“Chris is someone who you can say, my rescuer. They all are, especially Arianna, but as an older brother, he paid attention to me the most,” I start my story with the first taste of my chocolate chip cookie ice cream. Brandon is sitting across from me, having plain vanilla.
“As an older brother“At first. Yes.” I eat another spoonful, then speak again with a slight coolness in my mouth. “He really was my brother, though. Don’t put any meaning to it just yet.” I glare at him slightly, and he smirks.
“Fine. Continue.” He tastes his ice cream as well.
“Dad had just died, and I was depressed. Mom thought my sadness was because of Dad’s passing, but it wasn’t just that. It was because the two people I loved“Which was that fucker and your father,” Brandon says. “Everything’s coming together here.”
“Exactly,” I confirm.
He shoots up an eyebrow. “So Jason’s brother knew what happened to you.”
I shake my head. “He didn’t know every detail. He thought the same as Mom. I couldn’t tell him that, of course. But Chris thought that fucker“Ah! So something more “It all happened later, and only once, so it’s not because he tried to take advantage of me. I needed an outlet, and I couldn’t open up with Jason and Arianna. Chris, however, noticed my changes. He was there for me before they all, uh, left me too.” I munch a big scoop of my ice cream. I slightly wince at the coldness that stings my gums.
“That’s all to it?”
“Yes, that’s all. Chris made me temporarily forget. The pain the devil left to me was still present, but I was suddenly having fun again. He’d take me on a date—just the two of us. He would listen to me, and as though everything he would say was the cure to my agony. I learned he had just broken up with his girlfriend at the university. His school was close to home. And there, Chris made me realize there’s still so much more to life.”
Brandon smirks again. “So should I thank him then?”
“Why?”
“You stood up from the ground you fell on because of the devil, and he was the reason,” he states seriously, but a hint of jealousy is still present.
“It’s not exactly like that. Of course, he played a huge part in it, but it’s because I wanted to live my dad’s dream—to honor his hardships for our family. I needed to get up. He knew I was a good cook because I got it from Mom’s cooking talent. I couldn’t afford to be thatHe nods, emptying his ice cream cup. “He was a good man, your father.”
“Yes, he enjoyed helping people, especially children—both Mom and him. Why do you think I have so many siblings?” I chortle.
“Fine, I shouldI grin. “Why?” I ask, but I already know what it means. I just love hearing it over and over again.
“Because he brought this beautiful human to the world to teach me how to live. He brought you“So, did I answer your question?”
“About Jason’s brother, not everything. What does he think of you now?”
“How am I supposed to know that?” I slightly grunt. “Chris has a girlfriend. I know that much.” I finish my ice cream to the very last drop and put my spoon down.
“Then I want all your family to be present at our engagement party—including Jason’s older brother. We’d like them to accept us too.”
“Including Mom, you mean.” I hold his hand. “She will accept this in time. Us.“Three days after we go back.” Brandon sets aside his cup and clasps his hands.
I gape in surprise. “That’s—what, five days from now? Do we even have time to prepare?”
“I’ve already planned it before coming here, Alayna. I don’t think we should prolong this either.”
“Wait a minute.” I suddenly just realized something. Brandon isn’t someone who rushes things. He usually thinks of any situation properly. And right now, I’m astonished by his sudden decisions. “Are you doing this because of Drake Mallory? To show him I belong to you.” I say the devil’s full name, even though I know Brandon hates it.
“I’d…” He clears his throat. “I’d be lying to you if I didn’t tell you my true intentions.”
“So, I was right. You only want to do this because—”
“I want to do this because I can’t wait for you to be my wife,” he interrupts me, and his words send shivers on my deepest nerves. I gasp.
His wife. “Um, o-okay. I-I get the point.” I press my lips together.
Brandon’s eyes narrow, checking me out, but I hide my face. “Don’t you want that?”
“Of course, I want that!” I exclaim.
He grins playfully. “I can see that.”
“Stop teasing me, Brandon.
“I love seeing you blush.” He moves forward and whispers, “I love seeing you blush, especially when you’re thoroughly fucked.”
My throat dries. “What are you doing? Don’t do this here.” Not when I’m already squirming between my thighs.
He leans back and smiles playfully. “Do you have any more plans today? Because I’d like to take you somewhere.” He glances outside. “While it’s still early.”
“I was thinking about the beach.”
“Yes, because that’s where we’re going.” He stands up and offers his hand to me. “Come on.”
I clasp onto his palm and stand up. John is already outside the dessert store when we come out.
“I thought we’re just going to walk?” I ask. We already talked about going the typical couple date route, and he agreed because I wished to do all things with him, but he still called his driver here.
He opens the door. “Get in.”
Avoiding another debate, I step inside and perch in the leather seat.
I understand the reason now why we shouldn’t be walking. The place where Brandon brought me is the last thing I’d expect. He takes me to the coast to find a beautiful view of the Columbia River and a stunning yacht.
