Arthur could hear her filling the bathtub and realised she was going to take a bath. He desperately wanted to join her and stood by the door contemplating of he should ask her to let him join too.
But then he decided against it and walked to the bedroom to have a good look. That signature in that big photograph still was an eyesore, but he decided to not dwell on it.
He opened the closet and it looked awfully small to the one back in her mansion. That closet still had the dresses she wore when she was little and many dresses that her grandfather still orders now in case she suddenly returns and it still has space left. There are a almost a thousand bags for her back home. Jewellery, most of them that were belonged to her mother and grandmother are still kept in her closet. After he moved in, her grandfather renovated her room to accommodate him and so he has a closet area in her closet too.
He was surprised to see not much dresses in her closet here and most of them were formal wear and some shoes and bags. There was some empty space and he was so exited. He brought in his luggage and hanged his suits beside her dresses and his clothes in the empty racks. He felt blissful seeing their clothes hanging side by side.
If she doesn't want to return to Esteria, he was willing to live with her even in this small eight hundred square feet apartment for the rest of his life. In this globalised world, he doesn't have to be physically present in the head office to run the Northern Star company.
Once they have kids they can buy a mansion in the suburbs or if she wants to love in the city maybe a penthouse in a place with good schools, near a park maybe and also with good privacy.
Arthur's mind wandered rampantly with thoughts and dreams of his future life with Talia but then he composed himself.
She hasn't agreed yet. And he is here to bring her back to visit her grandfather.
He walked to the white antique styled vanity she kept beside the big window in the bedroom. Seriously he himself couldn't understand the purpose of a big window in the bedroom.
Maybe for the sunlight to get in...?
He checked at the drawers and they were neatly organised with her makeup, styling appliances and perfumes. She also kept her jewellery in one of the drawers. They didn't seem so expensive and looked more of a daily wear.
But of the seven drawers, one was locked and that piqued his interest. He knew she wouldn't have hidden the key too far and as he expected, it was in one other drawer stuck to the top with a magnet.
He opened the drawer to see s beautiful pearl necklace that would very well be worth her entire apartment kept in a simple box. This probably was given by the royals.
There was another intricately carved wooden box that attracted him and he couldn't find the key for it. He sat on the bed and tried to open the box. He soon found out the box is a puzzle and the keyhole is just a distraction.
He figured out the puzzle box and the box opened and he saw there were three compartments with lids inside the box.
He opened the first compartment and was surprised to see that blue marble he gave her when they were kids.
"You said you lost this, Iris..."
Arthur said softly as he traced his finger over that marble that was still as perfect as when he gave her. When they were in high school, she said that she lost it a long time ago and she even said that she even forgot about it and wouldn't have remembered it if he didn't mention it.
That liar!
But she kept it in such good condition for more than two decades? And she is keeping it more safer than that pearl necklace. This glass marble is worth nothing compared to it.
With a smile that reached his eyes and heart filled with delight, he opened the next compartment and was much more flabbergasted.
Inside there was a beautiful necklace with a big teardrop shaped blue stone surrounded by two layers of glittering white stones.
No, the blue stone was neither a diamond or a sapphire, but was a cubic zirconia stone and so were the white stones.
He gifted it to her back in high school. He was living alone and didn't accept any money from his family and worked and paid for his own necessities.
Back in their second year, he knew he fell for Iris and he couldn't hold back his love for her. He knew he was the one who fell for her first. She never showed any emotions in her face and never would go to him first. He was the one who'd follow her behind, wherever she went. She was friendly with him, if he initiated the talk. Otherwise she'd be silent and would sit alone somewhere.
He had his doubts about her relationship with Cyrus because of her lack of interest towards him, but after that day when she asked him to kiss her, he could see it in her eyes.
He purposefully showed her Cyrus kissing that teacher to observe her reaction and she looked nonchalant as always and like she was used to seeing him with other women. There was no jealousy or sadness in her eyes.
When she asked him to kiss her, he for a moment thought that she might be asking him to get back at Cyrus for being with other women and tried to use him. He didn't want to be a second choice or someone used for revenge, but as he looked into her eyes, he could see her slightly blushing and he knew then that she has some feelings towards him.
When they kissed, he could tell she hasn't kissed anyone before. He could just tell since he didn't know how to properly kiss either.
That day he was on cloud nine and couldn't eat or sleep.
