Stay For Me

49 | forever

"Let's go sit outside, we can have breakfast out there." Rio's suggests and I nod, following his lead as he places his hand on the small of my back. "Alvaro, is it okay if we sit outside?" He asks and Alvaro breaks into a warm smile.

"This is your vacation. You can sit wherever you like for breakfast." He replies with a hint of amusement in his deep voice.

With a faint smile, I follow Rio as we make our way out towards the back yard. The sun is shining brightly, the cloudless sky a bright blue colour as a collection of birds fly over.

Alvaro appears minutes later with various plates of food, spreading them across the large table and allowing us to have a selection of whatever we want. "Enjoy," he says. "Let me know if you need anything."

We both offer him a small nod before he returns back inside, leaving Rio and I in the company of each other.

With the sound of the waves crashing in the sea in the distance, I glance around at our surroundings, still completely mesmerised but them. Never would I have imagined I'd be spending my twenty-first birthday with the love of my life, in a tropical paradise.

"What do you want first?" Rio asks and I look back towards the table at the dozens of different foods, trying to decide which one I want.

"I'll go with some fruit first." I say and he smiles, picking up a large jug of orange juice and pouring some into a glass for me, then himself. Thanking him, I take it with a soft smile and drink some before placing it back down onto the table. 

Half way through breakfast, I notice Rio take out a small bag from one of the chairs and pull the string handles together, passing it to me.

With furrowed brows, I glance down at the bag, then back up at him, watching as he begins to smile. "Rio, this is enough.. more than through." I say, gesturing to the beautiful place we're in. "You didn't need to get me more gifts."

"You deserve the whole world, Thea. This is the least I can do." He replies and I feel a small blush creeping it's way into my cheeks.

I wouldn't go that far.. but I guess if he says so, then..

Quickly glancing up at him once more, I open the bag and take out a small grey box, reading the engraved wording on the lid. I'm familiar with this brand.. my mom has one of their bracelets which my dad bought for her birthday. It wasn't cheap either.

Opening the box, I'm completely taken aback by the beautiful necklace sitting in the protective foam casing. A small circular black stone surrounded by a ring of gold diamonds. 

"Black, for Raven.." Rio says quietly. "You said you liked my necklace with your initial, so I thought I'd get you something to remind you of me too."

My lips part as I continue to stare at it in amazement. I absolutely love it. "Rio.. this is.. I—" Struggling to find the right words to explain what I'm feeling, I just carry on admiring it, sensing his eyes practically burning into me.

"It's a photo projection necklace." He says and I flick my eyes up to him, knitting my brows in confusion at his comment. "Look closely into the stone." He adds with a small smile.

A photo projection necklace? What's that?

Holding the stone up to my eye, I catch a glimpse of something and scrunch my nose up a little, puzzled as to what it was. As I take closer look, I realise that there's a photo inside the stone.