(((WARNING!! There is a Mature scene in this chapter! When you see this * skip to the next *)))
*Charlotte*
There was no warmth next to me in bed, but I could feel something was accompanying me. The last thing I wanted to see when I opened my eyes was the glassy pair inserted into a dead deer head by a taxidermist and the deer's glossy snout pressed up against my nose.
I let out a petrified scream at the sight of the taxidermic deer gazing intently at me. Screaming and scrambling out of bed, almost in tears over it, I got away from it as quickly as my legs would take me, which was slower than usual thanks to the pain in between my legs caused by Brant Young.
The worst part of it all was that Brant didn't even bother to come check on me from wherever he was. That was out of character for him and made me fear something was wrong or that maybe he was still upset over our fight from last night.
Then reality hit me like a ton of bricks. That deer head definitely didn't crawl into bed by itself. For one it had no body to even try to and then there was the fact it was dead. When I darted out the bedroom, it wasn't to run away from the traumatic experience I had just went through, it was to rush downstairs to kill my fiancé. He was the only one who could've done this to me. "Brant Alex Young!!" I growled throughout the cabin. I made sure to purposely stomp on each step as I descended down the staircase to emphasize my anger.
From across the room I heard him laugh to himself while he flipped some pancakes he was making in the quaint kitchen. I ran across the open living room to the kitchen area and tackled him to the kitchen floor to get him back for being so insensitive. He didn't bother to stop laughing, he let his laughter roll on even as I hit his chest multiple times for freaking me out like that.
"I'm sorry, baby!" he choked out, kicking his legs about and still cackling.
"No you're not! You're so mean!" I whined to him.
He grabbed my fist, stopping me from hitting him any more. When he sat up, the smile on his face was irreplaceable. Sure, I wanted to be upset with him for creeping me out like that, but he looked so beautiful when he smiled in that specific way that there was no way I could be angry with him. He was still a jerk, just my handsome one that I needed to apologize to in a big way after everything last night. I never should've said anything about that money or wanting to buy everything for our home. I know that he wants to do it all on his own so he can proudly proclaim that he did it, but like I told him last night, I want to be part of the team. Right now I wasn't even a water boy.
"What's the matter?" he asked, seeing my mood change. He brushed back my messy hair over my shoulders, not taking the slight head shake I responded with as an answer. One look at me and he knew what was wrong. "Let me finish our pancakes and we'll talk about it."
He helped me up off of the floor to hold me as he finished making our breakfast. I could hardly believe that Brant Young was actually cooking and quite well actually. His pancakes looked as scrumptious as he did this morning. I'm use to seeing him waltzing around in his boxers, there was just something about this morning that made him look sexier than usual. Maybe it was because he was cooking for me.
"I went out and got you some chocolate syrup this morning," he whispered in my ear. "You can pour it on your pancakes, or me, which ever you prefer this morning."
I felt his hand creep into my robe to rest on my tummy. His thumb grazed my skin thoughtfully as I replied with, "Can I have both?"
He softly chuckled, "We'll see," against my ear. I glanced over my shoulder at him, satisfied with the small kiss he gave me before he returned his focus on the pancakes he was frying. "I've been figuring up some numbers on how we can split the cost of furniture and things. I'm thinking ninety percent, you pay ten."
I rolled my eyes. "Fifty-fifty, babe."
"Eighty-twenty?" he tried again.
"We pay fifty-fifty or no deal."
He groaned, pretending to be upset. "Fine," I heard him grunt. "Fifty-fifty, but I treat you to lunch when we go shopping." Now that was a condition I could agree to.
I stayed in his arms until he finished making our pancakes. While he set the table, I warmed the jar of chocolate syrup in the microwave, and grabbed the little orange juices he bought for us from the fridge when he told me where I could find them.
He walked by in a hunt for forks when he decided to pinch my backside. "Brant!" I squeaked, rubbing my bum.
"Yes, love?" was his innocent response. I slapped his butt for pinching mine. He let out a small grunt but the pervert winked at me to let me know he enjoyed it. How did I get stuck with this one? Who am I kidding, I didn't want to be stuck with anyone else but him no matter how crazy he was.
