Breakfast In Bed (Fully English Sequel)

PROLOGUE

"I like... love you for you."

His hand outstretches to clasp mine and I instantly want to pull myself away. I stay remarkably still, my head bowed as he rubs my fingers with his thumb reassuringly. I close my eyes to block him out but my mind only zeroes in on his touch – the way he is separating my fingers, brushing over my cuticles, the feel of a cool, hard material that is gliding seamlessly up my ring finger.

I open my eyes to see my finger now bedazzled with a silver band and look up to the man who placed it there. Reece – my friend of many years – is staring at me with eyes awash with longing and something else I can't place... apprehension perhaps. Whatever it is, it's making his pupils wide and my skin crawl. It's a look I can't face and so I return my gaze to the jewel on my finger and force a timid smile.

He clears his throat as if to alert me but I take no heed, continue feigning a look of speechlessness and wait a few moments longer.

"What are you asking me Mr Beaufort?"

His silence weighs a ton in the space between us, so thick I can hear it. For a moment, I fear he has lost his voice.

"I'm asking you to marry me."

We are in his apartment having stayed here over the summer so he could finish his exams. I am four months pregnant and showing in face and body.

"You know I love you," my eyes bore into his as I say it. "More than anything."

"But..." he adds.

"But nothing," I say, clasp his face between my hands for additional sincerity. "But nothing."

One side of his lip curls into that familiar crooked smile I know all too well. "Could've fooled me." His hand tries to release from mine but I grab it and play with it as he did mine.

"I guess this means we're engaged?"

"I want you to be my wife Karma." His breathing shallows at the sound of my voice and suddenly his hand is slack in my grip. I look up to see his composed expression. "But only if you want to be."

I brighten my smile. "You know I do."

Even though I can't stand to look straight in his eyes I do so firmly and rub his cheekbones. I breathe in deeply to take in his apple fragrance, the earthy scent of the fireplace and the wafting smell of the plantain frying on the cooker. If I don't get to the kitchen now, the plantain will go from golden brown to a burnt crisp and I will have to fry a new batch. I know it is better I spoil my evening snack than this priceless moment but I teeter with the thought nonetheless. If I disappear to the kitchen now, maybe this moment will disappear and I will not have to think about this abrupt proposal. He and I both knew he didn't have to do this... marry me, I mean. But in his mind, it was the right thing to do. If I stay rooted on his this couch and try to explain away my lacklustre response, I could potentially be digging myself an even deeper hole than I've already created. That being said, I choose to get up only to be pulled by my wrist back down to the couch firmly.

"You love me Karma," he speaks earnestly. I don't know if it's a question or statement.

"Without question."

"But do you want to spend the rest of your life with me?"

"Of course I do," I draw nearer to him and pucker up.

I can tell by the stiffness of his lips that he is unconvinced but I deepen the kiss anyway, feel his face soften in my hands as I cradle it. Slowly, we grow more passionate until the squeal of the beeping smoke alarm cuts through our moans and I leap from under him.