Hailey's POV
Liv arrived just as the food had finished warming up. I left Ian in the kitchen as I answered the door, only further making it look as if he had cooked dinner. I couldn't wait to surprise her after we ate. She's going to be so proud of me. Ian might have to convince her of the fact, though I'm not sure she'll believe it.
I opened the door, finding Liv chewing on candied ginger. She was taking little nibbles, clearly not enjoying the taste very much. I gave her a big hug before hugging Lucas behind her. Abi, however, was nowhere in sight.
"Um, excuse me, but where is my goddaughter?" I placed my hands on my hips as I stared at the two of them.
"We left her with Lisa when we went to see her and Davis. We thought you could use our undivided attention today," Liv answered, taking my hand and leading me into my own penthouse. I've missed her.
"Rewind, her and Davis? As in...they're an item?"
"I know!" Liv exclaimed, sitting us both on the couch like we used to do when there was juicy gossip.
"How? When? Isn't he a lot older?"
"Don't get me started on that." Lucas shook his head at the mention of age. "They're happy, that's all that matters. Ain't that right, Ian?"
I have noticed Lucas is always very good about including everyone in a conversation, even if they don't want to be. I turned, seeing Ian leaning against the counter. Only his eyes were on me and on Liv, as they used to be. The action had me feeling elated, especially when he winked at me.
"That's right," he answered, pushing off the counter and making his way towards us.
"Davis and Carter are going to handle Juan. He won't ever show his face around you again. I can promise you that." Liv nodded in anger as if she were upset that she couldn't be there with them, teaching Juan a lesson he would never forget.
"Thank them for me, please."
"I will, but there's no need. You're extended family. They know you, Hails. You went to enough of my matches for them not to know you. You've always been my support system. Just like I am yours when you need me. Which had yet to happen, since you've had your life so put together. Well, aside from the cooking." She laughed, only making me do the same for a completely different reason. "I love you, Hails, and I am here for you always. No matter what I'm going through, you will always have me."
"Thank you, Liv. I know I will, but right now we need to focus on you and little Bean. My life is coming together again. Better than before. I promise." I smiled at her, turning to look at Ian. It was because of him that my life was getting better. He was the cause of my happiness and my improvements.
"I see you guys are still going strong." Lucas gestured at Ian and me with his finger. Giving us a little eyebrow wiggle to go along.
"We are," I said proudly, feeling Ian's lips kiss the top of my head. "I said it. I said those three words."
"No way!" Liv exclaimed happily, jumping a bit on the edge of the couch. "Oh, my gosh! Hailey!" She squeezed me.
"I love this! This is perfect. My two best friends." She smiled widely, only cementing the truth behind her words. She truly was happy for me and for us.
I worried for a moment as I looked up at Ian. There was an uncertainty in me that he would feel wounded by her words. Only when I did look at him did I see his eyes on me. He raised his brows at me quickly, giving me a small wiggle as he smiled. He was really mine. He had really chosen me over her. This moment was everything I needed to truly see that he had let her go.
"Are you guys hungry? We have a lot of food made." Ian was quick to get things going, wanting for them to see what I had cooked. I found it adorable the way he was trying to show me off. It was obvious he was proud of me, causing me to feel such elation despite the whole ordeal of today. Ian had made sure to comfort me and then did his best to turn the day around. And turn it around, he did.
"I could always eat," Liv answered with a smile and a hungry look in her eyes, like that of a dog and a steak.
"I'm down for some food." Lucas nodded, squeezing Liv's shoulder comfortingly.
I was happy to see they were back to normal now, or as normal as they can be. It was clear they were both still worried and stressed to the max, but they were good with one another. They were back to being Lucas and Liv, the fairytale couple.
We all headed to the table, where we ate and talked about all sorts of things. Abi was apparently crawling around everywhere now. She says a couple of words, which I'm now determined to get her to say Tía {Aunt}. We avoided the topic of work for now. Something was worrying them about that, but they had it handled, or so they said.
For the most part, everyone enjoyed the food, eating every last bite. I felt proud of myself as I stared at their empty plates. With my emotions all over the place, I found myself getting teary-eyed with happiness.
"What's wrong, Hails?" Liv reached across the table, grabbing my hand and squeezing it.
"It's just. I am so happy. You ate all the food."
"Why are you crying about that?" She sounded both amused and concerned as she furrowed her brow at me with a smile on her face.
"I made the food. I cooked it all by myself." I wiped my tears away, smiling widely at her.
"No way. You did?" She sounded just as surprised as I thought she would, making my smile widen to the point I felt my cheeks would fall off.
"I did."
"I can confirm. She did it all by herself. All I did was peel potatoes and put things in the oven," Ian added, smiling at me, too.
"You? The one who didn't even know how to work a standing mixer?" Lucas laughed at the memory of the brownie incident when we first met.
"Shut up!" I threw a dinner roll at him, which he, of course, caught.
"What? It's just very hard to swallow." He took a bite, giving me a smirk. He was like this older brother I never had. Equal parts annoying and loving.
"Hey, a girl can learn new tricks."
"I am so proud of you, Hails. It was very delicious. You did a great job!" Liv squeezed my hand once more. "As a plus, it seems little Bean liked it, too. I don't feel the need to hurl."
The moment was sweet, filling me to the brim with joy. These were my people in the dark. The ones that can make any day better by just being around. That will never change.
"I have a surprise for you," Ian said, waking me up from a deep sleep with a bright smile. It is hard to be mad at him when he smiles at me like that.
"But sleep is so good," I complained, grabbing the covers and pulling it over my head, only to have it be pulled right back down by him.
"Come on, Mi Luz. Don't be a sleepy head. I promise you'll like this surprise."
"Ten more minutes," I groaned.
I was greeted with silence, thinking Ian had accepted my 10-minute proposal. My body began to relax once more, only to be moved by Ian's warm hands. The weight on the mattress shifted as he climbed up. Without warning, his hands parted my thighs, grabbing them and gripping them firmly.
"What are you doing?" I asked him, lifting the covers to find his head between my thighs.
"Trying to eat my breakfast," he responded nonchalantly before taking his finger and running through my slit. That shut me up really quick, causing my heart to race and my desire to course through me.
He slid my underwear off without protest, kissing my thigh as he came back towards my center. His breath fanned over the area, sending a shiver through me before his tongue slid over it. His arms wrapped around my thighs, bringing me closer to his face and keeping me there. The feel of his hands on my inner thighs, mixed with his tongue gliding over my wet folds, was enough to push away any sleepiness that lingered.
"Ay, Dios mio," I moaned as I grabbed a fistful of Ian's hair, driving him further.
His tongue slid in me before coming right back out and sucking on my clit. The sensation drove me wild as he continued to do it over and over. My hips began to sway over him as pleasure began to pump through my body. The electric feel of my oncoming orgasm kept me moaning loudly until I finally reached my peak. Ian licked at me a moment longer before he slid out of bed and went to wash his face, but not before winking at me.
This man will be my ruin. He's going to spoil me so much that I won't ever want to leave him. In fact, it's becoming increasingly difficult to imagine my life without him. He's been over almost every day of the week now. The only time we weren't together was when we were each at work. I had started an apprenticeship with a fairly known designer. Thankfully, it was going wonderfully, with our personalities being very similar.
"Alright, I'm up now. What's the surprise?" I asked him as I came into the bathroom and started my morning routine.
"I can't say. You have to come with me and find out." He smiled at me as he patted his face dry. God, he's too handsome.