Chapter Twenty-Five:
I wake up in the morning my legs tangled with Owens’s and our naked bodies close together. Owens’s face was close to mine, a small smile on his face. Awe, he's cute when he's sleeping. His eyes fluttered open and met my gaze.
“Morning.” I say.
"Good morning," he murmured, kissing the tip of my nose.
“Sleep well?”
"Of course," he smiled. "Did you?"
I nod. “Can I ask you something?”
"Sure, shoot."
“Did you mean what you said last night?”
He blinked and cocked his head to the side. "What did I say?"
“You said you love me.”
"Oh," his cheeks tinged pink. "Erm...” I wait for him to say something.
He bit his lip and spoke quietly, "Yeah, I guess I did...” He guesses?
"You guess?" I met his gaze. “Owen…”
He sighed. "If I said I did, and you don't, I'll look stupid, won't I?"
“I can’t give you an answer if you aren’t sure.”
"Of course I am sure," he rolled his eyes and smiled. "But I would look less stupid and embarrassed if I said that at the end...” Do I love him? His smile dropped and he looked away. I close my eyes. He sighed and shifted so he was leaning against the headboard. I feel like crying, but if I do, he'll feel bad.
"I shouldn't have said it," he said after a few minutes.
“No, I'm glad you did.”
"Why?" He looked at me. "You don't, you know, me." What can I say? When I didn't say anything, he looked away. I feel awful now. "Do you want something to eat?" He turned around and put his feet on the floor. I watched, I wanted to pull him back down. He pulls on his boxers. I move forward and wrap my arms around him. “Lani.” he sighs.
"Yes?" I murmur against his neck. He sighs again but I just hold onto him. His hands move to my thighs, which are either side of him. I wrap my legs around him so he can't get up. I kiss his bare back. He sighed and turned around, kissing me. He gently pushes me back on the bed, hovering over my naked body. His hand moves up my side and cups my cheek. I meet his gaze and give him a small smile. He leans down and kisses me softly. I sighed, a happy smile on my face. He kisses my neck and down my body until he gets to my stomach. He meets my gaze as he moved lower. My eyes slid close as a small moan escaped my mouth. Oh God...not again...My eyes snapped open as his weight disappeared. I feel my blankets over me. What the hell...?
I looked up at Owen. "What are you doing? Owen?” He gave me a small smile. I look up at him confused.
"What are you doing?" I repeat, sitting up, not bothering with the covers. “Owen, what are you doing?”
"I want to wait," he said after, very obviously, trying to avoid looking at me.
“Uh, okay...?”
"Until we both love each other," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Okay.” He needs to break up with his girlfriend anyway.
He walked backwards. I rubbed my jaw, trying to hide my smile - I could see he was trying to avoid looking at my body.
“There a problem?” I ask.
He shook his head. "I'll just... go make some breakfast." As he says that I get up and run to the bathroom, throwing up. After a few seconds, he appears behind me, holding my hair back. I don’t know how long I've been throwing up, but when I stop I still feel sick.
He puts a blanket around me and frowns. "Are you going to be sick again or can you make it back to the bed?"
“I'm fine.” He nodded and helped me up. We both slowly walked back to my bed, making sure I wasn't going to throw up any second. “Can you get me some pajamas?” I ask. I laid down on the bed and watched him as he walked over to my dresser and got my pajamas out. I raised my eyebrow at his choice. “Really?” I giggle.
He looked down at the pajamas and frowned. "What's wrong with this choice?"
“Nothing.” I smile.
He hands over my blue pajama bottoms and tank top. His frown was still on his face as he looked at the clothes. "Seriously, what's wrong with them?"
“Nothing.”
He nodded. "Underwear?" He asked, gesturing to my chest of drawers.
I nod. “Yeah.”
He walked over and looked through. I chuckled at his expression, he didn't know what to pick.
“Just grab something and give it to me.” I tell him. He nodded and held up some underwear, silently asking whether it was okay or not. I nod. “Sports bra now.”
Again, he nodded and picked something else up. "These okay?"
“Yes.”
He put them down on the bed. "I guess I'll go out...”
“You don’t have to.” I say. It’s nothing he hasn’t seen before.
He slowly nodded and sat down on my spinney chair. "Okay. I guess I better get dressed as well after."
“Why don’t you just change now?” I wonder why he isn’t... He shrugged and looked up at the ceiling.
