It had been surprisingly easy for Alina to pack a bag that was going to last her for an entire week. While it was true that she wasn’t the lightest packer, it was also true that she didn’t need two separate bags for shoes alone. She had managed to get everything shoved into one bag. That included her new bathing suit, her make-up and her hair accessories. She couldn’t go anywhere without her hair dryer. There were even a couple of sexy outfits stashed away, just in case things turned that way. It wouldn’t have been the first time for the two of them, but it was good to keep things fresh and interesting. Sometimes, a little lingerie was all it took to do that. Thankfully it didn’t take a lot for her to get Parker interested. Then again, it had helped that they’d both wanted the other for years.

Things had been weird when he suddenly vanished off the face of the earth. He had talked to her a couple of times in between then and now, but it wasn’t the same as being able to see him and talk to him face to face. She didn’t know where he was or what he was doing, but she did know that he wouldn’t dare think of being with someone else while they were together. Parker wasn’t that much of an asshole and he likely knew that she would flay him if he dared do something like that to her. Alina had a lot going on in her life and she didn’t have any room for a cheater in all of that chaos.

Alina had considered how she could show up, if she had showed up at all. The brunette knew from the start that she would show up, it was really just a matter of when. She managed to get there just as the clock struck ten, but she chose to wait an additional ten minutes before knocking on his door. As smitten as she was with Parker and as much as she knew he had a life outside of them, she wanted him to remember that she was important and deserved to be treated as such. Her bag was set on the floor beside her and she stuffed her hands in her pockets, rocking back on her heels, waiting for her boyfriend to answer the door.

Alina honestly didn't know what to expect out of this relationship with Parker. She knew that she liked him a lot. She had liked him for years and it seemed that they were finally going to get the chance that they had always deserved. She had spent so much time on the sidelines, just talking with him and being his friend, convincing herself that was all they would ever be. It was a little bit of an adjustment going from being friends to being a couple and she caught herself wondering if all couples dealt with this kind of thing. A lot of them started as friends and then grew to something more. For all she knew, it could have been a common issue that pretty much everyone dealt with. She hoped that was the case. Then again, maybe she and Parker were just weird like that.

There was basically no time between when she knocked on the door and when it swung open to reveal her disgruntled boyfriend. It was clear that her lateness had put him on edge and that was good. It was a warning that while she understood he had other things to do, she wasn't going to be tossed aside only to wait for him to come back and give her attention. She was important and unless he made sure he knew it, they were going to have problems. Of course, Alina did notice how absolutely relieved he was to see that it was her on the other side of the door and that had her thinking that maybe he had picked up loud and clear the message that she was putting out.

His arms wrapped around her and his lips descended upon her own, an action which she gladly returned. "Were you getting worried I wouldn't show?" Her lips tugged into a small little smile before she followed him inside and shut the door behind them. She had definitely picked a gentleman since he brought her bag in for her. "I loved it, thank you." She really did love it, but it was going to take more than a bathing suit to forgive his latest absences. "You just thought of everything, didn't you?" She moved over and kisses his cheek before slipping into the kitchen where the aforementioned coffee and muffins were.

Alina knew that it wasn't always easy to give in to what you wanted. There were always obstacles in the way or people standing against you. More often than not, the odds were stacked up and you could bet they weren't in your favor. That was how a lot of her relationships had felt. Hell, it was often how this one with Parker felt. There were times when she wasn't so sure it was the right thing to do. They had spent so long flirting and doing this dance, but never really allowed themselves to give in. Who would have thought that a casual meet up for some drinks would lead to ice cream and heading back to his apartment for the night? Alina wouldn't have guessed it and maybe that was a bit of a problem. But she didn't think about it for long because she was enjoying her time with Parker. She felt so incredibly happy and it was like nothing she'd ever felt before.

