41| Will you marry me?

I was admitted for bed rest immediately. Dexter and I was left alone in a private ward. He was restless, pacing about, back and forth without saying a single word to me. I felt guilty conscience knocking my heart constantly with every seconds passed by.

I fidgeted with my fingers, thinking of the right possible words that might be suit for apologizing. But nothing keeps coming out. My head is dry because of the too much guilt. It if I had knew, I would have back out from taking those pills.

Of course I knew the repercussion was something like this but yet, I still went ahead to take the risk.

"I seriously didn't know what I was thinking. You have to believe me, my love. I have no idea what came over me." I nervously said, but still no response from him.

He was totally more than just being furious. He was super crazy at the moment and I swear I've never in my lifetime seen this side of him before.

He won't say a word to me nor answer my silly talks. He just keeps pacing around. I wonder how Alyssa's doing now. The others went to see her in her ward. She'd be thinking that I abandon her because my face won't be among the crowd.

I walked out of the bed and held one of his arms, "Honey, I—" I swallowed the rest of my words when he retrieved his arm.

"Don't even dare come close to me now." He said through gritted teeth and I smell how much anger boiling inside him. "How could you, Triana? Huh? That was our babies—"

"Yes I know and am sorry." Tears gathered in my eyes.

I couldn't hold it any longer, I had to let them pour out maybe then he'll know how much SORRY I am and maybe then, this guilt would relief me also. He turned his face away from mine as I began to explain while tearing up.

"The doctor already confirmed it that the babies are still intact." Yes, I'm very lucky.

The pregnancy was three months and a week, unknowing to me all these while, I only got late symptoms. Maybe because it's a set of twins, male and female. I've never had multiple babies at a time before.

"I was stupid and overthinking, you have to understand." When he didn't say a word to me neither flinch, I stood at his front, wanting to gain his attention. "Dexter, I'm sorry. Forgive me."

For good one minute he kept gazing into my eyes like he could see something I couldn't. "Triana, you were three months pregnant." He poked three fingers to my face. "Three months with my babies. Our babies. We've been living together and you didn't even bother telling me about it. You took the highest risk of terminating the pregnancy and now you tell me you were stupid? What where you thinking, huh?"

I sobbed. Only if he understands my intention.....

"I loved you, Triana. I did everything just to make you happy. I want to have a family with you. I want to have babies with you, I see a beautiful future of us together." His words are breaking, I think he's getting emotional too. "Just seems like all these are jokes to you. You don't even love me—"

"No!" I shut him up, one of my palms covering his mouth, tears rolling down my cheeks with my eyes widely opened. "Don't ever say that again, you hear me? Don't. I love you more than you know. And that is one reason why the pregnancy never got terminated no matter how hard I tried. Heaven bears me witness that my intentions were pure."

He slowly took my hand off his mouth. "Pure?"

"Yes," I sniffed my nose and started explaining. "I had my three kids through cesarean surgery. It's not easy, you see. I was told not to get pregnant again or my life and the baby's life would be at stake."

"Do you believe that?"

"I'm scared, Dexter—"

"Do you believe what they said or not?"

I shook my head, "No, I don't." And that is why the abortion pills never worked.

Now I remembered grandma's words. 'A MAN WHO'S READY TO MARRY A WOMAN WOULD ALWAYS WANT UNPROTECTED SEX WITH HER BECAUSE HE WANTS HER TO CARRY HIS CHILD.'

Could it be true with Dexter? Is he really going to marry me? Because I see no reason why he's emphasizing on keeping the pregnancy. Or why he wants to have kids with me.

"Come here," He pulled me into a tight embrace, pressing his lips on the top of my head. His fingers stroking through my messy brown hair. I felt so save and secure in his arms. "Nothing will happen to you and our babies, you hear me?" I shook my head. He lifted my chin, looking down into my big eyes. "You're gonna deliver safely just like every other woman and it's a promise from me to you."

My eyelids shutdown slowly as I felt his sensual lips on mine.

************

It's probably five months now since Alyssa got discharged after being in coma for ten days. Dave insisted that she and her family comes to live with us. Alyssa refused countless times, she declined him saying

'I JUST CAN'T SHARE SAME HOUSE WITH YOU WHEN YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS ABSENT. WHAT WOULD SHE THINK IF SHE COMES BACK?'

Somehow, she sounded like they've met before. Without hesitations, Dave got her a brand new apartment, just two blocks away from Dexter's. He even got to pay for all her debts and expenses after I disclosed everything to him, though Alyssa begged me not to involve him in her issues, but I gat to help her out. The interests keeps rising by the day in addition to the money she owed. I'm glad Alyssa is totally free from the threats of her lenders.

