Nicole Jane’s POV
“Where are we going?” I asked Kyle, furrowing my brow as we walked along the path leading out of the academy.
“You’ll see,” he smiled and reached for my hand, giving it a squeeze.
I was about to say something when I yawned involuntarily. It’s only 7 a.m. in the morning, and I’m still sleepy. Why did he suddenly come to my room at six in the morning to disturb me and invite me to go out?
I rubbed my eyes, but they kept getting heavier.
“It’s probably better if you get some sleep. The journey ahead will be quite long. I’ll just wake you up once we get there.”
I simply nodded. I wasn’t in the mood to argue anyway. I trust him no matter where he takes me.
I leaned my head against the window and soon drifted off to sleep.
I didn’t know how long I had been sleeping. I just woke up to the feeling of someone tapping my cheek.
“Wake up already, sleepyhead.”
I blinked, trying to adjust my sight to the sunlight that greeted me. But my eyes widened when I saw how close his face was to mine.
“K-Kyle...”
“Hmm? What is it, Babe?”
I swallowed hard. Why does his voice sound so husky and sexy?
“Are we here already?” I forced a smile.
He nodded before slowly moving away.
In an instant, sleepiness completely disappeared. I didn’t wait for him to say anything and quickly unbuckled my seatbelt. However, due to extreme nervousness, I couldn’t seem to open it no matter how hard I tried.
He filled the car with his loud laughter. “You’re really cute, Babe. Especially when you’re blushing and nervous.”
I just gave him a glare.
“Let me do it.” He shook his head and approached me again.
I just shrugged and let him remove it.
“There.” He smiled at me, and I could only sheepishly nod in response.
As I was about to step out of the car, he suddenly stopped me.
“Wait.”
I looked at him with surprise as he quickly exited the vehicle and walked around to my side.
“Thank you,” I muttered as he opened the door and extended his hand to help me out. To be honest, I wasn’t accustomed to his current behavior.
I glanced around and realized that we were in a park. I didn’t expect him to bring me to a place like this. I thought we would be dining at an expensive restaurant before exploring a mall or enjoying a beautiful view.
I let him lead me as he pulled me towards various stalls lined up nearby. I furrowed my brows when I saw unfamiliar food.
“What are these?” I whispered to Kyle as I pointed to a wrapped food item and a banana skewered on a stick.
He chuckled. “That’s what they call banana spring rolls.” He pointed to the wrapped one. “And this one is a banana cue,” he indicated the banana on the stick.
I pouted. “Are they delicious and safe to eat?”
He burst into laughter, causing other people around us to turn and look in our direction.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t bring you here and have you eat if the food wasn’t delicious and safe,” he said, pinching my cheeks. “You’re the one who’s human here and yet, you’re the one who’s not familiar with human foods?” he whispered.
I looked at him in disbelief. I never expected that Kyle Ethan Clarkson, the prince of the most powerful vampire clan, would enjoy eating these kinds of food. I never thought he could be this simple, and it only made me love him even more.
I wanted to laugh at the thought that he seemed more human than me. Where else would you find a vampire who enjoys street food?
I remained silent and let him lead me. He bought me a banana cue, kikiam, fishball, and a coconut drink.
Wow. Is he really a vampire?
We sat on one of the benches here and started eating. I couldn’t help but look at him. I was fascinated by the way he ate.
I bit my lower lip before returning my gaze to the banana cue I was holding, slowly taking a bite.
“What can you say?” Kyle asked curiously.
I continued chewing until I nodded and smiled repeatedly. “You’re right. It’s delicious.”
“I’m glad that you liked it.”
We ate in silence as we swung our feet. I laughed when I saw that both of his hands were holding food.
“By the way, how did you discover this place? And how did you start eating these kinds of food?” I asked curiously.
He shrugged. “I love to travel around. This place is one of the places I visited and liked. I feel so relaxed every time I’m here, especially when I see children playing and chasing each other as if they have no worries.” He leaned back and adjusted his posture.
“I realized that it’s also enjoyable to see people finding happiness in simple things. Sometimes, it made me wish I had been just like them, too. No complications or expectations to meet. Even though I never really wanted to interact with people before.” He looked at me and smiled.
“I’m sorry if our first official date isn’t that romantic. I just wanted you to experience the joy and freedom I feel whenever I’m here.”
I smiled at him. “I have to admit that I didn’t expect our first official date to turn out like this. But I want you to know that no matter where we go or what we eat, I’m happy as long as I’m with you.”
We held hands and intertwined our fingers. We remained silent as we watched the children playing in front of us.
His words made me ponder. Perhaps if given the chance, he would choose to have a peaceful and simple life. But since that wasn’t the case, he had no choice but to fulfill his duties and responsibilities as the heir to the throne of their race.
“What the—”
I turned to Kyle as he suddenly spoke.
“I’m sorry, big brother! I didn’t mean to!” A little girl sobbed while looking at Kyle’s stained clothes.
I also glanced at it and immediately noticed the stain.
My heart fluttered when Kyle patted the little girl’s head. “It’s okay, young lady. I was just startled. Here, I’ve got something for you.” He took out some candies from his pocket and handed them to the child.
The little girl’s eyes twinkled with happiness. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome. Now, go back to your parents. They might be looking for you.”
The little girl nodded, then waved goodbye to us before walking away
“I didn’t know that you’re fond of kids. As far as I can remember, which you also told me just a while ago, that you don’t want to have any interactions with humans,” I reminded him with a smile as I wiped his clothes with a tissue.
“Well, yeah. But I didn’t say that I hate them.” He stood up and extended his hand towards me. “Come on. They might be waiting for you already.”
I looked at him confused. “Huh? Who?”
“You’ll see.”
***
His car stopped right in front of a church, which confused me even more.