We sat down at the hand crafted dinning table where we started talking about last night and doused our pancakes in chocolate syrup. There wasn't much to say, just deeper apologies than we gave one another last night and we agreed that we would try our best to talk things out before we got too defensive.
I could see that he was hurting over more than just the words I said, even the names I called him. Last night I did something that I would never do again no matter how hard things get. When I freely took off that ring last night, the devastation I felt and the crushed way he looked, I couldn't bare seeing that in my head longer than five minutes. I wanted to be upset longer last night, but when I got downstairs to the living room area of the treehouse, once I assessed all the wide windows a perp could peek through at me, and that look on his face kept flashing in mind, I had to sprint back upstairs to fix everything.
Because I had hurt him by removing my engagement ring of three hours, I knew I needed to make up for it somehow. He always finds a way to make something up to me. I felt like it was the least I could do after screwing up last night.
I couldn't buy him flowers, that would be weird, although my mother has bought my father flowers before. Brant wouldn't want flowers, that was the point. If I wasn't so sore from last night I could've made love to him, then again that seemed overused by women everywhere.
What was something that Brant Young loved?
"Something is still wrong, you've hardly touched my pancakes," Brant sighed. It was true. I had already finished my pancakes and had only cut myself one small bite of his. Normally I would've stolen at least three bites by now.
"I'm sorry," I murmured.
He pulled my chair closer to his as he draped his arm over the back of my chair "Just tell me what's wrong, babe," he cooed in my ear. He tucked a his index finger under my chin, turning my face to look at him. He made me smile by simply giving me a faint gentle kiss. Our noses brushed together, pulling us back in to continue what he started.
I moved my lips with his, not minding it one bit when he pulled me over to his lap to hold me close. He didn't have to know what was bothering me to give me comfort, that's why he didn't press it any further when I never uttered a word about what I was feeling. Brant just eased my mind by deeply kissing everything I felt away.
Nothing was on my mind but him right now and how amazing his lips felt on mine. With how sweet his tongue tasted with the flavor of chocolate syrup that was still lingering there, I couldn't possibly think about nothing else. I got my wish when he pulled away from my lips to smear a little bit of syrup from his plate down his cheek, mapping it to his mouth. He brought his finger up to my lips, wanting me to lick the remainder of chocolate off. I ran my tongue over his finger, giggling when I heard him groan in delight. I dragged my tongue down his cheek until I reached his mouth to kiss him.
"Happy?" he breathed across my lips.
"Very," I grinned. I was more than satisfied by the way I effected him. Nothing made me happier than being able to make him want me in some kind of way. The way he looks at me after I turn on my charm, it's like he wants to devour me, in a non-cannibalistic way of course.
I took his handsome face into the palms of my hand, not bothered by the little bit of scruff on his face from not shaving. Usually a shaven face on him was a must have for me. Right now I didn't care as long as I could see and feel his lips his lips on mine. I could hardly handle the second loving kiss we shared.
I relaxed into his caring embrace to enjoy the way our lips mingled perfectly together and how amazing it felt to have his strong hands roaming my back. He pulled away slightly when he stood up from his chair with me securely in his arms. Our lips reconnected when he stumbled out the dining area, sprinting for stairs.
We ended up in the very large garden tub that was in our en-suite; surrounded by foamy bubbles and battery operated tealight candles he set up just for me. He had shut off the bathroom lights and left up the shade that went to the window in front of the tub. It had the most amazing view of the mountains and of the lake that was a distance away. I fell in love with the view right away. Brant crawled into the tub with me once he had created the perfect scene. I sat comfortably in between his legs, allowing myself to soak my worries away once my bare back met his chest.
"Charlotte," he whispered in my ear a moment later after settling behind me in the tub. I looked away from the stunning mountain view to focus on another quite beautiful sight. He placed a soft kiss on my shoulder, his eyes showing curiosity. "If it's about me and last night, don't worry about it, I'm okay."
He meant earlier, and like always, he had read me like a book. I wouldn't allow myself not to worry about it. I needed to do something to make sure he knew I meant how sorry I was. "I know you're okay, but I'm not."
