We curl up on top of the blankets beside the fire that now feels too hot after the workout we had.
“I love you,” he whispers.
I whisper back, “I love you too.”
I don’t remember falling asleep, but I do remember feeling unafraid, unburdened. As if the stress of life was just suddenly gone. Being with Kain is my happy place. This is what life is all about.
11
Channa
Two Weeks Later
I wait at the airport for Kain to arrive. I ended up flying back to the States with my friends to pack my clothes. Kain asked me to live with him in a home he bought in the English countryside. It sounds like a dream, and after being London, I know England is where I want to call my home. I’ll miss my mom and my friends, but there’s enough room for them to come stay with us on the farm whenever they want.
While I was back home, I met Johnathan for the first time. Such a kind old man. I helped him pack his belongings so he can move with us. As soon as Kain arrives, we’re renting a car to go pick him up.
I can’t believe we’re really doing this. I’ve never done a big move like this before. It all seems so scary and yet so exciting at the same time.
I stand up straight and lift onto my tip-toes when I see the passengers start to exit the plane. When I see Kain, my heart explodes with happiness. We talked every night after he was off work while I was gone, and texted throughout the day. The time difference made things challenging, when it came to work and sleep schedules, but neither of us minded. We were just happy to be speaking to each other. The best part was sexting and a few naughty video chats, but it’s nothing like the real thing.
Seeing him in person again has me bursting with laughter and tears. God, he’s handsome. I mean, of course he’s always beautiful, but seeing him in pictures and on video just isn’t the same as seeing him in person. There’s a glow about him, an aura of pure light.
I run to him. He swoops me up into his arms, his smile stretching across his face, squinting his eyes so tight they’re practically closed. People spread out and giggle as he spins me around.
He takes my face in his hands and wipes my tears away with his thumbs. “I’ve missed you so much, baby,” he says. His voice chokes up a bit. He swallows hard.
I’m unable hold back my own emotions and I cry openly. “I’ve missed you too. These last two weeks have been hell without you. I don’t ever want to do that again.”
“You won’t have to. I’ll never leave your side.”
He hugs me again. When he releases me, he digs into his carry-on bag until he finds what he’s looking for. He pulls out a small rectangular package.
“I got you something.”
I squeal and carefully unwrap the paper. Inside is a book! A romance novel, to be exact. I don’t recognize the author’s name and I wonder what made him pick out this particular one. I turn it over to read the back, but there are no words. What a strange book. I’m about to ask him about it, until I open the book and see that it’s hollow.
I gasp, almost dropping it. He laughs when I flail to keep it in my hands.
Inside the box is a gorgeous ring, with a square cut diamond in the middle, several smaller ones around it, and even more diamonds around the band. It’s so sparkly and beautiful I can’t take my eyes off it.
I was so mesmerized by the ring that I hadn’t noticed Kain getting onto one knee until I look up to ask questions.
I realize then that he has tears in his eyes. People surround us to watch, but I barely notice them. I’m far too focused on the man in front of me and the ring and what it represents .
My throat is dry, I have no words.
“Channa, you have made me the happiest man in the world. We haven’t been together that long, but this past month with you has been the most wonderful time of my life. I don’t want to go any further in life without you—I refuse to. You are my world, my now, my future. And I’m going to do everything in my power to be the man you deserve and the man you want. I will prove to you every day that I am worthy of you … if you’ll have me.”
I’m weeping. I can hardly see anything through the tears. I can hardly hear anything through the blood pumping in my ears. He takes the ring from me and slips it onto my finger. It fits perfectly. I realize suddenly that he’s been in contact with my mom because she asked me out of the blue what size ring I wore. When I asked her why, she said she had one of my grandmother’s rings she wanted to give me, and yet I knew my grandmother only had one ring and I already have it.