“Okay…” I get up and pull on the panties and sports bra. I looked over at him to see his eyes trailing over my body. I pull on the pajama pants and then the top. I smiled at him when I caught his gaze. Him just sitting there in his boxers made me want to take my clothes back off. But I don’t. He smiled and stood up, giving me the chance to actually look at him closely. He just stands there.
"What?" He frowned when he caught me looking at him. "Is there something on me?"
I shake my head. “No.”
He slowly nodded his head and opened his arms. "Hug?" I nod and walk into his arms. We both stand there for a few minutes until someone knocks on my bedroom door.
He pulls away and quickly puts his clothes on. "Come in." I say.
My mum raised her eyebrow at Owen as she opened the door - since he was hopping with one foot in his trousers. "I was wondering if you two wanted breakfast."
“Sure.”
She nodded and walked towards the stairs. "And don't mention to your father that you two slept in the same bed, he's been saving his jokes for you two," she warned us, a smile on her face. I put my head in my hands.
Owen chuckled and put his arms around me. "Come on, I'll shield you from his crude jokes."
“Nothing will help Owen. Nothing.”
"Can only but try," he whispered, kissing me lightly before walking down the stairs. I follow him downstairs.
My dad grinned at Owen when he entered the kitchen. "Don't say a word," my mum said, hitting him on the head with a tea towel.
I walk into the kitchen behind him. “Oh God, what is that awful smell?”
My mum frowned over at me. "You normally love my cooking...”
“Whatever it is…” I run to the closest bathroom and throw up. Owen appeared behind me, pulling my hair back - I had a feeling this was going to become a habit.
"Is she alright?" my mum asked, standing in the doorway.
I get up and rinse my mouth out. “I'm fine. That smell just made me sick. The doctor said it could happen.”
She sighed and nodded. "Soon you'll want pickles and ice-cream," she told me. "Your cousin was like that when she was pregnant."
“That does sound good.” I admit.
Owen scrunched his nose up next to me. "Are you serious?" I nodded. "But you haven't got any in the house..."
“I don’t want that now, but maybe later.”
"Maybe we can go shopping?" He said, looking at me. "Only if you feel like you won't throw up."
“I'll be fine.”
He nodded and helped me into the kitchen. My dad gave me a worried look. "You okay, sweetie?"
“Yeah, I'm okay.”
I sat down in the chair next to him and frowned. "What can I eat for breakfast then?"
“You can have anything honey.” Mom says.
I let my eyes drift around the kitchen. "Suggest something, Owen," I said to him. He shrugs. “You're no help.” I get up and start looking through the cabinets.
He chuckled. "How am I supposed to know what a pregnant girl wants?" He asked.
"You should know!" I threw my hands out and grinned at him. I look in the freezer and find some waffles.
"What about some pancakes?" He suggested. I scrunched my nose up. "Tacos?" I shook my head. "Soup?" He said, a flat expression on his face. A grin spread across my face as I nodded. “You're odd Lani-bear.”
"Thanks," I smiled at him. My parents exchanged a look and smiled, clearly they thought we were getting on better than before.
“What kind of soup, honey?” mom asks.
"What do we have?" I ask her, settling back into my chair when Owen pulled it out for me.
“Chicken, tomato, and beef.” I pursed my lips and looked at the boxes. Owen held out the chicken one and I smiled, nodding. He always knew what I liked, eventually. My mom takes it and starts making it for me.
Owen sat down next to me and smiled. "You okay?" He whispered.
I nod. “Yeah.” My dad looked between us, a small smile on his face. “What?” I ask.
"Nothing," he said, his smile getting a little bigger. "You two, you seem happy."
“Yeah, I guess.” My mum gestured with her hand for me to follow her out the kitchen. I nodded and followed behind her. "What's up?" I asked her.
"Have you two spoken about your relationship?" She asked after she looked over at Owen to see him in a conversation with my father.
“Kind of.”
"And what's your status?" She smiled. "I could sense something was different between you two this morning."
“Honestly? I have no idea...”
"Has he told you," she lowered her voice, "that he loves you?"
“Yes.”
She smiled. "That's sweet."
I nod. “I haven’t said it back.”
"What?" She looked at me. "You don't love him?"
“I...I don’t know.”
