QUEEN 
It's been a month since Vermont became distant to me. And it's been a month since I started to punch the pillows thinking it was his face. 
But as the anger subsided, it was replaced by worry. I sat up, running a hand through my hair. Still frustrated 
What if it’s something serious? What if he’s dealing with something he doesn’t know how to share? 
I tried to text him or call him. I want him to tell what is the problem. But I came up with a conclusion. 
"No. If he doesn’t want to talk, I won’t force him. But he better be ready when I finally confront him because I’m not letting this go. Because if he doesn’t tell me soon, I’ll find out myself. One way or another." 
I was walking around the campus and I rolled my eyes as I heard them talking about chocolate and flowers. 
"Girl I already ordered chocolates, gonna give it to..." 
"Gotta give chocolates and bouquet to my girlfriend..." 
Yeah, Valentine's day is already coming and Vermont's birthday. Where should we celebrate? 
I'm frustrated because we are still not good! I massage my temples and sat beside him. 
"What do you want Ver?" I asked and he look at me with tired eyes. There is a visible dark circles in his eyes telling me that he was not able to sleep well. 
"Burger please." 
"Okay stay here and I'll just buy our food." 
"Yeah." After buying burgers and drinks I go to our table and he looks kinda nervous. While we were eating I was finding a place where should we spend valentines and to celebrate his birthday. 
Then Akie suddenly texted me and I laugh when I read it. 
Akielius Lior✨️
Do you want to spice things up?
I have an idea! Take him to an island!
I know that you two always go to a beach but this one offers a date on a yacht!
And don't forget some protection 
Me
You perv!
Protection my feet! Nothing will happen in there.
Akielius Lior✨️
Protection from the sun, Queen!
Lotion, sunglasses and hat. Tsk, you dirty minded. 
Me
But it was a good idea. 
Akielius Lior✨️
Yeah, I'll book a reservation now.
And I'll send the details later.
Me
Sure. Thanks! 
Akielius Lior✨️
The protection is a must, okay?! 
"Hm? Is there something funny?" He asked and I chuckled. 
"It's just Akie send something." 
"What is it?" He tried to peek but I close my phone. 
"She just send a joke." I said as an excuse and he raised his eyebrow and nodded. "I will be gone from 13 to 15, I will be going to an Island I need to attend the photoshoot." I said and he look at me with surprise face. 
"What? A photoshoot? " He suddenly look down and I held his hand. 
"Yeah, what do you think?" 
"Huh?" 
"Would you like to accompany me?" He looks gloomy a while ago and now his face turned bright in an instant. He nods and immediately finishes his food. 
"Wait, will your family let you go with me?" 
"Yeah. Just bring me back in whole piece." 
"This... do you think I will eat you?" 
"Pft." 
"And who's gonna eat who?" We both look surprised when King suddenly appears. 
"Please do you want me to die because of you?!" I said angrily and pat my chest. He pouted and sat beside me. "What?" 
"Well, I was finding Ace then I saw you two." 
"I thought he was with Allisha?" I said raising an eyebrow at him. 
"Okay gotta find them." 
"For what?" 
"I let him borrow the car a while ago and he has the keys, I need to go in Maplewood." 
"Why not just take a cab?" 
"I don't have cash right now. Bye!" 
"Uh, I need to go to my class." Said Vermont and I nod at him. 
"Hmm. See you later." 
"Yeah, bye I'll go first." I nod and watch him leave, I waited for another 10 minutes in the cafeteria before going to my class. 
The days leading up to Valentine’s Day passed in a blur. I was busy with classes but I still managed to finalize the trip plans for the trip. 
On the morning of February 13th, Vermont and I boarded the plane to the island. The journey was quiet but comfortable, with Vermont occasionally stealing glances at me. 
"What is it?" I asked and he smiled at me. 
"It's just, you're so pretty." I felt my cheeks flushed. I rolled my eyes at him. 
"I know!" He chuckled and I glared at him. "What? Why are you laughing?" 
"Nothing, anyways your doing a photoshoot for what?" 
"Swimwear." I smiled and her mouth dropped. 
"Are you serious?" 
