Chapter 39: Chapter 39

Author’s POV

“Are you really not going to talk to me?” Chase asked for the n’th time now.

But Cara didn’t answer him and kept looking outside the window of the car, ignoring him completely.

“Cara please… I am sorry for being late” he said glancing in her direction. His one hand was grabbing the steering wheel of his car, as he drove. His other hand reached to take one of her hand in his.

“Cara… I promise I won’t be late next time. No, no, I won’t be late ever again” he requested again but she didn’t budge.

He sighed. “If you are angry with me then take your anger out on me, scold me if you want for keeping you waiting. I will take it. But why are you ignoring me, huh?” he asked now sounding sad as he gave her hand a slight squeeze to get her attention.

Finally she turned her head around to glare at him. “So that you know how it feels to be ignored, again and again” she replied with an edge to her tone and Chase knew that he f**ked up.

He sighed again. “That is because, I was really busy today. I had so much work, I couldn’t answer your call or check your texts” he explained while keeping his eyes focused on the road ahead.

“Oh really?” She said sarcastically with a fake smile which instantly disappeared from her face replacing it with a scowl.

“You are always busy Chase but you never ignore my call, at least not for whole damn day. You didn’t even call back like you always do after missing my calls” she reminded him and he knows it’s truth. This is probably the only day in past five years that he went on for the whole day, without talking with her.

He doesn’t know what excuses to make anymore. So he did the only thing that came to his mind. He knew it won’t make much of a difference, but he still went with it, “I am sorry Cara”.

She just scoffed and once again turned her head away from him and went back to look outside the car window.

She didn’t pull her hand out of his hold, though and Chase knew that she will calm down after a while and forgive him for everything he did today.

He drove for a while before stopping the car. Cara was so busy in reminding herself that she is angry with him in order to stop herself from throwing herself on to him and kiss him, That she didn’t even pay attention to for how long he was driving or to where he was driving.

But can you blame her for it? Even if she is angry with him, her eyes are still open and she can see her dashing boyfriend sitting beside her, driving the car using one hand, looking like some Greek god.

He was looking so good in his oversized black shirt and blue denim jeans. ‘He really rocks these oversized shirts’ the thought made her face heat up with blush.

She never thought that it was possible for Chase to become more handsome than he was five years ago.

But the man proved her so wrong. His features have turned more sharp and firm. His body also has become more masculine and sturdier.

God, she would be lying if she said she doesn’t get jealous and feel possessive over him when girls turn around to take a double look at him.

She came out of her thoughts when Chase opened the car door for her and extended his hand for her to take.

‘When did he stopped the car and came out to open the door for me?’ she wondered as she put her hand in his and got out.

“Where…” she started asking why he stopped the car before reaching their house but her words died in her throat as she realised where is she right now.

Her eyes widened as she looked around at her surrounding. A small smile started tugging at the corner of her lips and her heart started pounding in her chest because of the warmth that seeped through it.

This was the same place where Chase brought Cara on their first ever date. They were at the same lakeside where he kissed her for the first time.

She turned around to look at Chase and right at that moment the whole place lightened up with golden lights, hanging on the trees around Lake. She saw him standing there with same kind of bouquet of red roses that he gives her every year, as his face adorned a very charming smile.

“Happy anniversary Cara” he whispered and she couldn’t help the smile.

“You remembered” she whispered and his smile widened.

Yes, he did. Just as he said in the past, how can he forgot the most important day in his life.

For this sixth year anniversary of theirs, he wanted to do something special for her, which he has planned thoroughly.

He left the house early in the morning to prepare everything for this special night. Even when he told Cara that he won’t be able to make it on time for dinner, he was busy in checking if everything is ready or not.

He has a big surprise planned for her and for that especially he has brought her here, at this place. As this place has the memories of where all of it started, memories of their first kiss.

So he wanted their next special memory to be here as well.

Chase forwarded the bouquet towards her but instead of taking it in her hands, she folded her arms over her chest.

“I am not accepting it” she said looking away from him. She didn’t want to forgive him so easily.

“But why? Aren’t these your favourite?” he asked tilting his head a little to take a better look at her face.

She turned even more so that he can’t see her face and replied, “Those flowers are. But you are not my favourite person anymore” she said with a pout.

He chuckled at her cuteness and reached to take her chin in his hand and turned her face around so that she could stare right into his eyes.

“Oh god, this much cuteness. What am I going to do with all this cuteness, huh?” he teased.

She gave a slight push to his chest and pulled her face out of his grip, “Don’t talk to me. I am still angry at you for ignoring me for whole day. And for not wishing me earlier”.

He knew she was angry but still he couldn’t help the smile that was creeping up on his lips.

He put the bouquet of flowers on top of his car and grabbed her face in between his palms, pulling her face closer. Cara’s breath hitched at his sudden action. Their faces were just few inches away.

His minty breath which was fanning her face was causing goosebumps to appear on her skin. And she completely forgot that just a minute ago she was angry with him, that she should be pushing him away from herself. But those gray orbs, it was as if they were pinning her to her place.

“About ignoring your calls and texts, I am sorry. But I had a surprise planned for you and I felt like I won’t be able to keep my mouth shut and will spoil my own surprise by blabbering all about it in front of you. That is why I was deliberately ignoring your calls and texts” he explained.

