Chapter 50 Will You Be With Me

Caelan wiped away Sofia's tears with a gentle touch. After Luke and Charlotte's ceremony concluded and they left the stage, Caelan led Sofia onto it. "I know things are moving fast today, and I didn't really prepare." Sofia looked uneasy. Her cheeks were still wet from crying, but she glanced over at Charlotte. Charlotte knew what was going on and gave Sofia a reassuring thumbs-up. Sofia realized then that everyone knew about her and Caelan. Caelan continued. "I might not seem like the most dependable guy, and I haven't been in a serious relationship before. There was that one time, but I've never been as serious as I am right now." Sofia was listening closely, but she couldn't stop her tears. "Sofia, we haven't known each other very long, but I know how I feel about you. I'm prepared if you say no, and I get that all of this is happening really quickly. It might be a lot for you. But today, I'm going all in and telling you. I love you. Will you be with me?" Sofia was overwhelmed with tears and couldn't find her words. She had never been in a relationship before. Although she had been confessed to, she wasn't really into romantic stuff. On the outside, she looked as experienced in love as Caelan, but actually, she was more into platonic stuff and hadn't even held hands with a guy. The place had become packed with people, and reporters had turned up unexpectedly. They probably recognized them, which explained their sudden appearance. "I will." Sofia finally whispered. Cheers and well-wishes filled the air from the crowd. Caelan held her close and gently wiped away her tears. "Don't cry anymore." "I can't help it," she whimpered. Like soothing a child, Caelan gently patted her back until she felt a little better, and then they walked off the stage together. Charlotte teased Sofia with a playful smile. "Didn't someone say they weren't into dating? Seems like that changed super-fast." "Look who's talking." Sofia shot back, her cheeks flushing like the evening sky. She had been nervous about telling Charlotte, but now, Caelan had made their relationship public, and the media had even snapped photos of their special moment. As soon as their story hit the news, people all over the country learned that these two who were once wary of commitment were now together. The media loved a good love story, and this was big news. They celebrated their newfound love at the bonfire party, surrounded by joy and happiness. Everyone there wished them well. For Charlotte and Sofia, it felt like the happiest time of their lives. Andy and Lilya, exhausted from all the fun, were carried by Luke and Caelan. They would have stayed longer, but the children had fallen asleep. Sofia, who had been anxious throughout the day, finally relaxed. Looking at Caelan, her face lit up with a genuine smile. In that moment, she understood that despite the uncertainties of the future, they were content and happy in each other's company right now. As they trailed behind Luke and Caelan, Charlotte gave Sofia a playful nudge. "So, how was it like?" Sofia looked down, feigning interest in her shoelaces. "What do you mean?" "Oh, come on. You know exactly what I'm talking about." Sofia's cheeks turned a soft pink as she admitted, "It was... nice." Charlotte could easily see through Sofia's façade. "You're obviously into him. It's surprising how quickly things developed between you two on this trip." "Yeah, it all happened really fast," Sofia acknowledged, still processing the rapid turn of events. Recalling the previous night sent a chill down Sofia's spine. The thought of what could have happened if she had been alone with a stranger was frightening. She felt genuinely grateful to Caelan for being there. His presence had possibly prevented a terrible situation. All of them returned to the villa after their eventful night and fallen asleep almost immediately. The next morning, Caelan was jolted awake by a call from Robert. "Caelan, you've been keeping secrets! You have a girlfriend and you haven't introduced her to us? Why would you keep such good news hidden?" Caelan, feeling the weight of early morning irritation, responded with a hint of frustration. "Dad, it's early. We just made things official last night. I would've brought her to meet you earlier if that were the case." As Sofia started making noise in the background, Caelan became concerned Robert might hear her. Quickly, he moved away to a quieter spot to continue his conversation. Robert remained unconvinced. "I don't buy it. If you just got together, why all the talk of proposals and love declarations yesterday? You think I'm too old to understand?" Caelan, careful to keep his voice down so as not to wake Sofia, responded, "Dad, I'm telling you the truth. If you're not sure, wait until I bring Sofia to meet you. She'll confirm it." On the other end, Robert was all smiles. "True or not, just don't play games with me. When you return from your trip, I want to meet her. You're grown up now; it's time to think about settling down." Caelan sighed inwardly. He had anticipated his parents' eagerness for him to find a partner, but now, just a day into this new relationship, they were already hinting at marriage. He couldn't help but think it wouldn't be long before the conversation turned to grandchildren. "Whoa, slow down. I got to talk to her first. We've just started dating." "Oh, "Still keeping some mystery, huh?" Caelan said, "No mystery, Dad. It's all real," Caelan assured. "Okay, okay, I'll lay off. But make sure she comes to visit us. Everything okay over there? You got enough money?" "Yep, all good." "And don't forget to buy her some nice jewelry. Now that she's your girl, we need to treat her well." "Got it. Anything else?" "That's it for now." Caelan exhaled in relief. "Okay, Dad." Lorna, having just woken up, caught snippets of her father's conversation in the background. She was still trying to come to terms with the recent news about Luke proposing to Charlotte. In her mind, she wrestled with the thought, 'I can't believe Luke would propose to Charlotte so quickly.'