"Yeah." I saw his face darkened for a moment. Woah. He must not like that idea. 
When we arrived, at the airport a lady escorted is to the port. We need to ride a boat to get on the island. And when we arrived the island was breathtaking. The resort was a paradise of white sandy beach, turquoise waters, and lush greenery. 
I could see Vermont’s eyes widen in amazement as we walked toward the reception. I was smiling widely as he seemed please. I need to treat Akie! 
“Wow, this place is incredible,” he murmured, his voice tinged with awe. 
“Wait until you see the view from our room,” I said, smirking at his reaction. 
The room didn’t disappoint. With floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean and a private balcony with a hot tub. 
"You're the best, Akie." I murmured and Vermont looked at me. 
"You said something?" 
"Nope." 
“You didn’t tell me we were staying in paradise,” Vermont teased, spinning around to take it all in. 
I shrugged. “Thought I’d surprise you.” 
He grinned and walked over to me, pulling me into a hug. 
“So where is the prod? The photographer and the brand?” he asked. 
"Oh, they arrived tomorrow?" I said in an unsure voice. I laughed and he just nod at me. 
I need to execute this perfectly. 
"For now, let's enjoy the beach. I hope you're still not getting bored with beaches." I teased and he shook his head. 
"I love the calming sea though." 
"Do you want to take a rest first or we take dinner now?" I asked. It was already 5:30 in the afternoon and the only food we eat on our way here is just salad and wine. 
"Let's eat dinner first." 
"Okay." Vermont offered his hand and I smiled and happily accept it. Our hands were intertwined as we go outside our room. Our dinner was grilled fish paired with white wine. 
After that we go back to our room. 
"Do you want to take a dip later? Maybe at 12?" 
"Isn't it a bit to late? I know you're tired. Let's just enjoy the beach after your work." I smiled awkwardly at him and nodded. 
I was sulking the whole night and I was punching the pillows. I also don’t know what time I already fell asleep, while Vermont was already peacefully sleeping on the next bed beside mine. 
The next morning I was in a bad mood. It was already 11:35 when I woke up. I was finding my phone when I saw Ver's phone. My mouth dropped the moment I open it. It was my sleeping face. I look ugly in the photo. 
I was about to open his gallery to delete the photo when Vermont grabbed his phone and he was grinning.
"Why didn’t you wake me up?" I asked, my voice still thick with sleep. I stretched my arms out, trying to shake off the grogginess that clung to me.Vermont chuckled softly, a warm sound that made me feel more at ease.
"Well, you were peacefully sleeping. You must’ve been so tired. I didn’t want to ruin your rest."
"Then why the heck did you take a picture of my ugly face?" I groaned, my hand instinctively going to my messy hair. The thought of him snapping a picture of me while I was asleep made my face flush. "You have to delete that, Vermont! What if someone sees it?"
"No one will see it, Queen. That’s for my eyes only." His grin was teasing, but there was something soft and comforting in his eyes. He wasn’t making fun of me, he genuinely found the whole situation endearing. "And what are you saying that you look ugly there? You never look ugly in my eyes."
I glared at him, but I couldn’t hide the smile creeping onto my face.
"Still, delete it."
"No, I won’t," he said with a grin that made me roll my eyes. "Come on, let’s eat brunch," he said, his voice warm and easy.
"You still haven’t eaten?" I raised an eyebrow, noticing his slight frown. He shook his head, clearly not bothered by it. I sighed. "I’ll go take a quick shower, then we can eat."
"Mmkay," Vermont responded softly, his gaze following me as I moved toward my luggage. I sifted through my things, trying to pick out a dress, but then Vermont’s voice caught my attention again.
"When will they come? I thought you were supposed to have your photoshoot this morning." My heart skipped a beat. I froze, eyes widening. Oh no. I bit my lip, a sense of panic creeping in. 
"I... I don’t know. I haven’t talked to them." The words left my mouth in a rushed whisper, my mind scrambling to process the reality of it.
How could I have forgot that? If only Vermont had said yes to my plan last night, everything would’ve gone perfectly. I cursed myself for not being more on top of things.