She grinned over at her boyfriend and gave him a look. "You can pretend all you like, but I know you were worried." Her head tilted and she gave a shrug with one shoulder. "Yeah, I mean I could go without seeing you as long as I figure out this surprise," she teased. It had been way too long since she saw Parker and was able to be in his embrace. When they got into this relationship though, she knew that it was going to be a risk that she would have to accept. They wouldn't be able to spend all the time together that they wanted, but he would always do what he could to remind her that she was on his mind. That was a small sense of comfort that she knew she would have to accept.

"Well, at least you have some kind of sense left to know it has to be perfect," Alina said with a grin, leaning over to kiss his cheek. It didn't take her long to make the muffin she'd picked up to disappear and she thought on the question. "Well, you got me a suit, so somewhere nice. I'm guessing either tropical or a really, really nice hotel with an amazing pool. Am I close yet?" The brunette didn't mind if he didn't tell her, but she would poke and prod until he gave in or just took her there.

The relationship that she had with Parker wasn't perfect, but it was somehow everything that she needed. He made her feel wanted and loved and those were two things that she hadn't felt in a while. Sure, people made passes at her and tried to get her into bed with them, but they were never people who really mattered. They weren't people that she cared about. Parker was different, though. He made her want to know all of his little secrets, he made her want to get closer to him and actually give her heart to him; to give everything to him. She could tell from the way he acted around her that he at least felt similar, if not the same.

There were a lot of dark things surrounding them, things that she could feel but wasn't totally sure about just yet. However, she was hardly going to let that ruin the relationship that they had started to build for themselves. Alina was finally happy and it seemed like Parker was too. Why ruin something when it was going so well? It seemed that a lot of people seemed to run with some kind of self-sabatoge, but she was doing everything possible to avoid that. They were happy together and that was all that mattered, wasn't it? Alina certainly liked to think so and it made things a lot easier when she thought of it like that.

"I'm sure you haven't. You still have that air of mystery about you," she said, offering her boyfriend a grin before leaning over and kissing him again. It was so wonderful to be able to kiss him and not wonder if he shared similar feelings for her. She knew that he did and every second that they spent together seemed to be proof of that. He seemed to know everything to say that swept her further and further off of her feet and she loved every second of it. "You're such a sweet talker." If she didn't love it so much, she probably would have said something more about it, but as it was... Well, Alina was loving every second of it.

Finally, he gave the offer for them to go and she finished off the last bite of that muffin before nodding her head. "I'm ready whenever you are. But if this some nasty trick that puts me in a freezing cold area, I'm going to hurt you." Even though there was a smile on her face as she said it, Alina was dead serious.

Love wasn't exactly an emotion that came easy for Alina. She felt a lot of things, which included like and even lust but she was pretty sure that she had never been in love before. She was only twenty-two, but there were plenty of people younger that had discovered what love was and what being in love was like. For a long time, she had been convinced that she loved this one guy she dated, Jackson, but that hadn't been the case. She loved the way that he made her feel, but that was it. There was nothing more than that. The moment that he had saw fit to flirt with another girl in front of her (granted he didn't know she was there), she knew that things had to change.

It wasn't until the night that she had gone for drinks with Parker, which lead to ice cream, swings and a night at his place, that she realized what love really was. The more time that she spent with him, the more convinced of it she was. She learned more about him with each day they spent together, but there was still that alluring sense of mystery that made her want to know more. On top of that, Parker was genuinely interested in her and what she had to say. He cared about her and he made sure that she knew it.

When they arrived at the mystery destination, she was even more sure of it. Alina's eyes widened and she looked around, her breath catching in her throat. "Oh my gosh..." There wasn't a single thing that was disappointing about this. She could have just stayed there and stared the whole time, but Parker took her hand and lead her into their room, where she was even more awestruck. Vaguely, Alina heard her boyfriend asking her what she thought of it and for a moment, she struggled to find the words. Ultimately, her reply was to turn into him and kiss him. When she pulled back, she smiled before finally speaking. "It's beautiful. I love you."

... Well, that wasn't what she had planned on saying.