Chapter 73 Epilogue I:
Wanda:
A year later,
How fast does time fly? I can’t really say, I went from a bitter (okay, maybe not so bitter) woman working in ClaraVogue to a happy woman who co-owns A & W collectives, our business has been good, last week, I caught a glimpse of one the jewellery I designed on the queen of England’s neck. I had jumped on Liam and kissed him passionately.
Liam and I have been stronger this year, yes. We have had fights, but we have also shared laughter, love and a home together.
“You ready?” Liam drags the travelling bag down the stairs, hair framing his forehead. He looks cute whenever he’s flustered; Liam and I are spending two weeks in the U.K in celebration for the release of his new book, ‘Kiss before the kill’ It’s a part thriller, part romance, it is about an assassin who fell in love with the person she is meant to kill. Guess who helped write the steamy penthouse kiss scene? Me.
Liam dedicated the book to me and since its release last month, the book has grossed number one in the New York Times and Liam has become U.S.A best- selling author in the span of six months, we are going to the U.K to do a book signing, a reading out loud, a book party with authors and readers and I am accompanying him as the girlfriend who helped with the kissing scene.
“Yes, I am ready.” I walk into the living room, grinning. The private jet is meant to leave in two hours from now so we are supposed to be driving to the airport soon. “Everyone is going to be excited to see you.”
Since Liam grew up partly in the U.K, most of his friends and agents are there and honestly, he wanted to move back to the U.K, but he made a decision to uproot his life and bring it over here to stay with me, besides he can write from anywhere.
“I am so glad I am doing everything with you. That is what matters.” Liam comes over to me, hugging me tightly. We bought a house together five months ago, the house is big- too big, if I am being honest. There’s a study upstairs filled with his signed books, the kitchen always smells like fresh coffee most mornings because he’s always awake at five in the morning, bustling around the house while I am still sleeping in.
His writing desk sits near the window, cluttered with notes and half-finished ideas. It still feels like our home together because we bought this, designed it, picked out the wallpaper, tiles and furniture together.
“I love you.” Liam smiles and I feel my stomach tighten. These past few days, there has been a looming feeling over me, it’s about Liam not proposing, I mean what’s taking him so long? Doesn’t he want to spend the rest of his life with me? I get that we have only known each other for a year and a half but isn’t that enough time to decide if you want to live the rest of your life with that person forever?
My anxiety spikes at me, what if he’s having second thoughts? What if one day he wakes up and decides to move back to the U.K, what if he decides we can’t work out?
“Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me?” I find myself asking for the hundredth time this month, I am sure he’s fed up with my questions. Liam pads to the kitchen to put the kettle on fire, these days, he has been obsessed with green tea.
“Yes, Wanda.” His voice is low, as he removes the packet of the tea from the cabinet.
‘Then why haven’t you fucking proposed yet!’ I want to scream on top of my lungs but I remain there, fighting away the tears that are starting to build up. I want to reach for my phone and ring a call to Arya, but I don’t want to disturb her, besides I have been talking to her about the engagement, I am pretty sure she’s tired.
Clara seems like my next option, after Arya’s wedding, we have become so close that we are basically inseparable, A & W collections are even doing a collaboration with ClaraVogue. Well anyways, Clara might be busy today so I just stand there watching as Liam mixes the tea with a smile.
There’s one thing about my boyfriend, he gets happy whenever he’s doing these little things. I sigh. When Liam turns and catches my eyes, he winks at me but I can’t bring myself to smile back.
“Everything okay?” He scrunches his brows, looking at me with affection. The look in his eyes makes me feel so guilty, why am I so beat up on him proposing? I have no idea what he’s going through so why am I thinking about myself?
“Everything is okay.” My voice betrays my facial expression; Liam drops the cup of tea on the cabinet and walks over to me.
“If anything is wrong, you can always talk to me about it,” his eyes soften. “Is this about the trip to the U.K, you don’t want to go? Is that it? If you don’t want to, then I will call them up and apologize that we can’t make it.”
“It’s not about that!” I hurriedly yell, the last thing I want is for him to think that I don’t support his work. “Why would you even say that? I love your work and so does quarter of the population in the U.K. so we can’t disappoint them.”
“So what is with the gloomy expression?” he asks, still looking at me.
“I am just feeling queasy, that is all.” I reply, and Liam nods his head in understanding.
He kisses the top of my forehead, before whispering. “I will go pack some ginger tea upstairs since ginger is a natural remedy for nausea.”
I nod my head watching as Liam jogs up the stairs. Breathing in, I check my travelling bag for my charger but it isn’t there, Liam always accidentally packs it with his.
Liam’s travelling bag is slightly open so I kneel beside it, my fingers riffling past his neatly folded clothes, a worn book, his cologne and then my hand stills.
A small velvet box.
My breath hitches. For a moment, I don’t move. I just stare at it, nestled between a pair of socks like it is hiding. Slowly, carefully, I pick it up, my heart thuds, wild and chaotic. Is this--?
I open it.
A ring. Simple. Elegant. Beautiful. My mouth falls open in a soft gasp.
Liam is going to propose.
Holy hell.