He nuzzled his face into my hair. "You don't have to make up for anything, I was at fault too..."
"But you didn't take it to the extent I did," I heavily sighed. "I know I hurt you more than you're trying to show."
He kissed my ear then moved his lips on down my neck. "Then just make love to me," he softly chuckled. "I'm okay with that."
"But that's what every woman who messes up does," I complained.
"Because it's effective and we love it," he whispered in my ear. "Maybe that's what we need, a redo with our first time since we equally messed up the first one with fighting afterwards."
I turned myself around in the bathtub to softly kiss his lips. If it's what he truly wanted, I could put my pain aside to give it to him. As long as we could make this up to one another, I didn't care what pain I had to go through in order to fix the mess we created last night.
*
I don't know how, but he coaxed me into the glass shower to wash up for the day where we did everything but get clean. He cradled me in his strong arms and made love to me against the cool glass wall. Those powerful hips of his made sure we were both satisfied before the shower water started chilling. Even after that he still wasn't done with me. His velvety smooth words lured me to the bed this time were we recreated everything from last night once that deer head was back in the closet. Brant opened up my mind to knew experiences when it came to learning new ways to please one another. I made sure to put them to good use.
Unlike last night's one hour or so steamy rendezvous, we dedicated this whole morning to making love, smiling, and there was some laughter in-between. Almost twelve thirty on the dot, we slumped down on the mattress in a sweaty heap, huffing and puffing after all that work and countless euphoria rushes.
Brant looked to me, the fire in his eyes letting me know he could do this all day if I wanted to go again. I kissed his lips, giggling when he gripped my butt and tugged me on top of him. "I didn't know you could be so naughty, Charlotte Jackson," he teased. "I knew you use to take gymnastics, baby, but damn." I laughed into his shoulder, amused by his words, especially since I only took gymnastics in the sixth grade. I'm sure my flexibility has worn off since then, especially with my aging.
*
"You are crazy," I laughed.
He smiled when I pressed my lips up against his. "I'm only crazy about you, hot stuff."
"I'm pretty sure you're crazy in general."
He faked a gasp, rolling us over bed so he was on top of me, completely in control. "I'll show you crazy," he chuckled, attacking all of my ticklish spots.
"No! Please!" I begged through my laughter and happy tears. "I'm sorry!"
He stopped to slip his hands into mine above my head. "No, I'm sorry," is what he told me when he brought his lips to my cheek. "You were right about being a bench warmer on my team. I know I'm difficult and set in my ways, I just honestly want to take care of you. It feels good when you brag on me for spoiling you, it's like I'm doing everything right by supplying you with everything you want or need."
We were both at fault, I made sure he knew that when I said, "We're a team, babe and last night we were both fighting for what we thought was right. In some ways you were right, I came to terms with that..."
"And you were right too," he said with a sad smile. "I was just too stubborn to realize it at first. I'm so glad I have a patient, loving, girlfriend."
"Fiancée," I quietly corrected.
He laughed against my lips. "Somebody loves her new label." His lips softly puckered against mine, giving me a kiss. "I like it too."
Everything had been sorted out from last night. I had relief and assurance that when we talked things out levelheadedly again it was going to resolve things right away. We both understood that we had been wrong in areas, we found a solution, and we made up for losing our cool for that short amount of time. Now we were able to lie in bed, looking into one another's eyes without any hostility in-between us. I don't know about him, but I didn't like it when we fought.
The blaring sound of Hunter Hayes' singing made me sit up in bed. We've heard the song a million times already while making love, Brant even teased me by saying that my boyfriend was calling. I remember laughing when I reflected back to when we went to New York and the reporters asked me if I was cheating on Hunter Hayes with Brant. It wasn't until now did I realize that all this time Niona was the one who has been calling. Hunter Hayes' Storm Warning was her set ringtone.
"Babe, Niona is calling me," I said in panic. "Where's my phone?"
He sat up, a sexy smirk pulling onto his lips. "I have no clue, I was too busy preparing to make love to you last night to see where I tossed it," he bragged. I shook my head playfully at him. "I think we kicked it off the bed onto the floor somewhere."
