Erin McAfee

Zac and I were already on our way to his apartment after we had dinner with Olivia and Niccolo. Throughout the evening, I kept silent, not knowing how and what to react with everything that Livy had said. 

I can't believe that she knew everything from the start and was actually behind all this. To be honest, I didn't know how to feel as my emotions tonight were jumbled --- from being nervous and scared in meeting Justin, to being shocked when I saw Niccolo, then lead to confusion when I saw Livy laughing as she entered the room, and settled to disbelief. 

I didn't even know if I should get mad at Olivia for pulling this kind of act or not. 

Ugh! I swear I don't know what to do nor what to think. It's like my mind shut on its own. 

"We're here." I heard Zac beside me and that's when I noticed that we were already outside his apartment building. I exited the car and went inside the lobby not waiting for him as it was chilly outside. I know he will keep up as he has long legs. 

When I felt his presence beside me and smelled his cologne, I pressed the up button of the lift. 

All throughout the ride up to his penthouse, no one uttered a single word --- comfortable silence envelopes us. I sighed in contentment when I felt this familiar feeling whenever I am with him. 

As we entered his apartment, I let him lead the way while I was busy removing the straps of my heel around my ankle. 

"You know, I would understand if you want to go to your apartment." I heard what he said but due to my distracted state, I didn't quite comprehend what he said. 

"Ugh... what?" I asked as I successfully removed my feet from those killer heels.

He turned around and sadness was very much evident in his face. 

"Why? What happened?" I placed my bag on the console table and moved my heels under it with my right foot.

"Now we know that I was really not in an accident and it was all invented by my sister, y-you..." he took a deep breath and looked down, "you may return to your prior commitment. I won't hold you back, I promise." he said quietly. 

HUH?! I don't understand what he was talking about. 

"Uh? I don't understand?" I asked in confusion.

"If you wish to go to back to Amsterdam, I will let you. I promise I won't---" then it hit me. He thought that I only came back because he had an accident. Oh my God! Did he never listened to what I said last night? 

"Zachary, you're one big fucking IDIOT!" I went to him and slapped him hard. His face flew to the right due to the impact, my hand hurts also but he deserved it. 

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" I held his face and forced him to look at me. 

"Who says I will leave you? Didn't I tell you that I will not leave you again?! Oh my God!!! Where did this all came from?" I asked him in frustration then left him standing there alone. I walked towards his bedroom and directly went to his bathroom to have a nice hot bath. 

I'm glad I decided to take this bath as it somehow cleared my head. All the fatigue and exhaustion were washed away by the warm water. Also, the scent of Zac's body wash and shampoo literally releases dopamine in my brain. For me this is the perfect way to end a stressful and eventful night. 

After bathing, I went inside Zac's dimly lit room. I looked around and didn't see the him so I went out to find him. 

I sighed when I saw him sitting on the couch in his living room, thinking deeply. 

Ugh, don't tell me he's still thinking that I will leave him?! Stupid guy! 

I shook my head and quickly walked towards him. I stopped in front of him but he didn't dare to look at me so I held his chin with my right forefinger and thumb to force him to look at me. 

"Do you want to break up again?" I asked him in a cold tone. His face contorted into a mixture of shock, fear, and panic. 

"No but---" 

I interrupted him by sitting on his lap. 

"Okay." I smiled and kissed his cheek.

"But Erin, this was---"

"I know and I'm half glad that you're sister's behind all this. If not, you won't make a move in the first place!" Which was true, if Olivia didn't push us together, we will still be in an unrequited love and that Zac would still be miserable with all of his issues. But I'm not saying that Olivia will get a beating for me, nay nay, tomorrow, I will talk to her and ask questions I failed to ask tonight. 

"Really? I mean... You'll still be my girlfriend despite knowing that everything was just planned by my annoying sister?" he asked in disbelief. 

I sighed because why was this a big deal to him?

