She slept so peacefully beside me, her hair flowed over her shoulders, covering parts of her face. She had been constantly playing with Lily for hours at a time, totally draining her energy.
She was everything and more.
And this would be the only time I had alone to get what I needed without her knowing.
I slowly slid out of the bed, pushing the pillow under her head. I grabbed a scrap piece of paper off the table before placing it on the pillow. Leaving her scared me, it absolutely brought my darkest fears into the light.
I couldn't lose her again.
I never thought I was capable of this, of loving and being loved, yet here we are.
The bittersweet moments, the ones where I completely ruined everything, yet she continued to forgive me, she pushed me to be better.
I wanted to be better for her.
I turned, before walking out the door, her body curled in the blanket. I slowly closed the door behind me, making my way downstairs. I found both Axel and Lily on the couch, Lily had crashed.
"Hurry and get your ass off the couch, we're leaving," I spoke walking towards the door, grabbing my jacket.
Axel was right behind me, with no questions, as I exited the house. The rain was once again holding off for a little while. Brian was waiting in the vehicle, I walked up to the driver's window and he rolled it down.
"Brian, I need to ask for a favour," I admitted and he nodded.
"Can you stay here, with Lyla? You two seem to get along just fine, and I don't want to leave her here alone. There's a Tv in the living room, and you are welcome to anything in the kitchen."
"Of course, anything else you need?" He questioned.
"No, that'll be all Brian. Thank you." I admit before he gets out of the vehicle.
I make my way over to Axel's car, which he had already made his way into. I slid into the passenger seat, before he turned to me, "where too?"
Where the fuck do you get a ring?
"Just head towards the city, I'll know when we get closer," I confessed before he sped out of the driveway. After we got into the city, the number of times I made Axel drive up and down the main road, looking for the right place, was a highly extreme number, definitely not necessary.
And then I saw it, "pull over, here, Axel pull over!"
I jumped out of his car, looking at the building in front of me, 'Harry Labronte.' In the front window of the store, rings were displayed. The black and gold along the outside of the story made it look very interesting.
"So this is why you wanted to go without her," I heard him say from behind me. When I turned I could see the fucking smirk on his face.
"Wipe off the smirk, before I wipe it off for you," I grunt.
Shouldn't have brought him.
I walked in through the door, an older man was standing behind the counter, and a security guard was standing by the front door.
"My name is Oscar. How can I help you, gentlemen, today," He perked up when he saw us. I guess there aren't many customers that come in, especially with the shit weather.
"Looking for a ring," I shrugged as I look over the cases.
"Oh, yes okay, we have lots of those, do you know what you're looking for." He spoke happily, standing on the other side of the cases.
"No," I grumbled.
"Okay, well-" the man started once again.
"We will let you know if we need anything," Axel spoke from behind me, the man nodded his head without saying another word.
I could feel the security guard's eyes on me, I withheld myself from telling him to fuck off.
The cases were filled with rings, how the fuck was I supposed to know which one was the fucking right one. I made my way around the whole store, looking at each of the rings, there were hundreds.
The sound of a bell chiming rang throughout the store, it caught my attention but not enough to glance at who had walked in until I heard their voice.
"Oh my fucking god Axel, do you have a girlfriend? Are you getting married? What the fuck are you doing here?" Megan's voice gleamed.
"Actually I'm here with-" he started.
I turned to face them, "East?" she questioned, looking past Axel and towards me.
"What are you-, are you-" she stopped herself several times before her face glowed, "are you going to propose to Lyla?"
"Not yet, I'm just getting a promise ring," I shrugged. The thought of marrying her had crossed my mind too many times to count. But, I knew deep down, she wouldn't want that yet, she had been through so much and to just throw ourselves into marriage wasn't fair.
So a promise ring, a promise for today, tomorrow, and forever.
I knew she would love that.
I sighed as I watched her walk past Axel and over to me, I knew what she was going to do before she ever did it. She hugged me tightly, "she loves you so much Easton, I have never seen her this happy before," she whispered before she pulled away.
I turned my attention back to the rings, I just wanted to get one and get the fuck out, I missed her.
