"Keeping skeletons in your drawers never been a good idea
.." By Ethan Veron.
ETHAN'S POV.
'I can't marry you.'
The words played in my head over and over again.
"What?" I asked the woman whom I had learnt to give my heart to.
She came down form the bed, hugging the sheets very tight to her body before slowly taking my hands in hers and bringing me to my feet.
"Ethan, you don't understand. We don't know each other well enough yet-"
"I know enough to know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Enough to keep you by my side and find out the rest on our life's journey." I interrupted her.
"But... but... I haven't met your family, your friends, what if they don't like me for you, what if you find out something about me which you hate, huh? What if-"
"What if I love you enough to see past whatever it is you're talking about? And my family and friends will love you. Trust me." I interrupted again.
"Ethan-"
"No. Listen to me Kendra. I love you so very much and I'd be damned if I don't get to put this ring on you. The past may have been terrible, but right now, in this moment, I see only the woman I love so much, and tomorrow, it may be uncertain, the future always is," I chuckled "but what I am certain of is, I will always be by your side. Even if I lose track of you, I promise to always find my way back."
A tear unconsciously ran down her beautiful rosy cheeks.
I used my thumb to wipe it away and place a lingering kiss on her forehead.
"Say you'll marry me.." I whispered placing my forehead against hers.
"I'll marry you."
My heart couldn't beat any faster.
I gently took out the ring, wore it on her finger and placed a kiss on it.
"It's really beautiful." She awed, more tears rolling down her beautiful face.
"It was my mom's, my dad gave it to her on their first date." I told her.
"First date? Wasn't she scared?" She chuckled.
"My dad had told her to hold on to it, because he just knew that looking into her eyes at that very moment she was going to wear it proudly one day." I chuckled too, remembering the looks on their faces when they told me the story.
"Wow, your dad is a pretty straightforward man." She smiled.
"He was," I laughed.
"Was?"
"Yeah, he was until my mom threw his ring at his face, cursing and dropping a twenty dollar bill to pay for the water she took." I was full on laughing.
"Woah!"
"Woah is right. But, that only made my dad know she really was going to wear that ring someday. He lived in a world where everyone befriended him for their own gain, a world of truly selfish people and hypocrites as friends, so to watch her walk out on him like that was a beautiful thing for him to experience. Three months later, and he got her to wear this very ring. My dad is a very persistent man, so was my mom." I gave a little sad smile at the end.
"Your mom sounds great, tell me about her." She smiled too.
And that was exactly what I did.
I took her into my arms, brought her back to bed and told her all about my mom until the early hours of the morning.
"I wished I knew my mom." Was the last thing she said before falling asleep.
Next thing I know I'm waking up to the glare of sunlight coming through the curtains.
"Happy Valentine's Day." I heard her say as she placed a tray full of food on the bed with a huge smile on her face.
I couldn't help mirror her smile mentally patting myself on the back for being so lucky.
Dressed in one of my shirts, her midnight black hair cascading down her back and those emerald eyes glowing, this had to be the best valentines day ever.
"Good morning love, and thank you. Happy valentine's day to you." I claimed her lips.
We were both full of smiles.
"I am the happiest man on earth. Breakfast in bed, a gorgeous and very talented fiancée, what more could I want?" I smiled.
Though technically it was dinner in bed, since she served the dinner she begun preparing last night, but knowing Kendra, this was her way of punishing me for not allowing her finish dinner. After all, it's the thought that counts right?
"Aren't you joining me?" I asked her when I noticed her heading towards the bathroom.
"I'm going to be late for work and I can't afford that." She sighed.
After the whole Dan and police incident, after her meeting with the director, she had been given her job back.
Of course I played a role in it, but it was just an itsy bitsy tiny role.
Okay, maybe a huge role but hey, I can't have all the power I have and not help the woman I love.
Besides, the board sees it as a trial period for her, one more fuck up and they wouldn't be so nice.
I stayed in bed till she went to work before springing my plan into action.
I had organised a party for Kendra for valentine's day and also to announce or official engagement to her family.
I had been thinking of ways to finally come clean to Kendra and tell her my actual identity, but how do you tell your fiance whose ex had lied to her and traumatized her both physically and mentally, maybe I could go with Hey, I lied to you about my identity, I'm not Ethan Vincent the Human Resource manager, I'm actually Ethan Veron, CEO of Veron enterprise. I'm a fucking billionaire babe, what do you say we take a vacation to Bali or Fiji so we can forget this all happened... nope, totally not like that.
I sighed again.
"Relax man. She'll love it." Marc spoke, my best friend and the very reason I ran into Kendra for my first time. In a restroom. I am definitely not telling our kids that.
I looked around the house, everything was in order, the food, the cake, decorations and most of all her family.
I had flown in Grace and the Wilson's two days ago.
Marc, his wife Jennifer and their baby girl Lily were here too. They had been of great help.
Kendra did mention not knowing my friends, so I guess if I wanted to tell her the truth, I'd at least begin from somewhere.
Kenna was here also, she arrived a few minutes earlier.
So according to my calculations, Kendra would be here in the next half hour.
She usually leaves the hospital by 5pm and arrives relatively between 5:15pm to 5:30pm. It all depends on traffic and if she had something else to do.
Considering that tomorrow would be Emily's birthday, I thought a party hosting everyone she loved would help lessen her pain.
"Guys, her car just rolled in." Screamed an excited Kenna.
We all took our places waiting for her to get in.
"Hello? Ethan?? Are you home? I have something to tell-"
"SURPRISE!!" We all screamed, effectively startling her.
"Oh my God!" Her eyes glittered with tears as she took in each and everyone of us.
She finally settled her eyes on me.
"You! You're responsible for this." She glared.
"Guilty as charged. Only for you love. I love you. Happy valentine's day." I walked towards her and placed a chaste kiss on her lips and forehead.
It would have been more than a chaste kiss, but we had visitors and she wasn't a fan of PDA. Plus, I was trying to win brownie points with my future in laws.
"Thank you." She whispered.
Then off she went, chatting and greeting everyone.
"Oh my God, Mr and Mrs Devin, it's a pleasure. How did-"
"Love meet my best friend Marc and his wife Jennifer." I wrapped my hands around her waist from the back and placed my chin on her head.
"It's a pleasure to meet you again Dr. Wilson." Marc told her.
"Oh no, the pleasure is mine, please call me Kendra." She then turned to Jennifer, "baby Lily seems to be doing just fine." She smiled, though I could hear the sadness in her tone, typical reaction when she thinks of Emily.
Jennifer smiled. "Of course she's fine. She did have the best doctor bring her into the world."
We all laughed while Kendra turned a beautiful shade of red.
Beautiful.
After a while of partying and Kendra catching up with her parents she pulled me to the side.
Now that I had her close again, I realized something was off about her.
She seemed stressed and scared.
"What's wrong love?"
"Ethan I have to tell you something. She called me at work today, she wants to ruin me for reasons I don't know, I have to tell you myself. I have to tell you-"
"Love calm down. Okay, breathe. Who is she and what do you have to tell me?"
She opened her mouth to speak but stopped halfway.
From the background I heard the door open and close followed by multiple gasps and the breaking of glass.
I turned to look at the intruder who caused such a ruckus, but the next thing Kendra uttered already had me finding my phone to call the police.
"Olivia."
Hey guys, so I planned to reveal everything in this chapter but it was going to be pretty long.
So I decided to break it in two.
Don't hate me, it's 2:04am here and I'm working on this cuz I love u guys so so much.
Please VOTE and COMMENT.
Love Joy.