TEN YEARS LATER
(Lila's P.O.V)
"Where in the world is your boyfriend?"
I turned around and saw Diego in a tux, a dressed up pretty Tasha accompanying him.
Idle chatter filtered in and Chanel fragrances were overpowering my senses. I eyed the wine glass a waiter took past me and I knew a drink would do me well.
But at the sight of the people before me, my eyes widened. "What are you guys doing here!?"
"Derek invited us. You weren't planning to?"
I just looked between the two and they sighed. "Don't start."
I chuckled, sliding a hand down my own teal cocktail dress. Derek liked it a whole lot and so what better time to wear it than our ten-year anniversary party, no?
Other guests milled around the big hall we'd booked for today's party and I saw a few of my coworkers waving at me.
Diego caught it, "Go attend to your guests, we'll talk later." The FBI agent was still fine-looking and his expressions were still on the lower side of the scale but to me his mere presence meant the world.
We met only a few times in the past ten-years. I know, quite sad but our bond was unbreakable. Or so I liked to think.
He was busy and always hopping about but with Derek being an FBI Agent too, we cross paths sometimes.
The kingsflame necklace adored my neck and went well with the outfit, having garnered more than a few compliments.
"Thank you, have a glass of wine and tons of fun, please." I smiled in amusement at Tasha as she guzzled down the wine and blushed.
Leaving the two, I made my way across the dancefloor. The guests had been arriving for the past one hour and we had a damn long list.
I can't believe how many people are here because my boyfriend invited them without consulting me.
I'm going to kill him.
But before that, I need to hug my best friend.
"Ohmygod! Nora!" I glanced at Michael with a smile, "Michael."
Michael and Nora got married last year and I'm pretty sure at twenty-eight, they were still in their honeymoon phase. I was so happy for them though.
The fact that they'd stayed together and even gotten married was a big deal. I know how hard it gets with a long-distance relationship first hand and then the subsequent trust issues. Derek and I had a few rough patches in our relationship too, especially when we both went for our internships. We were lucky enough to have gotten into NYC and then found success.
But then for about two years we barely got to meet what with my Journalism career sending me all over the world-still does-and Derek's training for the Special Agent position in the FBI.
Sometimes when he's undercover and I can't reach him, I find myself anxious beyond words but then he comes back home with some silly souvenir from whatever place he'd been to and I find myself kissing him like a starved person.
It's our new game.
Giving each other souvenirs because we both tend to travel a fair bit.
After graduation, Diego had visited us and offered a career in the FBI. I'd already decided where my calling was and declined but Derek took the offer up. I supported him.
"Oh look who's here!"
Among the many people, we spotted a dark haired woman with red-painted lips, curves and a black floor length dress headed towards us with a smile.
Rebecca Atkinson had changed in a lot of ways but she was still a part of the group.
And so was the guy trailing behind her.
Warren Knight had made it big in the soccer field. Already, people were clicking pictures of him and he curtly smiled at everyone who came to shake his hand. Rebecca herself had a few people coming over to her. She was a successful sports journalist and everyone knew that she and Warren had something going.
Warren had snagged a full ride scholarship to UCLA for soccer and had since only gone on to get better. Rebecca had applied to UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television and managed to get in. She and I tended to cross paths at times because we were journalists and worked for big time magazines, sometimes covering unique pieces from all fields.
Call it a twist of fate but they'd both ended up in the same place and with the way they were both involved in the media, Warren and Rebecca's story just kept getting interesting after they left Ladenhill.
I don't know what happened afterwards in much detail but then again it's not my story to tell.
Although Derek knew more about them. Rebecca and his bond had gotten stronger and even though at times I worried about her feelings for him, I knew she was now over him. Now it was Warren who sought her out. Plus, I trusted Derek and the only one he was in love with was obviously me.
Warren's eyes kept flitting towards Rebecca as he hugged Michael and I bit back a smile. When it was my turn to hug him, I whispered, "Is your girl treating you like a peasant or a King?"
He grumbled and gave me the finger.
I rose an amused brow.
I'm pretty sure Rebecca and Warren will get back together but who knows, they're one hell of an unpredictable couple. Especially since she'd been ignoring him for all she's worth.
"Dude, where's Derek?"
I shook my head, "I can't find him either. He's probably doing something crazy with Cameron."
