<b>Chapter </b>145


    <i>Kai’s </i>POV<b>: </b>


    28%


    Gracie stared at me with a confused look on her face. Naturally, I understood. She had no idea I was the boy she’d met all those years ago. Before leaving, my mother whispered to me that she hadn’t told her. I wanted to let her know everything, about how she changed my life, how I looked for her all those years. But first, I had a few questions. My parents neglected to inform me we were engaged. I needed to know when and HOW that happened. Before I could say anything, Gracie spoke first as if reading my mind.


    <i>“</i><i>I </i><i>imagine </i><i>you </i><i>have </i><i>a </i><i>few </i><i>questions</i>. <i>Though </i><i>I </i><i>have </i><i>a </i><i>some </i><i>of </i><i>my </i><i>own </i><i>as </i><i>well</i>.”


    <b>99 </b>


    She chuckled nervously as she stared directly into my eyes. The intensity of her gaze


    caused me to look away, afraid she’d catch me blushing.


    <i>“</i>I’m <i>sure </i><i>you </i><i>do</i>. <i>I’d </i><i>be </i><i>more </i><i>than </i><i>happy </i><i>to </i><i>exin </i><i>everything</i><i>, </i><i>but </i><i>first</i><i>…</i><i>how </i><i>did </i><i>you </i><i>meet </i>


    <i>my </i><i>parents</i><i>?</i>”


    Gracie began to exin everything in detail to me. She exined how she met my mother at the beachst week and how she’d yed her violin for her. It was interesting hearing her describe their meeting. She hasn’t changed since childhood, still helping those in need and bringing them back to life through her music. After she exined how she met my parents, she informed me of their asking her to marry me. Her cheeks blushed slightly as she exined that part, I could feel my heart racing at the sight of her redden ears and


    flushed face.


    <i>“</i><i>So</i>, <i>that’s </i><i>how </i><i>we </i><i>got </i><i>engaged</i><i>.</i>”


    Her warm smile didn’t quite mask the nervousness in her eyes as, I chuckled inwardly thinking about how nervous I was when I’d first met her.


    “<i>Thank </i><i>you </i><i>for catching </i><i>me </i><i>up </i><i>on </i><i>everything</i>. <i>Also</i><i>, </i><i>I </i><i>apologize</i>. <i>I </i><i>know </i><i>this </i>must <i>have </i><i>been </i>a <i>lot </i><i>for </i><i>you </i><i>epting </i><i>the </i><i>proposal </i><i>of </i><i>someone </i>you <i>don’t </i><i>know</i>, <i>much </i><i>less </i>a <i>person </i>in a <ia</i><i>.</i><i>” </i>


    Gracie’s smile was filled with warmth and empathy, her eyes looked down at her hands and then back at me. I could see her cheeks reding again.


    <i>“</i><i>No </i><i>apologies needed</i>. I’m <i>d </i><i>I </i><i>said </i><i>yes</i><i>.</i><i>” </i>


    <b>C </b>


    O


    <b>6 </b>


    O


    28%


    My heart did a skip and jump; she was d she’d said yes!!! Before I told her who I was, I needed to know why. Hoping she wouldn’t notice the longing in my voice, I proceeded to


    ask.


    “<i>Gracie</i><i>, </i><i>if </i><i>you </i><i>don’t </i>mind me <i>asking</i>…<i>why </i><i>did </i><i>you </i><i>agree </i><i>to </i><i>this </i><i>arrangement</i><i>?</i><i>” </i>


    Gracie’s eyes widen, I could tell she was getting nervous, her eyes had a different expression…guilt maybe? I instantly regretted my question, fearing she would say something that would void the engagement. She began to speak.


    <i>“</i><i>At </i><i>first</i><i>, </i><i>I </i><i>agreed </i><i>for </i><i>your </i><i>mother</i><i>. </i><i>I </i><i>felt </i><i>instantly </i><i>drawn </i><i>to </i><i>her</i>. <i>She’d </i><i>shown </i><i>me </i>so <i>much </i><i>kindness</i>, <i>I </i><i>wanted </i><i>to </i><i>give </i><i>her </i><i>something </i><i>in </i><i>return</i>. <i>Also</i>…<i>for </i><i>the </i><i>first </i><i>time </i><i>in </i><i>a </i><i>long </i><i>time</i><i>, </i><i>I </i><i>felt </i><i>like </i><i>someone </i><i>actually </i><i>cared </i><i>for </i><i>me</i><i>.</i><i>” </i>


    I listened to her response intensively. ‘For the first time in a long time‘, what did that mean? Has she been mistreated? By whom? I could feel myself getting angry, I had breath slightly to calm myself. Gracie lifted her head looking to the right, a slight smile curled her lips.


    <i>“</i><i>Also</i>…”


    Blushing?


    Why?


    <i>“</i><i>When </i>I <i>first </i><i>saw </i><i>you</i><i>, </i><i>I </i><i>felt</i><i>…</i><i>I </i><i>felt </i><i>drawn </i><i>to </i><i>you </i><i>as </i><i>well</i>. <i>Like </i><i>you </i><i>were </i><i>someone </i><i>I </i><i>was </i><i>waiting </i><i>for </i><i>my </i><i>whole </i><i>life</i>.<i>” </i>


    I could feel my ears starting to burn. It felt like all the emotions I held on to these past 10 years were about to burst out of my chest. I had to tell her.


    <i>“</i><i>Gracie</i><i>, </i><i>you </i><i>don’t </i><i>remember </i><i>me</i><i>…</i><i>do </i><i>you</i><i>?</i><i>” </i>


    Gracie’s eyes shot up. She had a puzzled look on her face. I smiled warmly and continued.


    <i>“</i><i>About </i><i>10 </i><i>years </i><i>go </i><i>on </i><i>a </i><i>mid</i><i>–</i><i>summer </i><i>day</i>. <i>My </i><i>mother </i><i>took </i>me <i>to </i><i>the </i><i>favorite </i><i>beach </i>of <i>me </i>and <i>my </i><i>best </i><i>friend </i><i>Sammy </i><i>hoping </i><i>it </i><i>might </i><i>help </i><i>cheer </i><i>me </i><i>up</i><i>. </i>


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