She didn't say anything at first. "You'll work it out eventually, sweetie," was all she said before serving the soup and walking over to the table. I stand there with my bowl. What did she mean? I get a spoon and carry my bowl to the table. Did she mean that I was already in love with him and didn't realize it or something else? I sigh and eat my soup. Silence settled over us as I looked around the table. Why did I feel like they knew something I didn't?
“What?” I ask.
"What, what?" Owen shot back, smiling. I smile and roll my eyes. My mum and dad smile at each other, stand up and back out the room - leaving me and Owen on our own.
“What is going on?” I ask.
"What do you mean?" He asked, a small confused smile slipping onto his face.
“My parents.” I sighed and explained further when he didn't get it. "Why were you all acting strange? As if you knew something I didn't." He shrugs. "Do you know something that I don’t?" I ask. Again, he shrugged. I frowned and threw my unused spoon at him. "Tell me."
“Hey!”
I grinned. "Next time it'll be the soup. Tell me what you aren't telling me," I frowned, partly confusing myself.
“Your baby shower is going to be on your birthday.”
"What?" I looked up at him. "Oh no. That means my whole family will be there and find out!"
“They were going to find out anyway, Lani-bear.”
I nodded then dropped my head. "It's going to be hard; all they'll do is judge me. And the father is my best friend!"
He pulls me into his arms. “It'll be okay.”
[I push back and look up at his face. "How do you know?" I ask him, poking his chest. "How do you know everything is going to be okay?"
“You have me, your parents and Jake.” he says. “And this little one.”
I nodded. "True." I looked down at his hand, which was on my stomach. I put my hands on top of his. He sighed and rested his head on mine.
"You have no idea," he murmured. I frowned, what did he mean?
“What do you mean Owen?”
He shook his head and blinked. "Nothing, don't worry."
"No, tell me," I said, turning to look at him.
“You have to stop doing this.” I say.
"Doing what?" He asked, meeting my gaze.
“Saying its nothing when it’s clearly something. It drives me crazy and just makes me upset.”
He frowned and closed his eyes. "If I tell you, it will make it awkward. I've already said it once and I don't really want to embarrass myself again."
“Just say it.”
He shook his head and moved his head closer. "You don't feel it so I'm not going to say it again." I knew what he meant but I really wanted to hear it again.
“Please?”
"Until I know you feel the same, I don't want to say it, because then it's only a one-way thing," he murmured. I'm silent. He sighed. "Please don't ignore me, Lani-bear."
“I'm not.”
He rested his head in the crook of my neck. "I love you, Lani-bear, more than you know, okay?" He whispered before standing up.
I catch his hand. “Where are you going?”
He bit his lip. "I don't know, really. But if I stay here, I'll just feel more rejected."
“Please don’t go.”
"And stay here? Do what exactly?" He turned back to me.
“Be with me.” I could see he wanted to, badly, but the rejection from me not saying I loved him back was out weighing it him wanting to stay - I would probably have felt the same. He's still with Erica though…He said he wasn't, but she didn't understand that they broke up. I frowned, what was he going to do? He has to do something. I looked up at him as he stepped closer. His arms wrap around my waist.
"Why do I find it so hard to walk away from you?" He murmured against my neck.
“I don’t know.”
He sighed. "It was a rhetorical question, Lani-bear. Of course I know why," he said, a teasing edge to his tone. I blush. He lightly touches my cheeks and smiled.
"Does it go against my thing of not doing anything together if I kiss you?" He asked gently.
“Kind of.”
He breathed out. "Hell, breaking rules seems to be something I'm getting better at." He kissed me before I had a chance to reply. I kiss him back. He smiled against my lips.
I pull back. “This is definitely breaking that rule.”
"I don't care," he said before pulling me back to him. "Screw the rules." He kisses me again.
I pulled away from him, which was hard. "But you made the rules," I countered.
“Oh well.” he kisses me once again. I grin and kiss him back with enough force to push him against the counter. He chuckles.
"Do you miss kissing me that much?" He whispered against my lips.
“Damn hormones.”
He chuckled. "Whatever it is, I don't mind it," he said, kissing me again.
“You'd better get used to it.”
"I think I am already," he said, smiling. "If it means more kissing, I'm all for it."
“It means more than that.” I mumble.
"I know. I read that baby book, remember?" He shook his head. "And yet you haven't, I feel more knowledgeable than you do."
“I'd like to read it sometime.”
He nodded. "Sure. I'll ask my mum."