Vermont didn’t seem to notice my surprise reaction. "Do you want to enjoy the place while they’re still not here?" he asked casually, his voice low and soothing.
I nodded absently, trying to clear my head. "Yeah, I guess we could."
I quickly took a shower, the water running over my body doing little to calm the knot in my stomach. I was still mentally kicking myself for messing up my plans.
Once I was dressed, we left the room. Vermont walked beside me, his movements casual and unhurried, clearly enjoying the serene morning. I followed him, expecting we’d head to the restaurant next to the resort for brunch, as we had loosely discussed earlier. But instead, Vermont turned toward the yacht dock.
My heart skipped a beat, and a wave of confusion washed over me. I slowed my steps, my mind racing to figure out what was going on.
Why was he taking me to the yacht?
"Wait," I said, stopping abruptly. My eyes darted between him and the luxurious vessel at the dock. "What are we doing here? I thought we were going to eat brunch?"
Vermont turned back to me with a soft smile, he is clearly excited. "We are," he said, extending his hand toward me. "Come on, take my hand."
I hesitate to come with him. Then he suddenly stepped closer and gently grabbed my hand, guiding me forward. His touch was firm yet comforting, and despite my confusion, I allowed myself to follow.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to remain calm as I followed him. The back of my mind kept screaming at me, reminding me that this was supposed to be my idea, my special moment for him. 
My stomach dropped when I realized what this meant when he want us to enjoy our stay here.
When we reached the deck, my jaw nearly dropped. The scene before me was breathtaking. Red rose petals scattered across the floor and the table was set with a pristine white tablecloth, there is tray there full of dark chocolates, white chocolates, cookies, chocolate sticks, even kisses scattered around the tray. There is also a bottle of red wine sat chilling in an ice bucket. 
Vermont smiled at me, his eyes sparkling. The soft sound of waves gently lapping against the boat filled the air, adding to the romantic atmosphere. 
"Surprise!" Vermont’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I turned to see him watching me intently with his wide and boyish grin. "Happy Valentine’s Day, Queen."
My breath caught in my throat. I stared at him, completely dumbfounded. "Ver, I..." I whispered, my heart swelling with a mixture of emotions.
And then, out of nowhere, tears started to well up in my eyes. I blinked rapidly, trying to hold them back. I appreciate his thoughtfulness, the beauty of the moment, and the fact that he had planned this just for me.
Vermont seemed to panic, stepping forward with wide eyes.
"Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?" I took a deep breath, trying to gather myself, but it wasn’t working. "Hey, please stop crying... I'm sorry." I shook my head, trying to brush away the tears with my fingers. 
"No, it's just, I had a plan," I said, my voice cracking. "I was going to take you on a yacht and give you a surprise dinner for your birthday. I wanted to do something special for you, Vermont."
Vermont stood still for a moment, processing my words. Then, without saying anything, he pulled me into his arms, his hands gently cupping my face.
"Queen," he whispered, his voice filled with tenderness, "this is your surprise. You didn’t have to do anything more than just be here with me. That’s all I could ever want."
I sniffled, my heart thumping painfully in my chest. "But you..." I started, but the words felt too heavy to say.
He leaned in and kissed my forehead tenderly, his thumbs brushing against my cheeks. "You mean everything to me, Queen. This is perfect because you’re here." His voice softened. "I love you."
And for the first time, I truly felt it. This is the first time I understand and truly felt the weight of those three words. Not just as a phrase or a sentiment, but as a truth so deeply rooted it took my breath away.
I stared at his face, he was smiling and so his eyes are twinkling. Those eyes that held a sparkle so genuine, as if I was the only person in his world.
My chest tightened, my heartbeat was sk loud in my ears. This was the moment I realized what his I love you truly meant to me.
I let a low chuckle and hugged him. My lips quirked into a small. "Thank you," I whispered.
"For what?"
"For loving me," I said simply. "And for making me feel like I’m enough."
"You’ve always been enough, Queen," he whispered into my hair. "Always."
"Mm. I love you." I said and buried my face in his neck. Vermont chuckled and snake his arms around my waist. "I love you, Lhance Vermont."
"And I love you more, Queen Diamond."
—IAmRoseee