"Seriously, Zac, what are you battling about? I told you that I will never ever leave you again! I said I love you soooo many fucking times now and yet you still thinks that I will fucking leave you? How stupid are you?" 

At first, he was just looking at me not knowing what to say, then seconds later, he grinned at me and hugged me tightly. I coughed slightly as I was caught off-guard, he apologized then proceeded to shower me kisses all over my face. 

"I'm stupid when it comes to you." he whispered and looked at me with those loving eyes. 

"I figured." I smirked then caressed his hair. "I love you, stupid." 

He chuckled. 

"I love you, Erin." 

***

It's been five months since Zac and I got back together. I will say, this is the true definition of living the dream, the dream of being Zac's girlfriend, the dream of loving him openly, and of course, starting and ending the day with him by my side. Yes, I moved in with him two months after I settled everything when I arrived here. 

I cleared out all of my backlogs at work, we explained everything to my parents --- Dad was so adamant not to forgive him but since Zac did not give up and exerted more efforts to woo him, he then bent and forgave him. 

We also have lots of double dates with the ON couple, a lot of times Jowee was fifthwheeling and kept complaining to us not to rub it in her face the fact that she's single, so Livy thought of a way to distract her by bringing Dylan for her to have a "date". 

As per Mason, he apologised to me and Zac for taking a part of Olivia's plan. He even swore to Zac that he never really saw me as more than friends. It took Zac a lot of convincing though but in the end, Zac became cool about it. They even begun to hang out more, it's like he's already part of their clique or bromance. 

Alex, on the other hand, had already patched things up with Zac.

I remembered the night when Alex came here in Zac's apartment, everyone was so tensed --- me, Olivia, and Niccolo, I kept on praying for a peaceful evening. So, when Alex came, imagine the shock we had when Zac and him hugged, like nothing happened. Reason for this was, many months after I left, he went to Alex to apologise for everything that transpired between them. 

Not gonna lie though, I was stunned for a sec when Alex told us how Zac was the first one to apologise in a sooooo much calmer way. I know, based on my experience these past few months with Zac, that he's much calmer and much more different than the old Zac. However, I didn't expect that he'll be like that months before we patch things up. 

He really is a changed man. Although sometimes his tendency to control every situation arises, it's not unbearable like it used to. He also leaves all work related in his office and pick me up at my office at 6pm sharp. On weekends, we always spend time with each other, be it watching our favorite series or movie, sleep the whole day, lounge around the apartment, read together, or shopping. 

I chuckled when I remembered the day I made him carry all of my purchases when we were in Scheveningen. That day, I pitied him so much but I told to myself that he deserved it and that I was only doing it for him to leave me alone. 

"Penny for your thoughts?" I felt him placed a fleece blanket around me and hugged me from behind. 

I sighed in content when he kissed my temple. 

"I was just reminiscing." I answered him and leaned on to his warm body. 

"Reminisce inside, it's cold out here in our balcony." 

I smiled when he said 'our'. To be honest, up until now, I still can't believe that the man I was crushing on for YEARS is already my boyfriend, whom I am living with. This is the definition of living the dream!

The dream that Olivia made sure to turn into reality. If it wasn't for her efforts and plans, me and Zac are still running in circles, and Zac would still be miserable inside. Above all that's happened, I'm so very much thankful that Zac finally faced his demons and is slowly battling them.

I felt him kissed my right temple and uttered, "Earth to Erin."

I turned around to face him then I shook my head, "I'm okay. It's not that cold, you know, besides, I'm enjoying the dimly lit city view with your arms around me." I hand combed his hair with my right hand and rested it on his cheek.

He gave me a boyish grin and chuckled lightly.

"You know, since you started living with me, I started appreciating every stuff here in our apartment, from the doorknobs to the city view. It's you who made everything look and feel special. You brought light not only to my life but to this apartment, it became a home to me where I always look forward coming home to, because of you, it doesn't feel huge to me anymore. You eliminate the coldness this apartment emitted. They said home is where the heart is, it's true though because my heart is at home, and my home is you." He looked deeply into my eyes and leaned his face to me slowly.