Damn it, that means he already has plans of proposing in the U.K. I don’t have time to examine the ring before I snap it shut and shove it right back where I found it. My fingers are shaking, my body pulsing with adrenaline.
I stand there, grinning like an idiot, biting down on my lower lip, heart screaming ‘Yes!’ already.
Goodness, I am excited as hell.
Liam comes rushing downstairs, holding the packet of ginger tea. “Shall I prepare one for you right now or you’ll have your first cup when we reach the U.K?” He asks, gosh. He’s so thoughtful and this man is about to be mine forever.
“I will have one when we land. We have to drive to the airport.” I say, reminding him that we are falling late on time.
“Oh yes. Right.” He replies, checking his watch. I will load the car, ready to go?” He asks.
“Yes, I am ready.” I say, still grinning because when we are returning back to the U.S.A, I will be an engaged woman.
\--
Clara:
Today is Axel’s and I’s anniversary, it has been a year since we have been dating and to celebrate Axel is taking me out to dinner, he hasn’t disclosed the whole location since it’s a ‘huge secret’ (his words, not mine)
I twirl in front of the mirror, admiring the dress I had selected; it is a backless soft champagne silk that hugs my body in the right places. I did my makeup, and let my blonde hair down in waves, I am really excited for this dinner. The text on my phone is from Axel, telling me that the driver is waiting. I come out of my house to find the car waiting.
The middle aged driver looks at me, a crease in his smile. “You look beautiful tonight, ma’am.”
“For the last time, call me Clara.” We both smile at each other as he opens the back door and I easily slide into the backseat. The car pulls away and my phone buzzes. It’s from our group chat, the Hamilton Triplets (I suggested the name but Chloe got so pissed because it didn’t match her vibe)
Chloe: Soooooooo......is Mr. Williams finally going to pop the question tonight?
Charlotte’s reply comes immediately, don’t these people have work to do? I imagine them curled up in their chairs in their respective homes, sipping expensive champagne while typing furiously on their phone.
Charlotte: If he doesn’t, we riot. Just saying.
I type, smiling as I stare out of the window.
Me: It’s just dinner, for goodness sake.
My phone buzzes.
Chloe: Whatever you say (winking emoji)
My phone buzzes again.
Charlotte: Send a pic of that dress, you goddess!
I laugh and send a blurry selfie. The notifications keep coming, teasing, joking. But my heart knows. Tonight just feels different.
When the car slows and stops, I look out the window and blink.
A skyscraper.
The driver simply smiles and gestures. “This way, ma’am.”
67\. 68. 69....Rooftop.
The elevator door opens. There are a hundred flowers arranged like a path. Roses. Daisies. Peonies. It is like stepping into a garden of your dreams.
At the center is a small table for two, food, wine, candlelight and behind it stands Axel.
He is in a black suit, the shirt unbuttoned at the throat, his brown hair catches the night breeze and his eyes- those deep, unreadable eyes are soft in a way that makes my knees weak. I look back to see my driver has disappeared.
I gasp, staring at Axel with a smile. “What is all of this?”
He doesn’t speak at first, he just smiles.
“Axel.” I whisper, stepping forward.
He walks towards me and reaches for me; he takes my hand and goes down on one knee. Fuck. Is this the moment?
“My goodness.” I close my mouth with my hand. “What’s going on, Axel?”
He opens a box and there it is- a diamond ring that glistens against the night sky.
“Do you remember when we were in high school and it was lunch time? You and Anna were having lunch together and I was seated across from you.” Axel starts. “I remember Anna asking you about your dream proposal and you said you wanted it simple, you wanted to be proposed to on a rooftop just the two of you alone, under the night sky. Our eyes met for a brief moment before you hurriedly averted your eyes, do you remember?”
Of course, I remember. Anna had smacked my elbows playfully, saying it was a silly way to be proposed to. She wanted to be proposed to in front of a million people. She wants the diamond to be worth a billion dollars. I had told her that it was the little things that mattered and that being alone with your man just creates that sense of intimacy you first had when you first met.
“I can’t believe you remembered.” I say, tears springing at my eyes. He not only remembered something I said years ago, he also recreated it.
“You are my queen, Clara.” He looks up at me with the softest kind of expression that makes me want to cry and kiss him at once. “We were just kids when we both fell in love with each other, but we didn’t know how to express it. Life threw us apart, it brought us back together. I never stopped watching you, I never stopped wanting you and even after everything, it’s still you, Clara. It’s only ever been you.” We look at each other emotionally.
“I used to lie awake in high school wondering what it will be like if you are mine forever. And now, I don’t have to wonder. Clara, will you marry me and make that guy’s dream come true?”
“Get up, Axel.” I whisper, laughing through the tears. “I am not going to let you kneel your way into forever.”
He grins, he still has that same seventeen year old grin that makes my stomach flip.
“Yes, I will marry you!” I lift him up as he slips the ring onto my finger. We kiss, the kiss saying a lot about our past. Even after years together, fate still has a way of pulling us back together.
His arms wrap around me, holding me close like he isn’t planning on letting me and I don’t want him to let me go.
We stand there, forehead to forehead, surrounded by flowers, candlelight and the endless lights of New York below us.
And that is the end of the story.
Our story.
Or maybe.....
Just the beginning.