him. Luckily, we had found something that would fit his size."Here, take these shorts." I handed him the clothes and pointed to the pile of jeans in front of him."Ok, thanks." He smiled slightly as he took the clothes from my hand and headed over to the bed, beginning to unpack everything in his suitcase.I picked up the phone and dialled Mum's number."Hi, honey. Is everything okay? A
After hearing the shower turn on, I grabbed my bag along with his and made my way downstairs. As I stepped outside, I saw Ethan standing near the entrance of the flat, wearing a grey t-shirt, blue jeans and a pair of black Converse shoes. He smiled at me and gave me a quick hug before following suit and leaving his apartment. We made our way to the elevator together, holding our bags in one hand and my hand in the other. Once we got to the elevator, I pressed the button to call it back up to the ground floor, just as the doors were opening. Once the doors parted and revealed the lobby, I took my hand out of Ethan' grip and made my way towards my car. When I heard footsteps following closely behind, I stopped and looked behind me to see Ethan right beside me."What?" I giggled."Nothing. Just admiring how beautiful you look." He smirked.My cheeks flushed bright red and I rolled my eyes playfully, trying to hide the smile tugging at the corners of my lips. I opened the passenger door
"Where did you buy the dress for tonight?" I asked, curious to find out whether or not it was a designer."It's a secret." He winked, causing me to chuckle lightly.The lift arrived and we headed inside. Once the doors opened again, we made our way to my flat and walked up the stairs to my door. I unlocked it and stepped aside so Ethan could walk in first. Once he had passed through the doorway, I shut and locked the door behind us before locking that too. "Come on. Let's get started." He chuckled. Ethan guided me over to the kitchen island and motioned for me to sit. Once I was seated, he handed me a plate with two pieces of cake, which he placed in front of me. I smiled gratefully at him, appreciating his gesture and then picked up the fork and knife that was placed on the table next to me. Before I could take a bite, Ethan held a piece of cake in between his index finger and thumb and took a big chunk out of it, putting it in his mouth before handing me the fork. I laughed as
"If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll just sleep downstairs. I won't come near you until you're asleep and I don't expect anything from you. I promise." He paused.I stared up into his eyes intensely, studying his features intently. I studied his face carefully before finally making my decision."Okay." I responded softly.Ethan's expression instantly lit up and he looked absolutely delighted."Really?" He asked, sounding rather hopeful.I gave him a nod in response and I watched as he grabbed a pen and pad from the drawer by the bed, scribbling something down on the pad before turning it around for me to read.''Do you trust me?''I read the question aloud to him and he nodded.'Yes.' I wrote down on the page.I turned the paper over and wrote 'yes'. Then I folded it up, put it back in the pocket of my jeans, picked up a pillow and placed it under my legs before laying down and scooting closer to him."Move over a little." He requested as he reached his arm around me and brought me cl
The weekend rolled around quicker than I expected and after spending the entire Sunday morning talking to Ethan about our relationship, which was becoming somewhat easier for me to accept now, we decided to get up early in order to have a nice breakfast together. Ethan and I spent the first few minutes of the morning getting dressed and preparing breakfast, which consisted of cereal and fruit. We sat opposite each other on the sofa, sipping our respective cups of tea, both enjoying our breakfast and chatting away. "So what do you wanna do today?" Ethan suddenly asked as he ate his cereal."You don't have anything planned?" I asked curiously."Not really. Why?" He questioned."Wouldn't it be better if we did something fun?" I questioned."Are you saying I'm boring you?" Ethan teased, raising an eyebrow at me playfully."Nope. That's not what I meant." I said hurriedly. "Just that maybe we could go to the cinema or something."I knew it wasn't exactly a date, but I still wanted to go
Jake remained quiet as he listened to her ramble. He then let out a sigh and placed his hand on top of hers. "Claire, slow down. Everything is going to be alright. You'll find a way to explain everything."She looked down at the table, letting out a heavy sigh. After what happened last night, she was beginning to doubt herself again. Jake squeezed her hand gently."Everything will be alright."She closed her eyes and gave him a weak smile. "I hope so."When lunchtime came around, Claire and Jake headed into town. Jake didn't speak very much during the entire walk there; in fact, he hardly said anything at all. After buying their food and taking a seat in the back of the restaurant, they started to eat."So, where do you live?" Claire asked once they were done eating."In an apartment complex," he answered vaguely."An apartment building? Really?" she exclaimed.Jake laughed softly. "Yes. I don't live in a mansion like you. Actually, I only live there temporarily. But you're welcome to
She opened her eyes again after a short while. She turned her head to glance at him. She couldn't believe it. He was still staring at the water, lost in thought.A warm feeling spread throughout her body. He was beautiful. Even though the sun was shining brightly upon him, his dark skin was perfectly shaded by the rays of sunlight and glistened beautifully. His hair, which fell across his face, was slightly damp due to the salty air. She wanted to run her hand through his hair and comb her fingers through his hair, running her fingers through his thick dark locks, causing his hair to stand up wildly. His lips were slightly parted, showing off those perfect pink, puffy lips she loved kissing so much. His jawline was sharp, but not masculine. It gave him a feminine look, making it seem as though he had more curves than muscular. Her eyes traveled downward, admiring the muscles that filled his abdomen and chest. She could just imagine the feel of them beneath her hands. She licked her