“Have you told her yet?”
He shook his head. "I was too worried about you after I found out you got hit by a car."
“You really have to tell her Owen.”
"I think she got the idea though. Which seventeen year old would read a baby book without having a reason?" He raised his eyebrow.
“But does she know I'm the mother?”
He shrugged. "I really hope she doesn't think its Erica. She knows we slept together, you know?" He smiled and shook his head. "Your mum told her and I may have let it slip with my happy attitude."
“Oh. I didn’t know that.” He nodded and sat on the counter.
“Um, what about Erica?”
He opened his mouth then closed it again. "I don't know how else to tell her I don't want to go out with her anymore," he said after a few seconds of silence. Great.
"Any suggestions?" He asked.
“Nope, sorry.”
He rolled his eyes and sighed. "I guess I'll go then. Try and work something out." I wrap my arms around my stomach. He looked at the door then back at me. I watched him for a moment while rubbing circles on my stomach, hoping to get rid of the sick feeling. It doesn’t go away so I continue to rub it. Owen walked over to me and nudged my hands out the way, replacing them with his own. "Is your stomach okay?" He asked, rubbing soothing circles.
“I don’t feel too great.”
"Want me to take you upstairs?" He asked.
I shake my head. “No.”
"Is there anything I can do?" He didn't like that he couldn't do anything for me, I could tell.
“No.”
"Come on," he took my hand and led me towards the living room. He sits down on the couch and pull me gently down onto his lap. His arms wrap around me and his head goes to my shoulder. "Just relax."
“Okay.” He rubbed small circles on my stomach, which were giving the opposite effect of what he wanted. I bit my lip and stared at the blank TV.
“Owen, I'm gonna throw up.” He let go of my stomach and watched me. I took a few deep breaths and the sick feeling started to disappear. “I'm okay now, I think.”
He kissed my shoulder then my neck. "Sorry."
“Not your fault.” He nodded and kissed below my ear. I close my eyes and lean into him. I could feel his smile as he left his lips against my neck. I smile. "This breaks your rules, you know," I told him in a quiet voice.
“I don’t care.” He chuckled. "Is it because you want me to stop?"
“No.” He captured my lips with his before I finished the no. I pull him closer as we kiss. I move my legs to either side of his. I wrap my arms around his neck and tangle my hands in his hair. He pulled me closer, which was near impossible, and deepened the kiss.
"Making out on the sofa? Do you think this is a good idea?" he asked, pulling away slightly.
“Probably not.”
"Well, I doubt you want to move upstairs, so what do you want to do?" I kiss him. "Mm," he moaned lightly against my lips. I smile against his lips. "Okay," he pulled back. "That wasn't an option," he chuckled.
“Too bad.”
He grinned. "What about if your mum or dad comes in? Don't you have enough jokes from your dad?" I groan. I don’t want my dad to say more, but my hormones are so strong… "Mm, upstairs?" He murmured against my lips.
“Yes.” I kiss him more. He picked me up and wrapped my legs around his waist. I grin. We made it up the stairs - after a few attempts since I kept kissing him and he had to balance us against the wall - and into my room. I kiss him forcefully. He tripped over his own feet as he tried to concentrate on getting me onto the bed safely. I end up on the bed with him on top of me. He kissed me passionately and rested his hand on my stomach. I wrap my legs around his waist tightly. He groaned and moved my t-shirt up higher. I tug on his shirt. He took it off and smiled down at me.
“I hope you know that this is going to be happening a lot.”
"What?" I met his gaze and smiled.
“This.”
"Oh." He smiled. "I can live with that." I giggle. He ran his hands up my sides and kissed me. I hold onto him. I shifted so he was under me. He met my gaze and gave me a crooked smile.
“I'm hungry.” I say.
His eyebrows furrowed and he opened his mouth but closed it straight away. "What?" He said after a few moments.
“I'm hungry.”
"So... do you want me to make you something?" He said, a confused edge to his tone. I get up off him and head for my door.
He frowned as he stood up, pulling his shirt back on. "Okay, guess we aren't going to then." He jogged to keep up with me. I head downstairs and open the fridge and cabinets.
Owen leant against the counter and watched me quietly. "What are you planning on eating?" He asked.
I grab some peanut butter and oranges. “This will have to do for now.”
He covered his mouth to hide his smile. "Do you want to go shopping?"
