Chapter 78

"Oh thank God!" Elizabeth exclaimed when she realized Mary Kate and I have made up. Ashley's eyes goes up from her phone and brightens too as her lips grows into a wide smile. A smile form on my lips as I glanced at Mary Kate tucked under my arm. She's back to herself. The Mary Kate I know who is intimidating and secure as a person as you know, confidence is flaring up. Maybe I went too far on this thing, but that doesn't matter now right, since we've already settled things.

"Yea, well I couldn't take the begging." I say and her eyes snapped at me before nudging me a little squinting her eyes.

"Don't push it." She warns and I chuckled. Elizabeth goes to my side and gives me a kiss, her smile is like sunshine on a nice quiet morning, so gentle and she whispers the words 'Thank you' very dearly and that simple thing touched my heart. Maybe I've done something right this time and I'm so glad it made her happy.

"Now I see everything seems well now." My mom's voice echoes in the room catching all of our attention. She smiles at me, the kind of smile that says I just did a wonderful thing and says. "Lunch is ready."

Ashley comes in with my wheelchair in her hands. Mary Kate and Elizabeth helps me settled down on it, making sure I was comfortable while Ashley takes my crutches from me before we made our way to the dining area, where we eat only on special occasions and even this isn't quite what that is, we have visitors and a longer dining table that will accommodate us all sits in the middle of the room.

"You do really have a nice home Deb." Ashley smiles after we say our graces and starts helping ourselves with some grilled asparagus, mashed potatoes, my dad's famous steak, home made casserole, and for desert cheesecake from scratch. I barely have this on a daily basis and for the first time in three fucking days, I felt hungry.

"Well, thank you." My mom says sweetly. "I'm glad you could visit, really. I've heard so much about you two. We didn't really had the time and it wasn't the perfect moment back in LA and this is the only time we really have to get to do this.You know." I glanced up to my Mom and saw something in her smile as she takes a glance at me then to Elizabeth and waggles her brows to the twins so my eyes snap to the both of them and saw their eyes wide and Ashley's world might've stopped for a second before glancing at Elizabeth's hands then to me. My heart starts beating fast at that.

"Wh- Have you met already?" I say all of the sudden.

"Yes, back at your house. When we were looking for you." Dad said and I nod.

"By the way, Lizzie, your home is exquisite." Her giggle made a smile automatically appeared on my face as I take a bite of my food and so I looked at her and saw a smile while her and my mom have this conversation of how did she came up with the interior design of it and while they were too busy talking, Ashley and Mary Kate catches my attention gesturing if I had proposed yet or not and I slowly shake my head. They released a sigh of relief and I don't know if I should be offended by that or what. I think they want to be a part of it still.

To be honest, I've been thinking about it, lately. I don't need a grand proposal, maybe you think she deserves that kind of thing because of how her lifestyle is but, to me, she's just this simple, kind, gentle woman who would rather go on picnics with me rather than some extravagant parties, who would go out of her way just to make sure I'm alright, who would rather take long walks with me here at home where there are barely floating cameras around rather than drive a car all the time, goes out in public bare face and do some grocery shopping like a normal person would, cooks heavenly food than eat out to an expensive restaurant, thinks my thrift shopped clothes are way better than her designer clothes and even wears them all the time, she's just like anyone else. The only difference is she's the one I'm going to marry.

"So how's work Liz?" I snapped out of my thoughts upon hearing that.

"Uhm, yea its good. We're getting closer to the main event which is the murder scene." She glances at me and I avert my eyes. She knows I was partly in charge of that scene and I was working on that for a very long time and I  don't even know if I get to do it. I want to but I don't know if I can and if its going to be good for me considering what happened three days ago. "but for the mean time, we're working on the affair which I'm glad Shannon wasn't there to witness that." Everyone reacts with 'ahh's and 'wooh's making me glanced at Elizabeth who squeezes my good knee and smiles at me. A gentle smile asking if I was okay and all I can do was smile back and just go with it.

"I'm expecting it'll be over when I get back." I say and her smiles grows wider biting her bottom lip in the process which just makes her so adorable.

"I'm sure it will honey." She gives me a soft kiss on the cheek before getting back to her food but then I got the feeling of being watched so I glanced up and four pairs of eyes are staring back at us in awe.

"What?" I asked a mouthful of asparagus in my mouth.

"Oh nothing sweetheart. Its just the two of you are just adorable. You two should get married soo—" I coughed and nearly choked on my food upon hearing that. Way to fucking spoil my marriage plans and ruin my proposal. 

"Mom!"

