Chapter 40: 39 | Cinderella

39 | Cinderella

Kim | Trev | Others

❝Good evening, Ms Whitton.❞

❝Are you...❞

❝Yes, it's me. Let's go. I have somewhere to bring you.❞

❝This car is gorgeous!❞

❝Thank you. It's one of my favourites.❞

❝Okay, Mr Wealthy. We get it.❞

❝C'mon.❞

● ● ●

❝The beach! How did you know that I liked the beach?❞

❝You mentioned it.❞

❝Really? I don't remember that. What are we doing here?❞

❝You'll see.❞

❝I shouldn't have worn a dress! It's getting dirty.❞

❝Don't worry, we'll be staying in the car. Just wait and see.❞

❝Good evening, Mr Arden. Here's your wine. Another one for this beautiful lady.❞

❝Thank you.❞

❝Oh my god, wine?❞

❝I chose this one for you.❞

❝What are we doing? Sipping wine while stargazing?❞

❝Something like that.❞

❝That's so romantic! No wonder you're the heir.❞

❝You're doing that again.❞

❝What?❞

❝Excessively complimenting.❞

❝Tell me you don't like it and I'll stop.❞

❝...❞

❝See? You like it. Humans love compliments. Even sexy, charming, heirs.❞

❝...❞

❝Don't look at me like that!❞

❝Close your eyes.❞

❝What?❞

❝Just close them. Trust me.❞

❝Okay.❞

❝Give me your hand.❞

❝Why?❞

❝C'mon. On the count of three, open your eyes, okay?❞

❝Okay.❞

❝Three, two, one.❞

Just then, fireworks erupted into the sky, painting it a palette of colours.

❝Trev, it's beautiful.❞

❝Look at your hands.❞

Kim looked down and saw a heavy box placed carefully on her palms. Trev slowly opened it, revealing a diamond plated necklace, delicately shaped into a glass slipper.

❝Oh my gosh! It's a glass slipper.❞

❝Do you like it?❞

❝Yes! I love it. But why? Why are you doing this?❞

❝Because I've found my Cinderella.❞

❝...❞

❝What's wrong?❞

❝Look, Trev, I really appreciate this entire event that you've planned for me.❞

❝But?❞

❝But I don't know if this is right. I mean, I really enjoy talking to you, but I feel like everything is happening so quickly.❞

❝I understand.❞

❝Please don't be hurt. Tonight was absolutely magical. I just think that we should take things slowly, you know? Get to know each other better, then you can decide if you'd still like to be with me. This condition isn't the easiest to work with.❞

❝...❞

❝What do you think?❞

❝I completely understand. It's just a little tough to swallow.❞

❝I-❞

❝No, Kim, I appreciate you being so honest with me. I might've rushed through things, that I admit, but hear me out.❞

❝Go ahead.❞

❝Do you remember how we came to know each other?❞

❝Would be tough to forget, I'm telling you.❞

❝I detested the way you handled things. I thought it was completely irresponsible.❞

❝I'm sorry, I really didn't-❞

❝Shh, let me finish.❞

❝...❞

❝But as I got to know you, I found myself looking forward to our calls. I would glance at my phone every now and then to check if you had texted me, and it was frustrating. I had never felt that way about anyone, so I tried turning my phone off, or leaving it at home, but I always found myself looking for it again. That was when I knew.❞

❝That?❞

❝That you were different. The way I felt about you was different. You're like a breath of fresh air to me. Talking to you made me feel like all of the stress I faced that day was gone. You made me smile with your terrible jokes, and made me crack up with your insanely stupid stories.❞

❝Oh, Trev.❞

❝I know this is too soon, and I promise that I'm usually a very careful person, but I've thought about this day and night ever since I knew about your condition, and I kept arriving at the same answer. You make me happy, Kim. You are a risk that I'm willing to take.❞

❝I don't know what to say, Trev, I- I never knew that I meant this much to you.❞

❝Neither did I.❞

❝But I need time. There's still so much trauma and when I look at your face sometimes, I feel like I can see him, and it just makes me- I don't know.❞

❝Kim-❞

❝I'm okay. It's something that I have to deal with on my own. I can't give you an answer now, but please know that I really enjoy your company, and I would love to get to know you better.❞

❝I know.❞

❝Are you willing to wait for me?❞

❝The prince didn't find Cinderella immediately, did he?❞

❝God, you're cheesy.❞

❝You like it, don't you? You're smiling!❞

❝...❞

❝C'mon, do you?❞

❝Okay, okay. I do.❞