“You can’t do it, can you?” He stated looking me over. He stood, continuing to hold me in place with his stare. “Zoe.” He said my name with more insistence.
“No.” I said but my voice felt fragile like it could break. There was so much I want to say, but the words were frozen in my mind. I want to tell him that I can’t go back to the place where we were friends, and that I want a relationship with him. I want to tell him that I’m still scared, but I’m sacrificing my fear because that would be what will make me lose him.
“You can’t do it. You thought you could waltz in and we’d just pretend that we’re friends again?”
“No. I realized that I couldn’t do that.”
“Two people meet decades ago and they can’t live without each other. No matter what, they find each other and they’re happiest when together. What does that tell you?”
“That they can’t live without each other.” I gave him a small smile and take a step towards him.
“I know I don’t deserve you, and you don’t need me –”
“I do need you.” I said quickly cutting in because I can’t allow him to believe that.
He smiles a little and the beautiful sight tightens the knots in my stomach.
“You don’t baby. I need you, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to lose you. You’ve been my best friend for a lifetime and the only person I’ve ever fallen in love with. You’re right you can’t be my girlfriend. You’re more than that.”
My skin tingled as he walked closer and my heart recalls Rachel’s words. The fog in my mind starts to clear with each step he makes to me, and I remember how much I want to be with him.
I shook my head. “No, I’m not more. Tristan the thought of losing you made me freak out, and I’m certain I’ll freak out again from time to time, but I can’t let that stop me from being with you.” Thank God I was talking now. The words pour from me, straight from my heart. “Would you…could I have another chance? Could you give me another chance? A chance to be yours.” An uncontrollable tear ran down my cheek and he caught it.
“You are mine. And you never have to ask me for chances baby.” He held my gaze and nods. “I know you. Zoe, if we continue on this path where you’re just my girl it will always be the same. You’ll be freaking out from time to time because you’ll be looking for an end date. That’s my fault. I know that. I can’t change the past, but I can shape the future.”
I reached up and touch his face, lingering by the edge of his jaw. “We can shape the future.”
“No, not we. Me. It’s what I have to do.”
I didn’t understand what he meant until he pulled out a small pink velvet box from his back pocket. And, my brain was still slow to catch on even as I watched him open the box to reveal the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen in my life.
It was…
I narrowed my eyes and gasped. It was an engagement ring.
An engagement ring?
Tristan’s holding an engagement ring…
Out to me?
Is it for me?
I looked from him to the ring trying to process what was happening.
“What is that?” I have to ask because maybe my brain is playing tricks on me. Maybe I think it looks like an engagement ring but it’s not, although the beautiful teardrop diamond set in the center of the delicate gold band is a dead ringer for an engagement ring.
I couldn’t imagine this guy married, and I was prepared to stay with him without seeing that happen for us. Although he’d never said anything against the idea of marriage, he didn’t exactly say anything in favor of it either.
“A ring,” he replied.
“What sort of ring is it?”
“The kind that makes you mine.”
“It’s an engagement ring?” I was almost afraid to say the words, but my heart rejoices when he nods.
“I don’t want anybody else but you. I don’t.” He said on seeing the perplexed look on my face. “You worry about us ending because that’s what you’ve seen on my part with all my girlfriends. But, I’ve never had a wife. You’ve never seen me married, so you wouldn’t know how I would treat my wife. I can assure you, I can swear to you, that I would treat her the very same way I treat my best friend. That’s you. Only you know how that feels.”
I couldn’t believe what he was saying to me. I was shocked and numb all at the same time.
His words reached out to me, pierced through me, and filled my body with life. Only I could feel like this, those words could only have this effect on me, because I knew exactly what it meant to be his best friend.
It meant having someone who would always be true to me. It meant having someone who was committed to me, who would do anything for me, and always, always put me first. It meant knowing I would always be supported, having someone I could trust with my life.
It meant knowing I had true love.
Always. I would have true love always.
Tristan had been all of that and more for me, and only me.
The contentment I feel intensifies when he lowers to one knee and holds the ring out to me.
“Tristan,” I breathed.
“Zoe, I love you. I love you, and I’m never ever leaving you, ever. We’ve stuck together for this long. How about we just stay together for the rest of forever?” He released a breath as emotion seemed to grip him. “Please be mine, be with me. Be my wife.”
All I can do is look at him.
I look at the beautiful man before me and feel the love I have for him soar throughout me and dance through my veins. It eradicated every ounce of the fear I felt. There is no trace left in me, and all I can see is love. Love that told me I have nothing to worry about, ever.
I embrace it. I embrace it all because I’m no longer just Zoe Carter, the best friend.
