~Bonus Chapter~
2 years later...
There's a thief in our house. For weeks and weeks now. A "cologne thief" to be more specific.
It was the weirdest thing to steal and I was confounded every time I would see it missing. After every three to four days, it would just disappear and never be seen again. I was even tired of bringing new bottles every day and my frustration could be detected when I wouldn't find it at its place.
A few days ago to show my concern, I had even asked Valerie - since we live together now - if she saw my missing cologne bottles and I got a really cool response from her. She had replied with an "I don't know", shrugged and just... left me hanging on my spot.
So here I was, with my hands on my waist, staring at the dresser as if it would magically reappear. As soon as I had come out after taking a shower, I had expected Valerie to be sleeping till late, considering it was Sunday but I was surprised to find the bed empty. It was as if she was giving me the cold shoulder and it's been going on for quite some time now. That very same thing was doubling my already frustrated self and to top it all, I was more than nervous today.
I was thinking of asking her THE question but her not talking to me properly was quite a bummer.
What the hell is wrong with her?! I ran my hands through my hair with a scowl when I felt something soft sitting on my foot.
Frowning, I looked down only to be greeted with one of the most adorable kittens staring up at me with her big, innocent eyes. I bent down and placed her on my palm and smiled instantly because she was just slightly bigger than my hand. Her soft meows made me chuckle and I booped her head, making her close her eyes.
A year ago, Valerie and I had decided to move in together in a completely different house that we had both bought. She had sold her apartment while I left the mansion as it is because of my tree house. It held a lot of our memories together so I didn't have the heart to sell it.
It was one of the most beautiful experiences to live with her and it was just the two of us until a week ago. As we were strolling together at midnight, we saw this cute little, marshmallow kitten shaking uncontrollably, seeming lost on the street. We assumed that someone must have left her stranded there and I still couldn't understand how anyone could even do that.
So we had decided to take her under our wing. It was Valerie's idea to name her Snowball because of her soft, white fur.
I was brought out of my reverie when Snowball meowed again, rubbing her small head on my wrist. "Hey, Snow, what is it baby?" I murmured in a baby voice as I stroked her head.
She showed me her tiny little paws and jumped down before trotting toward the door and stopping there. Turning back to me, she slapped her paws on the floor as if asking me to follow her.
Puzzled, I walked behind her as she ran through the long corridor and stopped before the last room in the hallway. It was the unused room of our house. Valerie had once accidentally joked that it would be for our first kid and I swear to God, I haven't stopped thinking about it ever since. Though I still couldn't figure out if she was joking or being serious.
My perplexion however increased when Snowball was trying to jump on the door. Smiling, I picked her up in my hands and she mewled continuously for some reason. "Oh, so you want this room, huh? Because you are our first kid?" I teased, booping her head again and she looked unamused. "Okay, okay, let's go in and see if it matches your taste."
I opened the door, expecting it to be entirely empty and be greeted with a fresh smell of paint. So imagine my surprise when I saw what I saw. I was greeted with Valerie's favorite vanilla scented candle's fragrance and sure enough, there were a few placed at one side of the room.
Not only that, I could even detect the smell of my cologne in the air. Walking in, I saw about a dozen bottles of my cologne placed just behind the candles.
My shock lasted for only a few seconds though, when my eyes landed on the sight in front of me. There she was lying on a futon mattress, sleeping soundly and holding a book close to her chest.
Snowball jumped down from my hands and nuzzled closer to Valerie's chest. She stirred a bit but didn't wake up.
It was as if my feet had a mind of their own because I walked up to her and kneeled down. I began panicking when I saw the tear stains on her cheeks. I was about to touch her face when Snowball jumped on my neck as if hugging me. I couldn't help but chuckle when she meowed at me angrily.
"Shh, Snow, it's okay. You need to keep it down because momma's gonna wake up," I whispered to her but she didn't listen to me and jumped down again as she made her way to the door.
She began screeching and jumping on the floor, her way of telling me to follow her again. Sighing, I went to her and closed the door behind us. It was like Snowball had just told me a secret but didn't want me to do anything about it. That or maybe, she didn't want me to wake up Valerie.
