ARIEL
"I still have to pack." I say between kisses.
"No." He growls against my lips, kissing me again. I laugh into the kiss.
"Yes, their flight is in 12 hours." I pull away, leaning my head back so he can't reach me. His darkened eyes remain fixed on me.
"Let me come with you." He says, tightening his hold on my hips. That surprises me.
"You have work." I say, half-heartedly. Truth is, I don't want to be away from him so soon after we've just reconciled us.
"I don't care." He husks. "Unless you do not want me to go, there is nothing stopping me from going." He says.
I smile sadly.
"I don't want you to do that." He looks at me in question. "Acting unsure, always asking if I want you with me. I know we've had rough times and I've been so mean to you but I really do love you. You mean so much to me and one of the first reasons I fell for you was that you were so decisive and assertive in a way that didn't make me feel dumb." I explain. "Your decisiveness is what my anxiety needs." I smile.
"You make me feel safe and I am all in from this point forward. You don't have to walk on egg shells or treat me like I am fragile, or like I will run away if you don't do something right." I shrug.
"You're right, I am cautious. Because I have fucked up enough and I fully anticipated you leaving me, because it's what I deserve." His sad eyes make me frown. "I did unspeakable things, not just now, two years ago. I loved you and I still let my anger ruin the best thing that ever happened to me."
"I forgive you. Fully, for everything you did and said. I understand that that's your way of keeping me close and I understand that feeling too well." I smile. "I love you, okay? I just want old Griffin back." I lean up, placing a soft kiss on his lips.
"I love you more, vita mia." He smiles. "I will call your father, we are taking my jet and we can adjust the timing to suit them, I am sure they were only leaving in the middle of the night because of the flight times." He pulls out his phone, typing.
"You don't have to do that." I mumble, hugging his torso.
"I want to." He kisses my head. He gets a phone call so I kiss his jaw and walk away to continue packing. I put my makeup in a bag, then make a bag of toiletries.
Once I'm done with that, I walk over to the dresser and open my jewelry drawer picking out some everyday earrings but the bright glint of my biggest diamond catches my eye.
I look at my ring, taking it out of the drawer to look at it closer. I glance at my empty ring finger with pursed lips then turn to look at Griffin to find him already staring at me, his phone still pressed to his ear.
He looks at the ring then at me again. Our eyes meet and he hangs up, walking towards me. I blink up at him, smiling when he holds out his hand for mine.
I place my hand in his and my breath gets caught when he takes the ring from my hand and slips it on my finger. I look up at him again to see his eyes dark.
"You're mine, this ring being on your finger is a mere obligation. You're mine because you live in here," he places my hand on his chest. I smile at that, tears blur my eyes.
"I know." I lean up, kissing him. Griffin grips my waist, deepening the kiss. I moan into the kiss, squealing when he picks me up, wrapping my thighs around his waist, carrying me to the bed. He drops me on the mattress, climbing on top of me with a smirk.
I start unbuttoning his shirt, pushing it off his massive shoulders.
God I missed this.
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Griffin convinced my parents to take his plane and we were in said plane by the next evening.
"I can't wrap my head around you having your own plane." I comment as we sit next to each other in the massive beige seats.
"Why." He brings up my hand that he was holding and kisses the back of it multiple times. I smile at that.
"I don't know, it's not the most normal thing." I lean my head on his shoulder, he kisses my hair.
"I strive for a little above normal." He jokes smugly.
"Show off." I roll my eyes.
I spend the remaining duration of the flight watching movies and eating my snacks that I brought with me, and the meal that we got on the flight. Griffin spent it working on his laptop, or holding me while I slept.
We landed in Huntington Beach at night and I took Griffin to my apartment while my parents went home.
I open the door to my apartment, letting both of us in. Griffin locks the doors behind us and leads me to the room with a hand on my back.
" 'Mm sleepy." I mumble, dropping onto my bed. I always leave my bed made and the apartment clean when I travel, and right now, I am so glad.
"Sleep then, micetta." His low voice soothes me into a deeper state of sleep. I feel gentle hands taking off my slides and socks, then his large hands rub my aching feet.
"Thankyou." I sigh, falling asleep with his presence surrounding me like a warm blanket.