He looked nervous, but there was nothing to be nervous about.
I give him my hand and he looks at it as if he can’t believe I’m agreeing. I kneel too when he takes my hand.
“Yes.” I tell him, feeling excitement and the deepest appreciation sweep through me. It feels like pure oxygen pumping into me filling me with a new sense of life and purpose “I will.” I added with a smile that resonated from the depths of my soul.
“You will?” He asked.
“Yes.” I nod quickly, and instead of putting the ring on me he pulls me in for a hug, holding me close to his wild beating heart.
I look up and kiss him, and that’s when he takes my hand and slipped the ring on my finger.
I gaze at it on my hand. It fit like it always belonged there.
Just like us, we’ve always belonged together.
“Thanks baby.”
“No, thank you. For not giving up on us. I love you,” I told him.
“I love you.” I saw his heart and all that he felt for me reflect in the tenderness of his gaze. Then he leaned in to give me a kiss that filled me with pure content.
Pure love, with the promise of everything I’d ever dreamed of.
I knew in that moment I’d always have happiness for the rest of my life.
Epilogue
One year and three months later…
Tristan
I looked at my beautiful wife sitting on the sofa. My beautiful Zoe with her velvet smooth hair that was a few inches longer than it was last year, and her vibrant green eyes that I get lost in every day.
She’s watching me as I walked towards her with that old friendship box of ours. We’ve had several boxes this year each with a whisper of our desire and love for each other.
The box looked more worn than it did last year, but like always I was excited for the event.
We’d been married now for six months and it was the most amazing time of my life.
I still couldn’t believe that I was with her. That she was mine. Finally, mine.
I’d never forget the day when I proposed to her. I’d never forget the moment when I realized that it was the only logical thing to do. It hit me like a lightni
ng bolt. I knew I loved her, that she was it for me, the best thing that had ever happened to me, and the only thing I could do was make her mine. Give myself to her, make her keeper of all that I was, and all that I would ever be.
I’d actually geared myself up that day for her to tell me she’d think about it, to which my answer would have been to assure her that I’d spend the rest of my life, if I had to, proving my love for her. There were only a few moments in my life that I remember experiencing true happiness. Most people would immediately think I’d be talking about football accomplishments if I said that. And sure, I did good in the sport.
But all the true happy moments I could think of weren’t to do with football.
They were all to do with her. My Zoe, my wife.
The first moment that I can remember feeling this way had to be when we became friends. When we rescued that stupid chicken together, and while the story was funny, it was the first time in my life that I had someone who had my back. Someone who’d be right by my side through the crazy, bizarre ideas I had at that age. The next happy moments didn’t come until years after. They were when I first kissed her, when I first made love to her, when she agreed to be my wife, and then our wedding day. After that I felt true happiness every day.
I felt it now as I sit opposite her and handed her the box.
“It’s your turn to pick this year,” she beamed and brought her hands together. I can’t help but look at her rings and I took her ring hand looking at it for the hundred millionth time. I can’t get enough of her, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop being excited to wake up to her every morning knowing she’s my wife.
“My turn to pick? I wonder what this year will bring?” I laugh thinking about last year.
“Open the box and find out.” There’s a sly expression on her face and I wondered if she’s up to something.
I release her and open the box immediately seeing an envelope that looks like it doesn’t belong there. It’s different from all the others. Just like the one last year. But this note, this envelope looks new.
She put it there.
“You,” I pointed at her then tweaked her nose playfully.
She laughed at me. “Hey, you got to add to the box. So I wanted my chance too.”
“You little devil,” I scolded. “And I’m supposed to open it?”
“Yes, open it.”
“It’s not going to be something like a new handbag, is it?”
“No, because the fifty you bought me only weeks ago wasn’t enough.” She smirked with sarcasm. That was her shopping trip two weeks ago. I think I embarrassed her in the store because since she couldn’t choose I got practically everything.
“I thought I did good. You can now jazz up your arm.”
“Tristan, just open the note.”
I pulled out the note from the envelope and frown when I see what’s on there.
It says a cot.
“A cot? Why in hell do we need a cot Zoe?” I narrowed my eyes at her and imagine her lying on some sort of a Cleopatra chair. Maybe that’s what she means. “Is this like one of those pointless pieces of bedroom furniture you made me get?”
After the wedding she told me my chest of drawers were ugly and then she got this boudoir looking dressing table that immediately transformed my room from the masculine room it was into…okay I guess it did look classy now. And I supposed as we were rearranging our rooms so that we just had the one that we shared it was okay. But, back to the present. I don’t know why she wants a cot.
