SWNOVELS Chapter CHAPTER 23
Alina has been back in our lives for two days now and I couldn’t be happier! It is now Christmas Eve, and we are hosting a festive party at my parents’ house. Currently, it appears as though the entire town has come to visit. Holiday music filters throughout most of the house. Food is in abundance as well as beverages, both kid friendly and not kid friendly. I look around for Devon, because I want to have Alina present for his return. Neither Alina nor Ella knows that the other is here or coming.
I see Alina sitting on the three cushioned couch and my mouth falls open a bit! She is sitting next to Jessica, and they are actually smiling and laughing about something. Color me shocked, I stare at them in amusement. It’s funny how fate works out sometimes. I see Vince on the other side of Jessica, so instead of forcing them all to scoot down and be mushed together, I perch myself on the arm of the couch next to Ali.
Ali drapes her left arm over my leg, and I can’t help but question how I could be so lucky to be a part of her life. As she looks up to me, giving me a most beautiful, radiant smile, I feel the urge to run my hand a long her sweater of pink and grey argyle material. Taking her arm, I slide my hand into hers and standing, I tug her up from the couch. She laughs as I do this and then I steal her seat and pull her down onto my lap. It has been hard to keep my hands away from her, from touching her because I still can’t believe she is of flesh and blood.
“You know, I was perfectly happy sitting down where I was.” Alina leans into me and tilts her head to meet my gaze before she slides her hands up my chest to wrap them around the back of my neck.
I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her even closer to me so that I can kiss her beautiful plump lips. Just then, my phone begins to chirp. She raises her eyebrow at me, questioning me as to who could possibly be texting me when everyone I know is in this house. “Dev had to run an errand. He texted me to let me know he has returned and will need a hand with opening the door.” A sly grin crosses my lips as I see her continue to stare at me questioningly.
“What are you up to Mr.?” A flash of untrusting concern flitters across her eyes as my grin turns mischievous, devious even.
“Oh, you’ll see.” I say as I stand once more. I take her hand and tug her to follow me. We walked over to the front door where I opened it, just as Devon was about to open it from the outside. Dev tugs the hand of the person that was standing behind him, to position the person in front of him, just as I do the same with Ali.
“ALI?”
“ELLA?”
Oh, Goddess! After their initial shock of seeing each other, both girls begin to squeal and jump up and down before finally slamming into each other in a hug of grand proportion!
“What th-? How the-? Oh my God, I’ve missed you so much Al!!! How are you standing in front of me right now?”
“Oh, just a little bit of magic, is all.” Alina states winking at her at the same time and then once again, they squeal and giggle before Alina adds; “Oh, I’ve missed you so much Ella! I’m so happy you’re here!”
“Oh my, Ella. I didn’t know you were coming to visit.” Lisa says in surprise as she comes up to our group. A smile crosses her face as she looks at Devon and me and happiness twinkles in her eyes for Dev and I finding our own happiness with the two beautiful ladies standing beside us.
“Mom.” Devon exclaimed, heaving an overly dramatic sigh and rolling his eyes, embarrassed. Everyone in the group laughs at him before mom continues speaking. “Well, I guess we will have to rearrange everyone for sleeping tonight.”
I think all of us rolled our eyes at her as she says this. “Mom, Ella can have my room. Grandma gave me the keys to her house, so Ali and I will stay over there. Well, after I give her my Christmas present that is.”
“Oh my gosh, I completely forgot about your Christmas present, Nic! Believe me, I don’t know how I did, but I did. Would you like me to gather everyone into the living room dear?” Mom has the biggest smile upon her face and for a brief moment, I fear she has given my plan away on how I want to give Ali her gift.
I swear the grin on my face is astronomical as I glance at Ali’s face. Alina looks at me with wide eyes as Ella and Dev are ushered past her by mom. Mom goes throughout the house telling everyone to join us in the living room. Nervousness washes over me for the briefest of seconds and then I grab Ali by the hand and lead her over to the huge, grand Christmas tree that was placed strategically in the far corner of the living room.
“What are you doing?” Ali asked as I handed her a wrapped box the size of a book. I had gone to my knees to pick the box up from under the tree, but I stayed on them as I looked up to her and urged her to open her present.
She smiles at me and then slowly begins to open the package. As she pulls a smaller box out of the other one, I reposition myself so that I am kneeling on just one knee. Ali hasn’t noticed my movements yet because her gaze is focused completely on the smaller box she has removed. “Open it,” I whisper for just her to hear. She looks at me with wide eyes and then back to the small black, velvet box in her hand. Her hands start to shake as she cracks the box open and sees the very large moonstone and diamond ring sitting inside it. Shock is written all over her face and I smile as she looks back and forth between me and the ring.
The entire crowd becomes deathly quiet in anticipation of what Alina’s answer will be. “I have never met anyone like you before Alina. I knew the first time I laid eyes on you, outside of the training center, at the Black Sun Academy, that you were going to flip my world upside down! I didn’t know then though, that we truly were meant for each other and that I had found my soul mate. I know we are both young, and I’m sure you’ll want to finish school before we do so; but I lost you once and never want to lose you again. I literally love you more than life itself. Will you marry me, Ali?”
Tears of joy, (I think) begin flowing from her eyes as she continues to look back and forth at me and the ring, like she can’t believe I am asking her. I stand up and take the box from her, so I can pull the ring out. “So, what do you say?”
The anticipation for her answer has me nearly going crazy. It seems as though she is too choked-up to speak because, even though her mouth is open, no sound comes out. I grin at her and her adorableness. Ali nods her head up and down and I slip the ring on her ring finger.