He wanted to give her something since she was his first kiss and his first love. He remembered that day by the river when he kissed her and he even promised her that he'd marry her. But he dint mean it then. He was just a boy and didn't understand what love meant or marriage meant. But as a teenager he had a sliver of understanding of what they meant.
He knew for sure he loves her as he was sure that he won't be allowed to marry her. He could change his name and become someone else but he cannot run away from everything his family has done against her family. He knew she won't accept him as her husband.
She was that way. Even though she wanted to rebel against her grandfather and would try to do everything against his orders, even though she got closer to him to give her grand father headaches, he knew there was a line she won't cross ever. He knew she won't cross that creek ever again.
She was a Brunton and she will never marry a Boswell and carry a Boswell heir.
I mean how could he expect her to? His family took her mother and her brother from her. He met her mother once and she seemed like a very lovely and sweet lady. But she was brutally killed by his uncle. How will she able to accept him then?
He was an intelligent and rational thinking person... He knew it won't work out ever between them. But he wanted to give her something. That desire to give her that marble which was like a spark had now became a big fire burning inside him. He wanted to kiss her more. He wanted to gift her things. He wanted to have her all for himself.
There were somethings he could do and somethings he cannot. He cannot get her as his wife but he can gift her something. So he worked hard.
It was hard for him to buy even a sterling silver necklace with cubic zirconia. He had to save his everything for a long time to buy this necklace for her. He took two part-time jobs and would skip breakfast and dinner to save money. Lunch would be provided in their school and that was the only meal he ate. It was hard for him to stay hungry but he persevered.
And she was no ignorant lass. She knew he was starving himself just after a week. She grilled him for answers but he stubbornly refused to tell her. He wanted to surprise her.
And from the next day onwards, she started bringing packed breakfast to school and would give it to him. Everyday it will be different kind of sandwiches and she brought excess that he'd have some left for dinner too.
At first, he refused her when she offered money but from the next day she started bringing food. She'd tell him not to waste food and he had to give in.
Giving in to her wishes... He liked it.
She was not overbearing or bossy. She was gentle and graceful and oddly that made him give in to her. If she was a spoilt bratty princess, he might not have fallen for her. It was her calm demeanour and her soft nature that made him fall for her hard.
Back then... He didn't starve thanks to her.
Arthur picked up the necklace and it dangled down from his perfectly sculpted fingers.
That day when he gifted this to her, his heart was beating in his chest fearing she'd mock him for gifting her such a cheap gift. He himself grew up rich and was used to gold and precious gems and she, a Brunton was a hundred times richer than him. She probably would have never seen a cubic zirconia closer or she might not know what sterling silver is. She is someone who rolled in gold and diamonds.
But when he gathered all his courage and gave this to her, he could see her eyes glistening with tears.
"You bought it for me with the money you earned?"
She asked as she held that necklace like a treasure she had never laid eyes on.
"It would have cost you more than three months of your salary," she said and wrapping her arms around his neck kissed him as she stood on her tiptoes.
Honestly, after looking at her eyes and after that kiss, he wanted to gift her daily to see that expression in her eyes and get kissed by her, but she made him promise that he won't try to gift her anymore.
And now that he thinks about it, he heard somewhere that a man should be spending his three month gross salary for an engagement ring. Is that why she said that then?
She didn't value the necklace at its face value as a fake. She saw that he gave up a lot to gift her that and spent all that he earned for it.
She really is amazing. To think she kept this in such proper condition till now....
Seriously, which man wouldn't love such a reasonable woman like her who looks beyond the face value?
Back then after she left their wedding, they heard that she crossed the creek and reached her mansion sopping wet. The maids told him that she started removing the wedding dress right in the middle of the living room as if she was itchy wearing the dress and locked her room for sometime before emerging out with her hair still wet and ran out. And she disappeared for almost a year.
'So she picked up the marble and necklace with her before she left? She was mad at me for abandoning her and yet the only things she picked up from her room were the gifts I gave her?'
Oh, my sweet little Iris!
Arthur just wanted to walk up to her and kiss her. But he knew now he cannot do that.
Everything has changed between them now.
Arthur placed the necklace back inside the compartment and wondered what the last compartment might contain. He had only gifted her these two items.
Could it be something gifted by her ex-boyfriend?
Arthur unconsciously bit his lips as he opened the last compartment.
His eyes widened with disbelief as he opened the lid.
No way!