"Don't you just love to throw tantrums?" I murmured as she went her way and I walked back inside my room. I sat down on my bed heavily and opened the bedside drawer to retrieve the small ring box. If I didn't do it today then I wouldn't be able to do it for another week or so and I didn't wish to wait that long.
I had been carrying this ring for about two months now and each time, I felt like it wasn't the moment yet. Putting it in my pocket, I leaned my forearms on my knees with a heavy exhale. I was missing Valerie because even though we live under the same roof, it felt like eternity since we had last talked.
The worst thing was that I didn't know how to propose to her without coming off as too strong. The way she was acting recently was increasing my apprehension because what if she didn't say yes and we end up being strangers to each other. I couldn't even imagine losing her.
Just then an idea struck me as I saw Snowball jumping around in front of me like she was doing some sort of cat dance.
"Hey, Snow, come here," I beckoned her toward me and she sprinted in my direction before landing on my lap. She squealed, trying her best to sound like a roaring lion as if she approved of my idea without even hearing any of it.
So just like that, I bought Valerie's favorite bouquet of red roses and a box of vanilla scented candles. I figured it might be the best way to give her something that she loves so that it wouldn't scare her off. When I came back home, I changed into dark jeans and a white shirt before taking a deep breath in.
A few hours later when I still saw Valerie dozing off, my concern for her began escalating. Snowball was circling around her when her eyes fluttered open.
In my panicky state, I moved behind her, at the back of the room with wide eyes because I didn't want to be seen just yet. I don't know why but maybe because I was scared for some reason. Although I sighed silently to see her awake.
She sat up lazily. "Aww, hey, Snowy," she murmured groggily.
That's when I noticed the book in her hands fall to the side. Squinting my eyes, I saw that it was a kids' storybook and I had to stop myself from asking her about it.
Soon, Snowball was in front of her, looking up at her adorably. "What are you doing here though? What if Skye would have followed you here? You know this is our secret spot, right? And wait... did I keep the door open?"
I had to stop myself from laughing out loud because this very same thing reminded me of our moment in the elevator where she was talking to herself, unaware of my presence.
"How long have I been asleep? What if Skye is worried and he comes here to find us?" She mused.
I had to raise a brow because she wasn't worried about my "worry" but over the fact that I would catch her in the act of being sneaky.
Valerie was trying to tame her curls and I wanted to see her face but unfortunately her back was facing me. When I couldn't take it anymore and as if reading my mind, Snowball looked over at me. I winked at her and she strutted toward me casually.
Slowly and gradually, Valerie turned around before a stuttered gasp escaped her lips. Her hand was on her chest as she stared at me like I was an apparition.
"Hey, babe," I greeted her, grinning widely with my hands behind my back, which were holding the candle box and the bouquet.
"I-I..." she trailed off, her cheeks turning a shade darker.
I had to push down the urge to kiss her because she looked stunningly beautiful at that moment. Her dark curls framing her face brought out the essence of her brown eyes. She is ethereal, to put it simply.
"Um..." She chuckled nervously, scratching her head.
I smirked as I walked toward her and she stood up as well, quickly taking the storybook in her hand. "I found you though, all thanks to our Snow. Oh, and you've got a nice stock filled in here. So you are the thief, after all," I said amusedly.
Her mouth hung open like a gaping fish and I placed my finger under her chin to close it back. That seemed to have brought her out of her trance. "Whoa, uh, I was just craving for your cologne these days and so I... you know," she told me.
I exhaled a deep breath and wanted to hug her so bad but my hands were full at that moment. "You were craving that?" I asked her incredulously and she nodded her head sheepishly. "You could have just asked me then?"
"I didn't want to! Because I felt like stealing it and I don't know why I felt like stealing it but I loved seeing you so frustrated! I guess..." She frowned, almost on the verge of crying.
I just stared at her with amusement, making her scowl. "Love seeing me frustrated?" This time I couldn't keep it in as I began laughing at her expense.
I don't know what compelled her to do what she did next but she hit me on my shoulder with that storybook. She must have realized her actions a bit too late because she gasped all of a sudden. "I didn't mean to." She put the book down as silent tears were beginning to fall down her cheeks.
