Chapter 149
Stella
I was discharged from the hospital just a few hours ago. Adrian kept me in his car while he ran out to the store and bought all new groceries for me, buying me snacks and drinks for me to eat while I relax at home. It is a really kind gesture from him, something that he never would've done for me before in the past.
It just shows that he has changed over the last year, evolving into a new and improvement man that I have never seen before. I am so happy, though, to see him change in such a positive way.
Now, I am sitting on my bed, scrolling through my phone, as I listen to Adrian work in my living room. He put me inside, claiming that he has a surprise for me, and close the door before I could fight and argue back. On the other side of the door, I hear the sounds of wrestling and banging and a few curse words when something drops.
Help but laugh at it. I think it is truly ridiculous that he is putting in so much effort into a surprise that he did not need to do in the first place. I know that it is something small, something that has to do with the multitude of plastic bags filled with blankets and pillows from one of the stores he stopped at. I even caught a glimpse of a box that has fairy lights in it.
The door to my bedroom opens, and I look up from my phone, turning it off. I smile at him, watching as he walks towards me, out of breath from his struggle in the other room. I open my arms and he slips into them, gently leaning into me as he presses a kiss to my forehead.
“Is everything okay?” I asked with a laugh, watching as he pulls away from me.
“everything is just peachy,” Adrian slips his arms underneath my body. He lifts me with ease, bringing me into his arms and a bridal style position. “your surprise is ready! Ready to see it?”
“Always!” I smile at him. And with that, Adrian nods and carries me out of my bedroom into the living room.
I gasp at the sight. Fairy lights, hang from the ceiling, the gentle and warm lighting making the room feel cozy. On the couch, there is a multitude of fluffy blankets and pillows, a few of them falling to the floor. The giraffe plushy that my brothers bought me sits on one of the sides of the couch, it's smile, reflecting the happiness that I feel.
And look at Adrian, my arms wrapped around his neck. I smile at him, unable to contain the childish giggles that vibrate in the back of my throat. He kisses my cheek and walks towards the couch, sitting me down in the middle.
The couch feels so soft and comfortable, so warm. I immediately relax into it and let out a sigh, the smile on my face growing bigger than before. The cushion besides me dips and I involuntarily slip back into Adrian's arms, not that I'm complaining, though.
I instantly nuzzle into his side, loving the fact that he has put in so much effort into making a place where I have felt so lonely, a place that reminds me of my near death experience, into a place that I can feel so safe and happy in.
I do know that we need to have a serious conversation with each other. There are many things left unsaid between us, light confrontations that we need to have with one another. A serious conversation that will be the groundwork for our relationship moving forward from this day.
“Adrian,” I breathe his name out and watch as he leans forward, grabbing a warm cup of tea from the coffee table. He place it into my hands and hands and response, giving me his full attention. “We need to have a conversation.”
“Don’t tell me that you're already wanting to break up with me,” Adrian comments, his tone light and air. He turns to look at me, but my face remains unamused, serious. His face falls. “Is everything okay? What do you wanna talk about?”
I suck in a deep breath, trying to gain the courage to say what needs to be said. The questions that I deserve to ask before we take this next step in our lives together.
“All I want to know is if you're committed to me,” I break my silence. I hold the mug in my hands for comfort, the warmth ruining me and keeping me calm. “I want to know if we are ready to take this next step in repairing all of the broken things between us. To know if you will be with me through thick and thin, to not leave when things get hard like we did in the past.”
“Of course,” his response is immediate. My heart skips a beat. “I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you so much, Stella, and there is nothing else I would rather do than to live my life at your side.”
I not\d and smile, relief crashing throughout my body at the news. He takes the mug for my hands and places on the coffee table, slipping our fingers together. I stare at our connected hands and allow myself to feel vulnerable in front of him. To allow myself to give in to the urge of loving Adrian with my entire being.
“You have made me realize that I deserve good things in life, despite all of the horrible things that I have done,” Adrian continues, his voice quiet and vulnerable, “I want to spend the rest of my life, making you happy. To be the best partner that you deserve as well. And I promise that I will not repeat the same mistakes that I have made in the past. I will love you like a husband should, like I should have all of those years ago.”
“Adrian,” my heart swells from his words. He pulls me closer to him, wrapping his arms around me as I lay my head on his chest. “I love you so much too. What is in the past is in the past for a reason. Let us move on from it and grow together.”
He presses a kiss to the top of my head. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, the scent from his cologne, making me feel at home.
I know that the road ahead of us is long and daunting. I know that the world wishes to see us fail, to see us be ripped apart because fate deemed it so. I wish to defy fate, though, and to forge my own path at Adrian’s side.
With Adrian, I feel invincible. I feel as if I can take on anything in the world and he will be there for me to catch me when I fall just as I will be there for him when he needs a shoulder to cry on. We will be there for each other in a way that we haven't been before. And quite frankly, I can't wait to see what comes next.