“You are so silly.” She started laughing at me.
“What? And in your answer please state how a cot will benefit me.” I tried to remember what it was she said to me last year when we read my note. “This box is about us. It signifies our friendship.” I made a show of putting on a voice that was supposed to sound like her, but I probably sounded more like a goat instead.
She started laughing so much she had to dab tears from her eyes.
“I don’t sound like that,” she scolded.
“Yes, you do. Also, I’m still waiting for the answer.”
“Okay,” she made a show of clearing her throat and tossed her hair to the side so that it graces the edge of her waist. She looks beautiful and hot, and I’m going to unwrap her the minute we finish here. “Tristan we need a cot because we need to turn my old room into a nursery. I hear that’s where baby’s sleep these days. But if you hate cots we could get a crib. I haven’t had time to check the differences yet. I just remember that my sister had a cot when Tilly was born.”
She had me at the word baby. I straightened up, mouth open, head light, blood pounding throughout my body at a hundred miles an hour.
“What?” I looked at her holding her gaze and I couldn’t take my eyes of her because I don’t want this to be a dream.
“We’re pregnant.” She said to me with that sweet nervousness I loved.
I rise from the sofa and bring my hands to my cheeks.
“Are you okay?” she asked looking worried. “I know we just got married and –”
“No, don’t you dare explain or anything. I’m excited.” I said that quickly because I didn’t want my shock to be misunderstood. “Baby.” I say going back to her. “Oh my God.” I breathe touching her stomach.
“You’re excited?” she asked with a small smile.
“I have absolutely everything now.” I told her. “Zoe…” All I can do is look at her, the woman who means the world to me. She is everything, and the keeper of all that will make me happy for as long as I live. “I’m going to be a father?”
“Yeah.” She reached out to touch my face, looking at me with so much love.
“This is the best note we’ve ever picked from the box.” I laughed feeling my whole body light up from the excitement.
Here was another moment of true happiness. I do have everything now.
“I love you,” she breathed.
“I love you, and yes we can have a cot, and whatever else you want.” I laughed pulling her into my arms and kissed her.
She kissed me back with the same desire that I felt in my heart and soul.
Last year was a great year. Now I really can’t wait to see what this year will hold for us.
All three of us.
My little gift to you
Thank you sooooo much for reading xxx
Want more? Try… The first book in my Vandervilles series
“When Beauty Met The Beast”
My little gift to you
When Beauty Met The Beast
Acknowledgments
To my dear family, friends, and my readers.
Where would I be without you….
This one’s for all of you. Hope you enjoy it.
Vandervilles: Book 1 When Beauty Met The Beast
Copyright © 2017 by Khardine Gray
All rights reserved.
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
The author asserts that all characters and situations depicted in this work of fiction are entirely imaginary and bear no relation to any real person.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover Design : Erin Dameron -Hill
Prologue
The Observer
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you mo
ve, fall like a thunderbolt.
Sun Tzu couldn't have said it better in The Art of War.
What a great book, with solid words of wisdom. Wisdom that could be applied to everyday life. Those were the best books. Books that captured the essence of the human mind and helped you to overthrow your enemies.
Precision was the key, along with meticulous planning. That was what you needed when you were dealing with people like the Vandervilles. You had to plan for them with accuracy. Otherwise, there would be no effect.
To destroy people like them you had to work your way in from the inside, and by the time they realized something was amiss, it would be too late.
Like being poisoned. And, like the insidious toxins from a potent blend of poison, that was exactly how he planned to work.
Find their weaknesses, exploit and obliterate them, along with anyone dumb enough to associate with them. As far as he was concerned, they were just as bad and would have no mercy from him.
No one would.
His mother didn't get any as she begged for her life. There was no form of mercy shown to her, none whatsoever as she pleaded and cried from the depths of her soul. Praying and screaming for God until her last breath departed from her body. Mercy never even entered their minds.
His mother was a sweet woman who loved too much. Her kindness and sweet nature were her weakness. She wore her heart on her sleeve, and evil people took advantage.
He would never forget her, and how she suffered as he watched her die. He was helpless then but promised he wouldn't allow her death to be in vain. He wouldn't allow the life she lived to signify nothing.
He wouldn't allow the beautiful spirit she had to fade away.
Those people would not take that from her.
It had taken him a long time to get to this stage. A very long time. Years and patience. But, now he was here, at this point, and ready with a plan so dark and impenetrable it would strike them down with crippling effects. He'd conquer them all and make sure that they all paid for what they did. Every last one of those self-indulgent, vile, materialistic Vandervilles.
Falling For Him Page 18