Unchasable

Chapter 19

YVONNE

I'm a married woman.

I still can't believe it.

I just got married.

My gaze wonders to the matching rings on my and Levi's fingers, then the champagne in our glasses. Levi and I went out to celebrate, together with Aria and Lewis. We weren't planning to celebrate, since it's all just a fake, but our friends really insisted we'd go, hence why the four of us are in a bar now. I'm sitting between Levi and Aria at a round table for four, a bunch of champagne and snacks on our table.

"To the happy couple", Aria proposes a toast, as she lifts up her glass of champagne, that has pink lemonade in it. I dared ask her why she isn't drinking after she told her order to the waiter. She laughed, assuring me she isn't pregnant, and that she's simply uncomfortable with alcohol.

I didn't push the topic.

"To the happy couple", Lewis adds. Levi comes closer after we had the toast, brushing a kiss on my cheek. For we don't kiss. Not even at our wedding. When we were told to kiss, Levi pressed a kiss near my lips, looking as if he met them, when in fact he didn't. Something inside me felt rather disappointed at that.

My husband seems like a stranger to me after all.

"You know what I find funny?", Levi asks, a devilish grin on. I spent enough time with this man to know that something is coming.

"What?!", Lewis asks, tone more aware, as if he felt it too.

"That dove and I got married before you two, when you're the one with the flashy Eiffel Tower proposal."

My mouth drops at that. "He proposed to you at the Eiffel Tower?", I ask surprised.

Aria nods happily, offering her man a kiss. It's then she almost cuddles next to him, making "couple goals" come true.

"You're so lucky", I tell her, really meaning it.

Levi offers me a raised eyebrow. "My proposal was sexy too."

"What proposal?", Aria asks, not understanding.

Neither do I.

"A ring inside a vintage car and a wedding proposal asked in a hot tub", he tries convincing me.

They were pretty good, I'll give you that.

Only if they were true.

"You haven't told me this", Aria replies offended. She then looks at me: "You either."

"I didn't think you'd be interested", I respond.

Aria offers me a look saying that I couldn't be more wrong. "You're basically my sister-in-law now. We're family. Not to mention one of my closest friends. Of course I care about you."

An honest smile blooms on my face, as I reach my hand out for hers, giving it a squeeze. She gets it and smiles.

It's then Levi's phone lights up for the at least millionth time, and he closes it.

"Those two really can't stop", he mumbles.

Aria and Lewis chuckle, getting it. "They only want you to be happy", Lewis adds.

"With fifty texts?", my husband asks.

Shrugging, Lewis nods. Levi turns to look at me, offering me some context: "Chris and Fabio won't stop texting me, ever since I posted that image of us getting married."

Right. Because we agreed to post a picture of us, him kissing my cheek as we show our rings at the camera, me taking the selfie, to show everyone we got married.

"That's sweet of them", I let out.

He chuckles. "Wait til you get to see them again. Chris has come up with this crazy plan to host a welcome to the family ceremony for you."

I raise an eyebrow. Lewis, who has noticed it, offers me a reassuring look. "Don't worry, Yvonne, we all have been there."

"It was a full day playing bumper cars for me. 24 out of 24 hours. We were only functioning on coffee and chips", Levi explains.

"For me it was bungee jumping", Lewis adds.

Aria smiles, kissing his cheek. "Oh, I remember that. Chris showed me a video. You were so scared, your cheeks were red."

"My cheeks weren't red", he tries to defend himself, turning to make eye contact with her. Their eyes pierce each other, as if they are the only ones here.

"You sure were. You kept saying I don't want to die", she counters.

"Well, the internet said there could have been chances", again Lewis.

"Oh look at you, going all nerd style. Did you really research it before?", Aria teases.

"Also calculated how hard the rope should be and checked it once I got there? I sure did", he answers. Seeming honest.

We all have to chuckle now. Aria kisses him once, before turning her eyes to me again. "For me, it was going climbing a really tall mountain that was very snowy and cold."

"Do all your experiences include almost dying?", I can't help but ask.

The three nod in unison. "Pretty much, yeah", Lewis replies.

"But don't worry, baby. I won't let that happen", Levi tries calming me down, as he sees my frightened face expression. "No one is going to hurt you."

Gosh, this man.

My knees go weak.

My hearts starts drumming in my chest.

And my cheeks heaten.

"In that case", I turn my gaze to Aria and Lewis, so that I don't have to face the consequences of what he just said. "I'm excited to see what they have in store for me."

Never, not in a million years, would I have guessed what was coming.