Chapter 119 Anniversary
Chapter 119 Anniversary
Gyran's POV
I woke up before Evelyn and looked at the date on my phone. One year ago today she came back home. One year since everything changed and we started this whole thing. I watched her sleep for a minute and thought about how different things were now.
She opened her eyes and smiled. "What are you staring at?"
"You. It's been a year."
"A year since what?"
"Since you came back. Since all of this started."
She sat up and kissed me. "Has it really been that long?"
"Yeah. I want to take you to dinner tonight. To celebrate."
"Celebrate what exactly? The chaos?"
"Us. Everything we've been through."
"Okay. Where are we going?"
"That Italian place downtown. The nice one."
"I'll have to find something to wear."
"You always look good."
She laughed and got out of bed. "You have to say that because you're my husband."
I got up too and grabbed her hand. "I mean it."
We spent the day doing normal things. I trained some recruits and she worked on inventory. When evening came, I put on a suit, and she wore a black dress. We drove downtown and the restaurant was fancy with candles on every table.
The waiter brought wine and we ordered food. Evelyn looked around at the other couples and then back at me.
"This is nice. We don't do this enough."
"We've been busy."
"Busy is an understatement."
The waiter brought bread and olive oil. Evelyn took a piece and dipped it.
"Remember when we first started?" I asked.
"You mean the training sessions?"
"Yeah. When I was teaching you how to fight."
"I was terrible at first."
"You got better fast. I remember thinking you were going to be a problem."
"What kind of problem?"
"The kind I couldn't stop thinking about."
She smiled. "I thought you hated me."
"I didn't hate you. I was trying not to want you."
"Why?"
"Because you were Marco's sister. Because it was forbidden. Because I knew if I started something with you it would get complicated."
"And it did get complicated."
"Very."
The waiter brought our food. Pasta for her and chicken for me. We ate and talked about those early days when everything was new and dangerous.
"Do you remember that night in the training room?" she asked. "When you kissed me the first time?"
"I remember. I told myself I wouldn't do it and then I did it anyway."
"I'm glad you did."
"Me too."
"What changed your mind?"
"You did. I couldn't keep pretending I didn't feel anything. And I knew if I didn't take the chance I'd regret it."
She reached across the table and held my hand. "I was so scared that night. Scared you'd reject me or that Marco would find out."
"I was scared too. But it was worth it."
We finished eating and ordered dessert. Tiramisu that we shared with two forks. Evelyn ate most of it and I didn't mind.
"Would you do it all again?" she asked suddenly.
"What do you mean?"
"Everything. The training, the sneaking around, the war, all of it. If you could go back would you do it again?"
I didn't have to think about it. "Every single thing. It brought me to you."
She looked at me like she was trying not to cry. "Even the bad parts?"
"Even those. Because they made us who we are."
"That's a good answer."
"It's the truth."
The waiter brought the check and I paid. We walked out to the car and drove home. The whole time Evelyn held my hand and looked out the window.
When we got inside she turned to me. "I want to toast."
"To what?"
She went to the cabinet and got a bottle of whiskey. She poured two glasses and handed me one.
"To survive," she said.
"To love," I added.
"To the future."
We clinked glasses and drank. The whiskey burned going down but in a good way. Evelyn set her glass on the counter and kissed me. Not a quick kiss but a slow one that meant something.
I picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. She laughed and wrapped her arms around my neck. When we got there, I set her down gently, and we undressed each other slowly. No rush. No urgency. Just us taking our time.
We made love like we had all the time in the world. I wanted to remember everything. The way she looked at me. The way she said my name. The way her body fit against mine perfectly like it was made for this. We moved together and it felt like the first time and the hundredth time all at once.
Afterward, we lay there tangled up in each other. She put her head on my chest and I ran my fingers through her hair. Her breathing slowed down and she relaxed against me.
"I love you," she said quietly.
"I love you too."
"Do you ever think about what life would be like if we never got together?"
"Sometimes. But I don't like thinking about it."
"Why?"
"Because it would be empty. Nothing would matter as much as this does."
She was quiet for a while. "I feel the same way. I can't imagine my life without you in it now."
I held her closer and looked at the ceiling. This is what it was all for. Every fight. Every risk. Every moment of fear and doubt. It all led here to this bed with this woman whom I'd die for without hesitation. She was everything to me.