“Yeah.” I grin. We both walked into the front room and I started eating.
“Lani-bear, how can you eat that?”
“It’s actually not that bad.”
He scrunched his nose up but held his hand out. "Okay. Try me." I smiled and handed him some, he was going to try it for me?
He tries it and spits it out in a napkin. “That’s disgusting Lani-bear.”
I smiled. "At least you tried it," I told him, kissing him on the cheek. He gets up and rinses his mouth out. I follow him and patted his back. "Want to go shopping? I fancy some waffles I'm going to change.” I tell him.
He nodded. "I guess I'll wait down here or something."
I head upstairs and grab some jeans. I pull them on and try to zip them but I can’t. I try on all of my jeans, none of them fit. “No!”
Owen burst in the room. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" He walked over to me in three quick strides and pulled me closer to him.
“I'm fine.” I say. “But none of my jeans fit, which means none of my skirts will either.”
"I guess we are going clothes shopping as well then?" He stroked my cheek.
“Yeah.” I sigh. “I guess I have to wear sweats.”
He smiled. "It means our little one is growing," he whispered, kissing me lightly on the lips. Even though I was annoyed about my jeans, what he said made me smile. I grab a pair of sweat pants and pull them on. I grab a gym shirt and pull it on over my head. I grab my Columbia sweatshirt and pull it. I put a scarf on and some long socks and my boots since its December.
"And you still look amazing," he murmured, looking at me as I tied my boots.
“No I don’t.”
"Of course you do," he said, giving me an odd look. "You will always look amazing, Lani-bear." I shake my head. He rolled his eyes. "I can see you right now and to me, you are beautiful." I blush and grab his hand pulling him downstairs with me.
We walk out to his car and back out the driveway. Twenty minutes later we pulled up at the high street. "Where do you want to go?"
"Well I need clothes...so the mall."
He nodded and parked the car. "Which shop would you like to go to?"
“I can’t shop where I normally do…”
"Erm, maybe we should have asked your mum to help us find some places," he said. "Or I can ask my mum, if you want?"
“My mum is doing something with my dad today, so yeah, ask your mum.” He nodded and took his phone out. I watched him while he spoke to his mum on the phone. He didn’t tell her why to come to the mall just to come.
"So, this is basically you telling her that it’s me that's pregnant?" I raised my eyebrow.
“A little.”
“Real nice Owen.”
"I'm sorry!" He frowned. "She knows, partly," he said.
“This is a great way for her to find out.” I roll my eyes.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I wanted to tell her but it was hard."
“Hard? You want hard?” I say, tears welling up in my eyes. “Hard is not being able to control my emotions. Hard is having to deal with throwing up multiple times a day and feeling sick all day long, and having to deal with all of these changes to my body. I'm going to be the one pushing this baby out of my body and you think telling your mom is hard!” I say now angry. I turn away and walk to the food court. I bit my lip. Okay, maybe I was a little harsh. He will get fed up of me if I keep snapping at him like that. I just can’t stop myself from snapping like that. I wish I could, but I can’t. I walk over to the ice cream place and order a cup. I pay for it and buy a few cookies too. I then find a table and sit down eating. Owen dropped down in the seat opposite mine. Neither of us said anything. I frowned, who should speak first?
I take another bite of ice cream. “I'm sorry.” I say.
He shook his head. "I'm sorry, you don't need to be, Lani-bear."
“I keep snapping at you and I'm really sorry. I know it hurt you.”
"I read the book, remember?" He raised his eyebrow. "I know what you're going through, roughly." I get up and walk over to him, sitting on his lap.
He sighed and wrapped his arms around me. "We'll make it through this, don't worry."
I lean into him. “You're right.”
"Aren't I always?" He leant forward and grinned. I smile and kiss him softly.
"Isn't this a lovely sight?" Owens’s mum said, smiling at us as she appeared by the table. I blush.
"Hey, mum," Owen greeted her. "We kind of need your help shopping for some stuff," he told her.
"Pregnancy clothes, by any chance?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.
“Yes.” I say.
She nodded. "Thought so," she smiled. "Congratulations, dear. I'm glad it was you and not anyone else that's holding Owens’s baby."
I blush a bit. "So can you help? I really have no idea where to start or what to even look for."
"Of course I can," she held out her hand to help me up. "Where are your mum and dad to help you?"
“They told me they were going out to do something but they wouldn’t say what.”
