Vincent’s engagement
I stared down at my phone screen, and when I put my hand to my chest, I could feel my pounding heartbeat.
I deleted the chat log, grabbed pajamas out of the dresser, and went to the bathroom to take a wash up. Halfway through my shower, the bathroom door suddenly swung open.
I was startled, and I quickly covered my body as I turned around. Vincent was home.
He smiled at me. “Why are you covering yourself? I’ve seen it all before.”
I was a little flustered. “You let the cold air in. Get out.”
“Aww… but I wanna shower with you, babe,” he whined, but of course he didn’t make any move to join me. His eyes lingered on my figure for a moment longer before he closed the door and left.
I hurriedly stepped out of the shower and looked in the mirror. Faint marks still littered my body. They were still obvious, but the bathroom was foggy. Plus, I was still kind of soapy when he came in. He didn’t see anything, right?
I hated myself for not making a habit of locking the bathroom door at home.
When I got back to our bedroom, I felt so guilty that I couldn’t look at him, but he was calm. He even came over to help dry my hair. And when I finally went to bed, he didn’t put his hands on me. All he did was kiss my cheek.
“Come home on time tomorrow night, okay? I’ve been craving your steak.”
I nodded. “Alright. You can go buy the ingredients once you’re off work.”
The next day, I got two text messages. The first was from
Vincent;
Vxncnt: Hey babe where are you?
HeyOlive: heading home
And the second was from Aaron:
Amorris: Don’t go home. Break up with him.
Amorris: Now.
HeyOlive: ?
But Aaron didn’t reply.
I didn’t care. Christmas was approaching, and I was too busy grading papers and finishing my experiments before the holidays. Today, I couldn’t wait to get off the crowded subway. I just wanted to take a hot bath and go straight to bed–I didn’t even have an appetite.
I was a bit flattered to see Vincent waiting for me in the lobby. Was he really that excited for me to cook a steak?
Vincent smiled and took out a blindfold. “I have something to show you, but I need to cover your eyes first.”
I didn’t know what he was playing at, so I cautiously resisted. “Don’t.”
Still, he walked around me and tied the blindfold over my eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll hold you every step of the way!”
So I resigned and let him guide me.
The blindfold was so tight that not even a shred of light could make it through. I felt insecure, and I tried to pull it off several times, but he always stopped me.
So far, it just felt like we were heading to our apartment. We got onto the elevator, but I felt it go up much further than it should’ve. Maybe he knew I was cheating on him. Maybe he was taking me up to the rooftop so he could push me off the building…
Soon, the elevator dinged and I heard the doors slide open. I moved so that I was actively clinging to Vincent’s arm. If he wanted to push me, I’d bring him with me.
We entered the community penthouse on the roof. Inside, he helped me remove my shoes before ushering me in further.
Based on how far I walked in, my best guess was that I was in the middle of the living room.
Then he told me to stay still and wait for him with my arms at my sides.
I moved to lift the blindfold, but he held my hand down again. “Just trust me, babe.”
“What are you trying to do?” I huffed, flustered.
I heard the smile in his voice. “Nothing… Do you remember that cafe at school? The one with your favorite cheesecake? It closed down, but I was able to find the chef that used to work
OF OU
there. I had him make his signature cake for you. Do you want a slice?”
I didn’t know how to describe my shifting feelings. I felt like a weary traveler who’d become calloused after a harsh winter, only for the warm summer air to suddenly wash over me. It was an unexpected kindness.
I didn’t say anything. He was already holding a fork up to my lips.
I turned my head slightly to avoid it. “I don’t-”
He followed my mouth with the piece of cake, then he insisted, “You have the first taste. I’ve been waiting to give this to you for hours.”
I was silent for half a second before I opened my mouth and finally let him feed me.
To be honest, I actually completely forgot about this cheesecake until he reminded me. At this point, I didn’t care much for it. It tasted like a normal cheesecake.
Until I took a second bite.
Then I realized something was wrong.
I frowned and took a hard object out of my mouth while reaching up to remove my blindfold.
It wasn’t too bright inside, so my eyes adjusted quickly.
There were scented candles on the table, pink balloons all over the floor, and a line of people by the sofa with glasses of champagne in their hands. They all wore excited expressions.
Aaron was there too.
He was standing in the middle of the crowd with a flat look that didn’t match everyone else’s happiness. His lips were pursed and his brow was furrowed as he looked at me.
I was holding a diamond ring in my hand.
I froze in place, and the living room speakers suddenly started playing romantic and upbeat music. Vincent took the ring from my hand, stared into my eyes, and got down on one
knee.
“I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time… Ever since I met you, you’ve been a ray of sunshine in my life. You’re always so warm and radiant–you’re beautiful–and I used to worry about not being able to give you the life you deserved. I… I still can’t guarantee that, but I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you and bringing you happiness… Olive, will you marry me?”
I didn’t move. Half of me wanted to laugh. The other half wanted to run away.
Most of the people gathered here were Vincent’s friends. Alex was here too, though he had a conflicted look in his eyes
while he glared at me.
Before I could come back to my senses, Vincent quickly slipped the ring on my finger.
He lowered his head and kissed the ring, which still had a few crumbs of cake sticking to it. Then he looked up and smiled at me. “I love you so much, Olive.”
The crowd cheered and toasted in celebration. Before I could react, Vincent was already kissing me, harder than he ever has
before.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Cheating with my boyfriend's best friend novel (Olivia and Aaron)
Such a lovely story , touching , sweet & i love it ! Really excited to have & read the next chapter & more… please dont stop & ended the story just like this … please !! Thank you so much to the author , you really is a good writer!! Hear from you soon ♥️...