7 YEARS LATER
MIA
This heat wave is killing me. I huff to myself as I finally bang close the front door and head to the kitchen to put down all my shopping bags, giving my back a little rub as I do, those bags were way too heavy! I quickly crank up the aircon to the most arctic conditions it will go too before I start to unpack all the food away. As soon as the last item goes in the fridge my phone goes off and I grin when I see who's calling.
"Sup babe!" Caleb smirks as I answer.
"Hey stranger, how's it going?" I smile back as I slump into a chair to get comfy.
"Yeah good, you wanna see today's class room? Hey kids say Hiiiiyyyaaaaa Miiiiaaaa!" Caleb shouts enthusiastically and spins his phone around to the large group of children in the middle of playing a soccer game. I can't help but giggle when the beautiful group of Ghanaian children run towards the phone smiling at me screaming "Hiiiiyyyaaaaa Miiiiaaaa." and I wave back to them enthusiastically before they run off to play.
Caleb went out to Africa two years ago wanting to teach sports in schools over there. He moved around a lot at first, but for the last seven months he's been placed in Ghana and he has fallen for the place and the people hard.
"Where's my shit head brother, tell him to call me back or I'll keep texting him pics of my ass," Caleb chuckles.
"Shh, the kids will hear you!" I reprimand him, slightly alarmed that they will hear his swearing.
"Nahh, they're down the bottom of the field now we're all good." Caleb laughs. "Listen I've gotta go, I just wanted to check in and see how you're getting on. Are you feeling OK? Or still sick?"
"Yeah i'm good, defo feeling more human these last few weeks, but the heat is killing me!"
"Try living in Ghana Collins, you're moaning to the wrong person! Well good, glad you're doing better. Tell that pussy brother of mine to call me! Right, I'm off, love ya!" Caleb blows me a kiss before ending the call and I shake my head laughing at him.
I stay slumped on the sofa for a few minutes more trying to decide if I should take a cool off shower or just crack on with my latest painting that is already behind schedule to complete. As I sit there I start to look over the wall opposite that's full of photos and lean back to look them over with a small smile on my face as my eyes scan each one.
Ethan and I at my prom, A group photo of me and my roommates (now my best friends!) during my first year at Stanford, our college graduation days, family dinners and Christmases, our first apartment me and Ethan rented together, the surf trip to Hawaii a few years back and so many more amazing moments over the last seven years of our time together. However, the last photo is of me and Ethan when we first learnt to surf when we were kids, it's Ethans favourite one from our childhood so I got my mum to post it to us.
As I push myself off the sofa I can't help but feel excited about our next adventure but I'm still way too hot and bothered to get back to work so I decide so I strip off and go get a quick shower. Once I dry off I opt just to put one of Ethans light and airy shirts that comes about mid thigh on me and roll back the sleeves.
I head down to the spare room where my art supplies are all set up and get to work on my painting before Ethan gets home and distracts me. He likes to distract me a lot and often, not that I mind.
I've barely added any new elements to my piece when I hear the front door bang shut and hear Ethans familiar heavy footsteps making their way to my studio. It doesn't take long before my sexy man is standing in the doorway with his signature smirk on his face that still makes my knees go weak.
"Hello baby," Ethan smiles, pulling me into a heated kiss, completely getting his suit covered in paint. Not that he cares, he never does. He pulls back to grin at me before dropping to his knees and lifting up his shirt that I'm wearing to uncover my eight month old pregnant belly. "And hello baby," he repeats whilst planting a small kiss on my stomach making me giggle.
Raising back to his feet, he takes my paint brush from my hand and drops it to the table before he leads back upstairs to the living room. "I need your help with something," he says playfully and I know what that usually means!
"Sit down here for a min, there's a book I need," Ethan says as he sits me at our dining room table and heads to our book shelf to scan for whatever he is looking for and I look at him with puzzlement.
Yeah that's not what I was expecting and I'm as horny as hell. Pregnancy has cranked my sex drive up to the max level and I need almost daily servicing.
On the dining room table is the magazine I've been sent from Jean. "Hey did you get a chance to look at this," I say to Ethan as I wave the magazine in his direction. Ethan stops what he's doing and looks over his shoulder with a big proud smile on his face.
"Yeah I read it all. Cool right?" he enthuses and I couldn't agree more. It's very cool!
On the front cover of a 'Young and upcoming entrepreneurs' magazine is a picture of Samuel in his workshop in a heavy black leather apron, his arms are crossed showing off his muscular tattoo covered arms and he's got the signature Maverick smirk on his face. A few pages in there's a two page article about Sammy and how he turned his small woodshop into a successful empire whilst sticking to his roots of our home town. From starting off with just making the basics to now making custom made luxury treehouses for children of the rich and famous. Samuel lists an impressive number of happy customers from famous singers and actors, oil tycoons to basketball and Ice Hockey athletes who have all paid top dollar for Sammy's craftsmanship. In the bottom right corner I see a small photo of Sammy with Phoebe sitting on his lap laughing. Those two have always been adorable together.
"Ah ha! Got it!" Ethan grabs the book that he's been looking for and walks back over to me keeping the book behind his back. He takes a seat next to me and takes my hand in his free hand.
He's piqued my interest!
"What is going on?" I laugh.
"Well, you know I had that big meeting today I was nervous about, it turns out they want to offer me a secondment for Six months. Now I don't have to take it, it would mean us moving there when the baby was about three months old, so If you think it's too much we won't go," Ethan smiles nervously whilst rubbing circles on the back of my hand.
Wow, well I wasn't expecting this, "Well where is it? Like San Francisco? Seattle?" I question. They're not too far away, I know his company has offices there. We can make that work!
