My smart girl 3. Rewriting our stars

By the time the sky outside had fully brightened, we had already shared another long, tender kiss in bed, followed by a shower filled with equally long embraces under the warm streams of water. Jay’s husky voice whispered sweet nonsense into my ear, nearly drowned out by the sound of the running water. Feeling the hot cascades cascade over my bare skin was just as wonderful as feeling his warm lips on mine. After the shower came a rather hearty breakfast. My beloved doctor had decided that I had burned too many calories and spent too much energy during the night, and now it all needed to be replenished. I just smiled, catching his worried yet utterly adoring gaze, and ate every last bite so he wouldn’t worry anymore. Then Jay stayed in the kitchen to clean up and refused to even listen to my offers to help. Giving up, I returned to the bedroom to imprint every detail of what had happened here last night into my memory one more time. The candles had burned down but still stood on the windowsill and dresser. Pink rose petals still covered almost the entire floor. The bed was rumpled and unmade, still holding the sweetest and most precious memories of everything that had taken place on it. I had to fight the urge to bury myself under the covers and never come out again. I really didn’t want to go back to the clinic… With a sigh, I sat down on the wide bed and closed my eyes, running my palms over the smooth dark silk sheets. Finding a slightly crushed pink petal, I brought it to my smiling lips. Jay had made our first night truly special and unforgettable for me, just as he had promised. And it wasn’t about the candles or the roses… It was about him. About how much I loved him — so much that sometimes I caught myself barely able to breathe when I looked at his smile. And yet… I still hadn’t found the courage to tell him those words out loud. *Ah, Bambi… You really need to fix that soon. Because you… might not have much time left.* *** About half an hour later, Jay finally walked back into the bedroom, slipping his phone into the back pocket of his jeans. I smiled and reached out to him. “Everything okay, Jay? I already missed you…” He answered with a soft smile, then crouched down in front of me, resting his warm hands on my knees. “Tae called,” he said quietly. My heart skipped a beat. I already knew what that meant. I could only imagine how furious my brother had been when he arrived for his shift and found my hospital room empty. I let out a resigned sigh, looking at Jay’s completely relaxed half-smile. To my admiration, he was as calm as a well-fed python. “And… what did he say?” Jay snorted softly and rolled his eyes. He sat down on the bed beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and kissing the top of my head. “The usual. He decided to play strict father and went full protective mode. When he got to the ward and didn’t find you there, he turned the entire department upside down until he squeezed the truth out of Jisoo. Once he learned that I was the one who took you, he started breathing fire and threatened to have me arrested for seducing a minor if I didn’t bring you back within half an hour.” Despite the tension twisting inside me, I couldn’t help but laugh quietly, burying my face in his shoulder. “Oh my God… poor Jisoo. And Tae is definitely overdoing it with the threats. He can’t do anything anyway. I’m already an adult, and honestly… I practically forced you to sleep with me.” Jay let out a heavy sigh and kissed my temple. “He doesn’t need to know that. Let him blame me like always.” I sighed and wrapped my arms around his waist, rubbing my cheek against his warm chest. With him, I always felt shielded — completely safe. We sat in comfortable silence for a while, simply holding each other. Then Jay pulled back slightly, stroked my cheek, and whispered with a sad smile: “But we really do have to go back now, sweetheart.” I shook my head and buried my face in the crook of his warm neck, breathing in his familiar scent. “I don’t want to.” Jay stroked my back soothingly. “We have to, baby… I’ve already stolen you for too long. We need to get ready, sunshine. Otherwise, your brother will show up here with the police in half an hour.” Of course I understood that. But instead of getting up, I climbed into his lap and hugged him as tightly as I could, stubbornly shaking my head and refusing to let him go. Jay, despite his words, clearly didn’t want our little “Roman holiday” to end either. He hugged me back just as tightly, sighing quietly as he nuzzled into my neck. Realizing he wasn’t going to push me off his lap — which I had shamelessly occupied — I relaxed a little and closed my eyes, greedily filling my lungs with his intoxicating scent, trying to memorize it. The arrogant brunette patiently endured me sniffing and pawing at him for a while — my hands roaming over his back and shoulders, my nose sliding along his tanned neck. Eventually, he chuckled softly and whispered: “My love… Believe me, I don’t want to let you go either. I’d keep you in this bedroom forever if I could. But we really need to head back. We shouldn’t worry Tae any more than he already is. He’s been really anxious about you.” I knew he was right. Of course I did. Still, I desperately didn’t want this stolen slice of happiness to end so soon. Pressing my forehead to his broad shoulder, I whispered barely audibly: “I’m… really scared, Jay…” “Of what, my sweet girl?” He ran his hands gently down my back, then pulled away to look into my eyes. He lifted my face with warm fingers under my chin. His dark gaze held so much love and tenderness that I felt