Chapter 15: The Journey

Azalea Johnson's POV

I have to dream about Alex after dinner. It was nice and very steamy that I could not think anything other than his perfect mouth and body. I was sweating all over my body when I was getting up from the bed that morning. I smiled at myself before I tossed that idea out of the gutter and went to take a shower.

After the shower, I went to look at the mirror. I could not believe that I have an engagement ring on my left hand. It was all too surreal but I knew better. It was all a facade and I will not let Alex win my heart instantly. I will fight him.

"Lea, Alex is here to pick you up," Amber said as she knocked on my door. I rolled my eyes as I looked at the clock. It was only 9 AM.

I went to pick up my backpack and some other stuff that I will bring to my apartment. It was not that far from my parents' house but it's good to know that Alex will stop by at my apartment for a coffee.

My body shivered at the thought. It must be the champagne that I had last night. I was not a heavy drinker but I could just go by with one or two glasses.

"I have been waiting to do that since I first saw you tonight," Alex's voice came into my mind as I was getting out of the room with my stuff. I can hear laughter from downstairs as I looked at Alex who was talking to my mother and father. They looked pleased with him. I sighed. Maybe they all ever wanted in their life, a son.

"Ah, Lea. You're ready?" Alex said as he looked at me when I was descending the stairs. I smiled at him as he went to help me get my stuff.

"Hi," I said before he kissed me briefly on my mouth. I did not stun as he would do that when my parents were looking at us.

"Hi to you too," he whispered before he headed out to my parents again.

"well, Emily, Riley, I wished I could stay but Lea said that she had something important to discuss with her professor today," he said charmingly as he looked at them. They nodded.

"that's my girl. Now, go get that fund. Alex told me that you will be working on something much better than the last proposal that you wrote and handed to me. I know you can do it, sweetheart," my dad said as he went to hug me before kissing me on the forehead. My mum also kissed me but she did not say much about that.

"Well, I see you on the next holiday," I said as I went out of the kitchen door toward the street.

"Nonsense, you should bring your fiancé more to our home so that he would get to know you better," my mum said. i rolled my eyes as I put the stuff into the trunk. It was nice and clean in the trunk. I think Alex was one of those clean freaks.

"I see what I can do, mum," I said to her. She knotted her eyebrows together.

"what? nonsense, you can come over anytime soon, Alex," she said as she looked at Alex. He smiled charmingly.

"Would not miss it for the world," he said before we waved out goodbyes and Alex held the door for me to get inside the car.

"thank you," I mumbled to him before he closed the door and he went to his side of the car and got in. He started the ignition and drove off from my parents' house.

"I'm sorry if they talked to you so much. I guess they just wanted a son, maybe," I said as I was looking at him. He looked over me briefly before staring at the road again.

"that's cool. I like them, especially your mum," he said as he took a turn. I gritted my teeth as I know my mum can be quite charming herself.

"easy there, MacWatters, do not fall in love with her. My dad knows pretty much skills that can skin you alive without bleeding you to death but it's painful," I said as I was trying to control my anger. I don't know what came over me but with the mention of another woman's name, even my mum had my blood boiled.

Alex looked at me before he smirked at me, "why, are you jealous, my darling?" He asked. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I have to care to be jealous and I don't think marriage contract made me care enough about you," I said before I looked out the window. Alex did not say a word after that comment. So we just drive in silence.

It was high noon when we stop at a diner for lunch. Alex ordered some steak while I took some omelet and salad. He arched his eyebrow and I told him that I don't eat that much.

"no wonder you're so skinny. You need to eat more," he said before he cut some of his steaks and pushed to my mouth.

"I don't want that," I said as I tried to protest. He still put it close to my mouth.

"oh, come on. Just one bite and I promised I will let you eat your omelet and your salad in peace," he said as he was smiling charmingly at me. I bit my bottom lips before I took a bite and he let me eat my omelet. But I must admit, it did taste good.

After we finished our lunch, Alex insisted that he paid for the meal. His excuse was that I need all the money that I made for future reference and also he had to play the part as my fiancé.

"It is my duty, my darling. I will not split the bill," he said and I thankful for that. One time, I had to pay the whole meal for me and my date simply because he 'forgot his wallet'. What a douche!

"Okay, honey. Whatever you want," I said as I was standing beside him when he gave his credit card to pay the meal. It was platinum. No wonder he was willing to pay. He was loaded as fuck. I gulped. I shook my head as I don't want to be one of those gold diggers that only see money to his name.

the cashier gave his card back and he thanked him. I thanked him before he took some food-to-go. I arched my eyebrow at him.

"it's for later. Who knows," he said as we walked hand in hand toward the car. And there was no doubt that his car was exclusive as well. A sleek black BMW convertible. So him.

"thank you," I said as I went inside the car. He closed the door and opened the back door before he put the foods inside and went to the driver's seat to speed off from the diner.

we were on the traffic as we were closing onto the city. It was almost 4 PM and the people were coming back from work. We were listening to the radio as I looked outside the window. There was a ferry that was cruising all over the river. I sighed.

"Why are you sighing?" Alex asked me before I turned to look at him. He had put on his sunglasses and it made him more devilish, delicious and more handsome than I could ever imagine. I can see women fall under his feet every day. I shook that thought away as I focused on his face. He arched his eyebrow.

"well?" He asked chuckling, "will you tell me or not?" He said. I smiled as I pointed to the ferry.

"for the last 26 years of my life, I had never gone on a ferry cruise. I guess when you live in New York your whole life, you think that you can do it whenever you can but I guess I will never. heck, people would say that I did not even be a tourist in my town," I said as I chuckled. I was looking at the radio as it played 'Welcome to New York' song by Taylor Swift.

"Welcome to New York. It's been waiting for you, Welcome to New York, Welcome to New York,"

"It's a new sunshine I can dance to these beat, beat~~~"

"forever, the light is so bright but they never blind me, me~~~"

I was singing at the top of my lung before Alex chuckled and we were getting through the traffic. I keep humming as I feel like a child but I never was a grown-up. I was a child in an adult's body.

After a few hours stuck in traffic, we have come to a place where I don't know why we were stopping in the first place.

"where are we?" I asked Alex as he unbuckled his seatbelt. I was staring at a condominium that might be worth millions of dollars.

"my house," he said shortly. But my head turned sharply as I looked at Alex. He was fighting a smile.

"you meant to say that you live here? At one of the most expensive condos in NYC?" I asked him as I can sense my eyes were bulging. He shrugged.

"Yeah, come on. I need to get something and we can freshen up before I took you home," he said before he went out of the car, stopping the valet to open the door for me. I took his hand and thanked him before he got the food and tossed the key to the valet. I looked at Alex and could not stop my mouth.

"Who are you?" I asked him. He chuckled before he dragged me inside.

"you'll see," he said as we walked into the building.