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Scared, nervous, bashful, and happy.
I felt all these emotions inside me at the same time that I couldn't rank which one overwhelmed me the most. Marcus was here—with his family, in fact, and I sat in the presidential seat with my heart on my sleeve.
We could see it in each other's eyes; we desired to hear each other's voices and touch once again. While I played the piano, I caught him staring at me again that I almost messed up my piece.
The darn piano was on the right corner of the room, facing the crowd. I had to fight myself internally while I play the most soothing music, chanting to myself to stop making eye contact or else I'd mess up my rhythm.
The night's event was far from over. When the socializing portion came to play, many guests approached me and asked me questions. Even the adorable kids asked me to dance but even their cuteness did not stop me from looking around the room for the man with captivating copper eyes.
My eyes recognized Marcus though his back faced me. I was about to talk to him when I was blocked by another familiar male.
"May I have this dance?" he spoke up as he bowed, his arm slightly extended with his palm ready for me to take.
I almost laughed at his attempt to sweep me off of my feet. "Of course, Cedric. It's an honour."
The slow dance began and our bodies swayed with the music. The waltz practice with Andy had helped me throughout the night. So far so good. No toes had been sacrificed.
"You look beautiful tonight, Emerald." Cedric whispered to my ear, his voice sent shivers down my spine. Some other females would take his tone as flirtatious but he was like an older brother to me. He helped me out a lot and he listened to my problems.
"Thanks. You look dapper, too." I complimented back.
We continued to sway with the music and at every turn, my neck craned higher to find where Marcus went to.
"Actually, I'm a messenger for tonight. Marcus wants to meet with you at the Royal Garden on the west side of the hotel. He's waiting there right now." Cedric said as we moved our bodies with the music. I should be hurrying now but Cedric didn't seem to let me go anytime now.
I shot up my brow. "Why would he send you as a messenger?"
He shrugged. "Well, for one thing, he's corny like that. Seriously. Who sends a messenger to meet with a woman he loves and wants to have a tête-à-tête when she's clearly few meters away?"
A chuckle escaped my mouth when he said that.
Marcus is just being Marcus, I guess.
"And also, I want to take this chance to apologize about his black eye." He added, a bit of hesitation tinted his tone.
"What... did you do?"
"Well...I gave him a wake-up call. You can call it that." he scratched the back of his head and laughed. "To be fair, he needed it and I delivered it. I still can't believe he thought you were some kind of a traitor. I know you aren't because you told me your story."
"That's the problem... he doesn't know my story. I waited 'till the last minute and the next thing I know, he accused me of being a traitor,"
"You're unbelievably perfect and forgiving. Marcus is very lucky to have you." Cedric said, his face was serious this time. "But I want to thank you for standing by him even though he messed up big time. You're the type of woman I want my best friend to be with for the rest of his life."
I let out a sigh and shrugged. "To be honest, I don't know if we're ever going to be the same again. Yes, he hurt me and it still hurts me."
The music was still playing when I stopped my steps. The people on the dance floor was still slow dancing while Cedric and I stood in the middle.
Cedric then took both my hands and said, "When you see him today, you'll know how you feel. It's a chance for the both of you. If you decide that this is it, at least you end it on good terms with him. But if you think you can still go on, then that's something worth celebrating for. What's important is that you see each other and figure it out. Trust your feelings, Emerald."
He had a point. Meeting with Marcus again was a good opportunity to figure things out ourselves. Now that the issues with the company had been cleared, there was no better day to talk about us.
"Thank you so much, Cedric. You always help me out." I said to him with a wide smile and excitement swelled inside me. I wanted to see Marcus right now!
"Anything for you." He pressed his lips on the top of my hand, making me blush a little. "Now, go. He's waiting and I'm sure he's dying to see you."
I kissed his cheek as a sign of my thanks and dashed out to find the nearest exit. The dance floor was not very crowded and the lights were dimly turned on so finding my way out was easy. My heels echoed as I tried to run with it. Taking them off would make my feet too cold against the tiled floors and the guests were still around.
When I reached the glass door entrance to the garden, there was nothing but magnificence on the other side.
It was a huge garden—it had an oriental feel to it with the small ponds and a wooden bridge that connected to the other side of the garden. Since we were pretty much far from the city, the surroundings were quiet with the exception of crickets around. The warm air and the scent of summer air added to my excitement.
As I walked towards the bridge, I noticed some hotel dwellers sitting on the benches all around but it was not crowded at all. They were mostly softly talking to their peers and some were watching the calm darkness above us. It instantly reminds me of the time Marcus took me to Horseshoe Valley.
The stars also shone their best tonight and it just made the atmosphere around here extra special.
My heart pounded faster when I caught a glimpse of Marcus inside a gazebo, his back facing me. Time seemed to slow down as I approach him, the road getting shorter and shorter.
