The Wrong Groom | 2gether X Tale of a Thousand Stars AU

Chapter 05

Tine's POV

"Aaah...this is the life" I said, crossing my hands behind my head as I leaned luxuriously on my seat, pushing it back to stretch my legs.

I closed my eyes as the cold mountain wind brushed my face and sunlight warmed it at the same time as we drove back up to the village.

Pear smiled sweetly at me from the driver's seat. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. I thought you would be uncomfortable slumming it with us poor folk."

"Princess, anywhere is heaven with you next to me."

"Do you mind? I'm doubled up here like a jack-knife" whined Santiago from the backseat.

"Who told you to sit behind me? Just scooch over to the other side" I shot back.

"I would have, but you insisted on buying the world's largest crate of durians and placing them on the seat behind Pear. The whole car smells like rotten fruit now and I can't even move it, it's wedged so tight" he grumbled.

It was true. I may have gone a little overboard with my durian purchase.

"Not my fault it didn't fit in the boot. You should have told me when we were buying it" I threw back at him.

"You're kidding me right? I went to pee for like ten seconds and I came back to an empty wallet and a thousand tonnes of durian sitting on the road. Who buys this much fruit off the back of a truck?"

"As my kidnapper, it is your duty to ensure that all my demands are met"

"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?"

Pear laughed. "You guys are cute together."

"Ewww" we both said together.

I chanced a look at him in the side mirror.

He was tiresome, but I couldn't deny he was a sight to behold as he gazed out of the open window wearing sunglasses, his soft hair billowing in the wind, his handsome face pulled into a frown, cheeks and nose pink from the cold, his plump lips pouting in annoyance.

We spent the rest of the way home bickering, with Stephen kicking my seat like a pesky child.

We finally reached home and struggled to bring the crate out of the car and into a shed at the back of the house.

"I'm going to have a shower. I need to wash this durian smell off me" said Stanley and stalked off to his room.

Pear and I made coffee for ourselves and settled on the couch.

"Tine, I wanted to ask you something" said Pear softly, looking embarrassed.

"You don't have to be shy around me" I replied, booping her nose lightly.

"Can you show me the Angel's Teardrop? It's a legendary gem and I may never have the chance to see it up close again."

"Sure. Let me get it" I said and went to fetch it from my tux jacket that I had hung up carefully in the guest bedroom closet.

I brought the box out to the living room.

"Here you go, Princess" I said, presenting it to her on my open palm.

Pear's phone chimed in my hand. I unlocked it to look at Tian's DM.

"Ring GPS'd. DO NOT repeat DO NOT open the box!!!"

Too late.

"Wow, it's beautiful" said Pear in a hushed voice. A beam of sunlight from the window fell on the diamond and filled the room with sparkles.