"What?" I can hear the twins sniggering beside Elizabeth and Dad just smiles teasingly at Mom's quick move on that. Suddenly a glass of water slides in front of me making me look at Elizabeth who has the sweetest smile on her lips and a pink flush on her cheeks giving me some  kind of hope that maybe this time she would actually say yes.

"Drink up my love." She says and I did as what she tells me to do and drink the contents of the glass, all of it.

"I would love little Lizzie and Shannon running around this house soon enough." Mom adds and I pray to God she would just shut it but Elizabeth just simply giggles and says.

"Well, we already have a little Shannon with us every now and then and her name is Rose, right honey?"

"Oh yea, Scarlett's daughter, that child is just adorable."

"You've met Rose too?" I asked recalling events in my mind to support that statement but I really don't have a fucking clue on what they're talking about.

"Yup, at your house. She was there too and kept looking for you. She didn't even want to leave Lizzie's side until you come back." I glanced at Elizabeth and she smiles sadly nodding her head then she looks away and continues with her food. There was something in her smile that sends a dagger to my heart. Thinking about it, we didn't actually talked her side of the story about the accident. Trent was the one who told me what happened and not her. Maybe it was that hard for her to talk about it.

"Oohh can we watch Shannon's baby tapes or pictures if you have some." Ashley says teasingly and that made my eyes widen while Elizabeth giggles beside me keeping her hand on my leg.

"Ash—"

"Sure, I'll be happy to show it to you"

"Mom!"

"Oh she's adorable." Dad says making my eyes snap at him looking rather unimpressed with him joining in too. "What? you are though sweetheart."

"Oh come on honey, you are too cute though." I let out a sigh of defeat as Elizabeth joins in too. So I figured it's five against a crooked one. I guess I would get teased for the whole duration the twins are here. But other than that, I'm really glad we're okay now. It kinda made me feel a bit better than I was before, besides they're my family too. ———————-"Hmm, I wish you have more days off like this." I sighed in satisfaction as she cuddles even further in my small full size bed. Its not as big as the one we got at our home but still it works just fine. "You comfy?"

She hums in response and even buries her face on the crook of my neck her nose stroking my skin, it tickles and it made me giggle which she raises her head and looks at me with mischievous look.

"Sweetheart, can you not do that please." She bites her lip and props her head with her arm and the other on my chest and I hold it in place before staring at those bright green eyes. She doesn't speak for a while, which I don't mind. Well, I couldn't speak for myself too. Its like her eyes have stolen my voice and my will to control it, like in a trance or something. That's the power of her jade eyes.

"I missed you." She whispers and even though it was just a soft whisper, I heard it loud and clear.

"I missed you." I whisper back my eyes tracing down an invisible line from her eyes down to her lips. She leans down and gives me a kiss and oh how I miss her soft and sweet lips.

"I'm still a better kisser than Jesse am I?"I mumble against her lips and she snorts in laughter and kisses me again.

"You're a better kisser than anyone honey." She giggles and I joined her in. She gives me one last kiss and pulls away resting her head on my chest looking up to me. Her hand moves to the side of my face stroking my cheek while my good hand wanders to her soft hair.

"I'm really happy you've made up with MK." She smiles.

"Yea, me too." I sigh. " She's your sister and she treats me as hers too and besides she's a total wrecked. Haven't seen her like that."

"She loves you too much honey. How about Trent though?"

"I would like to hit Trent and then hug him. That way we're even." She giggles and bites her bottom lip which made me stare in awe. God, this woman is effortlessly stunning even with nothing on her. "But seriously though, your brother's temper needs to be controlled baby."

"I know, I think he has learned his lesson though. Mom's been going at him too." As much as I wanted to feel bad about that, a part of me thinks that he just deserves it especially Jarnie going at him.

"I still love him though." I say. "but good for him." She laughs and pulls herself closer to me. I miss her laugh really, the way her eyes shine when she does. Then I remembered the question I asked that was never going to be answered, maybe because I'm just too much of a coward to say it, but I have the strong urge right now, as we lay here in silence just staring at each other, to ask her the same question. The only difference is she's awake and I would get a proper answer. But I don't know if I can handle it.

"Honey?"

"Yea?"I snapped out of my daze and look at her properly this time being aware of where I am. She looks away from my gaze and starts drawing imaginary shapes on my chest.

"How are you feeling?" She whispers, vulnerably. Its a tone I haven't quite heard for a while and it instantly made my chest a little heavy. "I mean, after what Dr. Hampton told you."

What Dr. Hampton told me. What did she tell me? something about my behavior, and how I deal with things. I stare back into those eyes.

Your memory might get affected and you might forget things more often.

