Chapter – 23 – So, Chloe Harper, will you do the honour of marrying me?
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Chloe’s (Pov)
I looked on bothered by the rain splashing outside and let out a bored sigh. I plugged in my headphones and hummed to Zayn’s new song; let me, strolling around the patio in Theo’s house.
Just a few more days before our parents come back.
No more of seeing Dhruv’s face constantly. No more of his charming smiles to see that I fell for years ago. No more of his corny jokes to laugh at.
Life goes back to normal. My best friends, school, dance class and photography.
I looked up at the sky frowning and shook my head. What’s so beautiful in this bland mix of blue and white clouds up in there.
Nothing. Just lifeless, plain and boring.
I turned around and my camera caught my eye. Smiling, I walked inside the house and grabbed my camera walking back towards the patio.
I smiled to myself eyeing the pictures of Ben who was trying to hide his naked butt which I captured the other day in the party. I moved forward grinning at pictures of my best friends, Theo’s awkward dance moves, Twinkle and Kunj in the front yard fighting like usual.
And then they say they don’t have a thing for each other.
I stopped pressing forward my heart hammering inside looking at Dhruv’s beaming face on the camera.
Picture after picture, all I had was Dhruv. The secret candids I took of him.
A sleepy Dhruv in his pyjamas yawning. A grumpy Dhruv stuffing his face with cereal. Twinkle and Dhruv fist fighting. A concentrated Dhruv playing call off duty. A grinning Dhruv doing a happy dance.
Why? Just let him go.
My eyes widened in fraction when I pressed forward eyeing pictures of me and Dhruv together when Dhruv came back from college this year.
Flashback
“Chloe, you are gonna be late dance class” Mum shouted from downstairs and I hurriedly grabbed my purse rushing downstairs. “Bye, mum. Love ya”
“Love you too. Drive safe” she called out and I closed the door behind me running towards Ben’s car. “Twinkle’s house first. She forgot her phone at my house last night” I told Ben and he groaned eyeing my warily, “I love you girls a lot but you annoy the shit of out and don’t let me sleep”
“You broke your record of sleeping for more than a day. Now drive, dimwit” I simply rolled my eyes and he mumbled incoherent words under his breath driving us to Twinkle’s house.
“I’ll be back in a minute” I told Ben moving out of the car and rushed towards the front door pressing on the door bell.
“Geez! Calm your tits down. Coming coming” My heart seemed to drop at the voice and before I could even turn back the door opened.
Dhruv’s eyes widened a fraction the moment he saw me and I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him. It’s been an year, a whole year since I last saw him.
A whole year since we slept together and I like a naive dumbhead thought about how I was living in a fairy tale. When in reality, it was nothing but a one night stand from which he coward away.
“Hey Chloe. How have you been? ” He breathed out tucking his hands inside his trouser pockets and I resisted the urge to scoff out loud.
After one whole freaking year, I see the person I was in love with and trusted him with myself, he has the audacity to ask how I am after he f**ked my whole life over.
“Cut the crap, Dhruv” I said in a clipped tone and I could clearly see how his adam apple bobbed when he gulped audibly. He held my gaze still not looking away.
I pushed past him and was about to enter the living from the hallway when he held my wrist pulling me back. I squeezed my eyes shut blinking back the tears threatening to spill.
“Chloe, you need to hear me out. Whatever I told you that night-“ I pulled my hand out of his grasp giving him a sympathetic smile, “Get over it, Dhruv. It’s been an year. For me, it was nothing but a one night stand”
I shrugged and my heart clenched when his eyes softened a bit and he lowered his gaze to the ground muttering incoherent words.
Lies. It wasn’t a one night stand.
I love him. He knows. He knows I love him.
“Give it to Twinkle” I place her phone on the table near by and brushed pass him walking out of the door.
Just stop me and tell me what I said wasn’t true, Dhruv.
Just once.
But who was I kidding. This wasn’t a fairy tale and my Prince charming wasn’t certainly a brave one.
I shook my head at the memories eyeing more pictures of me and Dhruv. All of them candids and probably clicked by Ben.
“Let me be your man” I jumped startled at the voice and looked up at Dhruv’s face. “Huh?” I looked on boggled at his words and he shrugged, “That song. Zayn’s song right? I was just singing along with the lyrics”
I paused the song looking up at him but noticed he was staring at the camera in my hand. A picture of us from the day when we were helping Sarah with her homework.
“That’s a nice picture” He mumbled sitting down beside me and I scooted away a bit making space for him. “Can I have a look?”
I shrugged giving him the camera not caring a bit about how he’s gonna see hundreds of candids of him in my camera clicked by me.