I could drown in it and never want to surface again. That was all I wanted — to stay here with him forever. But it was impossible. Biting my lip to stop myself from crying, I cupped his handsome face with both hands and whispered hoarsely: “It was so good here… with you. This night became my sweetest dream come true. You created our own little world and made me forget everything — my illness, the fact that this night might be our only one… that I might…” Jay exhaled sharply, about to say something, but I gently pressed a finger to his lips and shook my head. With a sad smile, I continued: “With your tenderness and love, you made me believe that everything will still be okay. But as soon as we go back… the nightmare will start again.” I bit my lip and looked away, unable to bear the intensity of his gaze. Two salty tears finally slipped down my cheeks. Jay frowned and pulled me closer, cradling my face in his large, warm hands. He gently wiped away the tears and pressed his forehead to mine. “Shh, little one… Shh. Don’t cry. Everything will be okay, I promise you. Especially now, after what happened between us. You’re mine now… forever. And you’re not getting rid of me that easily, understand?” I smiled through my tears. “I don’t want to get rid of you, silly. If I could, I’d never let go of you at all…” His face lit up with such a bright smile that I almost went blind. He adjusted his grip on my waist and pulled me even closer — the way he always did when he wanted to make sure I wouldn’t run away. “I’m glad to hear that, Bambi. Because as a good girl, you’re now… officially obligated to marry me. I have your passport. If we leave now, we can stop by the city hall before lunch and get married.” My eyes widened in shock, nearly popping out of my head. “What…?” Mr. McFell remained perfectly calm and businesslike. “You heard me, baby. And you can’t possibly say no after you so deviously lured me into bed and ruined me,” he declared with a cheeky, boyish grin. I finally snapped out of my daze and burst out laughing through my tears, lightly pushing his shoulder. “Hey! Who ruined who?! The dick is still between your legs, by the way!” Jay pulled me closer with a carefree laugh and kissed my hair, gently stroking my back. “The dick may be mine, but you… were my first, Bambi.” “Your… first?” I stared at him in confusion. He leaned in, his voice husky as he whispered against my lips, his minty breath warming them: “My first love, Rosé. My first… and my only.” “Jay…” Tears streamed down my cheeks again, but this time I didn’t even try to hide them. His words had touched me too deeply. He kissed my trembling lips softly, stroking my cheeks with his thumbs, and whispered: “Why are you crying again, my love? Don’t you… believe me? Every word is the truth, I swear…” Sniffling, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself against him. “I do believe you, silly… It’s just… everything is happening so fast.” But the real shock came a moment later. Jay suddenly lifted me off his lap and set me gently on the bed. Then he slid down… and knelt in front of me. From his pocket, he pulled out a small scarlet velvet box. I already knew what was inside. When he opened it and held it out to me, a perfect pink diamond of exceptional clarity sparkled in an elegant gold setting. “Rosé… will you marry me?” “Jay… Did you plan all of this in advance…?” I breathed, stunned, feeling fresh tears blur my vision. He shrugged carelessly and gave me that signature boyish, mischievous smile. “Guilty, Bambi. But that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is your answer, sweetheart. So... Yes or yes?” I let out a shaky laugh and shook my head, smiling. “Yes or yes, darling? No third option?” “Nope, baby. Pick one of the two,” he said, repeating our old kitchen conversation with that same tender, slightly patronizing smile — the one from the day I agreed to date him. “So… which ‘yes’ do you like better? The first or the second?” My heart swelled with so much love for this amazing man. Looking into his warm, beloved eyes, I breathed: “Then the second yes, my love…” His eyes flashed with triumphant joy. He tilted his head, smiling slyly. “And why not the first?” I laughed softly, feeling light and carefree for the first time in what seemed like forever. Feeling… free. “I already used the first one when I agreed to be your girlfriend.” “And now… will you agree to become my wife?” he asked, his voice hoarse and unusually serious, his eyes shining with adoration and love. I looked from the sparkling ring in his hand to his equally sparkling eyes, tears blurring everything. All I could do was nod and whisper with my lips: “Yes…” Seeing the visible relief on his face as he carefully slipped the ring onto my finger, I slid off the bed onto my knees beside him and threw my arms around his neck. I covered his face with frantic kisses, whispering over and over: “Yes, my love… Yes, yes, yes…” Jay laughed quietly and pulled me tightly against him, capturing my lips in a deep, insistent kiss that made my head spin and my knees weak. I clung to his shoulders, barely able to keep up. “Remember, Bambi? I told you that the moment we became intimate, I’d put an engagement ring on your finger,” he whispered after finally pulling back, breathing heavily but still refusing to let me go. His smile was ridiculously smug as he stroked my back and hair. “You’re just… crazy,” I smiled, biting my tingling lips. “I didn’t think you were serious… But you never say anything you don’t mean, do you?” “Never, my love,” he breathed, searing my lips with another kiss. He held me close and whispered, “And I’m never letting you go.”