“Yes,” she manages to squeak out and then louder for everyone to hear; “yes, YES!” She finally manages to say. I place both my hands on the side of her face, drawing her to me, so I can kiss her. Cheers sound all around us in jubilant outbursts. Like a wave, everyone has converged upon us to wish us congratulations and what not.
A couple hours later, everyone slowly starts to leave until finally, it’s just mom, dad, Dev, Ella, Ali and me. It’s weird to go from so much noise to silence in a matter of seconds as we are all nearly lethargic while we lounge in the living room. I have Ali curled up against my chest as I have my left arm draped around her shoulders, running my fingers lightly up and down her bicep. Mom and dad sit across from us on the loveseat. “Alina, I was just curious as to whether you know what you’re getting yourself into if you join this family?” My father says with the biggest, widest grin ever.
“Dad,” I groan but both Ella and Alina laugh heartily at his question.
“Alina,” mom chimes in. “Did Dominic tell you anything about your engagement ring?”
Ali shakes her head no and then I add; “I haven’t really had a chance to tell her about the ring, I really haven’t had her to myself since lunch time today.”
“What’s so special about the ring?” Alina arches an eyebrow, curiosity is written all over her face and lights up her eyes, causing the green gems to sparkle as she leans away from me a little to be able to look into my eyes.
Mom, dad, Devon and I all say at once; “it was Grandma Jean’s wedding ring.”
“What? Really? This means even more to me than it already did!” She gushes as she jumps up from her place next to me, as she stands, I realize she was moving so that she could sit on my lap and kiss me. When we break from the passionate moment, she wiggles into the crook of my arm and chest, resting her head against my chest.
“I love you so much,” I whisper for just her to hear. I can feel her smile against me.
Alina pulls from my grasp once more as a sudden thought hits her. She holds her hand to her heart, her right hand clasped over the other and makes her way to mom and Ella. It looks like water works are going to start again and I sigh with a smile. Mom, Ella and Ali all huddled together, arms wrapped around one another as they all squeak, squeal and cry while dad, Dev and I all sit awkwardly watching them do so. Well, maybe not awkwardly since us three are all sharing the same dorky grin as we look back and forth from the girls to each other.
*
I look around the room, taking in everyone’s appearance before my eyes fall upon Nic’s. The love of my life, my soul mate! His silky-smooth black hair as it shimmers under the holiday lights, giving it an iridescent appearance is falling into his eyes as usual, he, brushing it aside with his hands, to no effect. His beautiful blue eyes as they shine with love and adoration for me. I sigh, very content, and happy with my current surroundings.
I look at them all, watching them, as they, as one family share the news that the ring, I am wearing was Grandma Jeans’. It takes but a second for this news to sink in, before causing me to become a puddle of emotions. Thankfully Mrs. Salvino and Ella gather around me just now or I may have collapsed onto the floor in a pile of emotional overload! I gaze into Lisa’s warm brown eyes, so much like her mother’s, I love them both so much. “Are you sure Jean would want me to have this?” I ask as I keep my eyes locked on hers.
Lisa hugs me close to her and leaning next to my ear, says; “Jean gave the ring to Dom and told him that if he didn’t ask you to marry him, she would come back and haunt him for the rest of his life! So, I know for a fact she wanted you to have the ring.” I can’t help but laugh out loud at this. I am soooo going to mess with Nic. His grandma had to threaten to haunt him for him to ask me to marry him! Don’t get me wrong, I know both Jean and Lisa are joking but it will still be fun to give him crap over it.
I don’t realize how tired I am until a yawn escapes my lips. Looking over at Nic, I see him nod before he says, “you ready to go, Alina?” I nod my head that I am, and then he stands, stretching his hand out towards mine. Together we turn back to everyone, just before Dominic opens the front door and we say our goodnights. We walked out to the driveway, and I climbed into his Jeep. After he’s situated in the driver’s seat, he starts the engine then backs out of the driveway. The drive to Jean’s house isn’t a long one and before I know it, he has thrown the vehicle into park and then looks over at me as I sit in the passenger seat. “Are you truly happy, Alina?”
Words cannot describe the happiness coursing through me so instead of answering him with words, I lean over the center council and kiss his soft warm lips. Pulling back from him, I look into his eyes and smile. A cheeky grin crosses his face, and he nods in turn before winking at me. I didn’t know how much I missed him until just then. I think my legs turned to liquid because I sure as heck can’t move. Did I mention I’m a sucker for his wink?
As we make our way up to the front door, Nic fiddles with his keys until he has sorted out Jean’s house key. Having unlocked the door, he swung it open but before I could enter, he pulled me to him and scooped me up, cradling me against his chest like a baby. I shriek out, “what are you doing?”
He in turn chuckles before responding. “What? I’m practicing!” I throw my head back in laughter and tell him he is a dork. He just shrugs and carries me across the threshold. Once inside, he places me back on my feet and takes my jacket, putting it in the closet for me. “Are you ready to go to bed, Mrs. Salvino?” The most adorable smile sits upon his lips as he says this to me and I look at him before saying, “where’s Reagan?”
“Seriously? Of all the things to say, you ask me where she is?”
I laugh at him, “well I don’t want to wake her if she’s here and, if she is here then I want to know what room we’ll be sleeping in tonight.”
Nic rolls his eyes at me before saying, “you definitely don’t need to worry about her. She’s staying with Riley tonight. We will take the room she was using because, well, sleeping in grandma’s room would just feel really strange to me, like she’s watching us or something.”
Offering a naughty smile, I ask him, “what would we be doing that you don’t want grandma to see?” Before I knew it, he grabbed me around the waist and started tickling me! “NO! Stop!” I shriek out in between fits of laughter.
A wicked grin takes over his mouth, “let’s go upstairs and I’ll show you!” With that statement made, we both hurry ourselves up to the spare bedroom and shut the door.