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Rain
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Chapter 47: Rain (Christian's POV)
"Christian."
I glanced over at Jules, slowing down the speed of my bike to a stop.
She stopped beside me and hopped off the bicycle, resting it against the wall. I would have been more than happy to spend the entire day in our room together, but then Jules suggested that we find some bikes and rent them out for the day, so instead of joining the others on a tour, we went on our own.
Currently, we were biking along the sidewalk near our hotel, on our way back, but the sunset was too perfect to miss.
"Let's stay for a while," she said, resting her hands on the wall that stopped just above my waist.
I got off the bike, placed mine with hers, and stood beside her, both of us staring ahead, watching the sun slowly sink into the ocean.
"This is such a beautiful view," she mumbled.
I glanced down at her, our hands brushing on the stone wall. "It really is," I agreed, staring at her.
She snorted, glancing at me out of the corner. "We've had one too many moments like these, Christian."
"Like what?" I asked, amused.
"Moments where I say 'Oh, look at the view' and you reply with... that," she sighed, turning to me.
"With... what?" I lifted a brow, inching closer to her.
"With those eyes and that look."
"Which look, Red?"
She paused, a soft smile dancing on her lips. "A look that tells me I'm what you're staring at instead of admiring this breathtaking sunset."
"I'm admiring my breathtaking woman," I replied with a small shrug.
She laughed softly, taking my jaw and turning my head the other way so I faced straight forward. "Admire the view. I'm not going anywhere." After a minute she added, "Well, you never know."
"I know I'm not letting you go this time, Milaya," I responded.
"Then I suppose it's a good thing that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." She glanced at me before focusing ahead. "The rehearsal dinner and engagement are tonight. I don't think we can stay for long," she mumbled.
"Where is the engagement happening anyway?"
"On some fancy private terrace restaurant. Alex wouldn't say but apparently, the view is something to look forward to there as well. Good food, good wine, good view. It's the engagement they've always wanted. I'm happy for him," she chuckled.
"What about you?" I questioned.
She hummed in confusion.
"What about your dream engagement? I bet it's not how we did it. Those were nothing but my parents' orders," I huffed softly, leaning forward onto my elbows.
Jules let out a laugh, reaching over and brushing my cheek lightly before moving down to shove my shoulder. "It wasn't that bad. We just had one hell of an audience, most of which we hardly knew," she said.
"How would you want it? If we could redo it?" I asked, looking at her.
She fell into thought and rested her elbow on my shoulder, tracing my ear with her fingertip. "I would want to do it by ourselves."
"Really?" I asked, a bit surprised.
When Jules and I first got together, all she wanted was a big wedding that announced to the world that she was married and in love and happy but never because she wanted to show it off or had a point to prove, simply because she wanted to be so madly in love with someone that a wedding became a huge celebration for them. She wanted our wedding to be big so we could enjoy it and have it all.
"I wouldn't change anything about how you proposed to me or even the engagement party. That night has its own memories. But I kind of wish we never had that engagement party. It's my first thought when I think of us being engaged. Our engagement party tainted your proposal a bit but I still cherish it all, Christian. I didn't care if your parents invited two hundred people or two thousand; I wasn't looking at them." She leaned forward, her body mirroring mine, and then rested her chin on my arm, facing me.
I turned to meet her gaze.
"I was just looking at you," she whispered.
There was barely a hand's breadth between us and being so close made it so hard to resist a kiss. So I didn't. I just kissed her, feeling her smile against my lips. We pulled away moments later when faint raindrops began falling over us, each drop falling faster and harder as the rain picked up from a drizzle into a pouring downfall. But neither one of us moved as we stared at each other.
She withdrew her hand from mine and reached up to brush my hair back instead. "I love you."
I watched her, feeling my heart race so hard, my lungs burned like there wasn't enough air I could get. "Marry me."
She stared back at me silently but something shifted in her eyes and it was enough to tell me that she understood, she knew I meant it. "Christian..."
I took a tiny step back and lifted my hand, holding her ring between my fingers.
She looked down at her bare finger in confusion before letting out a chuckle. "Thief."
"Guilty as charged," I smiled, lowering myself to one knee.