He slipped out of bed, not bothering to cover his naked body as he roamed the room searching for my singing cellphone. I watched him run a hand through his hair, focusing close on the sound. He knelt at the bed, following the tune until he found my phone wrapped up in the sheets that were hanging off the unmade bed.
"Hey, sweets!" he chirped when he answered the phone. "You're at the front door? Shit, Ni! Give a guy some warning!"
"Language!" I whisper shouted at him.
He grabbed my ankle, tugging me down to the end of the bed to kiss me and murmur an apology for his bad language he knew I didn't like. "I'm sorry that I didn't answer when you called the first ten times," he laughed into the mic of the phone. "I was a little preoccupied with my beautiful fiancée. I'll be down to let you two in, just give us a minute."
He ended the call right when he loomed over me to capture my lips with his. I softly bit his lower lip, begging for more before we had to go. "Later, Charlotte," he whispered, stopping the kiss. I looked away, disappointed that he refused me. "Hey..." He turned my face to look back at him and stroked his thumb across my lower lip. "This interruption is going to be important to you. I promise that when night falls, I'll kiss you all night long if that's what you want."
He helped me out of bed and into some undergarments and robe. We needed to take another shower, so Brant tossed on some boxer briefs just to cover himself until we got back from opening the door for our friends. I held his hand on the way downstairs and let him do the honors of opening the door to invite them inside.
The couple shot us dazzling smiles when they laid eyes on us. I was attacked in a hug by Niona immediately while Austin and Brant smirked knowingly at one another. Men, I swear I'll never understand how they get prideful over sex. Austin took it to a whole new length when he wrapped Brant up in a bear hug, laughing, "My boy is a man now!" I rolled my eyes, but found myself smiling at how true it seemed to me. He was the same Brant, he just seemed older, subtracting the prank he pulled by putting that deer head in the bed this morning. Maybe it really did make him blossom maturely.
"Are you okay, Char?" Niona asked, while we hugged each other tight.
"I'm fine, great actually," I murmured in her hair. "I've missed you."
Niona pulled away, guilt in her eyes. She needn't to fill ashamed, I understood a hundred percent when it came to her and Austin. I'm giving them space to be together, I just wished I could see her more if possible. It didn't seem fair, but I didn't ever want to make them feel guilty for it. I'm fine, I have Brant, I would be okay.
"You two need to go shower right now so that we can celebrate Charlotte's birthday!" Niona ordered. "And I better see your glasses on your face, Charlotte Jackson!"
I went to protest but Brant tugged me along before I got myself in trouble. We hurried upstairs, doing as asked by taking a shower, where I finally got the prolonged kiss I wanted. To the best of our ability, we tried not keeping them waiting for too long. I washed up and he watched with a hungry look in his eye as he washed his own body.
I grabbed the hand held shower head, using it to spray him in the face and over his body to rinse him off. "Charlotte Jackson!" he shouted, running a hand down his face to brush away the water droplets.
I laughed at the playful way he glared at me. He stormed over, smiling when I jumped into his arms to kiss all over his face. "Char," he softly chuckled. I kissed his lips, amazed by his beauty. I've never seen a man so beautiful in my whole life. He buried his face in my shoulder, hugging me close. "I love you," he sighed. "I wish I could explain how much, but it's impossible." When he pulled away to give my lips a peck, the sparks I felt were inevitable. Being cradled in his arms while he looked at me as if I truly was that perfect rose he had told me about last night, he seemed just as perfect in my eyes. I didn't think he perfect because he was flawless, I thought he perfect because despite his flaws, he was still an amazing man. I couldn't have chosen anyone better for myself than the one Cupid paired me up with. That baby holding that love bow and match making arrows really knew what he was doing.
-------------------------------------
Leave it to Austin to plan something as amazing as a picnic next to a waterfall for my birthday. There was a trail off of the interstate the Cavallo family told him about that led straight to the waterfall. You could pull off the road and follow the gravel road for a little ways, but then there was a five minute walk for the rest of the trail.