Ethan gives me a little squeeze of my hand before he puts the book that he's been hiding behind his back onto the table and my eyes widen at the realization. It's the travel book of Japan that Ethan gave me when I was fifteen for Christmas because it's always been my dream to study art over there.
"No way," I scream, rising to my feet with a squeal of excitement to grab the book, but Ethan is quick to pull me onto his lap to calm me, rubbing my pregnant belly possessively.
"Take it easy baby!" he chuckles as he studies my face. "So you like the idea? You don't think it's too much with a new baby?" Ethan gently asks, his eyes swirling with emotions like they always do when he stares at me.
"I mean it would be hard, but oh my god, this is literally somewhere i've always wanted to go." I say excitedly and Ethan grins back at me.
"So the company would pay for our apartment over there and flights. They'd offer us some language lessons so that we can start on now to get the basics down before we arrive. I'd only need to work four days out of the seven so three full days a week we can be together and explore the city. They also told me that another couple , Simon and his wife Lena will be in Tokyo with their one year old at the same time. They're from the London branch and I've spoken to Simon a few times and he seems like a decent guy so hopefully we could make friends with them to begin with..." Ethan rambles away, he's excited too. He always rambles like this when he's happy about something.
I cut Ethan off by smashing my lips to his and he instantly groaned against my lips before pulling me closer turning my playful kiss into a heated one. Slowly, Ethan gently pulls away smiling against my lips before cupping my face as I look into his intense eyes.
"Marry me baby, I know I keep asking you, but I want to introduce you as my wife when we're in Japan. Marry me, I don't want to wait anymore." He pleads.
It's not that I don't want to marry Ethan, it's just I've seen so many failed and miserable marriages with our mums and dads that for many years it's just something that I didn't believe in and I've avoided the topic whenever it came up.
But looking at Ethan as he holds me in his lap, pregnant with his child and ready to offer me everything I've always dreamed of...I just don't want to avoid it anymore...
I give Ethan a little smile whilst I bite my lip and nod, "OK Mr Maverick, you win. I'll marry you." I whisper back and Ethans eyes and smile grow wide.
"Yeah! You're serious?" He beams at me.
"Yeah, but I have conditions!" I laugh as I push off from his lap, take his hand and walk him over to our balcony.
"What are they? Anything you want!" Ethan hurriedly says as he opens the balcony door for me and we step outside. The sunshine and sea air hit me straight away and as I walked over to the balcony edge to get a better look over the ocean and beach where we regularly go surfing before turning to Ethan.
"Once the baby is born, I just want a small wedding here on the beach. Nothing huge or fancy. We don't even tell our families it's a wedding, we just invite them over as if we're having a picnic on the beach and surprise them. If we tell them it's a wedding you know what our mums will be like! They will get so over the top and take over" I giggle and Ethan laughs.
"I love it, it sounds perfect." He says genuinely and pulls me into his arms. "But maybe we tell Joanie, so she can make us the cake? I know how much you love them!"
Ahh he's right, Joanie's cakes are the BEST. After she dropped out of college she worked with my mum for a short time as a waitress and started helping with the cake orders. Turns out Joanie has a real flair for baking and now rents a small shop back in our hometown baking the best cupcakes I've ever tasted.
"You're right! Let's tell Joanie! She'll keep it a secret if I ask her. Oh and Caleb, so he can fly back in time. By the way he called today to say hi, in fact he said for your to call him. Are you avoiding his calls?" I ask.
"He wants us to name our son Caleb," Ethan rolls his eyes. "I've told him it's not happening, now all I get is photos of his arse and balls until I agree!" I try to suppress a laugh as Ethan scowls but it's hard not to find it funny.
"OK, OK, I'll speak with him when I tell him about the wedding," I grin and Ethan just nods before pulling me into a hug and resting his head on top of mine for a few minutes enjoying the peace and the sounds of the distant waves.
"Oh, just one last thing," Ethan whispers in my ear and I tilt my head up to look at him. I can see Ethan fishing for something in his pocket before he pulls his hand out and unclenches his fist, a beautiful light pink diamond engagement ring sits on his palm and I give out a little gasp.
"How long have you had that?" I breathe, the ring is truly everything I'd ever want in a ring.
Ethan smiles as he places it on my finger and it fits perfectly, "Ever since you graduated from Stanford, i've had it in my pocket until you were ready sweetheart. I told you I'd marry you one day."
THE END
Thank you so much for reading! xxx
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The Sequel - WE SHOULD STOP NOW has just been published for anyone interested in finding out what happens next with Caleb and Joanie x
After fleeing from her scumbag ex and quitting college over three years ago Joanie Collins has now rebuilt her life running a little bakery back in her hometown. Happy to be alone rather than being hurt again, Joanie has built up high ice walls to protect her fragile heart and has sworn off all men. That is until troubled playboy millionaire Caleb Maverick returns home after being abroad for two years and they're forced to work together. Can Caleb melt this Ice queens heart and find peace for himself?
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"And what about me? Was it just a crush you had on me?" he says in a raspy hushed voice that makes me take a big gulp.
I lean forward so I'm now closer also to Caleb and look him straight in the eyes. If we're going to be honest... then let's do this.
"Your Caleb Maverick, everyone had a crush on you. The fact you were so oblivious to all the attention you got just added to your boyish charm. The girls at our school wanted one night with Ethan but they all wanted to settle down and marry you." I say honestly and Caleb actually looks surprised.
He sits back in his chair looking genuinely puzzled, "That's not...that's not how I remember high school." He mutters before his eyes fix back onto me. "I remember being second best to Ethan for everything. Sports, grades, girls, Mia...you." he grits.
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