her disappearance

43

"When did you decide to marry me?" she quietly asks.

"Well after you broke up with me, I went straight to my stepdad who helped me organise a plan."

"I'm so relieved you didn't believe me," she tells me. "If I lost you, I wouldn't know what to do."

I grin. "I spent half my life loving you Anoushka. You can't get rid of me that easily."

She kisses me once more.

•••

"I can't believe he found out," Wren grumbles. She touches her pregnant stomach. "Is it obvious?"

"I mean you can always just say you gained weight," Luca says.

She shoots him a look. Ah, shit. Didn't he know you weren't supposed to comment on a girl's weight even if they asked? That's what Anoushka taught me.

I rest my hands on Anoushka's thighs as she laughs at Wren and Luca's bickering. She was sitting on my lap, her legs dangling off the arms of the chair.

"Anyways," Wren says. "We're going to have a gender reveal party in this dorm. Just us four."

Anoushka smiles. "I'm finding out the gender tomorrow," she says. "I'll bake a cake," she adds

Wren grins and looks down at her stomach. Luca pulls her into his lap as he wraps an arm around her waist.

"So now that we're done with everything. What's happening now?" Wren asks.

Maybe now would be a good time to tell them that we're getting married. Anoushka and I share a look and a smile settles on her lips.

"Well. We're getting married!" Anoushka says.

Wren's jaw drops and her eyes light up. "When? Where? Why?" she rambles.

"Princess." Luca cuts her off with his laugh.

"August 1st. Not too sure where. It's a business proposal. It's the way we can officially be together, especially with her Father's permission."

Anoushka rolls her eyes. "Not that we needed his approval."

"I'm your maid of honour. No complaints."

"Of course you are. I mean it's not like I have any other friends." Anoushka laughs.

"I mean I have four sisters," Luca tells her. "If you would like them to be your bridesmaid. They're pretty much obsessed with weddings and parties."

"I would love that."

"And what are we doing for your bachelor party?" Luca asks me.

Anoushka stares at me, as she waits for me to talk. Oh shit. I need to be careful with what I say. "Well, we can get drunk in my house. just us." I quietly say.

A smile stretches across Anoushka's face. "I'm only joking. Do whatever you want." she kisses my cheek.

I let out a relieved sigh. "You need to stop with that look."

I seemed like a fucking pussy but Anoushka sometimes could be terrifying. Her silence was even scarier than her outbreaks.

Luca grins. "Did Creighton ever tell you that we watched you punch Ivan across the face?"

A huge smile widens on her lips. "God, that felt amazing."

"It looked amazing," Luca adds. "Why did you punch him?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "He just said some things that he was planning on doing to me on our wedding night."

I tense immediately. The things I wanted to do to him for hurting Anoushka.

"Well, that punch was well deserved," Luca says. "He also attempted to blackmail Wren."

Anoushka tenses and I begin to draw circles on her bare thigh to calm her. "Ivan had footage of us breaking into his dorm." she finally says. "Of Wren picking the lock. He wanted to get you excluded. I don't know how he found out about your pregnancy but he did and he said that if I didn't break up with Creighton then he would've got us all excluded."

A silence takes hostage of the room. "Anoushka," Wren whispers. "You could have said something."

She shakes her head. "I couldn't have but it's in the past," she says, dropping her head on my shoulder. "I don't want to think about it anymore."

"At least Iris is safe now," Luca adds. "You might wanna get your sweatshirt back, Creighton." Luca laughs.

I glare at him. "You gave her your sweatshirt?" Anoushka asks, incredulously.

"Angel. She was completely naked. She had her dignity ripped away from her. The least I could do was hand her my sweatshirt before the police came and took her away."

Anoushka leans back down on me. "That is true," she murmurs.

"What a gentleman," Wren adds.

I grin and Luca rolls his eyes. "So you're saying I should give my sweatshirt to the next helpless girl I see?" he asks Wren.

"Depending on the situation."

He murmurs something under his breath and I laugh. Anoushka leans up to whisper in my ear. "What you did for Iris makes me love you ten times more," she whispers. "You really are the man of my dreams."

I tighten my grip on her as I kiss the side of her head. I think Anoushka and I needed some alone time. I clear my throat and stand up with Anoushka in my arms. "It's been nice catching up but we're tired," I call out, as I take Anoushka to my room.

She giggles when I throw her on my bed. "You won't be laughing in a minute," I say, pulling away to unbuckle my belt. "I have about three weeks of pent-up sexual tension I need to take out on you," I tell her, tugging her leg so she is lying flat.

She smirks at me. "Bring it on Creighton," she tells me.

I can't fucking wait to make this girl my wife.