A smile spread across her face. "Oh, okay. Come on then. I'll help you two look for some stuff."
“Thanks.” I smile. Owen took my hand and held them up, a silent question of whether he was allowed to or not. I nod.
His mum smiled at us over her shoulder. "Okay. First shop, day clothes. Then we can go to the underwear part," she told me.
“Underwear too?”
She shrugged. "More comfortable things for you to wear for when you get bigger."
“Oh, okay.”
We entered a shop and she walked us over to the maternity section. "What colours would you like?" She asked, picking up a purple t-shirt. "Oh. Have you thought about what you are doing when it comes to school?"
“Any color is fine, except orange, pink, and yellow.” I tell her. “Not at all.”
She chuckled and nodded. "Okay, sweetie. Owen, you take her to the t-shirt and dress part; I'll look in shorts and trousers. That okay?" Owen and I nod and go where his mom said.
Owen picked up some t-shirts and showed them to me. "What about these?"
I nod. “Yeah.”
He smiled and balanced them on his arm. "Just let me know when you want to head to the changing rooms."
“Can I take one now just for figuring out sizes?”
He shrugged. "If you want. Whatever is easier for you to do."
I grab a few different sizes. “Yeah, I'll be right back.”
"Want me to come with you?" He asked, smiling.
"Yeah." I smile. He nodded and followed behind me. I take the shirts from him and kiss his cheek.
"Need help undressing?" He winked and gave me a cheeky smile. I stick my tongue out and go to try on the shirts. His laughter followed behind me as I locked the door. I held up a purple t-shirt against my body and cocked my head to the side, did it look right? I pull off my scarf, sweatshirt and t-shirt and pull on the purple t-shirt. Is this how it’s supposed to look?
I sighed and opened the door. "Owen?" I looked up at him through lowered lashes. He stepped in front of me and looked down at me, knowing I was asking how I looked.
“Is this how it’s supposed to look?” I ask.
"Well, it looks good to me. Do you want my mum? I'm sure she will know what it is supposed to look like." He smiled and tugged at the bottom of the t-shirt.
“Yeah, get her please.” I look up at him. “Oh and have her bring pants, skirts, and shorts, so we can figure out sizes.” He nodded and disappeared. I leant against the wall and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I don’t look any different. Maybe it wasn't the tops that I needed at the moment. Maybe it was just jeans? I sigh. I have no idea what I need.
Owen and his mum appear in the doorway a few minutes later. "What's wrong, sweetie?" She smiled.
“I have no idea what I need.” I say. “Is this how this shirt is supposed to look?”
"You're going to get bigger, sweetie. It will fit soon," she said, giving me a comforting smile.
I nod. “So this size works for now?”
She nodded. "Yes."
"The colour suits you, Lani-bear," Owen said, smiling.
"Okay so how many shirts should I get?"
"Get some for now, then you might have to come back when you get a bit bigger," she told me. I nod. I tried on a few more t-shirts before walking out and heading towards the till, Owen and his mum following behind me. His mum had already made me try on pants and skirts. Though I found the skirts to be much more comfortable for some reason.
"Have you two thought about what sex you want?" His mum asked, smiling at both of us.
“Owen wants a girl.” I tell her.
Owen grinned. "And what about you?" She asked.
“I honestly don’t care as long as he or she is healthy.”
She nodded. "That's the right attitude." Owen pouted.
"But I have a reason for wanting a girl," he told his mum.
"And what is that?" She raised her eyebrow at her son.
I look at Owen. “Yeah why? You never did tell me.”
He grinned at me and tapped the side of his nose. I scowled at him and looked away, not even a second later his arms were around me. "Why do you want a girl?" I pressed.
He kisses the top of my head. “Owen?” He's easily going to piss me off.
"It’s a secret," he murmured, looking down at me with an unreadable expression in his eyes, which made my breath catch in my throat. I lean back into him. Even though he's much taller than me, I fit perfectly into him. He sighed and kissed the side of my head. His mum had walked ahead of us, clearly giving us a bit of privacy.
“Why don’t you want to tell me why?”
"I'm sorry to spoil your moment," Owens’s mum said, appearing in front of us. "But the shops will be shutting soon and don't you want to buy some new shoes, Lani?"
“Yeah.”
We followed behind his mum towards a shoe shop. "Your ankles might swell," she told me. "So you need to get more comfortable shoes."
