Page 24 of Eternal

I nod my head, looking away from his intense gaze. "Thank you." I offer him a small smile, hoping that will be enough for him for right now.

He mimics my actions before pulling away from me entirely. "How about we order that pizza, and maybe watch a movie tonight? I have to head back to Miami in a few hours, so we, unfortunately, don't have much time together."

"You can't make this a longer trip?" I pout.

"No, my darling. I'm sorry. Work needs me tonight," He says as he examines the takeout menu on his phone. "How does pepperoni sound?"

The pizza finally arrives, and we start a show. Soren and I quietly eat dinner, eyes glued to the TV.

“Freya, I have one more thing.” He stands kneeling on one knee. He reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out a velvet box.

I gasp, my hand covering my mouth. I sit up straighter and examine Soren’s face. He looks concerned, but there’s a glimmer of happiness in his eyes.

“I know our relationship has been anything but conventional. It would be improper of me to not give you a ring if we are getting married. I might not be able to promise you everything you’ve dreamt about, but I’m willing to try for that happiness. I promise to keep you safe and always offer a shoulder to cry on. Someone you can depend on always.”

He flicks open the velvety box to reveal a beautiful engagement ring. It has a square stone in the middle, flipped on it's side to look like a diamond, with marquise accents surrounding it vertically, altogether looking like an oversized diamond. It is massive but so breathtaking. Still speechless, I produced my left hand for him to place the ring on.

“I hope you like it. I had it custom designed,” He murmurs as he places the ring on my finger.

I remain stunned, staring at my hand, trying to decide if this is real. I launch myself at Soren, and he topples over onto the floor as I press kisses to his face holding him close to me.

“It’s so beautiful, Soren. I can’t believe you went through all the trouble for it. It’s just perfect.” I giggle, smiling in ignorant bliss.

He wraps his arms around my waist as I straddle his legs, “You are so welcome, my darling. I’m just glad you like it. I was quite nervous about the design.”

I kiss him again, sealing my thank you to his mouth.

Chapter ten

Soren

Openingthedoortomy apartment, Robin stands from the seat she was in at the kitchen island.

“Sir?” Her voice is small.

My eyes flicker to her, “What happened now?” I stop in my tracks. I’m exhausted. It’s been a long day, and I just got back from Seattle. The only thing I could think of the entire flight back was Freya. Her laughter, her smile, her kindness. I already miss her.

“Nothing bad, I just wanted to drop off these things. Abe and Serena have extra security now, here is the chip for their cameras.” She holds out a small chip, a technology my company manufactures to allow easier access into people’s cameras. “There’s also new security detail at every entrance of the building, they won’t be noticed by anyone. I’ve also taken the liberty to assign a team to Luca to watch his every move. The best ones we have.”

I nod. “Good. Thank you. Anything else.”

"No sir." She gives a curt nod, and walks out of my apartment, locking the door behind her.

I loosen the tie around my neck, as I pour myself a drink, and make my way to my computers. I need to make sure everything is working, I have to ensure nothing happens to either of them. As I sit, I pull my phone out, texting Freya.

I’ve made it home. It was good to see you again. I’ll see you again in a month.

A response comes through almost immediately.

You won’t talk to me during that time either? Such a shame.

I grin at her text, she wants to keep talking to me.

Shouldn’t you be asleep right now?

It takes a moment for her to respond.

I didn’t want to go back into those dreams, so I’m awake.

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