If We Ever Meet Again

1. The Proposal

Xeria's P.O.V

BEEP! BEEP!

"Hmm, five more minutes."

"BEEP! BEEP!"

"Stupid alarm clock!" I squirm in my bed, thinking of sleeping for five more minutes.

Morning sleep is always the best. Five more minutes, and then I will wake up.

"Woof!"

I reluctantly open my eyes to find my dog licking my face.

"What is it, potato?" "Go on a walk by yourself; you are smart enough," I whine, turning to the other side and pushing the duvet over my face.

But he wouldn't go down without a fight; he retorts to pull the duvet down from my face.

"Potato," I whimper in a failed attempt to continue my peaceful morning sleep, but this is Potato we're talking about; he won't budge until he gets what he wants.

My smart pet jumps over me.

"Wow, that's not fair." I shout, shooting up, to see him playfully wagging his furry tail.

"Good morning, you won," and I can see that "you lost again, human," in his gaze.

I push the duvet aside and step out of bed. I see the picture of my parents on the nightstand, and a smile spreads on my face.

"Go, get your leash; I will be down in a moment." I order, patting my fluffball golden retriever, whom I named Potato, and he storms out of the room.

Stepping inside the bathroom, I begin my morning routine. Putting the toothpaste on the brush, I see myself in the mirror: big green eyes, like emerald, courtesy of my mother, and shiny black hair, like my father.

I really don't understand how people do such long skin care routines. I mean, it's a good thing, but how? I tried once, but I got so tired that I gave up on it a long time ago.

After brushing my teeth, I step downstairs. My parents are fast asleep, of course; it's 6 in the morning.

The reason why I wake up so early-forget it.

Potato is all-ready with his leash; I clip it on him, and then we run out of the house to give my fluffball his morning walk.

Everything is the same in the park where we usually come for our morning walks.

Potato has some friends here. I unclip the leash, and he rushes off to play with his friends-a German Shephard, a Husky, and a Samoyed-all the fluff balls assembled together, but they are real menaces, extremely extroverted creatures.

Well, I don't like exercising, so I sit silently on the side bench and watch them play.

"Hi Xeria!" I hear someone call out for me, and I see Ivan running towards me from a distance.

"Hi Ivan, good morning." I greet him, standing up from the bench, only to be towered over by the 6-foot-tall titan.

I'm 5'6 and a slim-figured person.

Why do all these guys nowadays look like Greek gods? Ivan is 6 feet tall with a handsome chiseled face, brown eyes, and dirty blonde hair.

"How has been the internship going?" He asks me, pulling his hair back and flexing his biceps.

"Well, I have a hold on almost everything; I think I will be taking over soon." I reply, pouring water for Potato, who comes my way, seeing it.

My parents own a hotel chain; both of them started it on their own during their college days.

My grandparents helped them with their resources and with my parents brains, the business boosted.

I have been helping them and learning things since I was in school so that when the time comes, I will be easily able to succeed them.

"Good for you; I think it's still a long time before I get a hold of things," he laughs, and his phone begins to ring.

"I have to take this; I will see you around Xeria," he says, walking away.

"He is as weird as ever," I chuckle, stroking Potato's fur.

Ivan's parents and my parents are friends, and we live in the same neighborhood.

As far as my memory goes, we used to compete with each other all the time.

As time went by and we became more mature, we left our petty rivalries and started as friends again.

"Come on, potato, it's time to go back." I clip his leash, and we walk back home.

"Mom, we're back!" I exclaim, opening the main door.

I walk to the kitchen to get some water and find my parents lovingly making breakfast.

It's a routine; once a day, it can be either breakfast or dinner. During the day, they're always busy with work.

"Hi guys," clearing my throat, I greet them, "You two are back," my mom says, setting the dishes.

"Come help us set the table," my dad says, picking up the plates.

After the table was set for breakfast, mom and dad pulled up the chairs and sit next to each other.

"I am thinking of visiting the hotel today," I say, pulling the chair back to catch my parents' attention, and I see Potato curling under the glass table, so that I can see him and he can see me eating my breakfast.

"Potato, go eat your dog food." I smile, pouring some juice, and Potato showed me his perfect puppy eyes in response.

Seeing me give no response to his puppy eyes, he goes to dad, whom he loves more than me, I guess.

"I said that I was going to the hotel today." I repeat my words again, and Mom looked at me.

What's up with them?

"You said something, honey." Dad asks me, and my suspicions were confirmed.

"What are you people conspiring against again?" I ask them, quirking my eyebrow, and mom laughs awkwardly, and here it is: whenever they try to hide something from me, they behave this way.

No, they don't want to hide things; they behave this way so that I can catch their hints and inquire about the real question myself. Smart people.

"Tell me what it is," I insist, and they look at each other and then back at me, nodding their heads.

"A marriage proposal has come for you, honey," my dad answers, and mom gives me a pearly smile.

I look at them and shake my head. "Come again?" I ask them, tapping my ears.

I must have misheard a business proposal for a marriage proposal.

"Yes, you have heard it right; it's a marriage proposal, not a business proposal," my mom clarifies my beautiful misunderstanding.

No words came out of my mouth; they might as well start playing dramatic background music now and say we're just joking, dear, because if they aren't, then I'm refreshing my memory.

Oh, this is a dream; I woke up early today, so I'm hallucinating, but then I see Potato, who is giving me a smug look from across the table, and this isn't a dream. It's confirmed.

A/n:

Please don't be a silent reader. I love hearing from you, lovelies, so please don't hesitate to vote and comment^-^!!

The title of this book comes from my first book, THE THRONE, as do the characters.

"If we ever meet again," was said by Khaos in his letter to Xeria.

This book can be read as stand-alone.