105 | his promise

After the accident that happened yesterday, I wanted to stay with Aiden in the guest room all night, but that would probably cause Dad a stroke, so in the end, I slept in my bedroom. Now that morning has come, I'm texting with Aiden. Aiden: Morning :) Aiden: Are you up? Me: Yup. I woke up an hour ago but didn't want to disturb your sleep Me: You needed a good rest I have even washed my face, brushed my teeth, and ended up back on my bed reading a novel. Me: How is your injury? Do you feel better? Aiden: Yeah, I'm better Aiden: I wish I could wake up next to you I almost giggle. Me: Me too :) Me: Coffee? Breakfast together? Aiden: Of course. Aiden: Where? Aiden: Will your father get his gun if I step out of this room and wander around the house? Now I almost burst into laughter. I know that he's joking. Me: Don't worry about that. Me: I'll meet you in the kitchen in five minutes? Aiden: See you soon :) I get up from my bed and walk toward my dresser mirror to braid my hair to one side and put on my lip balm. Then I step out of my room and head to the kitchen. There's no one around as I make my way through the hallway because it's still too early in the morning. The house shouldn't be as crowded as yesterday anyway, since The Coopers and Luna had flown back to New York last night. I don't have to rush coming back to Seattle because I've finished most of my exams and there are only a few classes left until the end of the semester. As for Aiden, he's taking his time off from work and letting Ashton handle the office. When I arrive in the kitchen, I smile at the sight of Aiden already sitting at the wooden island table. His back is facing me, so I wrap my arms around his neck from behind, chuckling as I kiss his cheek. He chuckles too. But then he turns his head around, looking out for anyone coming. "Are your parents still asleep?" Why is he whispering? Oh God, he's so cute. "I guess so." Yet, I can't help but whisper too. "Don't worry." His eyes glint with amusement. "Well then, give me a kiss on the lips?" He's still keeping his voice down. I almost throw my head back and laugh but do as he said anyway. I peck him on the lips. I would do a proper and long kiss if it wasn't too risky. We still have to play safe. Most of the time, that kind of kiss would lead to other things. "Why don't you stay here while I prepare the breakfast?" I say softly. He raises his eyebrows. "Why can't I join you preparing the breakfast?" "With that strained elbow?" It's my turn to raise an eyebrow. I give him a teasing smile. "Just sit still and let me take care of you." The amusement in his eyes is replaced by a hint of mischief. "Don't." His voice is low. The corner of his mouth curls up. "Do you know what's on my mind when you say something like that?" His response takes me by surprise, but then I giggle and decide to play with him. I bend down so that I can whisper in his ear seductively, "I don't know. Why don't you tell me?" When I pull away, his eyes are dark, and just as I'm about to walk to the other area of the kitchen, he smacks my ass, making me yelp. I glance back at him and see him smirk. Oh God, we just missed each other so much that we couldn't help but tease each other. It's been so long since the last time we -- you know it. "What do you want to drink, Daddy?" I call out playfully, stepping into the other room where we have our coffee bar. When my gaze darts to the front, I stop in my track. My eyes widen to the point that they almost bulge out of their sockets. There, sitting at the coffee bar is my dad. Oh. My. God. He's here? Why did I think that he was still in his room? Dad looks up from his Ipad. It seems that he's been working with it to sort through his e-mails. I notice that he hasn't had his drink yet, probably because he's been too occupied with work. Dad smiles at me. "Americano, please. Thank you." He returns his eyes to his Ipad again. My jaw drops. I freeze like a statue, but then I open my mouth and close it like a fish. My heart beats at the speed of -- I can't even describe it. I think I just lost my mind. Aiden hasn't answered my question, and the clock is ticking. I wish I had the superpower to stop time. Don't answer it. Please don't answer it, Aiden. "Black coffee," Aiden exclaims from the other room. I. Am. Doomed. Dad looks up. I gulp. It's not fire in Dad's eyes. It's lava exploding from a volcano. Before I can do something, Dad stands up from his chair and storms into the other room. "Aiden," he barks. Aiden abruptly stands up, toppling his chair. His face turns white as paper. Dad, surprisingly, smiles. But that smile is scarier than anything. "The weather is nice outside. Let's take a walk, shall we?" It was two days in a row that I accompanied Mr. Spencer to take a morning walk. I didn't even know if it could be considered a morning walk. He always took his precious dog -- a Labrador Retriever -- before he purposely let go of the leash and ordered me to run after the damn dog. The dog seemed to be on the same team with his owner -- or I must say, his master -- because he ran as fast as lightning without a care in the world that I was still healing from an accident. One time, I was even convinced that the dog smirked at me. Today, on the third day and before Nevaeh's father can beat me to it, I ask him myself for another morning walk. It's because I have something important to talk to him -- his mood be damned. I can't wait any longer. Luckily today, he doesn't bring his precious dog with him, so I can finally breathe. It's like he knew that we would be having an important conversation. We're jogging around the park when he halts a few steps ahead of me. I slow down my pace, approaching him. "Another round?" I ask casually. He doesn't answer me. He's panting, but I know that his mind is not on the exercise. It's on something else. His gaze darts to the kids running in the playground. Their laughter and their parents' voices echo in the air as we walk. "Sir," I start. "I need to talk to you." Nevaeh's father stops walking. He looks me in the eye. "Are you going to tell me that you want to marry her?" I expected that he would know, but I'm still taken aback by the fact that he shot me straight to the point. "What? Do you think I didn't notice the ring on her finger?" He's still setting his eyes on me. My eyes, my expression, my reaction. He's trying to read me. "Yes, Sir," I say. "I want to marry her. I asked her, and she said yes." There's no hesitance in my voice. He doesn't say anything for a while, but then his lips form into a thin line. "Nevaeh is only 19," he says. "I know that you're way older than her, but she's too young to get married. You better come back again when she's older. Or, if you think that you don't want to wait those years, feel free to reconsider your options." Damn, this man is testing me. Does he expect me to back off? No fucking way. Nevaeh is not an option. She's not among other choices. She's the only one for me. I would wait for her forever, but I don't see why I should. "I know that Nevaeh is still very young, but she's an adult," I say. "I understand that you want to protect her, but you can't always forbid her when she decides something. It's not only about me, but it's also about other things in her life. Her college, what she wants to learn, the city she wants to live in, the place she wants to stay in. Nevaeh has the right to choose." Mr. Spencer's brows furrow. A frown touches his lips, but I know that he has the same thought. "You can't always protect her from danger when she's away, but you can't cage her either." My words are the truth. I know how frustrated he is, and my job is to make him see that I'm not the enemy here. We have one thing in common that matters to us like the goddamn world, even more than our own lives, and it's Nevaeh. "I love Nevaeh with all my heart," I say firmly, not wavering one bit as I meet his stare. "And I will protect her with my life, at all costs. I would like to ask your blessing, Sir, for our marriage. And I can promise you, that there is no place safer for her in this world than where she's with me."