Emilia.

"You know, I was kind of worried you were going to send me off somewhere without you." I tell Aiden quietly, as we sit in the back seat of his black suburban, cuddled up while Howard drives us to our new home.

I watch as the cabin disappears out of sight, closing that chapter of our lives out with a wave as we head towards our new life. Now, when we come to visit it will be for fun and not somewhere safe to stay for a while.

"I'm too damned selfish to let you go anywhere without me." He replies, his hands grazing my thigh. I sigh, melting into his chest.

The ride is long, but I don't mind. It gives me time to mentally prepare, at nineteen I'll be moving in with my boyfriend. Not into an apartment or a safehouse/vacation home but an actual home home. The feeling is surreal.

I wonder what it looks like, it seems like everyone has already seen it or knows about it. I couldn't be happier than to take this step with him. I wouldn't care if we lived in a shoebox as long as we were together... I hope he knows that.

Finally, after a couple hours, things start to resemble something I know. Driving back into the familiar territory near the town I grew up, I relax. Then we turn down a long winding road to be met with a huge gate, Howard pulls up and presses a numerical code in. The gate swings open and we descend down the street.

My eyes widen at the sight of the neighboring houses, they're massive. But they're not close to each other at all, huge lush lawns go on for what feels like miles until the next mansion comes into view.

Aiden pulls a stray piece of hair behind my ear, "We're home." He says, gesturing his chin towards the Spanish mansion at the very end of the winding road. We pass a small guard station, a man waves us in as the black rod iron gates swing open.

I peek up from his chest, raising my head further to get a better view. An immaculate landscape lays out in front of me, weeping willow trees line the stone driveway. A Spanish style home with moss rising up the sides sits at the end. The moss is not crowding in a suffocating notion, it looks like the home is being hugged by the lush greenery.

It's magical.

I'm speechless as we pull into the roundabout drive, tears threaten to spill at the sight of what is our home.

I listen for noise. In the city it was sirens, in the cabin, it was crickets and wildlife; but here... it's so quiet and serene. The gentle sounds of what I assume is a fountain is all that I hear.

"Welcome to your new home, Emilia." Howard says as he rounds to the back to get our things. I'm so happy he listened to my advice on not calling me 'Ms.' Anymore. Especially since he and my mom are becoming close, it's just too formal.

Aiden leans forward, whispering something to Howard. Who leaves our things at the front door and drives away with a grin. "Where is he going?" I ask, my eyes panning across the gorgeous lawn. Still unable to fully comprehended what's in front of me. I've never seen a home so big before.

Aiden leads me towards the front door, I admire the stonework and vines that creep along the walls. "We're alone for the night."

I wonder where Ash and Ricky will stay. I assumed they would be here, maybe they're just staying somewhere else for the night. I look up at the twisting vines, curious about the lack of guards on the property and Howard not being here. "Is it safe?" I ask him, my voice quiet.

He pulls his hand in front of him, marking out all of the reasons we're safe. "Armed guard at the post, completely gated community, another gate locking us in, a top-notch security system." He smiles, "and you have me."

A wide grin creeps on my face, "Aiden, this is insane." I tell him as he takes the long intricate key and slides it into the lock.

"I don't do anything that's not extravagant, Emilia. You should know that by now."

Before he turns the handle, I lean up for a kiss, "It's absolutely beautiful, Aiden. You know I didn't need all of this right? Like you know that I don't care about your money... I care about you."

He smirks, turning the door to showcase our home. "I know that babe, and that's exactly why you deserve it."

I'm blown away as the doors open. My foot moves forward but Aiden stops me. Quite literally he sweeps me off my feet, bridal style. And walks us both inside. I inhale deeply, taking in the scent of our new home as he sets me down gently.

"Oh my gosh." I say, my wide eyes drinking in the room.

White and gray marble flooring covers the open foyer. The first thing you notice is a massive staircase winding on either side of the entryway. It reminds me of the staircases that princesses walk down in movies during their grand debut. White walls, white marble floors, and a dark chestnut stairway are all that I see. It looks immaculate.

"Oh my gosh." I'm unable to find more words.

Aiden laughs, grabbing our bags and setting them down inside the foyer. "I know." He says, giving a cocky grin.

Hand in hand we walk into a massive living room, passing a vast hallway that leads to God knows where. The one thing I've noticed is how void it is of everything. No furniture, curtains, lamps... anything.

And the ceilings, I have to crane my neck to be able to see up. Everything is so tall.

"This is my favorite part!" I squeal, pointing to the insane fireplace. Our white rug, the only piece of decor/furniture that I've seen sits in front of it.

Aiden laughs, pulling me in for a kiss. "This is the first room you've seen, how can it be your favorite part?" He teases, looking at the rug himself with a nostalgic smirk.

From the floor to ceiling windows in the Livingroom I see another car pulling in. Ashley and Ricky step out, Aiden sighs as they make their way towards the front door. She runs inside, jumping up and down as she gets close to me. "I love it!" she tells me, her eyes panning around the room.

"I do too! Oh my God, can you believe it? A home."

She's practically dancing out of her shoes. "It's unreal and beautiful! But why isn't it furnished?" Ashley asks, gesturing to the empty space.

Aiden pulls me into a warm embrace, he's so tall I have to crane my neck to meet his emerald gaze. "Because Emilia will be the one choosing everything."

My brows raise instinctively "I will?"

"Yes, I'll explain more later."

Ash sighs, "But where will we sleep tonight?"

Aiden smirks, "I'm not sure where you and Ricky will be sleeping." Laughing, he gestures to the only thing in the room, the white plush rug from the cabin. "But me and Emilia will be sleeping right there tonight."

"Okay, eww." She looks to Ricky who whispers something into her ear, her eyes widen.

"You're joking!" she yells, her alto voice bouncing off of the empty walls with a sharp echo.

I turn to Aiden, "What is that about?"

Shrugging he pulls me in for a kiss, "They're our neighbors."

An instant dance breaks out between me and Ash, the guys laugh as we get overly excited about being so close together. "Ahh! I'm leaving. I HAVE to see this, I'll come over tomorrow?" Her words are excited and rushed, so are mine as we say our goodbyes.

After we're alone Aiden pulls me down onto the rug. "I want to explore!" I tell him, playfully swatting him away. He flicks a button and the fire turns on, the wood crackles in the marble fireplace, casting a golden glow against the white walls and flooring.

"We have our whole lives to explore, let the rest be a mystery until tomorrow morning," he tells me, wrapping me tighter against him. We change in the living room, with no curtains -luckily the guard post is way far down at the end of the driveway- and watch together as the sun dips below the tree line, creating a moonlit view inside the living room.

The doorbell chimes and Aiden arrives back to the plush rug with bags of Chinese food in his hands, we sit and eat and laugh as we talk about how he won't let me go anywhere but in front of the warm fire.

"So, what do you mean by me choosing everything?" I ask, scooping noodles into my mouth.

A smirk rises on his face as he slurps egg drop soup, "Well, after we get up in the morning and I show you around... a designer is coming to meet you. If you don't mind, I would like for every room to have exactly what you want." he shrugs, "That's why nothing is decorated."

A tear falls down my cheek, "You didn't have to do that." I tell him, setting my food down. My heart overflowing with the love I feel.

Aiden doesn't speak, he just sets his food down and pulls me onto his lap. "I love you, Emilia."

I show him how much I love him, all night long. In front of the blazing fire, on our white rug. In our home.

♥️

See y'all Saturday