"Is that Veronica?" Nora squinted and we all followed her line of sight to see a redhead floating towards us with the same grace she had when she was being a high school clique Queen and even when she was being bullied.
"Why is she here?" I whispered to our group frantically.
Veronica Welsh was a millionaire CEO of a jewelry line. The cutthroat businesswoman, an ice queen without an ounce of warmth in her - that was her image. She sure had come a far way but it wasn't just respect she garnered from people for her position, it was fear. I still disliked her and I didn't have any connections with her but you tend to know about people who have their faces plastered everywhere and a piece from their jewelry line at any reputable store.
"I asked Derek to invite her." Cam popped up behind us, eyes trained on the girl approaching us. The moment their eyes connected though, she stopped and then changed her course. With a cold smile on his face, Cam glanced at me.
"Great seeing you but I'll be back in a minute."
Warren snickered, "Trouble in paradise?"
"You worry about yourself."
"Still an ass." War grumbled and Rebecca stifled a smile.
I chuckled and shared a look with Nora as Michael shook his head.
It felt like old times.
It'd been a long while since we all got together so this was absolutely a re-union we were going to enjoy.
My parents and Grace came in as well, shooting me smiles and I pointed them towards a table where Eric, Grace's husband now, joined them soon. Desiree, Derek's sister, made a beeline for Grace and I smiled.
I excused myself and went to greet a few more of my superiors. I worked at The Times and it was hectic covering stories in Moscow one day and Ghana the next but I pushed through because I liked my job. I looked around the sea of familiar faces dressed in formals but Derek was still nowhere in sight.
Then finally I spotted him coming in, decked out in a tuxedo that accentuated his fit physique. He'd gotten buffer but only enough to have filled out his clothes even better, not the freaky kind. Broad shoulders stretched his tux and he was clean shaven. I obviously appreciated the eight pack and better endurance too.
Derek's black hair was streaked with a slight copper shade that brought out his wonderful, expressive eyes.
Besides him stood his mother, Ally and his father, Paul.
Thankfully, Derek and Desiree had worked things out and even though the Greysons were now divorced and split over a decade ago, everything was smooth sailing. Ally moved to Chicago and even had a boyfriend now who was standing beside her. Derek and Desi used to visit them separately after the initial years where they were still unsure of dealing with the new family dynamics. However, now all was well and I couldn't be happier.
Paul was still single but they were both friends.
Time does heal after all.
I smiled when I caught his eye and my boyfriend winked at me.
It was almost time to address the audience and we needed to do it together.
He left his family and my own parents waved over the Greysons as Derek made his way towards me.
"Hey, Kitkat." He still calls me that, yeah.
"Hey, we need to head up quickly, we're already late." I shot him a disapproving look.
He nodded sheepishly, "You look ravishing." Grabbing an apple pie from a table filled with desserts, he presented it to me. "Here's an apple pie, don't be too mad."
I smacked his hand away. "That's onto work." Then I snatched the apple pie back and he chuckled
"And I'm going to kill you for inviting people I didn't know about." I spoke through my smile, biting on the pleasant desert.
I still loved apple pies. A sweet weakness Derek liked to exploit.
Honestly, he and I had our fair share of differences and the more time we spent in each other's company especially as roommates like right now, we realized it wouldn't be easy to tackle the future. But we loved each other and that was more than enough. We pushed through.
We made it work because we wanted it to.
As we both walked side by side, shooting people smiles and climbed up onto the stage, Derek kept pestering me while I glared at him.
Sometimes I swear we fought like this just because it was fun.
"Ladies and Gents, thank you so much for attending this evening!" I glanced at Derek as he slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me besides him with a grin.
We weren't Rich as hell-
Okay, we were doing pretty well for ourselves and we'd been asked the question of marriage far too much. I was waiting for Derek to pop the question, to be frank.
"The only reason we're holding this ten-year thing is because everyone pushed us and, it's a secret-" I stage whispered, "-but this is a way to hold a reunion at our cost." I solemnly nodded to myself and everyone laughed.
I glanced at Derek but he looked pretty absent minded.
°♤°
(Derek's P.O.V)
Nervously, I glanced at my girlfriend as she addressed the audience and then at Cam who gave a thumbs up.
It was ready.
Lila went on with the little speech she'd prepared and I let my eyes roam over everyone present. Se many people but especially our families and close friends. Even my friends from Florida before we moved to Ladehnhill had come.
Damn, I had a big audience.
