Page 100 of Don't Date Your Ex Best Friend
“Then I have to punish my bad girl.”
Kia chuckled and tipped on her toes, kissing me.“I love you.”
Like every time, my heart melted hearing those words.“Love you more, Bella.See you soon.”
My plan was ruined.
Volt and Liam started fighting with each other as soon as they got there, crashing the decorations around the room I had booked for the surprise.Rio had tried to stop them, but he tripped on a wire, wrecking the music system.
“Well, no one is dead,” Liam grinned, wiping blood from his split lip.“Yet.”
Rio glared at him and mimicked him in a small voice, rolling his eyes at the man in a grey suit who stood beside me.We were all wearing suits today, but even though we looked grown-up, two of us were still acting like children, bickering.
I closed my eyes and shook my head.“You guys had one fucking job, and you ruined it!”
“We are sorry, Ethan.”They all mumbled in unison.
“Damn right you are!”I exclaimed, running a hand through my hair.
“Whose kid is this?”Liam asked, raising Volt’s three-year-old son, who was chewing a plant.
Volt did a double-take, “Does he have an ‘I am Ken and Touka’s son’?”
“Yes, he does.And just so you know, this is not how parenting works.But you do you, man.”He handed the crying Joshua to his dad, who promised to give him chocolate if he stopped crying.
I shook my head and asked the restaurant employees to clean up the mess my immature friends had made and gave them a hefty tip for helping me out.I could feel the tie tightening around my neck and removed it, unbuttoning the top two buttons.Walking out of the sliding doors, I stood on the roof’s balcony, watching the sunset as I leaned against the railing.
“You know, she would have never liked it anyway,” I heard Liam say as he stepped beside me, handing me a glass of whiskey.
I gladly took it, clinking it with his glass, and took a huge gulp.The warm clench of the liquid made me relax as I asked, “What do you mean?”
“Kiara is a complex person, but she always loves simplicity when it comes to everything.She would love it if you proposed to her in there with her friends, but it would make it special if you two were alone so she could be more herself.”
I was dumbfounded.I didn’t know if she wanted to marry me after what had happened a month ago or wanted to wait.But knowing our past together, a little part of me hoped she would say yes.Her family had agreed and given me permission.Even my mothers had given me blessings, but Kiara would be the one to accept or reject me.
“Thank you for the advice, man.I will ask her here.”
Kiara lookedstunning in the dark maroon dress and not just because it hugged her body in all the right places, accentuating her curves.It was the way she grinned and laughed with everyone, playing with Joshua and his baby brother.
Man, I was whipped.
“Stop eye-pussying her.”My head snapped at Ryan, who was sipping his wine.“It’s uncomfortable.”
I frowned, “Don’t tell me Katherine tells you everything they both talk about.”
He shrugged, his green eyes averting to his pregnant wife who was chatting with Kiara, Anya, and Becky.“Not everything, but enough to learn the weird vocabulary they use.”He looked back at me and said.“Take her out on the roof and ask it.If you keep thinking about it, you will never propose.Heck, Ialmostbailed on the marriage, yet here I am.”
“You did?”
His cheeks reddened, “Don’t tell her that, but I had my doubts that I would let her down and I was not good enough for her.But it doesn’t matter anymore.She has stayed with me for more years than I can count.I still can’t believe I am going to have a family with that woman.”
I nodded, gazing at Kiara because that was exactly how I felt with Kiara and more.We have been together since we were born, sharing our cribs and colors.Even now, she wore my clothes, shared my bed and our home.I knew I wanted to marry her and I would ask her with a proper ring this time.
Buttoning the suit, I walked toward the women as they laughed at something they were whispering about when I squeezed Kiara’s shoulder.“Excuse me, ladies, do you mind if I take my girlfriend away for a while?”
Kiara frowned, but Katherine looked so excited that she nodded hurriedly, “Sure, sure, go ahead.Take her away!”
I gave her a look, and she zipped her lips shut when Kiara raised an eyebrow.Anya smiled at me and raised her wineglass at me.
