Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
NEVIO
D alila is fully healed, and that bright, beautiful smile is back on her face.
She is laughing again, and the house feels more and more like a home with her around.
I grin as I think about the surprise I have planned for her. I’m taking her somewhere special tonight. She thinks we are just going out to dinner, but actually, I have something very different planned.
It’s five and I’m nervous as I wait for her downstairs in my crisp black suit.
When I see her at the top of the staircase, my stomach flips with tension. How the fuck does she look even more beautiful every single time I see her? How is this possible?
She stands there, smiling down at me, her lips painted red to match the red dress she has chosen to wear tonight. Her black heals and glitter black clutch complimenting everything perfectly.
She has her hair half pinned up in a sort of messy style that has left curls hanging around her face.
I watch as she walks slowly towards me, taking each step carefully because her eyes keep returning to meet mine.
When she reaches the ground floor, she reaches out and pulls herself against me. “Wow.” She says, as her eyes take me in. “You look so freaking sexy.” She laughs. “We don’t have to go out, you know, we can stay home and - “ She grins mischievously.
“Oh no, temptress, we are going out. Don’t think you can lure me back to bed with that gorgeous look - although it is working - “
I shut my eyes. “No. Stop look at me with those eyes. Get your ass outside and get into the car.” I demand, pointing towards the front door and refusing to look at her.
I hear her giggle and then the sound of her heels on the floor as she walks towards the door.
I grin and touch the thing in my pocket, making sure it’s still there.
Outside, the driver is holding the door open for me, waiting for me. I slide into the seat next to Dalila.
She shifts closer to me and runs her hands over my thigh.
“Where are we going?” She asks, not for the first time. She’s been trying to find out for three days already.
“I told you. For dinner.”
“Yes, I know, but where?” She whines and laughs at the same time.
“It’s a place with a hell of a view.” I grin, giving away a clue.
“Oh - that restaurant at the top of the tallest building in town? I love that place.” She says.
I shake my head. “No.”
“Nev.” She huffs, but I can tell she is loving this.
Instead of turning towards town, the driver turns left once he is out of our property. Dalila’s eyes narrow towards me. I say nothing at all.
We drive for around half an hour, making small talk, while she holds back her urge to ask me again.
“Nev - “ She says in frustration. “When are you going - “
“We’re here.” I grin as the car turns off the road down a gravel side path, the tires crunching on the dirt road.
“Where?” she says in confusion, looking around and seeing nothing at all.
The car keeps heading down the road.
Towards a parking lot.
The driver stops and opens the door for us.
I hold my hand out, and Lila takes it in hers to steady herself on the uneven ground.
“I’m not wearing the right outfit for a hike.” She glares at me, still smiling, though.
“That’s why I brought these for you.” The driver hands me a pair of black high-top sneakers covered in black crystals. They shine in late sunlight.
“Sit, I’ll help you put them on.”
“Those are gorgeous.” She says. Admiring her new shoes. She pulls her high heels off and leaves them in the car while I slip a pair of socks into her feet, followed by the new shoes.
She jumps out of the car, looking even more beautiful in the long red dress and the sneakers. She looks like she’s ready for an adventure.
I hold out my hand. “Come on.”
Leading her to the edge of the parking lot, we stand looking down on a massive field - and in it there is an air balloon - just about to be inflated.
She squeals with excitement and jumps up into my arms.
“Are you serious? I’ve always wanted to go on one of these.” She shouts, then pulls me down the hill towards the massive, colorful balloon.
We watch in awe as it inflates and grows bigger and bigger.
Finally, we climb into the basket and start rising into the air.
The balloon drifts upwards into the glowing orange and pink sky, streaks of purple splashing between the clouds. The air is icy up here.
I lean down and pick up the jackets. I had them put in the basket for us.
She shakes her head, smiling. “You thought of everything.”
We stand at the edge of the basket, looking across the sky, drift through it like we belong up here, alone - away from the rest of the world.
I wrap my arms around her as she leans her back against my chest. I can see she is smiling when I look down at her.
“Lila.”
“Mm?” she says, glancing up at me. Pulling her eyes away from the view.
“There is something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time. I just wanted to wait, until you were better, and now—well, now you are.”
I take a deep breath. She turns to look at me, the pink sky turning a touch of purple and reflecting in her eyes.
“I’m in love with you. I am so madly and deeply in love with you, I don’t even want to think of a time when you aren’t in my life.”
A wide, warm smile spreads across her face. “You love me?”
“I do, baby girl.”
She drops her eyes as her dark lashes flutter. When she looks up at me again, she looks nervous. “I love you too, Nevio. I have for a while and I didn’t want to tell you and make you feel weird about it.”
I chuckle.
“You love me?”
“More than the world, more than words, more than anything.”
I drop to my knee, pulling the ring out of my pocket.
“I know we are already married, but the first time - it wasn’t done the way I would have wanted - will you marry me - again?”
She squeals with laughter and happiness and leaps into my arms. I am knocked off my feet as she lands on me, giggling and kissing me all over my face.
“Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.” she says between each kiss.
The basket of the air balloon is swinging a little when I pull her back up to her feet.
“So, that’s a yes, then?” I ask, teasing her.
She nods. “It’s the biggest yes ever.”
I lift her hand and slip the new ring onto her finger. It fits right alongside her existing ring. I don’t want to change how we met. I don’t want to erase it or cancel it. I just want to add to it.
“So, we are going to plan our wedding together then?” I ask, wondering if she’s one of those girls that have been dreaming about what her dress will look like since she was in kindergarten.
“Everything. I want to plan everything with you.”
She snuggles against me as we continue to drift through the air.
When we do finally find ourselves back on the ground, there is a big white tent set up with a fire going inside, making the entire tent glow with warmth. There is a table set up inside for a private dinner and fairy lights have been strung over the roof of the tent.
I pull her into the tent and sit her down at the small, intimate table.
The chef brings out her favorite food - Salmon - prepared a little differently this time, crumbed and baked.
The night drifts on and we spend hours talking and laughing and eating until it’s too late to keep our eyes open and I lift her in my arms and carry her to the back of the tent where a beautiful king sized bed awaits us.