She laughed softly, looking around as the world passed by us, only a few people stopping to watch us on the empty street. "Are you kidding?"
I held up the ring. "Marry me, Jules."
She stood still, just watching me.
I took in the sight of her like she was doing for me. Deja vu hit me harder than anything. A moment had never felt so familiar yet so different. She was standing in front of me just like she had been that night except this time under the pouring rain. Her hair started to grow soaked and her white, full-sleeve dress that hugged her tight and flowed loosely past her wrists with a tiny little cutout right at her sternum grew a bit sheerer than it already was.
"Please, marry me," I repeated, "Again. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, you know I do. And I want to do it right this time. I want to be with you, for worse or for better."
She inched closer, taking my jaw. "Stand up, please, everyone's watching."
"Is that a no?"
She shook her head. "Christian," she laughed, brushing my hair out of my eyes.
"It's okay if it is. I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes."
"Even forever?"
"Forever and ever... and ever," I grinned.
She rested her hands on my shoulders. "Then it's a good thing you won't have to."
"Yes?"
"Yes."
"Yes?" My brows shot up, my eyes growing wide.
"Yes!" She laughed leaning down and kissing me quickly, leaning into me and grinning against my lips.
We both broke away laughing and Jules tipped her head back to the sky, raindrops hitting her face as I slipped the ring back onto her finger before standing up while she still laughed softly. "You're so cute, I love you so much," she beamed, locking her arms around my neck as I took her waist, hugging her tight and lifting her up for a beat as she rocked her feet back and forth in the air, squealing quietly.
I set her down and pulled back just enough to look at her before kissing her again, leaving chaste kisses on her cheek as well, my lips lingering in one spot for a beat.
"Well," she snickered, "now that we're soaked to the bone and late, we should definitely rush back."
"Oh yeah, definitely," I nodded in agreement, taking her hand and holding onto her bike as she hopped on, adjusting her dress quickly. I followed suit, hopping onto the bike, both of us continuing down the street and reaching our hotel as fast as we could.
Handing the bikes back to the hotel, we rushed inside, ignoring the glances from people in the lobby as we ran through the room, drenched head to toe, leaving water drops in our wake.
"Does the rain proposal top the rooftop, Ms. Declan?" I asked as we got into the elevator, taking a breath.
She glanced at me, still grinning ear to ear. "I have loved it every time you proposed, there's no comparison, Christian." Jules stared at the band on her finger. "But it feels like we're engaged for the first time all over again."
"Come here." I tugged at her hand.
She leaned into me, coming up on her toes as I tilted her chin up, kissing her slowly. A soft groan of frustration escaped me as the elevator stopped abruptly at a floor that wasn't ours.
Jules stumbled away from me, staring ahead in surprise. "Alex," she said, clearing her throat.
He glanced between us and then at our drenched attire, taking in my white pants and the flowy light blue and white striped button-up. "Where the hell have you two been? We're leaving for the engagement dinner in thirty minutes, Jules," he scolded, glaring at her.
"This elevator is going up, I don't think you need to be here," I mumbled.
Jules elbowed me gently. "We lost track of time," she replied instead. "You and the others should go ahead and we'll be right behind you, don't worry."
I glanced at his classic white button-up and slack pants but he lacked a tie and suit for the time being. Alex sighed, glancing at his watch. "We'll be there in time for the engagement and dinner, Alex," I reassured.
"I was asking my sister, not you," he bit out.
"Alex," Jules warned, "we'll be there before you know it. Just trust us. You should probably help Naomi get ready, I bet you're both excited." She offered him a smile, cheering him up as best as she could.
"All right," he said after a slight pause. He pointed an accusatory finger at us. "Don't be late."
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Chapter 47
I got a bit busy but I'm here and updating lol
I just wanna get your guys' opinion on one thing for the next book and that is our female lead's name!! She's Italian you guys and that is just... *chef's kiss*
anyway, so the two names I narrowed it down to are Gianna and Zarah.
And yes, we already have Gianna Phoenix in Taste of Sin but idc I fucking LOVE that name and it works because it's a gorgeous Italian name <33
anyways
next ch: dream