CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAYA was scribbling whatever was in her mind. She was amazed. Her ideas kept flowing. She was only interrupted when tiny hands covered her eyes.
She arched her back. Then, she heard a familiar giggle.
“Kiel?” she uttered in surprise.
The giggle turned into laughter.
She caught the hands and looked over her shoulder.
“It’s you!” She pulled him into her lap and showered his neck with kisses. “You’re here!”
Kiel could not stop laughing.
“I’m ticklish!” he squealed.
Chaya laughed and wrapped her arms around him.
“You’re with your dad?”
“Yup. He asked me if I wanted to see the ocean. I didn’t know you’d be here, too.”
“Yeah. What a small world.”
And he must have brought Annemarie with him, too. Talk about moving on.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I’m trying to write.”
“Daddy brought some food. Would you like to eat with us?”
She smiled awkwardly.
“I don’t think your dad would love that.”
“Why not? He told me to call you.”
She blinked.
“He did?”
“He wants you to join him for coffee.” Kiel pulled away from her and took her hand. “Let’s go, Chaya!”
Chaya hesitated but only for a moment. Looking at Kiel’s eager smile, her heart could not just stop melting.
THE ONLY problem was that she didn’t know how to act around him after that awful confrontation. It only happened literally yesterday.
Chaya took a deep breath as they walked back to the house while holding hands. She could already see three figures on the balcony. And even though she could only see Kyrie’s broad back, it was more than enough to set her heart on chaos.
“Oh, I didn’t know you two were friends,” Granny Caroline said as she watched them climb the short steps.
Chaya smiled shyly as she waited for Kiel to get on the balcony first.
“Daddy and Chaya are friends, Granny,” Kiel replied happily. “Oh, and they love each other.”
Chaya froze for a moment. Now she had more reasons not to look Kyrie in the eye.
“Really?” Granny Caroline uttered in surprise.
Chaya just smiled.
“I-I didn’t know you guys would be here,” she said.
“I know you’d be here,” Kyrie said, on the other hand.
She stared at him in surprise. He pulled a chair and motioned for her to sit down.
“T-thanks,” she said as she sat down.
Now, he was acting like they did not hurt each other since they saw each other again. Chaya didn’t know what to feel. It would have been easier if he would just treat her coldly. But Granny Caroline and Popsy Neil knew nothing about their past.
“Kyrie brought this sweet cake and made coffee for us. Isn’t he the sweetest?” Granny Caroline grinned.
And he’s a sweet kisser too, Granny, Chaya remarked in her mind.
“Here’s your chocolate, sir,” Kyrie said as he put Kiel on the chair between them.
“Thanks, Daddy!” Kiel pulled the cup of hot chocolate toward him.
“With cream and less sugar. Is that right, Chaya?”
Chaya stared as Kyrie placed another cup of coffee in front of her.
She cleared her throat and nodded.
“T-thank you.”
“DID YOU get a lot of inspiration for your next novel, Chaya? How was it?” Popsy Neil asked.
“I did. It feels great to start a new novel again. I think I’m going to use this place as the setting,” she replied.
“Well, then, why don’t you stay here until you finish that novel?” Granny Caroline proposed.
“That would be awesome, Granny. But I have already booked a flight back home. But I promise I’m coming back. This place looks like heaven. I might bring my friends, too,” Chaya said with a smile.
“Is that so? You know, Neil and I love having people here. Parker is always busy with his basketball career, so we miss him all the time.”
“If I were your granddaughter, I would stay with you forever.”
“Oh.” Granny Caroline laughed. “I know, right? No matter what the world offers you, you will always find yourself going back to something that gives you peace.”
Chaya nodded and took a sip of her coffee.
“Kyrie makes great coffee, don’t you think, Chaya?”
“Hmm? Um, yeah.” She cleared her throat. “Definitely.” She glanced at Kyrie. Only to find him staring at her intently. “He’s an extremely talented guy, isn’t he?” Her lips curved into a sad smile.
CHAYA stayed in her room that was overlooking the beach after coffee. She began typing her draft on her laptop, trying to distract herself from the fact that Kyrie was in the same house with her, and fate wasn’t letting her move on.
“Yes, he’s here. Thank you so much for not telling me. Now everything’s awkward,” Chaya said sarcastically.
“Oh, okay, hang on,” Parker began on the other line. “Of course, I’m supposed to let him know my plans because he’s my best friend. But I didn’t know he’d go there right away. He’s an adult. Surely, no one told him to follow you there except by his own volition.”
“He hates me!”
“I think he’s just not over you, Chaya.”
“Really?” she said coldly, remembering how close Kyrie was with Annemarie. “That’s the funniest thing I ever heard today, Parker. Thank you. You’re very helpful.”
“Chaya, I’ll give you a lifetime free vacation at Caroline Shore. Just please, don’t pack your things right now,” Parker implored.
Chaya paused and sighed.
“You better do that, Parker. It’s driving me crazy!”
After the call, Chaya closed her laptop and dropped herself on the bed.
What was Kyrie up to? Because if he wanted to crush her heart again, he was doing a great job.
“CHAYA, are you still awake?”
Chaya got up from her bed at once. She rushed to her door and opened it, finding Kiel outside with his huge stuffed toy.
“Hey, why aren’t you asleep yet?” she asked as she let him in.
“I can’t sleep. Daddy’s laptop is making an annoying noise. He’s still working at this hour. Can I sleep here with you instead?”
Chaya hunkered down.
“Oh, poor Kiel. Did you tell him you’re coming here?”
“No. I don’t want to disturb him. But I’m sure he’s going to notice it later on. Come. Let’s sleep.”
“Okay.” Chaya put him on the bed.
Kiel lay down immediately. Chaya watched him as he pulled the familiar photo from the pocket of his stuffed toy’s shirt.
“Good night, Mommy.”
Chaya joined him and stroked his hair. Kiel quietly put the photo back and hugged his teddy bear.
“Chaya, I need to ask you a favor.”
“What is it?” she asked as she lay down beside him.
“So, Daddy and I talked in the car before we got here. He told me he loves you, and he wants to ask you to marry him. Chaya, I love my daddy, so could you please say ‘yes’ when he asks you? Please, please, please?” Kiel brought his palms together.
Chaya blinked.
“Y-your dad wants me to marry him?”
“Yes! I know it’s going to make him happy. It will make me happy, too.”
Tears blurred Chaya’s eyes. Her head felt light. Kyrie wanted to ask her to marry him. But why? Just the other day, he looked like he regretted ever meeting her.
“Why are you crying, Chaya?”
She sniffed and wiped her tears.
“B-because I love your daddy, too. And if he asks me to marry him, I will say ‘yes.’”
“Really? Thank you, Chaya!” Kiel hugged her.
Chaya kissed his forehead.