Alarmed, I put the bouquet and scented candles on the floor as well and wrapped her in my arms. "Hey, shh, shh, it's okay." Her hitting me for no apparent reason caught me off guard too but it was her tears that scared me. "What's going on, Val? I am worried." I pulled away, cupping her cheeks.
"I am scared and I just don't know what to do," she choked out the words.
"You can tell me," I consoled her, wiping her cheeks softly.
She sniffled and closed her eyes before opening them again. The furrow between her brows was evident and the fear on her face was perceptible as well. "I-I am... pregnant," she mumbled the last word in a low voice that I had to strain my ears to catch it.
"Wh... what?" My question stumbled out as an exhale as she continued looking at me strangely. "Repeat it, please."
"I am-" She gulped thickly. "I am pregnant."
The moment those words registered in my brain, my heart leapt up in my throat and if speechless had a face, then it would be me. I was ecstatic to hear the news and my hands fell limp to my side. Disbelieving happiness was how I would define my feelings.
Valerie must have taken my actions and silence for something else because her face fell and more tears cascaded down her cheeks. To express my "over the moon" feeling, I pulled her in for another hug before kissing her head lovingly. "Then why are you... scared, sweetheart?"
Breaking the hug, she glared at me. "Because you haven't even proposed to me yet! So I decided to do it on my own but I chickened out and got scared. I thought you didn't do it for two years now because you're not so sure about it, about us and so I felt angry and I felt angry again! Then Shivaay and Em got married and Chelsea is engag-"
I cut her rant by kissing her on the lips. I sucked on her lower lip and she eagerly granted me the access. In the midst of kissing me, she started giggling and pulled away with a watery smile. "What?" I asked, staring at her beautiful face.
"I can't believe we are gonna have a baby before even getting married," she said, still smiling widely. "I mean - I mean, that is only if you want t-"
"Then we'll have to change that, babe," I whispered in her ear huskily as I pulled her closer to me. Our bodies were flushed against each other and that was the best feeling ever. The feeling of being cocooned in a duvet during the cold nights.
"Wh-what does that...?" She glanced at me curiously, our faces just inches away from each other's.
Unwrapping my arms from around her, I picked up the bouquet and candles. Her confusion was palpable and so I kneeled down on one leg with my heart thudding against my chest with nervousness as well as the blossoming excitement.
I heaved a deep exhale, all the while my lips paused on a genuine smile after hearing about our baby. I extended both my arms in front of me. "Will you marry me, Valerie Jones?"
Her emotions were getting the best of her as she covered her mouth with her lips. Nodding her head vigorously, she accepted the roses and the box of vanilla scented candles. "Oh, my gosh, sealing the deal with these? I am all here for it." She started crying again and hugged my kneeling figure.
I took that as my chance to kiss her stomach, our baby with every type of love and affection I could muster. I looked up at her with a mischievous grin. "Oh, you might be wrong there. I am definitely gonna seal the deal with a band."
I whistled, a sign that Snowball understood instantly because she jumped into my waiting arms. Getting back on my feet, I held her out in front of Valerie and she gasped loudly as if just now noticing something different on Snowball's neck. I laughed at her adorable expression.
She put down the bouquet and candle box before taking Snowball from my outstretched hands. She turned her around and there it was, a ring box attached to her choker at the back of her neck.
I took that as my cue and opened the box before letting go of Snowball. Inhaling a deep breath while feeling like a guy who just understood the meaning of love, I slowly slid the ring on her finger. I saw her admiration for it with the way she was turning her hand back and forth with a glowing smile.
"I love you," I breathed out. "Both of you."
"Thanks, Skye. I just... I am so... happy and I am, I mean I feel so better," she stuttered out the words, looking into my eyes. "I love you too."
Our moment was however broken when we heard an angry screech. I looked down to see Snowball jumping on her paws as if to show her anger. "Well, I am sorry, Snow," I said teasingly and picked her up quickly. "I meant that I love all three of you."
She nuzzled my hand and the room filled with Valerie's heart melting laughter. I hugged her again as Snowball moved to sit down on my shoulder.
I didn't mind spending the rest of my life like this. It felt blissful and magical but most of all... soothing.
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