I tuned back to hear as Lila ended her sentence and everyone clapped.
"Please, do enjoy!" She set the mic down on the table, her cheeks probably aching from all that smiling and I licked my lips.
I grabbed the mic. "Hold up just a moment, guys."
Kitkat gave me a confused look, looking at the audience and then me. I waited and Warren walked out, his tie askew and I sighed internally wondering what he'd been upto. He gave a sheepish look and then offered the tiny cushion to Lila.
"What is this now?"
I shrugged, "I though I should give you a good gift for our 10th anniversary."
She gave me a look that said, "Yeah, I know you don't do simple things."
I grinned in response.
I still loved annoying her and sharing late night talks the most.
She picked up the weird looking ball of yarn on the cushion and gave me a flabbergasted look while pulling on the end. She unraveled it and at one point, her breath caught. I think she knew where this was headed.
Fuck, I've never before in my life felt this nervous.
Not even on that last mission where a serial killer had shot me and I'd been bedridden because of the wounds in my leg and shoulder.
I'd come back from death's mouth and knew I'd regret it if I didn't put a ring on the woman I loved like crazy and had known I'd end up with since I was freaking 18.
The audience 'oohed' and 'aahed', mostly our family and friends. I'd invited everyone in bulk because I wanted this moment to be memorable.
"Is this...?" Kitkat glanced at me and the again at the handwraps I'd managed to wrap around the velvet box.
"Yep." I nodded, confirming that the copper colored hand wraps were the ones I'd last used four years ago before becoming an official FBI agent.
SA Greyson sure had a ring to it.
But more importantly......
"Oh, my god." Lila's eyes flew up from the initials L.S she'd had customized on them. "This is the gift I gave you for your 18th birthday."
I nudged her with a smile I could barely contain. "You're wearing the present I gave you for your 18th birthday too. Now go on, don't stop."
She let out a shaky breath. "This is so corny."
"You know I like corny." I whispered in her ear and then she'd unraveled the whole thing finally. "You got me to read books, now deal with it."
She rolled her eyes, humored.
I picked up the tiny velvet box and turned to look at her. Her eyes had a glossy sheen to them and I think I did too.
I got down on one knee.
"I love you, Lila Adele Smith. But I think it's time you become a Greyson."
I opened the box, the diamond sat atop a sleek band of silver and shone beautifully. It'd also taken me a significant while to gather enough money for it.
I'm really not a billionaire but we're good.
Lila's eyes widened and her hand flew to cover her mouth.
Our song started playing.
If I Can't Have You was our song because it was what played when I first saw her and when I asked her out.
The song was played when we graduated and when Lila made it big at The Times.
She played it for me when I became a Special Agent in the FBI and we danced at the party they threw for the new recruits.
It was playing at the airport the first time we met after two years of a long distance relationship. Fate and all.
It was blaring from our neighbor's place when we purchased our current apartment after pooling together our resources and settling down in New York only.
So yeah, the song seemed fitting.
I took a deep breath.
"We met ten-years ago and we fell in love ten-years ago. Me first." That elicited chuckles from everyone. "We've been through literal hell and we still made it. You're it for me, sweetheart. You're my Kitkat." She let out a watery laugh. "I want to have a family with you, kids. A home."
Lila's lips were trembling and I knew it was because she loved me. She loved me and she didn't shy away from her tears anymore. There was strength in her that she always gave me.
"Remember when Cam visited and I told you you'd be marrying me in ten years?"
She nodded vehemently and Cam spoke up, "I remember too!"
Lila bit her lip, her breath hitching and I continued.
"You won't make me a liar now, will you?" I gave her my sexiest look. "Marry me?"
"Only if you promise you'll stop putting Kitkats in my bag."
"Nope." I stood up. "But I promise I'll love you forever. I'll love your tears as much as your laugh and I'll take your temper tantrums and buy you chocolate. I'll even let you win when we spar." I rose a brow like I was offering the best deal of her life.
She laughed, a tear slipping down her cheek and I wanted to wipe it away but I was still on my knees and then she spoke.
"I love you, Derek Greyson."
I laughed, "I promise I love you more."
And then I stood up, not sparing a moment before I kissed her hard, in front of everyone, ecstatic and feeling like the luckiest man alive. 10 years and kissing her still made my heart race like I was a 17-year-old boy going through his emo phase.