Here I was with my heart on my sleeve and there was no backing down.
Now or never.
Do or die.
"Hi," I muttered softly when I reached the bottom of the gazebo. His head turned to the side first then slowly, his whole body turned around to face me. When he did, he held a single red flower close to his chest and flashed a smile at me. His eyes were the same, lively Marcus. The gleam in his eyes was just like when we first met.
"Hey," Marcus stepped down, my eyes were still glues to his. The butterflies in my stomach rampaged when he took my hand and passed the single red flower to me. "A single flower is not enough to fix the biggest mistake I made in my life- I've hurt you, and made you cry, and called you the worst things. But I'm not here to beg for you to take me back because I know it's not that easy."
A bittersweet smile morphed the thin line of my lips. It kind of hurt and touched me at the same time. I was about to say something when he took my other hand and placed the palm of my hand to his cheek. The warmth of his skin against mine felt nostalgic. I missed him so, so much.
He then opened his eyes and stared deep to my eyes. "Instead, I'm here to beg for a chance to prove myself to you. I want—."
He paused, then shook his head and smirked. "I need a chance to start all over again—a clean slate—if you let me, of course. So let me spoil you, court you." He then kissed the back of my hand. My heart raced faster and faster when his arm took a hold of the small of my back.
"When your uncle told me about your ridiculous bet with him, I felt so disgusted and asked your uncle: How can she go to this extent just to look out for me when just a few days ago, I shunned her and called her the meanest name possible? And then your uncle invited me to come to this event. I was too ashamed of myself that I almost did not go,"
I playfully shot up my brows. "So, what changed your mind?"
His fiery eyes lit a stronger fire in them- they were beautiful and sensual at the same time. Then in the most passionate way possible, he replied. "You."
I bit my lips as I swung both my arms over his shoulder, making him lean lower to my level and closer. "Can you elaborate on that?" The flirtatious side of me had broken free and quite honestly, I loved hearing these from Marcus himself.
Marcus let out the familiar flirtatious grin as our foreheads touched, nose-to-nose. "You put the colours in my dull life, Emerald. Heck, you changed everybody's lives. From your mom, your grandparents, even mine. If I miss out on today's event, I may never have the chance to see you again. You may grow to hate me and decide to move on while I contemplate my sorry ass in my office. What's worse is that I may never love the same again if I don't come to see you."
"You believe in me when nobody in this world did. You stood strong even though I've broken your heart, not once, but twice! So I came here because I can't stomach the possibility that I might wake up one day and don't see you beside me at all. That... hurts me... because I'm still in hopelessly in love with you."
Each word that came out of his mouth was like music to my ears. My chest was heaving up and down from loss of breath. No words could top off his genuine confession- his true feelings for me. So, I took his lips and pressed mine so tight that I took him by surprise.
A ring of fire in my belly stirred when he kissed me back with the same passion and I was lost in time once again. It was like the first time we kissed- hungry but passionate.
When we broke away from our kiss, he was already smiling from ear-to-ear when I pried my eyes open. His contagious smile had me falling for him all over again.
"No matter what happens, I will love you wholeheartedly, Emerald Wren," he whispered to my ear.
Then I realized one minor detail that Marcus needed to know. "Really? Even if I go back to Vancouver to study?"
Marcus raised a brow. "You do remember that I'm the CEO of an aircraft manufacturing company, right? I can easily go to Vancouver whenever I please, and that means distance is not a problem. Even if I have to fly from Toronto to your school just to personally give you flowers, I'll do it."
And knowing how Marcus had gone to next level romantic back in Horseshoe Valley, I didn't doubt that he'd do what he just said.
"You're crazy, you know that?" I teased.
Marcus' lips took mine once more; it was short but sweet. "I'm only crazy for you, Emerald."
"And I'm hopelessly and crazily in love with you, too, Marcus."
As we made our way back to the hall, I couldn't fathom how quickly things had happened and changed for me. Toronto used to be a strange city- a place where hopes and dreams for my dad really took off but also the place where I found love and family.
What a crazy ride it had been and it truly was a summer I'd never forget. It'd be a story I'd repeat over and over again to my future children and to my grandchildren. Thinking that I'd marry Marcus one day made my heart swell with joy and excitement. After all, I could see myself with him.
Forever.
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end.
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A/N: There's an epilogue, so don't falter! So, how do you feel? I'm crying.
I.can't.believe.I.did.this! (in Rapunzel's voice) :))) I just have so much emotion right now that I don't know where and how to start.
All I can say is THANK YOU SO FREAKING MUCH. Every vote. Every comment. Every share is appreciated.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Please continue to support me in my future project~ (I have one on the way ^^) Let's end this chapter in a feel-good song, shall we?
♫♪ I Wouldn't Mind by He Is We♪♫