His girl

Chapter 8

Katie's POV

After the movie, we were all famished. We decided to eat dinner together. Since no one had the energy to cook after all that screaming. Well, mainly Stacey and I because we were practically screaming our heads off. We decided to eat dinner in one of the restaurants in the mall. We walked around the mall looking for a place to eat. As we settled down in a restaurant and ate, I subconsciously inched closer to Adrian and before I could even process what I was doing, my hand interlinked with his. The moment our hands interlinked, my cheeks were flushed a deep shade of pink. I just knew it was time to forgive and move forward from that dreadful night. Adrian has been the most supportive boyfriend in these 5 years and it's the first time in these 5 years he has done anything like this. He has never once judged me or hurt me. Even when we argued he never crossed his limits. I can sorta understand why he reacted the way he did. He was hurt and angry that he hadn't known about my situation sooner, and that he couldn't protect me. Most of all he was hurt that I didn't trust him enough to tell him.

I decided that I should reveal the truth to him soon.  The reason I couldn't tell him is that it's an immensely traumatic memory that I'll have to relive to even begin to tell him but I had become cognizant of the fact that I can't keep using my escapist ways to escape all this. It's my past, and I have to learn to acknowledge it instead of pushing it away. I need to gather the courage to tell him. 

After dinner, as I walked with my hand intertwined with Adrian's, I noticed how he had tightened his grip around my hand as if he was scared that I would just disappear if he let go. It dawned on me that he did indeed regret it. While I was battling through the emotional turmoil from last week, so was he. He was drowning in guilt. Whenever our eyes locked onto each other and I cried in front of him, I could see that this was unbearable for him. Seeing me like this struck a chord within him, and his eyes mirrored the pain in my heart. Someone once told me, that it's tremendously difficult to even admit our mistakes and that it's easier to just let ego and pride get in the way than to apologize and comprehend the depth of the pain they caused, even if it was inadvertent. Sometimes when people are angry, they tend to say things they may not have ever said. Anger and hurt can blind people and that tends to happen to the best of us. Adrian was no exception.

I knew that I wanted to be with Adrian. Despite the odds, I still wanted back what we once had. After today, it all seems viable. I can see that we're gradually getting there. Just as I was in a daze, I heard the rest of our group gasping. Curious to know, I  turned in their direction, and the sight knocked me for a loop.

Adrian was down on his knees with a ring in his hand. I had tears of joy cascading down my face but then I realised that the both of us were only 20 years old and we both still needed time. As if he could read my thoughts, he spoke "I'm not proposing, but this, is a promise ring, a promise that I will always be your protector, always be your shoulder to cry on, never hurt you like I did last week, a sealed promise that one day I'll replace that promise ring with an engagement ring and claim you as mine for the rest of my life. Because Katie, I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone but you. You're the woman I wanna marry, have children and grow old with. You made me the man that I am today, and you are the kindest, sweetest, and most gorgeous woman I've ever met. You are so precious, my love. Your kindness, your radiance, your beauty, just the way that you are. I didn't know the true meaning of love until we were in the same class.  The way you were helping out that girl in our class, then the grandma you helped cross the street, supporting and caring for everyone around you and always being the listening ear when you see someone looking despondent even if they were strangers or not close to you, even if they bullied you. You taught me how to love someone unconditionally, and I can't even begin to express my love for you in words because I'll always fall short.", he confessed heartedly. His heartfelt declaration tugged at my heartstrings, I knelt at Adrian's level and embraced him tightly. He held me tighter than ever before and slid the promise ring on my ring finger. we heard our whole group going "awww". Stacey even had tears rolling down her cheeks.

We both stood up still wrapped in each other's embrace. Adrian engulfed me with his tall figure and my body fit perfectly in his arms as if it was meant to be right there, in his arms. In his embrace, it was like all the pain, all the anguish just melted away, replaced by a sense of comfort and security. That's when I knew, I had my Adrian back. Adrian then pulled away slightly, wiped my tears, and pulled me into a soft but passionate kiss. Our lips moved in sync, our bodies pressed together, and he pulled me impossibly closer. Even air couldn't pass. I had missed his kisses this whole week and this long and sweet kiss made up for it all. All of a sudden, we hear Emma saying " Ewww, you two, I don't need to see my brother making out with his girlfriend for 5 minutes straight. Get a room."

We pulled away and chuckled, and my cheeks were flushed at the mention of making out for 5 minutes. The concept of time never existed when it was just the two of us. How embarrassing!! I hid my face in Adrian's chest, blushing profusely, while he chuckled along with the rest. 

I was eternally grateful for my best friends and my boyfriend, they are my strongest pillars of support. I can't contemplate a life without this group of people.