And I also wanted to take off the pins in her soft mahogany hair and wrap it around my hand so I could tug on it while devouring her sweet lips.
Cheers filled up the hall and the loudest were our friends and family. Everyone had known I'd propose tonight and I'm sure my fiancé had an inkling but she wasn't counting on it. As the rush wore down and everyone actually started on the food and drinks, we were granted a moment of alone time finally.
"Hey, Derek?"
"Yeah, Kitkat?"
Her grey eyes searched mine, a faint smile on her lips. "Won't you finally tell me why you call me Kitkat?"
My brows jumped and I licked my lips, grinning. Ten years and I never told her. I'm sure she figured out some reason but I liked to keep the reason to myself.
Except I had her now forever so I suppose I could tell her after all.
"I needed a break from the world. I needed a Kitkat. Sweet and crunchy." I teasingly brushed my lips against her. She gave me a deadpanned look.
But then I swallowed thickly and whispered, "But my human-Kitkat became the world I never wanted a break from."
Her breath hitched and she let out a surprised but watery chuckle. "I'm glad then."
I smiled fully, joy encompassing my heart and I didn't want to look away from my fiance for a single moment now.
After smiling and greeting people so much, my jaw ached but alas, it was the least I could do. I grabbed my now-fiance and soon-to-be-wife.
"Hey, Kitkat?"
"Yeah?"
She looked up at me with fondness in her dark grey eyes and I knew I'd do anything for her. I'd known the day I saw her dancing in her room.
"Thanks for leaving me Love Punched."
I smiled, tipping up my lips and letting my dimple show. Her eyes sparked.
"Good play with words."
"I'm good at playing with a lot of things."
I wriggled my brows suggestively and she rolled her eyes in equal parts amusement and acknowledgement.
"Not my heart."
"Never." I breathed.
She smiled, so beautifully that I swear my heart stopped.
Kitkat tried not to smile but her lips hooked upwards as she acted nonchalantly. "Mhm. Or you'd risk losing me, Looney Tunes."
"Good thing that'll never happen."
"Over confident much?"
I winked at her, "Nope, just very much in love."
"Still corny."
"Still my grumpy girl."
"I'm not grumpy." She grumbled.
I nodded and bit back a smile, "You're right." She gave me a suspicious look before I pulled her closer to my side and kissed her cheek with a grin. "You're not my grumpy girl."
I pressed my forehead against hers, ignoring the attention I knew we had on us and swept in for a kiss.
"You're my forever girl, Kitkat."
THE END
•♤•
A/N
So.
It's over.
Lila and Derek's story.
I love this book. It's my baby lol. I love the characters and I'm deeply connected to them. Writing this story was an utter joy for me and it still feels a little unbelievable that I've finished the book. I'm going to miss them lots.
It's a book that I'll always cherish. Lila's character was a part of me so yeah. Their story was a slow burn with enough steam in the ending I hope lol.
I hope I nicely tied up all the loose ends. If there are any loopholes you can think of, please do let me know. I'd appreciate the extra help!
To be honest, initially I'd only had the basic plotline for the book outlined but it turned out well. I'm a planster so it works I guess. I hope the Epilogue was also fulfilling. In general, I hope I manged to convey the many things I wanted to through this nuanced story that balanced light banter and deep trauma both. I tried to adopt the use of foreshadowing and unexpected twists and revealations to which I'm hoping were executed just fine.
Derke is honestly my ideal boyfriend. It's just I maifested him into words haha.
I want to thank you all for your support that made my day, the votes, the comments and the patience. Thank you to everyone who's reading this, especially:
And last but not the least, would you guys be interested if I continue taking you on a journey with these familiar characters? I'm still thinking of what to name the series if I decide to continue but 'He Fell First' is the top contender for my series name lol. Would you like to read:
Warren and Rebecca's story.
Cameron and Veronica's story.
Because I'm pretty sure I left lots of signs about possibilities for their stories being written and I mean, two people with unrequited love - Warren and Rebecca and a couple wherein I'm pretty sure everyone hates Veronica but Cam does the opposite...they might make for good stories and I already have plans.
Anyways, the book is done and I'll let you go now. Catch you in my new projects ehehe! Hope you take care and we'll see each other again! Follow me for more if you haven't and do add the book to your libraries! If you can, share it too!
Finally, if you drop down reviews or feedback, I'd be humbled and would highly appreciate it. Either way, thank you.
~Skyler