I closed my eyes readying myself for the feeling of his lips but what he did or said made me opened my eyes in shock.

"Marry me, Erin." He was already looking at my eyes and I could see the mixture of emotions in his eyes, love, seriousness, admiration, hope, and trust.

It's like I could see the whole of him properly. It's rare to see this emotional Zac, even when he's already confronting his demons, because he'd gotten used to blank out his eyes with emotions. However, don't get me wrong though, whenever he looks at me, there's a wide array of emotions he's showing me, especially love, but this, it's like a rare meteor shower that streaked the sky. It's a magnificent view that will have you in awe and at the same time will render you speechless.

His blue eyes sparkle a hundred times more when he's like this. He looked so young, carefree, sexy, and more handsome. It's like he's---

"Will you marry me, Erin?" He asked again whilst cupping both of my cheeks making me look him in the eyes again.

Oh, right. He needed an answer.

"I'm sorry, Zac--" the exciting lit in his eyes quickly vanished and quickly interrupted me.

"I know, I understand. It's too early to ask this to you but I want you to know that I am serious about us and I'm really looking forward to have a family with you, to spend my future with you and to our future kids, and to grow old with you. You need not have to answer immediately, I'll always be here to wait for you when you're ready." He smiled at me and kissed my forehead.

"Idiot!" I said with conviction then pushed him in an arms length so we can look into each other's eyes.

His eyes widened when he heard it.

I sighed and rolled my eyes at him.

"Idiot, I was apologising because I zoned out, not because I was rejecting your proposal." I said in a fake annoyance.

His lips turned into Oh, then he became confused.

I smiled then nodded at him.

"Yes."

He was unmoved at first but then slowly smiled at me when he realized what answer I gave to him.

"Yes as in yes you're marrying me?!" He asked to confirm and I nodded.

"Yes, I will marry you, Zachary." I confirmed. He snickered and twirled me around while shouting at no one, "Yes! Yes! Yes! She said yes!!!!"

I laughed at his excitement them he put me down on to the ground again.

"You're really going to marry me, right?! You just agreed, right, my love? Tell me I'm not dreaming, please tell me I'm not dreaming." He held my arms.

I shook my head, "You're not dreaming, Zac. I really am gonna marry you." I pronounced each word to confirm it to him. However, his smile fell when he realized something. He ran inside our room and went inside his walk-in closet.

I swear to God, I didn't know what to do or act because it's kinda awkward being left hanging like this after being proposed to.

I sighed.

Anyway, whatever, let him just do his thing first. So, I turned around and looked at the beautifully lit concrete jungle in front of me.

I took a deep breath of the cold air and closed my eyes to feel the breeze.

Then, Zac called me, when I turned around, I gasped because he was on his knee holding a classic red velvet box that holds a beautiful classic diamond engagement ring in it.

"I know you've already agreed to marry me but I wanted to do this right way." He smiled and took a deep breath then continued, "Erin Nicole McAfee, will you fulfill my wish to spend the rest of my life with you, to be my wife, and to be the mother of our future children, and to grow old with me?"

In this moment, tears were already falling down my eyes so, instead of answering verbally, I just nodded at him and offered him my left hand for him to put the ring.

He smiled and took the ring from the box and put it on my left ring finger. I did not waste any second and kissed him, pouring all my love in it.

When we separated, he smiled and kissed me on both of my cheeks.

"Thank you, Erin."

"I love you, Zac."

"I love you."

With that, he carried me inside our bedroom then closed the glass door of the balcony.

The End.

Hello, loves!

First of all, thank you for all those who pm-ed me and commented reminding me to take care. I appreciate it soooo much!

Anyway, this is the end of the book. Epilogue will be posted soon.

Did you like this end chapter though? Please vote and comment.

As always, thank you for reading my book!

Love,

kimmypatata