CHAPTER588
“Okay, I hear you loud and clear and I promise I will think more on this. For the next three weeks though, let’s forget Carrero Corp and everything else, and focus on us, you finishing school, and all the things we need to plan… We’re getting married, baby.” Arrick starts beaming smiles my way with that statement and I grin too.
“I know… it’s kind of scary to be doing the M thing.” I giggle and he eyerolls.
“It’s scary that my betrothed still calls it the M thing after agreeing to even do it. No cold feet?” He closes his laptop and slides it into his bag between his feet. Looking at me with that gorgeous set of soft eyes that still have the power to melt me to the core.
“Not even a little tiny bit.” Complete honesty and a little flutter of butterflies at the thought of it.
“Me either… Just a hell of a lot of excitement… Sophie Carrero… Sounds like it was always meant to be that way.”
It kind of does.
“Who knew that meeting you in your mamma’s kitchen that day would lead to this? Back then I wasn’t even sure I would be staying with the Huntsbergers for long.” I remember it fondly and think back to how far I have come.
“Honestly? You blew me away the first time I ever laid eyes on you… When I didn’t know you were still legally a child and that made it all kinds of wrong. I fell for you, hard. Crazily fast, even though I had no clue what was happening to me, and never once let up for air. Fate made sure that I was going to be the one who married you, baby, I’m sure of that.” Arrick’s serious now too, my romantic boy and his fast words. He has always been good at melting every piece of me with his little speeches. A hopeless romantic inside that cute boy body and fighter’s skill.
I love him so much.
“I thought you were an asshole and wanted you to go away.” I shrug then squeal when he dives for me to tickle me to death and attracts some haughty glares from other first-class passengers across from us.
“We both know I had an effect on you too, hence letting me even get close enough to win you over. You can’t deny that from day one we had something that never faded. We were drawn to one another.” He pulls me into an awkward hug across the arm of the seat and then gets annoyed with the plastic digging between us and hauls me over it and onto his lap instead. Curling me up against him and pulling me in tight to nestle my face against his throat.
“I didn’t think I needed anyone, but you had a way of cutting through and getting in.” I snuggle in close and inhale his scent heavily, closing my eyes with how good being in his arms feel.
“I think you call that surrendering to my stalker tendencies and relentless harassment. I was no way in hell going to let you keep eluding me. I wanted to know you and wasn’t about to let anything get in the way of that.” His husky voice washes over me like a calming wave and I physically melt into his embrace.
“You were pretty relentless. I think you showed up every five minutes and never stopped dropping date hints on me; never happy with a no. Sure that you stalked me to the diner that day when I finally let you buy me a milkshake.” I glance up at him, grinning away shamelessly.
“I did follow you… Not in a creepy way though. I mean, your mom told me where you were headed, so I came too.” He brushes his thumb over my lips and scoops to kiss me for a moment, lost in memory of the first time I ever let my guard down a little and actually spent more than five minutes in his company by choice. He bought me a chocolate shake and a piece of apple pie that we ended up sharing and sat for a good hour laughing at his lame jokes. That was the first time I actually looked at him and though… I could really like you.
The memories of us back then, still innocent in hindsight, despite what we are now, and still as beautiful as they were the first time around. He never gave up trying to break through and once he did, he made sure he was worthwhile in every way. Becoming the best friend every girl dreams of having, and showing me I could trust him, no matter what.
He healed my soul.
“I’m glad you never gave up on me.” the tears hit suddenly, overemotional with the topic of us, because really, Arry is my life and it could have gone a whole different way if he hadn’t walked in all those years ago and seen something in me that he wanted. He helped pull me through the darkest moments of my life when I didn’t know I needed someone to be there to hold me up. He thinks I’m the warrior who did it all alone, but in actual fact… He was the one who gave me the strength to do it at all.
“You changed everything… Even back then. I stopped being a dumb kid and manned up because you needed someone to lean on. You were, and still are, the best thing that ever happened to me, Sophs. Don’t ever doubt that. You make life amazing.”
Maybe he does know. Arry, the sometimes, all seeing eye.
“You changed me… You changed my life too. I can’t imagine letting anyone near me the way I let you.” In any way, in my head, my heart, or all over my body. I know no man would ever be allowed to touch me the way he does. I could never allow guys to get beyond kissing before him and I never actually enjoyed it. Arrick was the first kiss that I felt something real.
“I wouldn’t let anyone near you… Not ever again. You’re mine in all ways, and I would kill to protect you. I would die to keep you safe.” Our light-hearted chat has become super intensive as he angles our noses together and focuses heavily on my eyes. Repairing months of what felt like drifting apart and bringing us back to who we are to each other. We didn’t just get engaged in New York, we found our fire again, each other, and we’re going back to Paris whole once more. Hopeful, suddenly so sure that this will only get better again.
“We will always be together… For eternity.” I kiss him this time, softly, sensually, and only draw back enough to let him talk, nuzzling close and intimately.
“We will… I promise you. That’s why you’re marrying me.”"
