Chapter 48 — Say It All
Malik’s POV:
Malik had a strange feeling she was pregnant. Though Alec’s intentions behind biting her aren’t confirmed, he figured Alec knew and tried to kill the baby. Malik heard the heartbeat the night she threw up Alec’s venom. He wasn’t sure she knew, but she did. He could only assume that Aaron heard the heartbeat too. Malik looked at her with tenderness in his eyes, he reached out and placed a hand on her belly. The heartbeat was strong, and her stomach was stiff as though something alive really was in there.
“How does that make you feel?” he asked.
“How does what make me feel?” Vanessa asked as she placed her hand over his.
“Carrying my child.” Malik chuckled softly at how obvious the answer should have been. “What are you thinking, V?” There was a time he could read her thoughts, and it was amusing and intriguing. Then one day he couldn’t, and it frustrated him to no end. But after all this, he was glad he couldn’t read her thoughts. It would force her to speak her mind which she did anyway, but now he got to hear what she was thinking from the raw beauty of her voice.
Vanessa looked at him, his eyes truly searching for the answer he could no longer see in her mind. “I want to give you the words first.”
Malik knew what she meant. In the Balthazar Manor, she wanted to speak from her heart and Malik wouldn’t let her. He knew he was going to live. But he wasn’t going to let the most perfect moment of his immortal existence be in that place of filth and deceit. If she was going to tell him she loved him and if he was going to hear it from her, it was not going to be before one thought the other was going to die. She would have to tell him when she had a choice to have forever with him. It would be a time where they knew they would say it to each other until the end of time. He looked at her and flashed that famous grin of his, “Say it, Vanessa. Say it all.”
Vanessa took each of his hands in hers and looked deep into his eyes as though to ensure everything she had to say would go through the window to his soul and stay there forever. “I came to this city expecting to spend time with my brother who ghosted me for some godawful reason. When my parents died and Byron left me, I wouldn’t let anyone in. I met Rylie and became friends with her, and she became my rock. But anyone and anything else, I built up these walls. I refused to let myself really care about others because the most important people in my life were just gone.” Hot tears began to stream down her cheeks, and Malik released one of her hands to gently wipe them away. “I never wanted to hurt like that again. Then I met you, and you were so beautiful and confident…but when my brother saved me, you were ready to execute him. And all that should have gone away. I should have hated you, but I didn’t. I guess when I went to stop you from killing Byron, I wasn’t just trying to save Byron. I didn’t want you to do something I would have to hate you for. I couldn’t let you take what I already felt for you away from me. I refused to lose anyone else. So, I stopped you.”
Hot tears threatened to spill from Malik’s eyes. Even when he could read her thoughts back then, he did not see this coming. He knew there was an attraction, but because she was not aware of how she felt back then, neither was he. He gently squeezed her hands, urging her to continue.
“I love you, Malik Cromwell. You make me want to have courage and be the best version of myself as possible. And when I found out I was pregnant, after all is said and done, I’m really happy. I didn’t think it would be possible between you and me. I truly didn’t think I would want kids because I was so afraid of losing them too. You and I loved each other when we…did it. So, this baby was conceived out of love. That’s how it’s supposed to be. I want us to have this baby and raise it together.” Vanessa said as she took a deep breath. “There it is. I said it all. Now it’s your turn.”
Malik chuckled softly and he pulled her into his arms, “You know how I feel about you, my little white rose. Your saving Byron that day opened a lot of doors for us. I never thought I would do the whole domestic thing. A woman to come home to, and children. I thought it could only be done from one pure blood to another. It’s why I stayed away from my own kind. But when I heard our baby’s heartbeat, I had something else to protect. I had to keep you out of the fight, Vanessa. I know you must have felt so helpless, and, in the end, you didn’t feel like you did much. But please don’t let that frustrate you or get you down, our baby is safe. You are safe.”
Vanessa was now a blubbering mess of tears and sniffles, “Well…when you…put it…that way…” she muttered between sobs. “I…did do something…great…after all.”
Malik curled his finger under her chin and lifted it, so their eyes met again, “I love you, Vanessa Owens.” And then he dipped his head, and their lips came together in perfect unison. Now that their lips no longer had to do the talking, they were able to just feel. “Let’s go home.” Malik murmured against her lips.
Before dawn could break, everyone had gone home. Katrina went with Aaron as they had a spark between them, Rylie with Byron, and Vanessa with Malik. Vanessa walked through the threshold and her jaw dropped seeing white rose petals all over the place. The table at the entrance had a box open with a large round diamond in a rose gold band. She turned to Malik who had dropped to one knee, “Vanessa Owens, will you marry me?”