Valentine’s happy vendetta

CHAPTER ONE

DAKARAI’s POV.

Here I was seated in front of the beach, my eyes red with anger and the stranger beside me didn’t even move to console me. I wasn’t expecting him to do so but couldn’t he have said something aside from the same kind of smirk he had on his face when he accepted my ring?

TWO DAYS AGO.

My best friend’s eyes opened wide as saucers when I told her the price of the ring she was holding onto. I mean I would be surprised too if I was in her shoes but from the smile on my face, one could guess I actually didn’t mind the price of the ring. Ten thousand dollars was little compared to the love Caspian had shown me all these years. We both got together when we entered college and it had been a rollercoaster ride until now.

Standing at six feet tall, I always felt confident anytime I stood near him, he had this dominating and reassuring presence.

We have been dating for close to seven years and two days from now was our anniversary, our seventh year anniversary and I couldn’t wait.

Our anniversary always fell on valentine’s day and Caspian always tried to make it special for me, last year he booked us a trip to the Bahamas and this year I decided to book us a flight to the Maldives but it was all a surprise and i haven’t told Zena, my best friend about the trip to Maldives yet, she would literally freak out if I told her.

“I want to say you are a fool but I guess you are too in love to see what this is doing to you” Zena rolled her eyes, her attention still fixated on the ring, “how much more do you have in your savings account, Dakarai? It’s not like you are some sort of billionaire and you are splurging the sum of ten thousand dollars on a ring. Your boyfriend is a f*****g hockey player,he is practically a celebrity. Like do you even watch the news?” Zena sounded a bit irritated, “only his right hand is worth about fifty million dollars, how much more are the remaining parts of his body. He should be the one spending on you and not the other way round”

I couldn’t help but laugh, Zena was actually a drama queen.

“Did you forget or you just don’t care?” I asked her, “have you forgotten how he has been taking care of me ever since I broke my leg?”

“Which was kind of his fault” she snorted, “you know how crazy his fans are yet you joined them at the airport to welcome him. He is the reason why you couldn’t become the ballerina you want and I still have not forgiven him, he ended your career”

“Are we still on this?”

I collected the ring from her and replaced it in my tote bag.

“It wasn’t his fault and do you know how much he spent just to try and get my legs fixed? He bought me the apartment I stay in now , remember? And the car I drive, caspian is the greenest flag ever and you know it”

“Oh please” she rolled her eyes again, “that’s his job, he signed up for that when he asked you to become his girlfriend. Not like you have nothing, at least you work for one of the best ballet academy in the country, you aren’t fully dependent on him and even if you are, it’s his duty to take care of you and you know that”

I didn’t say anything and just kept sipping in my cocktail. I didn’t expect Zena to understand but my relationship with Caspian was something I wouldn’t trade anything for. I loved him too much, he was literally my lifeline. I remembered how devastated he was when I broke my legs. We flew to different countries but it couldn’t be restored. He blamed himself for weeks unending for my injuries and even wanted to quit his job but I talked him out of it. I mean we both couldn’t forgo our dreams.

I was drawn back to the present by Zena’s voice again, she was about to leave.

“I’ve gotta go” she told me, she was already packing up her stuff, “have some errands to run”

“Okay, I will also go home too. I am quite tired”

“You should get enough rest for your engagement party on Valentine’s Day, yeah?” She was clearly mocking me, “i haven't seen where a lady is the one to engage her man”

“Just go away” we both burst out laughing before she finally walked out of the cafe.

I have known Zena for close to fifteen years and she was one of the best things to ever happen to me. I loved her so much and I knew she loved me too, more than I could even describe.

I pulled out the ring again to look at it, I loved it and I was sure Caspian would love it too, I mean who wouldn’t?

My whole body quivered, I was already excited for the big day and I couldn’t wait.

I mean we have been dating for seven years, it was right to get married yeah?

Putting it back into my bag, I grabbed my things before making my way out of the cafe.

My classes finished an hour ago and I called Zena over to show her the ring. I need to get some rest so I can use my day off tomorrow to get my hair and my nails done.

I remembered my mum telling me I didn’t need to put too much effort into these things, I was a natural. My mum was from morocco while my dad was American, it was safe to say I was a perfect mixture of both but I leaned more to my mother’s side in the aspect of face and body.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of my head, I hurried towards my car before zooming off.