Thank goodness I decided to wear my stylish but perfect for trail walking, brown combat boots. I had originally put them on because they looked cute with my dark mint green top and yellow scarf combo, especially when I realized I had packed a brown and yellow beaded bracelet to piece the colors together. Now I was glad I picked this outfit because of it's convenience instead of it's cuteness. Poor Niona had given up walking ages ago in her ballet flats. Austin was giving her a piggy back ride to keep her feet from blistering. He was such a noble man.
We talked and caught up with one another along the walk. I stole a few grapes from the basket Brant was carrying as I listened to Niona tell me how her new modeling career was going. She loved doing it, Austin was proud of her, it seemed like the perfect choice for her. I always told her she was beautiful enough to be a model, but of course she never thought so and wouldn't try.
"So I hear someone is moving out on their own!" Niona sang. "Is there a guest bedroom for the best friend?"
"Silly girl, you won't have to spend the night to see her, I'll drive you," Austin reminded. "They'll live closer to me when they move."
She playfully bopped the top of his head with her palm. "When I'm with you, we don't go anywhere but your bedroom, cowboy," she laughed. "I'll have to stay with them if I want to see her."
Brant slipped an arm around my waist, holding me close in his side as he kissed my temple. "I think we can scrounge up some money for the guest bedroom," he spoke up. "Anything for my girls, especially this one." He poked the ticklish spot on my side, getting me to jump closer into his embrace. He could be so sneaky sometimes.
The longer we walked, the more we talked and ended up laughing. Brant decided to tell them about the deer head incident this morning which everyone found hysterical but me. I may have cracked a smile, but I did not laugh. They could mock me all they wanted, at least I had a heart!
Austin ruffled my hair, tugging me to squish me in a friendly hug. "I can't believe you let Brant knock your boots," he chuckled. "You're like a brand new pair that hasn't been broken in yet. Don't worry, once you he wears those boots in, the ride is a lot smoother."
Austin reached over and slapped the back of Brant's head. "What was that for?" Brant whined, rubbing the aching spot.
"For taking such a beautiful girl off the market! You selfish, bastard!" Austin yelled at him.
Brant laughed, twirling me back into his arms. "What about you, Austin? Niona is beautiful and off the market."
Austin scoffed. "She was never on the market, some idiots just decided to steal her from me before I got to see the product."
Niona and I shared a glance that said we were loved by a set of adorable dummies. Our conversation was interrupted by the roaring sound of rushing water in the distance. After all of this walking, I was about to see my very first live waterfall. I impulsively sprinted ahead, eager to see the sight.
Past the trees, over the fallen tree limbs in the pathway, I bolted toward the noise. This was probably the best birthday I've had in a long time. I wasn't ungrateful for the birthdays Jives planned for me with my usual cake, ice-cream, and one person attendant slumber party, but this was pretty awesome compared to that time.
I burst out of the clearing of the trees, gasping when I laid eyes on the endless stream of water diving off of the cliff into the pool below. It was so beautiful that I couldn't breathe. I've never seen something so remarkable in my whole life, except for maybe Brant naked. That was definitely a spectacular sight.
"Charlotte Anne Jackson!" Brant collided into my back with his arms instantly going around me protectively. "Don't run off like that! Something could've happened and I wouldn't have been able to protect you in time!"
He turned me around, frantically looking over me to make sure I was alright. "I'm sorry, babe, but I've never seen a waterfall before..."
He hushed me with his lips, silencing me in the most perfect way. His lips caressed mine over and over, getting his point across before he even lectured me about running ahead of them. "It's very beautiful, but not beautiful enough for you to get hurt over," he quietly scolded once he tore his lips off of mine.
"The worst that could've happened was me tripping over a stick," I softly laughed. I have to admit that when he was in superhero mode, it was charming. He loved being there to sweep me off my feet when something was wrong, I thought that was very sweet of him. No matter how much I loved him for it, there were times it seemed ridiculous, like right now. By the way he was looking at me, he didn't think so.
"I don't care if all you did was trip over a stick, I still want to be there to keep it from happening." He ran his fingers through my hair, trying to get me to understand. It was ridiculous in my opinion, but since it seemed to really upset him: I told him that I wouldn't run off again without my big macho cowboy their to protect me.