I looked in the case, all the rings were too big and flashy, shit she wouldn't like. And then, as if something answered my prayers, I spotted a small ring, it was in the clutter of all the bigger ones, it was simple.
"Oscar, come here," I called, and the old man staggered over.
"Can I see that one," I pointed at it. He got the keys out for the case and unlocked it, putting the ring on the counter.
It was perfect.
I could feel Megan looking around me at the ring, "it's perfect Easton."
"I'll take it," I nodded.
"Alrighty, and what size will that be in?" He questioned
Fuck.
I turned to Megan, who looked like she wanted to laugh, which only made me grumble.
"She's a six," she shrugged before walking away.
"Six," I grumbled to the man.
As he was packaging it, I spotted a necklace on the wall, I pointed at it, "I want that too."
He gave me a small smile before nodding and taking it off the rack, I could see the star pendent that hung off it, the north star.
After a couple of minutes, he rang me through and gave me a small expensive-looking bag with the boxes in them. And then we were out, Megan waved us goodbye as she walked down the street, "remember Romano's at 6!" I yelled and she gave me a thumbs up.
Axel pulled out of the spot and headed back towards the house. It didn't take very long to get back as Axel drives like a full-blown psychopath.
He dropped me at the front of the house, rolling down the passenger window, "Romano's at 6, don't be fucking late." I instructed him.
He gave me a nod before speeding off out of the driveway. I held the bag under my jacket as I entered the house. Brian was sitting on the couch, "thank you, Brian, you're free to take the rest of the night off, tell Marco I say hello."
He thanked me before leaving the house, the house seemed oddly quiet with both Lily and Lyla nowhere to be seen, until I entered the library. They were outside in the garden, Lyla was taking in the flowers, as Lily pranced beside her.
She loved that dog so much.
I walked into our room, putting the bag in my bedside drawer, underneath all the shit that was pilled in the drawer, before jumping in the shower. The shower was quick, and I got dressed even quicker when I heard her arguing with someone downstairs.
When I opened the bedroom door her voice was louder and angrier. But I was met with Lily who was giving me puppy dog eyes as if she knew what was happening. I gave her a small smile as I walked down the hall, her little feet carrying her behind me.
"You better choose your next words carefully, my darling, because there is no coming back from this," I heard the familiar voice of Damion speak.
"I love him, and you'll have to fucking fight to take me away from him, now get the fuck out of Easton's house." She yelled.
I approached the stairs, and I wanted to kill the son of a bitch. He was gripping her wrist and she spits her words at him.
"Our house, get the fuck out of our house Damion," I emphasize as I walk down the stairs.
A scowl crossed Damion's face as he looked over at me and he let go of her wrist. He walked past her and towards the door, putting on his coat before turning back to face her, "your mother had no right to take you away from me, she made you weak, and pathetic. you will learn in time that love is a weakness that can be exploited and turned."
He turned his back towards her before spitting one last thing, "Have an amazing 20th birthday tomorrow, darling." And then the sound of the door closing sounded throughout the living room.
I could tell it hurt her, she longed forever for a father and now that she had one, she did not long to be around him.
I wrapped my arms around her pulling her into my chest, and she let her breathing fall and rise at a steady pace. The whole atmosphere of the living room was toxic and uneasy, except for the little thing that was sitting on Lyla's feet.
"When did you get back?" She questioned, relaxing into my chest.
"About 15 minutes ago, before it started to rain, I saw you and Lily in the backyard and just decided to shower," I admitted.
"I guess she knew you were here because she kinda just disappeared as soon as Damion arrived." She shrugged. I felt her body tense, yet she didn't say anything else.
I brought my lips to her neck, kissing it softly before trailing them up to her ear, and whispering to her, "you're not weak or pathetic baby, you're the strongest woman I know. He doesn't deserve to know you. I love you more than anything in this world, and he will have to go through me to ever fucking touch you."
She turned to face me and mouthed my favourite words 'I love you' before she kissed me. Whenever she kissed me, they were always sweet yet full of sparks.
I pushed my forehead against hers before whispering, "loving you is easier than breathing."
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3 chapters left, we are getting down to the end of the book!