He goes to visit, her, his son and Mr. And Mrs. O'Brien daily. Especially in the morning before taking his son to school. I'm very happy for them. United because of the boy, but I hope one day they get married and Dave would just dump his girlfriend aside.

I really haven't met her yet but my thoughts already guessed what type of woman she could be. This morning during breakfast, his phone rang couple of times to the extent Dave got pissed that he switched it off.

Dexter whispered in my ears that it was Miranda calling.

"If she doesn't find distance relationship interesting, then why don't she come over here to live with her boyfriend?" I frowned, checking the babies' pulse with the stethoscope while Dexter gave me feet massage.

He shrugged, "I don't know. They've been dating like that for the past ten years now. Probably they love to keep it that way."

"Love?" I scoffed sarcastically, taking the plugs off my ears. "Believe it or not, someone has cheated between them."

"Probably not my brother." There he goes again, defending his brother before giving me a warning eye.

"Ow!" I exclaimed from the sudden cramp.

"My love, is it fine with you? Ouch!" He rubbed his head after getting a knock from me.

"You're the reason why I'm stuck in this condition." I snapped at him. My mood swings are at it again.

"You could have just told me they were kicking and I'll understand." He groaned, complaining like a kid.

I set my legs on each of his thighs like I was ready for labour. "I can't wait to drop them out. It's very stressing, you know?"

"Yes, I do, my love." He kissed my toes. "I can't wait to see their beautiful faces and hold them in my arms."

I rubbed my extra large stomach which felt like I'm carrying the planet. "You won't believe, Billy, Becca and Bella are debating on the babies' gender." I chuckled.

"Really?" His brows lifted.

"Yeah, Billy said if it would be two boys, he's gonna give the naming ceremony. Becca said if its gonna be two girls, she'll do everything possible to fight the leading role of her ballet."

"Then what did Isabella suggested?" He asked when I never mentioned her.

I knew he was gonna ask about her, I sighed knowing what's coming. "She said if its three girls, she's gonna kill a frog in a stagnant water."

Dexter bursted into a loud laugh.

"What's funny?" I frowned.

"Three?" He poked three clumsy fingers at me and bursted in laughter again. "Well, what if I say I wish it was nine?"

"Nine—what the!" My eyes bugged. I picked up my slippers and began to use it on him like a mother to her child. "You crazy thing, you want to kill me, huh?"

"Come on, let's populate my world with kids, perhaps, I love kids." He got hold of my slippers, winking at me.

"I'll kill you if I get my hands on you." I threatened and he laughed again.

Too bad I can't even move from where am seated right now, because of the heavy pregnancy. Even this baggy maternity gown felt like sack cloth on me.

"It's almost 1p.m. We should go get ready." He said while giving me shoulder massage.

My brows creased, "Where are we going?" Because I know we've already visited the hospital for maternity check-up this morning.

"My team is celebrating our victory over the FIFA world cup we won. It's a lunch party, everyone's gonna be there. And don't worry, we'll be back before the kids closes from school."

I rolled my eyes, sighing. "Okay, but you should have told me earlier, hmm?"

"Mh-mmm," He kissed my cheek from behind. "Come on, let's go get dressed, the party's about to get started."

I groaned as he lifts me up from my seat. "I'm tired."

"Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, my babies aren't tired. So move it."

"Is Dave coming?" I asked as he wraps his arms around my wide waist while guiding me from the fields to the loft.

"He said he can't come because he's busy with some schedules. Watch your steps, my love."

I lifted my right leg and then my left when we got to the entrance like a child learning how to walk. "Stop telling me that like am blindfolded." I blushed.

"Yes, ma'am." He planted a sweet kiss on my neck that made me chuckle.

***********

"They're here!" Charlotte beamed. She's always been like this since the day she realized that I'm pregnant.

"Ah, I thought the Duke of—" Maverick quickly shut Cyrus's mouth after seeing the deadly glares Dexter darted towards him.

"Dude, do you wanna turn into a piece of chopped meat?" I overheard Maverick giving him the warning signals in a whisper as I settle on the seat Dexter pulled out for me.

"Hi, Triana." Cyrus waved, grinning from ear to ear. "How's the baby—or I mean, babies' doing?"

I cupped my chin, rubbing my big belly, "They're fine, thank you."

From nowhere, infact only God knows where Scarlett jumped out from. "Hi, girlfriend!" She hugged me from behind and took a seat beside me, "Now I feel like the late Queen Elizabeth the second." A big smile in her face.