He turned me around in his arms, holding me from behind so that we could both enjoy the waterfall view. Austin caught up with us, carrying both Niona and the picnic basket Brant shoved into his arms when I darted away. "Oh my goodness!" Niona gasped at the sight.
"Did I do good?" Austin asked me.
"It's very beautiful, thank you."
He put Niona down and stretched out his arm expectantly. I stepped into his embrace, laughing when he lifted me off the ground in a huge hug. "Happy Birthday, Charlotte. I have chocolate cake for you."
I raised my brows, interested. "No lie?"
"I promise there is chocolate cake in the basket," he deeply chuckled.
I turned to Niona, wrapping her up in a hug as well. I couldn't have asked for two better friends than these two. I've known them about as long as I have known Brant. I felt that we had a bond that could never be severed, not even by distance. It use to be that I was far away from Austin, now that I have moved back to Motown, I'm far away from Niona until Austin pops the question so that we can all be together. Until then, I was satisfied with phone calls and short-lived visits she and I shared.
She pulled out of the hug to straighten out my eyeglasses and to smile at me in a way that I had missed. It was the, 'you are going to tell me everything,' look. It was how we worked, we never kept anything from one another. She's already told me how amazing Austin Price was in bed, now she was expecting to hear everything about Brant. I don't think there were words to describe how amazing it was, but I tried my best to explain when we took a seat on the rocks near the waterfall while waiting for the boys to set up the picnic they had planned a ways away from us.
"I cried," was the first thing I told her. It was the first thing that came out because she told me after her first time that she didn't shed a single tear. "I'm not sure if I was crying because it hurt or if it was because I love him so much. I think it was a mixture of both."
Niona slightly laughed as she busied herself by French braiding my bangs. "So how was it when the pain subdued?" she asked. "I can't have you being with a guy that pleases himself and is done. There are too many girls in the world now that has to deal with that. I use to deal with that before I met Austin."
Well she didn't have to worry about it with me. My cheeks flared at the thought of what he did to me. As good as he made me felt, it made me questioned whether he was really a virgin or not. I knew the answer, but good grief that boy was talented when it came to pleasing a woman.
Niona saw the look on my face and clamped her hand over her mouth while she laughed. "Brant Young made you..." I nodded which made her giggle even more.
"Multiple times," I shyly whispered.
Her eyes widened at the thought. I nodded again, giggling right along with her. "I knew it!" she shrieked. I hushed her, glancing toward the boys who quickly pretended that their surroundings were very interesting.
Way to be subtle guys.
"Let's go mess with them," Niona snickered.
I nodded in agreement and followed her lead. She seductively sauntered over to Austin, gaining his attention the moment he glanced at her and saw her hips swing. Brant looked my way, grinning when he saw me doing the same. He raised a questioning brow that I could only wink in response to.
Niona and I bent at the waist, tossing are arms over their shoulders and kissing down their necks. They shared a pained glance that made us grin. "What are you two ladies up to?" Austin asked.
"Nothing," Niona giggled. "Can't we kiss on our men?"
Brant craned his neck to side, exposing more skin for me to kiss. "There has to be a motive," my fiancé hummed. "Charlotte, what do you want?" I kissed right where his jaw bone was connected, it was one of his sweet spots. "Name it, you can have it," he groaned.
"Niona, you are asking for it," Austin told her in the same yearning tone as Brant.
"Maybe I want it, right here," I heard her purr. Austin looked at her, wanting confirmation. I knew he would but I let out a sigh, knowing that my jig was up. Never would I ask Brant to have sex with me in the woods in the middle of January. It was chilly out here and he hates it when I'm cold. That would never work.
"Niona, we should've went over a plan instead of winging it! Brant would never fall for this!" I whined.
Austin frowned, disappointed once he realized we had only been messing with them. "Why not?" she asked, puzzled.
Brant tugged me onto his lap, chuckling at our failure. "I hate it when Charlotte get's cold. She would never ask me to have sex with her outside in January." He was midway tugging off his Carhartt jacket to wrap me up in as he explained. I smiled at him when he draped his thick coat over my shoulders to keep me warm. He placed a kiss on my forehead, heating me up instantly.
