“Who’s that?” Neriah asks, walking into the room with two plates of pancakes in her hand.
Shawn slides the phone from his ear, “Cainan wants me back as his PA, said he’ll double the pay.”
“Really?” Neriah's eyes widen with excitement. “What did you say?”
“Told him I’ll think about it.”
She sets both plates down and sits down beside him. “I think you should take it.”
He chuckles and shakes his head, “He hates you.”
She affirmed his word with a nod, “He hates I called him an idiotic billionaire, besides, this is your life, you get the chance to go back to a job you love and I don’t want you passing it up because of me.”
“What do you think I should do, then?”
She takes his hand between hers and softly squeezes it. “Take the job, make the most of it.”
“Your girlfriend is right,” Cainan says as Shawn brings back the phone to his ear.
Shawn scoffs aloud, “Fine, I’ll be at work at eight a.m. tomorrow.“
“And I’ll be expecting you.”
The call ends, and Shawn drops the phone before looking up at Neriah. “I hope I am not making the greatest mistake of my life.”
She squeezes his hand again. “Not as long as I’m here.”
“I love you, Neriah.” He says, then realises he’s never said that to her before.
His eyes find her and locked in for a while and seeing she’s having a hard time coping with her response, he nods, “I love you very much and you don’t have to say anything you don’t mean but what I feel is real and I won’t take it back for anything in the worl—”
“I love you too, Shawn,” she answers, cutting him off, her eyes glittering with tears although her face holds its broad smile, “it’s crazy, but I love you. You give me strength and courage to carry on every day, and I’m glad you are the one. I’ve been waiting for the right moment to say it as well.”
He pulls closer and kisses her lips deeply and pulling away, he smiles, placing his forehead on hers. A tear runs down her face and he reaches out and quickly brushes it off.
“Pancakes?”
“Sure!” He replies, bringing her hand to his lips and lacing it up with kisses.
She picks the plate from the table and hands him his before taking hers.
“Did you find any good but affordable apartment?” She asks.
“Just one and we can check it out tomorrow.” He answers and takes a bite of his pancake.
Neriah grins at him weirdly and he wonders what he’s missed. “We are not checking it out. I am. You will go to work.”
Just then, his mind goes back to the call with Cainan. “Fine, you’ll go alone, but I hate the sound of that already,” he admits with a low growl.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Can you just say you won’t, so I can follow you instead of going to work?”
She chuckles at his cocky nature. “No, but I promise, I’ll be fine.”
He pulls closer and kisses her lips, “I’ll take your word for it then.”
The next day, Shawn prepares for work and Neriah gets ready to go see the new apartment. Shawn finishes early and like he promised Neriah yesterday when the clock ticks seven-thirty on the dot, he knocks on the door and waited for an answer. About thirty seconds later, the door opens, and it reveals Neriah in a pair of jean trousers and a brown long sleeve. Her thick brown hair was packed into a neat bun and her face was laced with a little touch of makeup. She has always looked beautiful, and today is no exception for Shawn.
“Morning,” he says, stepping into the room.
“Morning, how are you?”
“I’m good and you?”
“Great. You’re ready?”
She nods, picking up her small purse from the armchair in the centre of the parlour. “I am now.”
“Great.”
Shawn is wearing a Navy blue suit and trousers and a black pair of shoes. His hair is still the low cut it had yesterday, but the little stubble that was on his face yesterday is no longer there.
He wraps his arms around her waist and leads her out. They both walk to the road and he stops a taxi for Neriah. He opens the door for her and she enters. “Whatever happens, promise you will call me.” He says, staring down at her with brown eyes filled with expectancy.
She gives him a small smile, “I’ll try.”
He leans down and kisses her forehead before stepping back to close the door. Neriah waves at him and he does the same.