I swear, I love these girls alot. They make me happy way too much I can't tell. I chuckled, because if I laugh, my belly will ache me from giving the babies too much trouble, so I don't laugh for now. And I also make sure not to get too excited alot. My gynecologist warned me.

Didn't Dexter said everyone's gonna be here except for Dave? I can see my family at the other side of a table. Shawn and Nina waved at me from a distance. I slightly waved back with a brief smile. Grandma blew flying kisses at me and I acted like I caught something in the air. While mom, stepdad Carlos and Mr. And Mrs. O'Brien where busy laughing and chatting over something.

It sure is a big lunch party. But why's Alyssa not here? Even her parents are here. I tried calling her but it's not reachable. I hope she's fine? But I checked her social media page, she was online eight minutes ago. Maybe she'll be here anything soon.

The event hall is so large, sophisticated and classy. Everything is well arranged, decorated and put in place. Wines, drinks, foods, snacks and more. Dexter got to introduce me to his coach's daughter, Viruca Antonio, a Spanish social media influencer and blogger. I also got to meet new faces that I've never seen before. Most of them were Dexter's teammates, football club friends, colleagues from highschool and coursemates from college. I even saw Colton, the bartender from the bar house Dexter and I used to go to.

It is really a huge celebration going on here. Each tables has 12–seaters. We all ate and dined together, it was fun all through and Dexter kept spoiling me with food, saying his babies are hungry for more when I'm already full. He's been treating me more like a baby since this pregnancy and I can't really wait to drop it down.

The next thing he did drew everyone's attention to the stage. Dexter clicked his glass of wine with his car key while I sipped on my peach juice since he won't allow me take strong wine.

"Attention everyone!" He cleared his throat, shoving his car key into one of his pockets while he brought out something else like a little box from the other. "I want to make up something this afternoon." His captivating eyes not leaving my view from afar. "I really don't know how to do this but any how its gonna go, I wanna make it up to you today and right now."

The whole place was in deep pin drop silence, even the pop song got muted by the disc jockey as he walks to my direction.

My brows kept on knitting together as I wonder what's he's up to this time. Hiding one hand behind him while he kept his glass of wine on the table. That wasn't what shook me the most. What shook me was when he went down on one knee, removed his hiden hand from his back and gazed up into my eyes.

Everyone gasped after the shining, glittering thing we saw when he opened the box.

Oh Dexter, please don't, don't, don't, don't, don't.

My heart raced so fast as he took out the ring, giving me eye to eye contest. "Triana, 'since the very day I set my eyes on you' should be a very common statement already. But I'll rather tell you that my life has never been the same since you stepped in. A moment without you in my life reads a degree of zero Celsius. Only you can activate my heart, only you got the password to my heart. My system has been on green signal since you walked into my world and I don't want it to go red. Triana Jefferson, will you marry me? Will you be my wife and my right hand all the days of my life?"

Tears of joy rolled down my cheeks. I chuckled, nodding my head vigorously. "Yes, I'll marry you, Dexter."

"Whoops!" Cyrus blew a loud whistle.

"Woohoo!" Maverick beamed.

Everyone stood up and gave a beautiful round of applause.

Without wasting time, he fixed the shining diamond ring on my finger and gave me a tight hug, "I love you."

"I love you too."

Everyone began to congratulate us from different angles. The moment his friends invited him to their tables, Popping champagnes, the girls surrounded me like flowers.

"Oh my God, it's so beautiful." Charlotte squealed.

"And more like expensive." Scarlett added.

Grandma and the rest of my family came to give me hugs too. "Now you understood my words, kid." She ruffled my hair.

"Aww, grandma, am not five." I groaned.

Nina kissed my cheeks and took my left finger, "Oh mine," Her eyes glittering, "This is the best engagement ring I've ever seen."

"I know, right?" Mom chuckled and whispered something in my ear, "Even mine never matched up with this when your stepdad engaged me in the park."

My eyes bugged, "Mom?" I gasped.

"What?" She laughed, placing one hand on my shoulder. "That was 24 years ago, okay? And it was still selling."

At the park?

I recalled again.

Who does that these days? Engagement at the park? It's never romantic to me.

The party continued in double celebration.

1 for the FIFA world cup and 2 for the engagement. Dexter's coach, Hendrix Antonio brought in another champagne. It only made a fountain of champagne when the guys began to pop it up.

"Woohoo!!!!!!" They squealed again.

"Someone's getting married!" One of them shouted in joy.

As for me, I never took my eyes off the shining thing around my finger. It was still a shock to me. I felt like it's a dream come true. I can't wait to tell Alyssa my good news. She'll be so excited than I am.

Grandma was actually right and what she said was about me.

I'm getting married to the man that brought colors to my life.