"How come you didn't wear a jacket?" Niona grumbled at Austin.
"Sorry, babe, but I brought you a blanket," he resolved. She grinned at him, giving him a peck when he unrolled the fleece blanket from inside the basket and wrapped it around her. "I'm not that inconsiderate, you know." She apologized for doubting him.
Brant sat something on my lap, directing my attention to it. I smushed my lips against his cheek when I saw the the miniature chocolate birthday cake no bigger than a saucer, sitting there with candles ready to be lit. "Ni, take some pictures," he ordered when he pulled out a lighter from the basket. I made sure to smile for the camera when asked. Brant smiled sweetly at me, taking my hands in his. Right there, in front of our friends, he embarrassed himself by serenading me personally in the traditional birthday song.
Brant had the sexiest country singing voice I've ever heard. They way he looked into my eyes when he sang every word, my heart gushed at how sweet he was to me. This was the best birthday that I have ever had, no doubt about it. He leaned in on the last, "Happy Birthday day to you," note. His full lips affectionately caressed mine for a quick second, then I felt him swipe icing down my nose. I smugly smiled at him when he began to laugh at my chocolate coated nose. He laughed even more when I rubbed my nose against his cheek, smearing it onto his skin.. "Make a wish, beautiful."
The candles on my cake were soon lit. I made a wish for everyone in my family, Brant's, and for friends, to live full and happy lives, then blew out the flaming candle wics so that my wish could come true. I was hoping that it came true for us. Everyone around me deserved a happy life. Brant kissed my lips repeatedly. He already knew that I had wished for all of us, I always do when it comes to these things.
"Enough being adorable, you two!" Niona shouted. "You're going to have to break apart so that Austin and I can give her the present we bought."
I turned on Brant's lap, facing our best friends. Niona wiped away the chocolate frosting from my nose while I inspected the thin jewelry box Austin handed to me. I shook it up, listening to the contents inside rattling. By the nervous look on Austin's face, he was the one who had chosen whatever was inside.
I lifted the top on the gift wrapped box, curious over what he had chosen. I'm pretty sure my eyes bulged out of their sockets when I saw the sapphire and diamond bracelet nestled in the box. My hand flew over my mouth in complete shock. The diamonds encircling each sapphire jewel was beyond gorgeous. I didn't even want to know how much this little bracelet cost.
"I saw it a couple of days after Brant told me that he was going to propose. I figured that it could be your something blue when you get married. Niona helped out on the cost." Austin meekly smiled over at me when he finished telling the story of the bracelet. "Do you like it?" he questioned.
I flew off Brant's lap, hugging Austin and Niona tightly as I repeated over and over how much I loved them and my present. Austin clipped the bracelet onto my wrist to make sure it was a perfect fit, which it was, and then back in the box it went. I refused to let anything happen to it before my big day.
We broke out the sandwiches and fruit they had packed when I had settled down. Niona passed me two ham and cheese and a bottled water. "Austin took pictures of your engagement," she informed me. "You looked hot in that red dress, Char." Niona decided to fan her face to express how hot she thought I looked. "Where did you get it?"
I looked to Brant, munching on the sandwich while I waited for him to speak up about the dress since I knew nothing about it. He seemed hesitant on saying where it came from, but eventually spoke up. "I bought it from Kori at the market." My brows raised suspiciously. "She made it."
Oddly, I felt nothing when the truth came out. I didn't feel jealous or insecure, only happy that he had still thought of me even next to her. "I'm sorry if it upsets you, Charlotte," he said with sad eyes. "I just thought the dress would look nice on you and I was right. I didn't even really buy it from her, I bought it from her mom, Kori was just there."
I pressed my lips against his cheek with a smile that said everything was alright. "Thank you, Brant, the dress is beautiful. I'll have to tell Kori how much I love it when I see her."
When he let out a heavy sigh full of relief, I knew then that every time I got worked up over Kori, he felt guilty and remorseful for even coming two feet near her. He didn't want me to feel like he was looking at someone else, it made him anxious because of what that usually leads to. It wasn't his fault, it was mine. I had put stress on my relationship and hadn't even noticed it. All I had been thinking about was that I was going to lose him. If I kept doubting him, I eventually would.