I refuse to believe that. I will never forget these eyes, her name, her smell, the way her nose scrunches when she giggles, her soft sweet lips. I refuse to forget everything about her. But what if I did. A lump form in my throat as the thought becomes stronger. Does she know, what the doctor told me?

"Well" I cleared my throat and run my fingers through her hair focusing on the softness of it. "I don't know how I feel about it to be honest, it still sinking in." She sighs in thought as her eyes move away settling down on her fingers drawing shapes on my chest. "What're you thinking?"

"Hmm everything." She sighs. "Its like—its nothing."

"No come on. Tell me." I whispered. She doesn't look up and fix her stare on my chest.

"I don't know, its like, its happening all over again. I mean, your black outs, you're out most of the time honey and that shit scares me. Every time that happens I'm scared I might not be able to bring you back and I just—" Her voice cracks and her lips tremble and that made my heart pound out of my chest. It squeezes my heart until it physically hurts now. I can feel it

"Hey, hey. Now sweetheart look at me." I whispered and she slowly raises her eyes to look at me and that's where I see the fear in her eyes and all I want is to take that fear away and reassure her that that won't happen even though I'm not even so sure myself.

"Everything's going to be alright—"

"You don't know that Shan"

"Yes I do." She sighs again. "I know you're tired sweetheart—"

"What? hey now Shan—" She pulls herself up and turns to me completely with a slight frown on her face.

"Its alright." I smiled. "I know you are and its okay." She drops down again beside me cuddling closer and goes back to drawing random shapes on my chest. "I'm sorry you have to deal with this, you don't deserve this—"

"Baby can you stop talking like that. Yes, I'm tired but I won't stop taking care of you and understanding you and yes, I have to deal with this and I want to deal with this because I want to make sure you're okay. This is just a bump in the road baby, we can get through this." I don't know if I offended her or what but I can tell she's getting worked up.

"I know sweetheart, but I can't help to sometimes think that maybe I'm becoming a burden rather than a partner to you just because of this. I feel like I'm holding you back or something."

"Holding me back from what exactly?" When I didn't respond she props herself up again to look at me properly with complete fear in her eyes before whispering the question in her mind. "You're not going to end us are you? Y-you can't do that to me?"

Her lips quiver and tears starts to fill up her eyes. I can hear her heart beating loudly from a distance. For a moment I was thinking about it with something about her maybe being free from all this trouble. She'll move on eventually and find someone who is easier to love. But then I realized if she wanted that and craving for that then we wouldn't be in this situation. We wouldn't even be in a relationship right now if that's the case. I sit up properly with her helping me and look up to her while she kept her hands on the back of my neck fixing my attention on her as she whispers.

"Please don't do this to me" I shake my head and say

"No, I won't do that." She lets out a huge breath of relief and drops her head to my shoulders relaxing in my arms. She gives me a playful slap on my arm making me chuckle so I placed a soft kiss on top of her head.

"Don't fucking do that again, you got me on the fucking edge you little shit." I laughed giving her soft kisses on her shoulders while she settles down. Knowing how scared she was of us breaking up just tells me everything I wanted to know and now a sense of urgency comes rushing to me. A sense of something I have to do.

"Oh, I would really like to punch you." She glares at me as she sits up properly. "You're lucky you're too injured to take another punch."

"I'm sorry sweetheart." I chuckled giving her another kiss. "But I really wanted to ask you this." She relaxes and raised her brows, her eyes bright as the meadows under the sunlit sky. Maybe this is a strange question but I just really want to know.

"A-Are you happy still?" My voice falters as I come to the end of the question with the intensity in her stare. It melts me but I just couldn't take my eyes away from her. "I mean—" Soft lips cuts me off, hands traveling to the side of my face, one sliding to the back of my neck, tongue grazing at the bottom of my lip and I instantly obliged.

My heart beating loudly in chest matching the beat of hers like drums creating an amazing explosion of emotions. And for a moment, we were somewhere else. Not here, in my room, not on my bed, not in my mom's house. We're at home on our spot at the backyard, the place where everything seems okay. We're okay right?

I wasn't even aware she had pushed me back into bed with her laying on top of me already until she pulls away breathing heavily and grazing her lips against mine quite turning me on really.

"Does that answer your question." She whispers a smirk playing on her lips. I didn't speak, I couldn't. Maybe I just need to hear it. I need to hear that she's happy. She pulls back when I didn't speak and stares deep into my eyes.

"I've never been the happiest my love, until I met you." Her eyes sparkles as she says this and it was swallowing me whole. That simple statement made my heart explode in all places and in that moment, I knew that what we have will last more than forever and I will do everything to keep it that way for the rest of my life.