“It still doesn’t convince me” she said.

“Probably what I am going to do next will do the work” he said as he left her face.

Now, she was curious.

“What are you going to do?” she asked with raised brow.

Now this was Chase’s turn to fold his arms over his chest.

“I wanted to tell you but it looks like you are not as much interested. You are busy in playing hard to get, aren’t you? That means you don’t want to hear what I have to tell you” Chase said faking the disappointment and turned on his heels as he started walking towards the lake.

“When did I?” Cara said faking innocence. She walked after him, following right behind him. “I am not playing hard to get. And I am really very interested in hearing whatever you are planning to do. So tell me what is it?” she asked sounding all excited. Her anger long forgotten.

Chase stopped near the shore of Lake but didn’t turn around to look at her.

“Chase tell me, what is it?” she asked again.

He turned around to look at her. “Well, I guess I forgot what I was about to do”.

Cara’s smile fell and she narrowed her eyes at him. “You are just trying to tease me, aren’t you? You are lying about that planning or whatever” she said again folding her arms around herself.

“But I am not lying” he almost sang the words.

“And I don’t trust you” she replied in a same way and turned on her heels to walk away from him.

She could only take few steps when he called her name, “Cara”. At first she wasn’t planning on looking back but the emotions his voice held when he uttered that single word, didn’t let her follow along her plan and she turned around to look at him.

Her eyes widened as she felt her heart skip a beat before it started beating at an abnormal speed when she saw him standing there with a very beautiful ring in his hand.

She lifted her lashes to let her wide eyes meet his gray ones which were swirling with so many emotions.

“Chase…” his name escaped her lips in a breathy whisper but right now she was not in a state to speak anything.

Cara saw him swallowing hard before speaking and she knew he was nervous.

“So, I won’t beat around the bush Cara. You know I am not good at that. Neither I know how to say sweet or touching words like in those movies and novels” he paused and took a step closer to her, stopping right in front of her.

Cara gulped as she kept staring into his eyes. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest that she felt like it would pop out of her chest anytime.

“All I know is that I can’t live my life without you. Even the thought of you not being there with me shakes me to my core. It terrifies me. It feels like I won’t even be able to breathe if you are not around me”.

“This is how I feel. Do you feel the same way as I do?” he asked as he swallowed again.

Cara was so overwhelmed at the moment. Every single word he spoke just now, swirled thousands of emotions in her. She was fighting to keep her tears at the bay. But still she managed to whisper in a voice barely audible, “Yes…”.

“Would you like to spend the rest of your life with me?” he asked again. The amount of emotions each and every word of his held was causing thousands of butterflies to erupt in her belly.

“Yes…” she whispered again nodding her head, as her own emotions were on the surface.

He took another step towards her, closing all the space between them. Cara had to lift her chin to keep her eyes locked with his.

He let out a shaky breath before asking the next question with his heart hammering against his ribcage.

“Cara, will you marry me?”

The tears which she was trying to hold back for so long, escaped her eye and rolled down on her cheek as she gulped the lump in her throat.

A breathtaking smile appeared on her trembling lips as she gave him the answer he was waiting for.

“Yes… I will”.

The same kind of smile broke on to his lips as well and to his surprise, tears started stinging the back of his eyes.

He took her hand in his and slipped the diamond ring on her ring finger, causing a sob to escape her lips. She lifted her other hand to cover her mouth when he brought her hand towards his mouth and pressed a soft kiss on top of the ring he just made her wear.

“Chase…” she wanted to tell him how happy she is at the moment but her words were cut off when a loud noise echoed in the silent surrounding, followed by the sky brightening with lights.

It was the fire crackers show Chase prepared for her because he knows she loves it.

Her smile widened even more if it was even possible, as she lifted her head up to look at the brightened night sky.

While his eyes were fixed on her beautiful face. He stared at her face for a moment and even before he knew the words escaped his mouth, making her snap her head in his direction to stare into his eyes.

She was not sure if she heard him right or she was just imagining things. But her doubt was confirmed when he repeated his words while keeping his gaze locked with hers.

“I love you Cara”.

Cara’s breath hitched hearing him. The way her heartbeat increased to an abnormal speed, she was not sure if it was even possible for a heart to beat at this speed like this.

“I know you said that between us, there is no need to say these words out loud. As we both know how we feel for one another” he paused to wrap his arms around her waist and pulled her into himself. Her palms were resting over his shoulders.

He heard her talking with her friends when he entered into the restaurant earlier. And if he is being honest, even he feels the same way as her.

But just now when he was watching her look up at the fireworks in the sky, the words automatically escaped his mouth, as if his heart pushed those words up his throat.

And he won’t deny that saying these three words out loud is making him feel a different kind of emotion that is hard to describe in words.

So he pushed all of his thoughts away and continued what he was saying,

“As you said words are not necessary to express how you truly feel. But… I still want to tell you that… I love you”.

Another sob left Cara’s lips. Her own emotions were overwhelming her and whatever Chase was doing tonight, right at this moment was not helping her state.

But she took in a deep breath to calm herself before she whispered, “I love you too, Chase”.

His lips curved up in a small smile and without wasting a single moment, he leaned forward to press his lips against hers, sealing the bond of their love together.