No more would I strain my relationship in that area. I've tried it before, but this time I really meant it. I had to trust him completely, he wasn't Clay after all. While in the one week relationship with Clay, I knew about the things he had done with other girls and how broken he was inside. I don't care what anyone says, when two broken people try to heal each other, it was as crazy as putting a broken record on a broken record player. There's no way it's going to work.
We're all a little broken, but Brant was stronger than myself, he's what keeps me going. That's what people need to search for. Instead of trying to find someone that can just relate to your pain, you need to find someone sturdy, strong, who was also understanding. Brant might not have been where I've been with my mother's passing or my dad troubles, but he was the rock I hung on to, because unlike myself, he was alright during the heavy winds of life. When he got swept away in troubles, I could only hope that I too could be his rock.
So far, I felt like I was doing an okay job with being there for him when he needed to me. I could've gotten upset the other day and made a big scene when he came home with a grumpy attitude, but I made myself understand that he was having a rough day and just needed to be care for. So I hugged him, I checked up on him, just to make sure he knew that if he did need me, I was there. Things ended up resolving themselves because of my actions. I would try my best to react more like that instead of getting worked up over everything.
Brant was able to relax and not worry about if he had hurt my feelings in any way with buying that dress from Kori. I wasn't hurt, therefore he wasn't. We ate our sandwiches, talked to our best friends, and we enjoyed a small slice of chocolate cake later. The view of the waterfall was beautiful, this day was beautiful, it was more than I could've ever asked for on my birthday.
Austin and Niona got caught up in a conversation of their own about something they were planning for their dating anniversary. The distraction between our friends gave Brant a free opportunity to lean over to my ear and whisper, "Check the inside pocket of my jacket."
I shot him an accusing look, having a feeling that even though he has paid for everything about this trip, he wasn't going to let that pass as a birthday present. He cutely grinned, practically confirming my suspicions. "What is it?" I asked before I even thought of sticking my hand into the pocket.
"Take it out and see," he chuckled. I gave him a warning look. "It's nothing bad or scary, I promise."
Hesitantly, I reached into the pocket inside his Carhartt, fumbling around until my fingers touched something that made my my brows furrow. I pulled out the simple stainless steel ring, way too big for any of my fingers. Confused, I looked up into his eyes for an explanation.
"I know guys don't usually wear engagement rings, but I thought it would be a good way to show you that I'm committed to you all the way." He held out his hand to me, palm facing downward. "I love you more than anything, Charlotte, and I want to be with you. I don't know how to explain it any better than that."
He let me slide the simple band onto his ring finger, marking him as a taken man. I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face deep into his shoulder to stop myself from crying. "I don't want you have to worry if I'm going to come home and change my mind about being with you, 'cause I will never feel that way. Our feelings on being together is fifty-fifty, completely equal. I hope you can understand that now."
I gave a nod, letting him know that we were on the same page. "I love you," I whispered against his neck. I lightly kissed his skin then let my face rest in his shoulder again.
"I love you too, Charlotte."
He gave me one of the best presents I could've ever received. Brant gave me peace of mind. I don't know why a ring would ease my worries so much, but it did. "Thank you," I sighed, melting in his arms.
"You're my dream girl, Charlotte. From your beautiful blonde hair to your adorable tiny toes, I've never loved someone as much as I have loved you, never forget that."
I pulled back in his embrace, feeling like I understood everything now. I would never forget his beautiful words to me on this special day or the trouble he has gone through to express how much he cares. My birthday has been outstanding all thanks to our friends and of course my amazing Brant Young. I love them all.
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AN:)
I give up on making update plans. Every time I try to have a set date, something happens and I get behind.
A reader sent me a photo of what she thought Charlotte's ring would look like. I didn't know existed but somehow does. I was going to post it on this chapter, but I'm stuck at work with no computer around to use in order to paste the link onto the chapter. I'll make sure to post it on Chapter 42.
Thoughts on this chapter?