“Mr. Lucien, Miss Hart,” John calls and presents the boat. “She’s ready.”
Brandon grasps my hand. “Come.”
“We’re going to ride that?” I ask in surprise.
“Yes, we are. Shall we?” Brandon smiles playfully and sinfully as though he is planning something else.
My heart races with excitement. I have never ridden a yacht or a boat in my life. “Just the three of us?” I ask.
“Just the two“Wait. Can you drive this?”
“Yes, come on.”
I clasp my palm firm with his, and while he pulls me to him, John helps me step onto the deck.
“Enjoy your trip, Mr. Lucien, Miss Hart,” John wishes with a small smile and a slight bow.
“Is this okay? Can you really drive this? Because I can’t swim.”
Brandon laughs softly with narrowing eyes. “Don’t worry. I won’t let the sharks get you.”
I pat his arm. “Brandon!”
“You’ll be fine,” he reassures. He glances at John once more. “Wait for us at the coast.”
“I’ll be right here, Mr. Lucien,” John confirms.
“Okay, wait for me here,” Brandon tells me, then he disappears into the cabin. While he’s gone, I stroll the deck and lean onto the railings, clinging on the bars because I’m slightly anxious about falling.
I inhale the air and lift my chin as I let the setting sun warm my face, relishing this brand new feeling stirring inside me. The wind and the weather are just suitable for cruising, I think. The sky is clear, and the water is peaceful. Until suddenly, I feel the engine roar underneath my feet.
“Whoa!” I hold on to the railing even tighter in shock.
Brandon reappears next to me, then settles behind the wheel. The yacht begins to sail on the waters.
“You can drive this thing, for sure?” I repeat for the third time. Just when did he learn how to drive a yacht? I’m both thrilled and nervous.
Brandon Lucien is extraordinary and does unthinkable things. It’s romantic.
A half-smile still playing at the sides of his lips. “This thingI nod. “I’m fine. And Elgrethe. Elga… Grethe?”
“Yep.”
Wow“Look ahead,” he says, snapping me out of my thoughts. He looks straight at the infinite waters. “You don’t want to miss this.”
Still jumpy, I shift my gaze on the water and let the wind brush my face as we get farther from the coast. An island is ahead of us, and the landscape makes it look like we’re in some magical paradise. I smell clean air with the cool air touching my face.
“It’s beautiful…” I whisper in awe.
“Right? I wanted to show you this.”
“Where are we going?”
“Not very far, and I’m afraid we can’t stay long here since it’s going to get dark soon.”
“Did you already plan this for today?”
“Yes.”
I look back at him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You wanted a stroll. I didn’t want to spoil the moment.” He grins sweetly.
“You should’ve told me you had a better plan!” I pout in embarrassment. I made him eat all the spicy Asian food that was far to his liking.
He laughs, then winks at me. “Don’t worry. I had fun today.”
“Then I guess we learned something new today. That’s a start, right? Getting to know each other more.”
He grips the steering wheel, and we turn in another direction. “That’s a start. Wanna try?” he offers the wheel, slightly stepping aside, giving me space next to him.
“May I?”
“Here. Give me your hand.”
Leisurely, I move toward him and take his hand. Brandon positions behind me with his chest against the back of my head. He brings my palm over the wheel.
I feel the pressure. “Oh my God!”
“Easy. Don’t grip the wheel too hard. Your limbs will get numb.” He lets me hold on to the wheel while his hand supports me, but the yacht lightly curves in the opposite direction. I scream.
“Oh, no, no!” I panic. “Please, don’t let go! Brandon!”
Brandon laughs. “I’m holding it. You’ll be fine.”
Can’t he see that I’m too nervous? “Yes, until I get us killed!” I say aloud.
“Trust me. Just hold on.” He covers his hand with mine and takes complete control of the wheel. Our cruise begins to stabilize. “It’s easy, see?”
“Easy for you,” I murmur, but I let myself enjoy the second that I can’t help but smile. “But thank you.”
He kisses my hair. “For what?”
“For all this. For coming back to me.”
“You knew, and I promised that I always will, right?”
“That’s why I’m thankful.” Sure, I have many siblings and a mom who supports me, but sometimes, especially when I was still in Italy, I still felt tremendous sadness and loneliness. I’ve had friends, but something else was missing. Even coming back to the states didn’t excite me—but not until I met everyone. Not until I met Brandon.
“Darling, you have no idea how you’ve changed me, don’t you?” he says.
“That makes the two of us then,” I say proudly.
This is us. This is what our relationship is supposed to be—the moments we’ve missed because he was occupied with seeking justice for his family’s tragedy, and I couldn’t blame him for that. I know how it feels to lose a family.
However, after everything I told him about my past, he remained next to me and showed me I was loved.
He loves me for who I am. CompletelyI will fight for this—for what we have now for him.