It was a mild night and the sky was clear. Summer wasn't far away– she could already smell it in the air. Seeing someone apart from herself in the company at that given hour was out of her expectation but there he was. She couldn't help but froze in her steps with a quizzical look registered on her face.
Clinton stepped out of the car with some urgency. He saunters towards Paige who is staring at him with a quizzical gaze. Just as she began to wonder why he was here, his hand wrapped around her wrist.
"Come with me," he said, pulling her along.
"May I know what this is about?" the words fell out of her mouth in a rapid session– the same speed by which they moved to the car. The last words escaped her lips with the slam of the door.
She scowls, watching him settle in the driver's seat. "Is it just me or that's the way you usually get people into your car?" she inquired but the former ignored, stepping on the accelerator as he set the car into motion.
Paige couldn't help but sneer. It was her bad luck getting entangled with him, just to satisfy her desire to get back at Itzel. At least it felt good to be on top of her game. Usually, she was in the wings or hidden behind her sister's mask.
The thoughts ran through her head while they drove through the night-bustling street. She hoped she would be able to handle the responsibilities as their battle for supremacy heats up.
Intuitively, she swallowed and pushed those thoughts away, instead secretly admiring him in his mood of concentration. She knew she shouldn't trust him but a part of her couldn't bring herself to show him how happy she really was to see him. That was weird, right?
As if on cue, Paige averts her gaze just when Clinton thought to look in her direction. She felt his eyes on her as she awkwardly stared outside– not paying much attention to the night view.
In an abrupt, Clinton returned his gaze to the road ahead.
----
After about 20 minutes drive, Paige found they were in the driveway of a park. She made a face, lurking around while she wondered why they were there. At that moment, Clinton stepped out of the car.
In the next minute, he was at her side of the car, holding the door for her while he nodded at the open. She steps out and he slams it shut. Paige was wowed at the sight that met her eyes.
The moonlight was brighter in this part of the city. Its glow was faint, yet still predominantly illuminated the night sky. The only source of light was the moon and faint fairy lights decorated tents.
On an impulse, her lips curved into a smile and she glanced at Clinton before trailing into the park. The latter followed at her heel. It was his first seeing her genuine smile. They walked to the edge of the track and field, making their way to a vacant spot in Clinton's direction.
They settled on the grassy field. Paige set both palms on the ground while gazing up into the night sky. Clinton followed suit. Despite the moon's hazy presence, they were persistent enough to wait outside on the cold ground to watch as the transparent clouds rolled by to reveal distant stars.
From their frame of reference, they can easily spot each beautiful constellation that they never knew existed, seeming to waltz throughout the sky. Back at home, such patterns couldn't even dare to be seen in the sky; light pollution was prominent from where they came from.
Nevertheless, Paige felt the loving presence of the stars around her, knowing all too well that she was not alone.
Her eyes were glued to the sky, anxiously waiting to see the first stars through the clouds. Sitting on the cold grass was when it hit her, NYC was shining bright in the sky between a mess of trees and clouds.
Little by little, more and more stars started peeking out from behind their transparent barriers. As they stared at the sky, these stars started to form constellations.
Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Pisces, Aquarius–they all danced throughout the sky. Paige could see the planets amidst the stars. The sky was endless, signifying the infinite vast universe she felt fortunate enough to exist in. She felt another smile spread across her face.
For the first time, she truly felt happy.
"You knew the relationship between Itzel and I, right?" Clinton's soft voice cut through her thoughts. She glanced at him and then returned her gaze to the sky.
"Yes," she said, unwavering.
"And you said what you said? What was the reason?" He felt there was more to it but wanted to hear it directly from her.
"It was just to prank her,"
Clinton stared intently at her, not buying the whole prank story. But he wasn't going to get laid off.
" Tell me, why did you claim to be my fiancee?" he looked determined to get answers. "Is it for revenge? On Itzel, Nolan, and your mother?" He said, as if aware of the situation at hand.
"Yes, because I know Itzel wants you." she snapped, transforming into a sneering queen bee as she looked Clinton in the eye. Her eyes were like stone, her mouth unsmiling while she stared emptily at him. "...And if she is hurting, Nolan's heart will break too because he loves her. The same goes for Mum, for she cherishes her only sane daughter. They will all be in pain."
Clinton saw the unshed tears shimmering in her eyes and felt the pain and determination she harbored. "Yes," he paused, "...this is exactly what I wanted to hear." his voice was more of assurance than judgemental.
With this said, he jolts to his full length, lurking around before dashing off. She watches as he strays off a few steps from where they sit. After a few seconds, he returned with a strand of grass.
Before she could question, he took her hand. "I should have done this much when rescuing a princess right?" his lips curved into a smile. "Hope this is okay with you?" he said, putting the crafted ring on her finger. "Will you marry me..." he stopped to correct himself. "No, marry me."
This simple gesture appeared to have opened a stop valve somewhere deep inside her because the tears she had been holding back trekked down her face.
"But I didn't prepare anything," she said, hating herself for showing weakness but a part of her felt assured.
"Then show me." his face shone under the moonlight.