The warmth of the morning still lingered as I watched Arec walk into the closet, his shoulders relaxed in a way I wasn’t used to seeing.
Normally, he carried himself with the weight of his responsibilities, as if every decision he made had the power to shape the world.
But right now, he seed lighter, almost carefree. It was a side of him I realized I wanted to see more often, this softer, unguarded version of Arec.
I smiled, still sitting cross-legged on the bed with the tray of breakfast he’d prepared.
My heart swelled as I watched him pick through the clothes he still kept here, his movents fluid and unhurried. His shirts hung neatly on one side of the closet, alongside suits I’d never once seen him wear outside of work functions.
I took a bite of the eggs, perfectly fluffy, of course, and couldn’t help but marvel at how dostic everything felt.
Arec preparing breakfast, dressing in front of like it was the most normal thing in the world... It was hard to believe this was my life now.
A few weeks ago, I would have dismissed this as so far-fetched fantasy. But here I was, sitting in bed, watching the man I never knew I loved get ready for work. My man.
I couldn’t stop the grin that spread across my face at the thought. Oh, Kate is going to lose her mind when she hears about this.
"Why are you smiling like that?" Arec’s voice brought back to reality. He was standing in the doorway of the closet, buttoning the cuffs of his shirt, his tie draped loosely around his neck. His brow quirked in amusent as he caught my expression.
"Nothing," I said quickly, trying to school my features, but the smile refused to budge.
"Nothing, huh?" Arec chuckled as he walked toward the bed, his tone teasing. "I don’t buy that for a second."
I shrugged, taking another bite of toast to keep myself from saying anything that might embarrass . He shook his head, a small laugh escaping him as he leaned down, brushing a kiss against my forehead.
"I wish I didn’t have to leave," he murmured, the words soft but heavy with aning. His hand lingered against my cheek for a mont, and I found myself leaning into his touch.
"It’s alright," I said, trying to sound nonchalant despite the sudden lump in my throat. "I’ll be right here waiting for you."
He smiled at that, and before I could say anything else, he leaned in and kissed , a lingering, tender kiss that made my heart race all over again. When he pulled back, his eyes searched mine for a brief mont, as if he was morizing my face. Then, with a reluctant sigh, he straightened and grabbed his jacket.
"Don’t have too much fun without ," he called over his shoulder as he walked to the door. I laughed softly, shaking my head at his playful tone.
The mont the door closed behind him, I jumped up, my breakfast montarily forgotten. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, dialing Kate’s number with shaky fingers.
My heart was pounding again, but this ti it wasn’t from Arec’s kiss, it was from the overwhelming need to share this mont with soone who’d understand just how monuntal it was.
"Hello, best friend!" Kate’s cheerful voice chirped through the phone almost imdiately.
"We’re a real couple now!" I blurted out, barely able to contain the excitent in my voice.
There was a beat of silence on the other end before Kate’s confused response. "Wait... what?"
I grinned, feeling a bit of mischief bubbling up. "We’re a real couple," I repeated, slower this ti, drawing out each word for dramatic effect.
"You an... like real real couple?" she asked, her tone incredulous.
"Yes!" I practically shouted, and the next thing I knew, I had to yank the phone away from my ear as Kate let out a high-pitched squeal that could probably shatter glass.
"Oh my god, Ella! How? When? What happened? You need to tell everything. Every. Single. Detail. Don’t you dare leave anything out!"
Her excitent was contagious, and I couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. "Okay, okay," I said, settling back onto the bed. "So, last night, he took to this arcade... "
"An arcade?!" Kate interrupted, her voice a mix of disbelief and delight. "Ella, that’s adorable."
"Let finish!" I chided, though I was grinning. "After the arcade, we went to a karaoke bar, and then I invited him back to the penthouse."
Kate’s voice dropped to a teasing whisper. "Ooooh, you invited him up. Go on."
I rolled my eyes, even though she couldn’t see . "One thing led to another, and... well... we kissed. And then..."
"And then you explored each other’s bodies and the rest is history?" she cut in, her tone dripping with mock scandal.
"Kate!" I exclaid, my face heating. "You know what I an!"
"No, I don’t," she teased. "Why don’t you spell it out for ?"
"Kate, stop!" I was laughing now, though my cheeks were probably as red as a tomato. "You’re impossible."
"And you love for it," she shot back, clearly enjoying every second of my embarrassnt. "But seriously, Ella, I’m so happy for you. This is huge. I an, from a fake engagent to a real relationship? This is the ultimate ’fake it till you make it’ story."
I frowned, tilting my head. "What does that even an?"
"Never mind," Kate said with a laugh. "The point is, I’m thrilled for you. And I’m also thrilled that I’m officially going to be a bridesmaid at a real wedding."
"Kate," I groaned, though I couldn’t stop smiling. "Please slow down."
"No," she emphasized, her tone smug. I won’t, Ella. I love what I just heard. Oh! You have to invite over to the penthouse. I’ve never been inside one before, and we need to celebrate. Killing two birds with one stone, you know?"
I laughed, shaking my head at her enthusiasm. "Fine, fine. Co over. But don’t expect anything fancy."
Kate squealed again, and I knew I’d just made her entire week. We talked for a little while longer, with Kate babbling on about everything from bridal gowns to bachelorette parties, her excitent bubbling over like champagne. Eventually, I had to cut her off, promising we’d talk more when she ca over later.
As I hung up, I let out a small sigh, leaning back against the pillows. My hand drifted to my stomach, resting gently over the small life growing there. A soft smile spread across my face as I whispered, "You’re going to be raised in a real family, sweetheart. A family full of love."
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