“Great.”
She smiled. "I thought you would have enjoyed shopping for new shoes," Owen teased.
“Not funny Owen.”
He sighed and looked away. "Of course not. I'm going to look around, call me if you need me."
“Owen.”
He turned around so he was walking backwards. "Yeah?" I run over to him and hug him. "What was that for?" He asked, his arms tightening around me.
“Thank you.”
"Thank you?" He pulled back to look at my face. "Thank you for what?"
“Dealing with me.”
He smiled. "I'm your best friend; of course I'm going to deal with you." Hearing that kind of hurts. But I don’t say anything. His smile drops instantly. "Best friend," he murmured, looking away. I want him to be more than that. "Girlfriend," he whispered in my ear before backing away, a small smile on his face. I smile a little and walk back to his mom. Her smile was obvious behind her mouth as she pretended to look at a pair of sale shoes. I smile at her.
"So, did he finally, you know?" She smiled and raised her eyebrow.
“Finally what?”
She pursued her lips. "Well, ask you to be your girlfriend?" I raised my eyebrow, it sounded like she changed the question she wanted to ask.
“Not exactly.”
She sighed. "Of course not. I think I need to hit him a few times around the head with a tea towel before he gets it."
I laugh. “I think that might work.”
"I shall do it tonight then," she grinned and picked up a pair of shoes. "I guess that means he hasn't said anything else to you?"
“He told me he loves me...”
Her hands clapped together. "Oh, that's wonderful!"
“I haven’t said it to him though.”
"Oh," her expression dropped. "I guess that was why," she muttered to herself. I frowned but didn't question her. I sigh.
We spent the next half an hour in silence, only making a few comments on different shoes we picked up. I can tell she isn’t happy. Owen appeared five minutes later, hands behind his back, a small, happy smile on his face. I smile softly.
"What do you have there?" His mum asked, nodding her head towards his behind his back. He simply smiles.
I smiled and stepped forward. "Can I know?" I asked, giving him a puppy dog look.
“Maybe,” he teases.
“It’s not nice to tease.”
He grinned and swiftly kissed me on the lips. "Wait and see," he whispered. I fake pout.
"Are we done, mum?" He smiled. "I was planning on taking Lani somewhere."
“Yeah,” his mum says. “Go have fun.”
I smiled as he took my hand and started pulling me outside. "Where are we going?" I asked him. “Owen?” I ask giggling.
Smiled and put his finger to his nose. "Secret, surprise, whatever you want to call it."
“You know I'm not a fan of surprises.”
He shrugged. "I'm a fan of making surprises."
“Okay, fine.” I smile. He takes all of my bags from me. He takes my hand and leads me towards his car. Once we were seated, he started the car and drove out of the parking lot. I smiled when I realized where he was taking me.
The beach.
"Why are we here?" I asked him when he opened my car door.
“You'll see.” I nodded and took his hand when he held it out for me. He led me down the beach, a smile on his face the whole time. I keep close to him. We stood in front of the sea and he tugged me so I was in front of him. I look up at him. He gave me a sweet him and pulled something out of his back pocket. I look at him confused.
He handed me a box. "I hope you like it." I take the box and open it.
A small gasp escaped my mouth. "This is beautiful," I whisper. A small heart shaped charm stared up at me.
“Why'd you get this for me?” I ask.
"Lani-bear." The tone of his voice made me look up at him. "I want to officially ask you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
“Yes.” I smile and wrap my arms around him, hugging him.
He breathed out and squeezed me against him. His head bent down towards mine. "May I kiss my girlfriend?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes.” He kissed me and it felt different. It felt better than it did before, because now we are official. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. I felt his body relax as his hands tightened on my waist. I smile against his lips. I pull us so we are sitting down on the sand. He pulls me onto his lap. My heart rate speeds up as I push him backwards. He hands immediately go to my waist. I run my hands up his chest and tangle in his hair. He groans and pulls me down.
I smile down at him when he pulls away and meets my eyes. "Do you have a sense of déjà vú?" I asked him.
“Oh yeah.” He chuckled and leant on his elbows, stroking my cheek softly. I smile. He kissed me again, this time it was soft and slow. I kiss him back. He runs his hand through my hair and down my back. I press myself closer to him. He moaned and tried to pull me closer to him.
“Owen.”