“Hey! Why did you take this picture? I look horrible” He laughed in amusement eyeing the picture where he’s wrestling with Sarah.
“No. You look cute” I chuckled blurting out and he stopped laughing eyeing me smiling to himself. “That’s new. All I get from girls is how s*xy or gorgeous I am”
I ignored the pang of jealousy I felt and rolled my eyes, “Sure, Dhruv. I am sure they never got their eyes checked”
“Pfft” He scoffed going through some more pictures, “I am the most desirable one on campus”
I gagged purposely and he laughed out loud his eyes crinkling at the corners and I felt the corners of my mouth tug up but I quickly cleared my throat shaking my head.
“So, how’s everything going on?” He asks placing the camera on the table ahead us and I shrugged, “Same old thing. School’s okay. I got amazing friends, mum’s got new cases coming up and Dad’s long gone with his same drug dealing shit”
“What about you?” his voice dropped and he shifted closer. My hands itched to make their move and hold his hand but I refrained myself. Giving him a careless shrug I smile, “I have been doing good. One thing’s changed thou”
“I have got an amazing boyfriend. And I couldn’t be any less happier” I beamed at him and he furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion, “Boyfriend? I didn’t knew..”
“Miguel. His name’s miguel” I smile fumbling with the hem of my dress and smirked internally at how his fists clenched on his sides.
“H-how lo-long?” He ran a frustrated hand up and down his face. I couldn’t help but let the smirk show on my face but quickly looked down biting the inside of my cheeks, “About a week or so. I thought I told you”
He frowned looking here and there like a lost puppy and stood up tugging on his hair. “It was useless. I knew it. I knew she’s moved on. I shouldn’t have come here” He kept mumbling to himself.
“What’s wrong?” I question faking innocence, “I thought you’d be happy. After all, you told me it’s high time I moved on. And I am really happy with Miguel”
I pushed on further waiting for him to explode, “He’s an amazing guy. I’d really be happy if you meet him. I mean you can see yourself how happy I am and left behind your memories. Because I listened to you. Took it as a meaningless night. A one night stand”
“It wasn’t a one night stand” he bellowed turning to me, “I lost my virginity to you too, Chloe”
My breath hitched in my throat and with wide eyes I looked on at him.
I lost my virginity to you too, Chloe.
To you too. It wasn’t only me losing my virginity. He lost it too. To me.
“Forget it” he muttered making his way inside and I looked on my mind screaming to stop him. “Stop, Dhruv. You a*sh*le, stop right there. You know it well I f**king love you. Then why test my patience”
I cried out after him and he stopped dead in his tracks turning around to face me. In a swift motion, he had his lips clashing with mine.
“Say it” he muttered deepening the kiss. “Say it once more, please” I smiled in the kiss giggling when he pressed a kiss on the tip of my nose. “I love you, Dhruv. Damn it, I have been crushing over your since like my God damn whole teenage life”
“Well, I think I might have some kind of familiar feelings for you too” he shrugged bringing his mouth down to mine and I hit his forearm pulling back, “You are an a*sh*le. I just poured out everything to yo-“
“I love you more, Chloe Harper” He whispered pressing his forehead against mine smiling and I could make out the light tint of blush on his cheek, “And I know I always will. Man, I could love you my whole life and it wouldn’t be enough”
I grinned my cheeks hurting from all the smiling and threw my head back laughing at how corny all this became in a second. “See, gorgeous. Undoubtedly, drop dead gorgeous”
“Did you drown in some romance novel or what? Real corny you are” I wrapped my hands around his neck and his wrapped around my waist pulling me close.
“I am sorry for all I said. You already knew I was a coward” He shrugged kissing my cheek and I sighed, “Past is past, Dhruv. Time goes on, life goes on. We get what we were destined to have”
“And in my case, It’s you” he gave me a cheery grin and I chuckled nodding slightly. “So, Chloe Harper, will you do the honour of marrying me?”
And in seconds, I began chocking on my spit and he rubbed my back laughing along. “Geez, calm down. Just joking”
“Will you be my girlfriend?”
“You didn’t even had to ask. Yes, a thousand times yes”
“Well, girlfriend. Let’s go for some pizza. What do you say?” he questions interlocking our fingers together and I beamed at him.
“You are a smart guy. You know the way to a girl’s heart” I pointed at him smiling and he shrugged lowering his gaze to the ground.
“My girl’s heart” I think I hear him mumble before I looked at the other side trying to lessen the huge grin forming on my face.
Well, Chloe Harper, here begins your crazy ride.
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Two chapters in a day, Huh?
A round of applause for me.
How was it???
Honestly, this is my favourite chapter so far.
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