"Shh," he whispered, "don't worry. Everything will be alright." It took her several seconds to realize he was talking to her, and it took another couple minutes for her to register the meaning behind his words. She pulled away slightly and looked up at him.He looked concerned but at the same time relieved that he had finally gotten her to respond.She smiled weakly at him. "Thank you."Jake nodded before kissing her forehead gently.They remained silent for a few more moments until Jake started to drive back toward his house. She wrapped her fingers around his wrist and tugged lightly at his hand to get his attention."So…what are we going to do today?" she asked hesitantly, knowing very well that the subject of what they were going to do would probably cause him to start driving faster and she had never liked speeding down the highway, but she figured that he would probably enjoy the speed.He grinned mischievously at her and winked. "I was hoping you could give me an answer to tha
The silence between them was comfortable and they both didn't seem to mind. They had become quite close over the past few days and they had developed some sort of trust with each other that they didn't previously have. For example, whenever they met in public Jake always paid attention to her and made sure that she was okay, whether she wanted him to or not. Sometimes they would walk around Milan together, sometimes he would take her out on romantic walks along the coast, sometimes they would make plans to get together to have fun at the beach. The only thing that was missing was his presence at her side. But as long as he was nearby Claire didn't mind spending time with him. However, when he wasn't by her side, she became incredibly nervous and uneasy. Whenever she had to endure his presence, she felt guilty. She knew that she shouldn't have allowed herself to develop an attraction to him but she couldn't help it. When he looked at her or spoke to her she was unable to concentrat
Jake walked into the kitchen and placed his hands on top of Claire's shoulders. "Why did you stop working today?" he asked curiously."Oh," she answered sheepishly. "I forgot to eat lunch..."He chuckled softly. "Well I'll bring you something," he promised.Claire blushed lightly as he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against hers. She relaxed in his embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. She couldn't help but feel completely overwhelmed by love for this man. He made her feel safe and content, which was something she hadn't experienced since she was little. After a moment she pulled away slightly and rested her forehead against his. She took a breath."What are we going to do today?" she asked hopefully."Whatever you want," he replied happily."Good," she whispered before bringing her lips back to his.Jake smiled against her lips and brought his hands down from around her shoulders to rest on her hips. They continued kissing for a couple of minutes before h
"Are you hungry?" he asked. "Want me to make us breakfast?"Her eyes shot open at his question and she gave him a quick nod before pulling away slightly to sit up, propping herself up on her elbows."I think I should cook something," he added. "You should also take a shower and maybe try to get some more sleep."She groaned softly. "What kind of a guest am I? Don't you think I should be helping you with anything? I mean... I don't exactly live here.""You live here just fine, Claire," he said, placing a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. "It doesn't matter where you live or who takes care of you. That's what you're my wife now. No matter what happens, you'll always have a place in my heart.""Then... I guess cooking breakfast is the least I could do.""Sounds like a plan," he said with a smile. He reached down and removed one of her legs, moving it to the side of the bed. He sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "Come on," he said as he stretched out his hand to help he
"Come on," he said, patting the space beside him. "Let's go get cleaned up."After changing into a pair of yoga pants, a tank top, and flip flops, Claire walked out of the bathroom. She jumped when she saw Jake sitting there. He put his magazine down and looked at her confusedly."You're taking too long."She shrugged. "Sorry.""It's fine. Go ahead and brush your teeth so we can head out."Claire did as told and brushed her teeth quickly before walking into the closet to pull out her outfit. Once dressed she went back into the bathroom to find Jake sitting on the bed, tapping his foot impatiently."How's it look?" she asked.He glanced up at her, his eyebrows knitting together. "Wow... you look great."Claire grinned. "Thanks."She walked over to Jake, placing her hands on either side of his hips. She pressed her lips against his, her tongue slipping inside his mouth to explore. He kissed her back hungrily, sliding one of his hands under her shirt and running his fingers over her bare
There were some very nice dresses that he would love to try on. He wondered if Claire would let him pick something out for her. The last time she wore something that expensive was when they were in college. He sighed to himself, knowing that this was probably the most expensive dress she owned.After the sales associate handed her the bag, she paid and thanked them before making her way back outside. They had gone to the same high school, so they were practically attached at the hip. She hadn't dated anyone since, though. After graduation she decided to focus on her degree and Jake stayed single until recently. He was happy for her. For the past four years, Jake had been a proud father of three children. One of whom he had named after Claire's mother, Rose, who was murdered by the man she called a father."What are you thinking about?" Claire questioned, noticing that he was deep in thought.Jake snapped back to reality and grinned. "Nothing. Just wondering where to take you for dinn
"Thanks, Dad." I said quietly before walking towards my bedroom. I entered the door and slid it closed before falling onto the bed. I let out a sigh and placed my head into my pillow, closing my eyes as tears began to gather in my eyes again.I couldn't believe everything that was happening. My parents had given birth to our daughter only a month ago and things were still progressing. The doctor hadn't told us much, only saying that we were having twins. As far as I knew, they were healthy babies and that was all we needed to know. I heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming closer to my bedroom door and I instinctively curled up in a ball, hoping to hide away from whoever was outside my bedroom door. I felt my breathing become ragged as my eyes began to fill with tears again, knowing full well who it was."I'm sorry, Jake, but I can't do this anymore. The stress is too much."They're standing outside a wedding dress shop at the mall in the city, waiting to go inside so that they can