He let go off me. "Lani-bear? Sorry, did I do something-?"
“I'm going to throw up.”
He lightly pushed my shoulders so I sat up. "Come on, there's a toilet just up there," he pointed to the small square building near the exit of the beach.
“I'm not gonna make it.”
"Ah," he looked around. "A bin?" He frowned. "I know you will hate throwing up outside, but it's the closest thing, Lani-bear." I feel my stomach lurch. I get to my feet and run towards the bin, making it just in time.
Not a minute later Owen, holding my hair.
I wiped my mouth and frowned. "I hate this," I muttered, turning my head so Owen couldn't see my face. He rubs my back.
"Look at me, Lani," he said, holding my chin. I look up at him. "Just think," he smiled. "Our little baby is growing," he said, putting his hand on my stomach. "I'm sure if you think that, it can make it just a tad more bearable." I nod and rest my head on his chest. He started to softly sing, making a smile spread across my face. I close my eyes. His hands move to my waist and he softly sways us side to side. It’s actually very soothing. He kissed my temple and murmured soothing words, then the three words that made my heart flutter.
I love you.
I look up at him, his eyes are closed and a small smile on his lips. He looks so cute. Did I love him enough to say it back, or won't I mean it? I bit my lip, he's told me three times now and I still don't have an answer for him. I want to make sure I really do love him before I say it. I silently sigh and wish I could kiss him. I wrap my arms tightly around him.
His eyes opened and looked down at me. "You okay?"
“Yes.”
He nodded and kissed the tip of my nose. "Well, I don't have the sense of déjà vú anymore," he grinned. I blush. He chuckled lightly and pressed his lips against mine before I could protest. I smile and kiss him back. "Want to go back to mine?" He asked, his eyes still closed, the tip of his nose brushing mine.
“Yeah.”
He smiled and took my hand. "Come on then." I squeeze his hand and lean into him. When we get to his, I tugged at my t-shirt, I was feeling too hot. I pull off my scarf and coat.
"Are you okay?" He frowned and put his hand to my forehead.
“Yeah, just hot.”
"You can change into one of my t-shirts if you want," he told me, gesturing for me to go up the stairs ahead of him. I nod and head up to his room. I could hear him following behind me and dropping down onto his bed. I grab one of his shirts and start changing into it. He watches me silently as I walk over to him and lean down, my face inches from his.
“Yes Lani-bear?” I lean forward, our noses touching. “What are you doing Lani-bear?” He whispers. A slow smile spread across my face as I closed the gap between us. He kisses me back and before I know it he's pulling me onto his lap, so I'm straddling him.
He pulled away slightly to smile at me "I have to admit, you wear my t-shirts better than I do." I blush. His sweet smile made me pull him to me and kiss him again. His hands go to my waist, holding me so I don’t fall. I push him back so he was laying down. His gaze met mine as I pulled back; I smiled and kissed along his jaw. He closes his eyes and I start kissing his neck. A small moan escaped between his tightly shut lips. I couldn't help but feel a small satisfactory smile slip onto my face. I continue to kiss his neck. His hands tightened on my waist as he pulled me closer. I closed my eyes and buried my face in his neck.
“You're killing me Lani-bear.” he whispers.
I smiled. "What do you want me to do about it?" I whispered in his ear.
“Stop the teasing...Please…”
I trailed my finger down his neck to his chest. "So what would you like me to do instead?" I asked, placing my hand above his heart.
“Anything but tease.” I rolled so I was by his side and trailed my finger down to his jeans. His eyes squeezed shut and his breath quickened its pace. He takes a few slow deep breathes.
I bit my lip then kissed his jaw. Barely a second later, he was rolling on top of me. "Please, stop teasing me, Lani-bear," he breathed out, opening his eyes. I felt my stomach clench at the emotions swimming in his eyes. Whoa. I took a deep breath. Love and lust shone brightly in his eyes. It made me wonder what he could see in my eyes. This guy here in front of me loves me, why can’t I say I love you to him? He breathed out slowly and kissed me on the lips. I know I did love him, just why couldn't I admit it? I think I'm scared. Scared that he'll leave me and our baby. The way he slowly kissed me made butterflies erupt in my stomach. I loved him, I knew I did but I didn't want to risk losing him for anything.
But in order not to lose him. I have to risk telling him. “Owen?”
He met my eyes. "Yeah, Lani-bear?"
“I love you.”