Hidden Identities // H.S

Chapter 73

     I jab my key into the lock, twisting it and pushing the front door open. As soon as I walk inside, my nostrils are hit with the smell of something delicious. The exact aroma I want to smell after coming back from work. I kick off my shoes at the door and hang my keys up.

"You're home!" Harry looks over his shoulder from the kitchen with a grin on his face. "I was starting to worry."

I drag my feet to the kitchen, squinting my eyes. "You know how bad traffic gets at this hour."

He nods in agreement and gives me a sympathetic smile. "Are you alright? You seem- - glum." He quickly walks over to me and places a soft kiss on my temple.

"Glum?" I furrow my eyebrows. I sigh, sitting on one of the stools at the kitchen island, "It was just a bad day today at work and the long traffic made it even worse."

He focuses on the pan on the hot stove but still nods along to my answer. "I'm sorry you feel that way, darling."

He flips over something in the pan and the sizzling sound fills my ears. He turns around and scans my expression.

"Tell you what," He snaps his tongue against the roof of his mouth, "You'll eat the delicious dinner that I have been cooking, and then after your compliments to the chef you can pick out any movie you want to watch and I'll sit through it with you. Even if I hate it."

"With ice cream from the shop a few blocks away?" I ask quietly.

He nods.

I inhale a deep breath and force a smile onto my lips. "Deal."

He smiles back and claps his hands together. "Deal."  He turns back around to the stove.

"We're watching the notebook." I smile, knowing how much he despises that movie. "And wipe that look off your face, I can already picture it."

"It just takes so long to get to the point just for them-"

"No complaints." I remind him. "What are you making? I smell chicken."

He steps away from the stove and starts to grab plates from the cabinet. "I kind of forgot to order the steaks I was planning on making, so I'm making my specialty: grilled chicken. I've also made mashed potatoes and there's corn from a can."

"Oh come on! We had your grilled chicken like three nights ago. Start getting more creative." I whine dramatically with a smile on my face.

He turns around with a smug look. "And what about your Chicken Caesar salad you always make? I never said anything when you made it two turns in a row, Matthews."

I narrow my eyes at him, "You love my Chicken Caesar salad."

He walks across to the island, leaning against his elbows as he gets to my eye level. "No, I love you and make myself enjoy everything you cook for us." He taps the tip of my nose with his finger.

"You love me?" I tilt my head to the side, making sure I heard him correctly.

He laughs again, taking my left hand and bringing it to my face. "I wouldn't have given you this if I didn't."

I furrow my eyebrows at him, my eyes slowly trailing down to my hand.

A diamond ring on my ring finger. It's an oval diamond with a gold band.

I bring my shaking hand closer to my face and stare at the ring like it's a foreign item. My mouth has gone dry and I am at a loss for words.  "When- - When did you propose?"