“What are we doing here? You’re not allowed to go inside,” I stated, as if he wasn’t aware of that.
“I know. You’re the only one going inside. I’ll just wait for you here. So, you better go now. They’re waiting for you already.”
“But—”
He gave me a determined look. “Just trust me.”
I sighed and pushed the car door open. The cold air welcomed me, and I couldn’t help but embrace myself.
I looked back, and he just gave me an assuring smile. I nodded at him and started to walk towards the church. It had been a while since I had been here, anyway.
I didn’t know why with each step I took, my heart pounded faster. As I approached, I felt a mix of nervousness and excitement.
I paused in my steps as I reached the entrance of the church. The surroundings were almost silent. Only the strong gusts of wind and the rustling of leaves could be heard. There weren’t many people around except for two figures seated at the front.
But I gasped as I realized who they were.
“Mom? Dad?” I called out to them. It seemed like they had heard me enough because they both turned their heads in my direction.
“Finally, sweetie! You’re here! Come join us,” Mom called out to me excitedly.
I quickly approached them, and we tightly embraced each other.
“I missed you, Mom and Dad,” I uttered like a child. I felt like crying, but I forcefully held back my tears.
“We missed you too, sweetie. We’re sorry if we were only able to come and see you now,” they replied.
We let go of the hug, and they looked at me intently.
“It’s okay. I understand that you’ve been really busy running the business. But why didn’t you even tell me that you were coming today?” I asked, feeling a bit upset.
“It’s Kyle’s plan, sweetie. The truth is, we didn’t really have any plans to come home now. But he convinced us. He said we should visit for a short while this weekend because you’ve been missing us so much. Of course, your daddy and I feel the same way about you. That’s why we quickly booked a flight after his phone call,” Mom explained.
I nodded. So, it’s Kyle’s plans after all. His actions are really unpredictable.
We talked for a few more minutes. After that, we prayed fervently before finally leaving the church. As we approached Kyle’s car, he immediately opened the door for us.
During the journey, my parents and Kyle chatted nonstop. Meanwhile, I sat there with a smile, observing them.
After a few months, I would be able to return to our mansion. Their flight was scheduled for Monday morning, so I would be staying at home for the entire weekend. I also learned that aside from the business, they were conducting training in another country with their student protectors, which is why their stay there was prolonged.
When we arrived home, my parents got off the car first before bidding farewell to Kyle.
“Aren’t you coming in?” I asked him when we were the only ones left inside the car.
He shook his head. “For now, I want you to make the most of your time with your parents. But I’ll be back tonight.”
“Okay. Thank you,” I said sincerely.
“Anything for my princess.” He cupped both of my cheeks and kissed my forehead.
Butterflies seemed to flutter in my stomach because of what he did.
After bidding him farewell as well, I hurriedly entered our house. Automatically, a smile spread across my face as my eyes roamed around the familiar surroundings. I never thought that it would feel so good to be home.
I went straight to the kitchen and found Mom already preparing to cook.
“So, what’s our menu for today?” I asked casually as I sat on the stool at the kitchen island.
Mom briefly glanced at me. “Your favorite.” She winked.
“Just sit back and relax. This will be quick,” Dad assured me.
I remained silent and watched them quietly as they worked for our meal. It was then that I realized how lucky I was to have them. I have loving parents. But because my mind was closed off at that time, I didn’t even notice it.
When they finished cooking, we all ate together, which was a rare occurrence back then. We chatted away while enjoying our meal until they decided that we should have a movie marathon. In the afternoon, we trained together at the back of the mansion, where there was a spacious area.
“Thank you for this day, Mom and Dad. And sorry for being such a pain in the ass before,” I mustered the courage to say to them.
“Don’t say that, sweetie. We are the ones who need to apologize to you. We know we have failed you in many ways. But we’ll do everything we can to make it up to you,” Mom said as she gently stroked my hair.
I smiled and closed my eyes. Life is indeed beautiful, and now I have plenty of reasons to live.
***
“What the hell? Why do you suddenly appear out of nowhere? Try using the door next time.” I just shook my head at Kyle.
He just grinned before jumping out of the window. He pulled out his hidden hand from behind and revealed a dozen red roses in front of me. “Flowers for you.”
I felt so excited before I accepted it. “Thanks.” But my eyebrows raised when I noticed that he had another hand hidden as well.
He slowly took it out from behind him, and two DVDs appeared before my eyes. “We’re going to watch a movie for tonight. I know you’ll like this.”
My eyes twinkled with excitement. The movies were none other than Breaking Dawn Part 1 and Part 2. These were the only two that I hadn’t watched yet in the Twilight Saga.
In fairness, this vampire prince seems to prefer the old school type of watching a movie. DVD, really?
Not too long, and we were sitting side by side, watching while seated on my bed. My head was resting on his shoulder, and his arms were wrapped around mine. I was feeling a bit tired because of the playful banter and bonding I had with my parents earlier.
After we finished watching, I let out a yawn. I glanced up at the wall clock and only then noticed that it was already past midnight.
“You better sleep now, Babe. You woke up earlier this morning, and it’s already midnight.” Kyle gently stroked my hair.
I slowly nodded my head. “Okay. Thank you for this day, Babe. You don’t know how much you made me happy.”
“I’m glad that I made my princess happy.” He adjusted his seating position and turned to me. “Alright, I’ll leave now, so you can rest too.”
“Alright. You better go now too.”
I don’t know how long we stared at each other. Until I suddenly noticed his lips touching mine.
“I love you,” he muttered after the kiss.
I looked directly into his eyes. “I love you too.”
After a few moments, he quickly disappeared in front of me. I took a deep breath before closing my eyes, a smile forming on my lips.
This was indeed a tiring, but a happy day.