******

Once settled in my bed for the night, the thought of Caspian filled my mind and I couldn’t help but smile while punching in his number.

I was sure he must have landed in Paris by now, he had a game tomorrow morning and he would fly back to New York.

His line immediately connected and his handsome face came into view.

“Hey baby” I beamed with excitement, “how was your flight?”

“It was cool” he responded, “I was just about to get ready to hang out with the boys before the game tomorrow”

“Oh, I was a bit disappointed, “i thought we could spend some time together since you left hurriedly two days ago”

“You will have me all to yourself for Valentine's Day my love” he smiled, that smile that I always loved, “maybe you could let my boys have me for the night? I mean it’s not a big deal right?”

“Of course not”

“That’s my princess” he flashed his dimples and I almost melted on my bed. Seven years and I was still obsessed with him.

“Let's talk when I get back okay?”

“Sure, make sure not to drink or you might come down with a hangover okay?”

“Yes, your majesty” he was clearly teasing me and I couldn’t help but laugh, “and I won’t be able to watch your game tomorrow, I have a whole lot piled up on my plate tomorrow”

“It’s okay baby, say me a prayer”

“Of course I will”

He air kissed me and the line immediately went dead while a pout appeared on my face. He was always busy during this time of the year and when he was not playing in tournaments, he was overseeing his fashion company.

I was proud of him, really proud of him for how far he had come. I remembered his both parents died even before we got together, he really tried pushing himself out there and I was with him every step of the way. We both co-owned the company but he had more shares and I was happy to let him, not like I had too many responsibilities except for my step mother and younger sister who were in Seattle. When mum died, dad married that lady and it has just been like that ever since.

Dropping my phone on the bedside table, I pulled my blanket over my head and closed my eyes. I won’t let anything make me feel sad now, valentine was a day away and I couldn’t wait to see the look in his eyes when I handed him the ring, I could feel butterflies in my stomach and I loved it.

*****

My sleep was interrupted by the sound of someone screaming and I didn’t flinch, Zena was a drama queen. This was the cue for me to change my passcode. How could she just barge into my house early this morning almost screaming down the roof?

“What the hell, girl?” I pushed my body to a sitting position, “why are you screaming like you saw a ghost?”

“Did you book a trip to the Maldives for you and caspian?” She was holding my passport and boarding pass in her hand

Well, I guess the cat was out of the bag and there was no need to hide it anymore.

“Yeah, I did” I answered with a shrug, “we went to the Bahamas last year for valentine, remember? I just want to make that moment special for us and I can’t do that in a cheap hotel here in New York. Our flights leaves by 5, we should go to the saloon before then”

“You are crazy!!” She hissed in anger, “I bet your mother will be turning In her grave now seeing how you are simping over a man”

“And I bet my mother will be proud of me for not being fully dependent on him, I mean I should show him that I am also equal to the task. Not like I am broke”

“Compared to the kind of money caspian has, you are broke my dear” she plopped down on the bed with an eye roll, “this is a bit too much, really Dekarai”

“Can we just stop talking about this? It won’t change anything okay?”

“Well” Zena shrugged, “I will take that salon date though”

I chuckled, trust her to always accept a salon date.

The rest of the day went by so quickly, I redid my ginger colored locs and we went for a little shopping.

By the time we were done, it was an hour to board.

Caspian said he would meet me at the airport and I couldn’t wait, I have actually missed him so much.

*****

As soon as I saw him standing in front of the lounge, I immediately rushed into his embrace and buried my face in the nook of his head and I immediately felt safe enveloped in his arms.

“Hey baby” I could feel the smile on his face.

“God, I have missed you so much, Caspian,” I told him.

“I am here now and you have me all to yourself for Valentine” he pressed a kiss on my forehead making me blush.

“I missed you sweetheart” he whispered over my hair and my whole body tingled.

“I missed you too”

I was excited for the trip to Maldives and also for the ring seated in my coat. I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when I proposed to him.

“So why Maldives, huh?” He asked me again, his British accent thick in the air. He was half American and half British and boy, he was too handsome to be true.

“We should spend our valentine in an exquisite place” I told him and he nodded.

“I will let you dazzle me then”

“Oh, you will be dazzled”

If I knew the trip to the Maldives would leave me more dazzled than I actually bargained for, I wouldn't have asked my best friend to come with me to capture the moment for us at the very last minute.