Page 42 of Obeying His Rules

Rain moves in closer and places a hand on my chest. She looks up at me, and her eyes lock to mine as though there were invisible, unbreakable chains linking them together.

“Yes. I understand.”

A feeling of relief flows through me. Back when I was at the office, debating on whether or not to tell all of this to her, I kept telling myself she would understand.

She’s a smart girl, I kept saying, over and over and over.

It all made sense logically, but life isn’t always logical–especially when it comes to emotions. And Rain and I have gone through a lot of emotions together in a short period of time. So there was always a chance she wouldn’t hear what I was saying or just would choose not to hear what I was saying and would tell me to get out of her life.

And I wouldn’t have blamed her if she did.

“You do?” I ask her.

She nods, and it’s as though the entire world is suddenly just the two of us standing here on the bridge. The relief that washes over me is like a golden wave releasing me from something I’ve been carrying for so long.

“Rain, ever since I lost her, you’ve been the only girl I’ve met that has truly challenged me. Even that first night at the bar when I told you to go away, you wouldn’t.”

Rain giggles and looks down at her feet. “Well, I couldn’t give up that easy.”

I move closer, holding her tight like we’re dancing.

“Ever since that piece of me was shattered, Rain, you’ve been the only girl that has truly awoken anything inside of me. And that terrified me.” She looks back at me, tears pooling just beneath her eyes. “But now…” I stretch my hand out over the edge of the bridge–my hand holding Jennifer’s necklace. Rain’s eyes widen.

“Now I realize it’s time for me to move on. It’s time for me to allow myself to be truly happy.”

And with that, I let go.

Jenny’s necklace falls from my hand, over the edge of the bridge, and into the darkness.

The water is so far below and the roar of the rapids are so loud that I don’t even hear its splash when it hits.

“Marlon, you–but that was her–!” Rain says, sounding panicked.

“It’s okay,” I reply. “That necklace was a weight, Rain. A weight I have been carrying for the last five years since her death that’s been holding me down, not letting me progress in any way as a man. But you know what it took for me to understand that, Rain? You.”

I drop to one knee, reach into my pocket, and pull out the jewelry box. Rain’s eyes widen as I open it, revealing the ring within.

“I may have made some mistakes along the way. I may have not shown you from the beginning how much you meant to me. But you saved me, Rain. And if you will make me the happiest man on earth and be my wife, I will be there for you for the rest of my life.”

Rain’s eyes fill quickly with tears. What a day she’s had, and now this.

She takes a step back, covering her mouth with both hands, looking more beautiful to me than ever.

“What do you say, Rain? Will you marry me?”

EPILOGUE

MARLON

Five years later…

“Oh my God, that one is totally amazing!”

I have to chuckle because that has got to be about the twenty-fifth time Taylor has said the word “totally” to describe something tonight. But I’m completely okay with that, because I do agree with him. My wife’s spring collection launch is totally amazing.

Another model steps out onto the runway wearing a sea-green dress that comes off the left shoulder and sort of wraps around her body, hugging her every curve just right, and then has a bit of a drapey thingy that trails behind her. It looks to me like something a Greek goddess would wear, but that’s just me, and even after five years of being married to a fashion designer, I am still hopeless when it comes to knowing anything about this sort of thing.

“I’m going to steal that one from Randy!” Jasmine whispers as the model walks by.

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