Chasing Hearts

Twenty

I was able to sneak out the front door and surprised Reign when he showed up at my window.

"How did you get out so easily?"

I grinned. "My mom is gone for the night, so we have more than enough time."

"Good, I didn't want to rush our night together." His grin matched mine.

Mine faltered a little when I noticed he didn't say our 'last' night together. He had no idea that it would be, and that's the way I wanted it to be. I didn't want to be held down by misery tonight.

"So, since you invited me out, I assume you have a plan for tonight? I assume it also involves the reason why Xiuying kept me out of the shop all day."

I tried to hide my smile. "Maybe I do."

"Come on, let's get going before it's too late."

We rushed over to the shop and all the lights were off. Good, I thought. Maybe he hadn't realized the surprise yet, he was just suspicious that there was one.

Reign walked in and threw his keys down on the front table, then wandered into the back. I waited to see if he would enter his workshop or ask why the door was closed when it was opened before he left for school this morning. I closed it to make sure he didn't accidentally catch sight of something inside.

"Shall we eat? I grabbed noodles along the way to your place, this time we can make them here and they'll taste much better than heating them," Reign asked.

"You just have to add boiling water, it isn't that hard. Do you have any eggs?" I got up and started searching the mini fridge before he answered. There was a small carton of eggs to my luck, and even some green onions surprisingly.

I pushed him out of the way and searched for two bowls and a kettle. He had everything needed there but it looked like he mostly ate take-out. Tonight, I was going to cook him an actual meal, well, close to one.

I poured the hot water into the bowls with the noodles, then mixed it around with the spices and green onion. As that cooked, I asked for something else to cook on and he gave me a hot plate to cook the eggs on. Once that was done, the noodles were done, and I placed the eggs on top.

"There we go, a semi-home-cooked meal," I said and placed everything down on the table.

"Wow, that actually looks delicious. I never thought to put an egg on top, or anything that didn't come in the packet really," he chuckled.

"The best is when you add pieces of beef and vegetables. It really adds some nice flavours, and I'd much rather mine have a little spice to it."

He held up a finger and got up to come back with a small bottle of hot sauce. I took it gladly and poured my desired amount, which looked like it was going to make Reign throw up.

"So, has your mother said when you're leaving?" he asked after a long silence.

I wasn't sure what to tell him. I didn't want to lie, but the truth hurt too much to say.

So, I opted for a lie. "She said I could stay until after the New Year holiday, I've already been registered at my new school so I'll start as soon as I get back."

He took a deep breath. "That soon, huh?"

I bit my lip. If only he knew how soon it was.

"Let's not think about that for tonight. Eat up, and then we need to check the time to make sure we don't miss midnight," I said.

"I'm not all that excited for New Year's, I'll be honest. How about we just chill and watch a movie before you have to go back to your mother's?"

I couldn't keep this truth from him. "Actually, Xiuying might have told me that you don't like New Year's. When I asked her for some ideas, she mentioned that your mother fell ill around this time, and you haven't wanted to celebrate since."

He took another deep breath and exhaled loudly; I was worried I had angered him by not asking him myself. It had just slipped out of her mouth during conversation, I didn't want him to get angry at her over that.

"Yes, that's true. My mother was diagnosed with Leukemia the day before New Year's, so I spent the entire day and night in the hospital with her. She wanted to watch the ball drop, but she was too weak from chemotherapy at that time, so she wasn't able to leave her hospital bed. There was no TV and no radio, there was no way for her to celebrate the year she wouldn't live long to see."

I stayed silent as he poured his heart out, holding back tears for the loss of this dear woman who must have meant the world to her son.

"I'm sorry, Reign, and I'm sorry to ask this of you. But, would you be willing to celebrate with me, just for this year?"

He smiled and grabbed my hand to place a kiss on the back.

"If I could have it my way, I would celebrate every year with you."

Chills went down my spine and my face heated up. I wanted to both grip his hand tighter out of endearment and rip my hand away out of embarrassment. How could he say such sweet things so easily and with such a serious face?

"What is the surprise you have planned for tonight? It's almost midnight," he said and dragged me out of my thoughts.

I looked at the time and it was 5 minutes to midnight. We packed and cleaned everything off the table and I led him toward the workshop.

"Close your eyes," I said.

He chuckled but did as he was told, and I continued to guide him into the room and flicked on the lights. "Okay, open them."

"Holy..." he started to mumble. "You did all of this?"

I just nodded sheepishly. I was hoping he wouldn't be mad that I entered his workshop and messed around without his permission. I wanted our last night to be here because it was where I felt I realized that I was depending too much on the future and not living in the moment.

I checked the time again and there was only a minute before midnight.

"There is one more thing," I said and turned to lower the glittery ball I had decorated with the supplies in the room. I then turned on the projector against the white tarp on the wall and played the countdown.

"Now we can celebrate properly," I added.

Reign stared blankly at the screen for a few minutes before he spoke.

"This is amazing, Maia. Thank you." He smiled.

I breathed a breath of relief that it worked out in my favour, and he wasn't upset at all.

"Come, let's sit down and watch the ball drop," I said and pulled him down onto the pillows on the ground.

He surprised me by pulling me down further, so we were lying next to each other on the ground, looking up at the glittery ball that hung above us.

We started the countdown from 10 together.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1..." we said together.

Reign turned to me and cupped the side of my face.

"Happy New Year, Maia." He then kissed me hard and poured all his feelings into the gesture.

So much that it made me want to cry, knowing what I was going to do to him when I left tomorrow morning.