Page 95 of Endless Love

Despite her fragile state, my Willow giggled. God, I loved that giggle. I smiled, then grew serious, my voice returning to normal.

“But not as much as I missed you.”

“I missed you so much too,” she said softly as I handed her the plush monkey. She sniffed his worn hand and smiled again.

“He smells like you, now.”

I couldn’t help but smile back. “Yeah, I slept with him every night. He made me feel connected to you.”

“Was he there for you?” She was referring to our conversation that night on Yom Kippur in her bedroom. My fuckedupness.

“Yeah, he gave me hope.” I paused, wondering what to say next before blurting out what was on my mind. “Why didn’t you write me? Email me? Text me?”

“I couldn’t. There was no Internet. Plus, Gustave confiscated all our devices and circumvented all our mail.” She fiddled with the ballet slipper charm on the necklace I’d given her. “I thought about you every minute of the day.”

“The same.” I stroked her hair, relieved that the bastard hadn’t taken her necklace. “How did the accident happen?”

A look of terror washed over her. She chewed her bottom lip. “G-gustave assaulted me.”

“Jesus! Did he r—”

She cut me off before I could say “rape.”

“No, I escaped.” She continued with the details, begging me not to tell her father about what had happened.

Rage pulsed through my veins. Fucking, fucking Gustave. I wanted to kill the bastard. He was going to pay. My brave Willow should have chopped off his balls. When I got back to the States, I was going to talk to my sister about pressing charges. I was going to take the motherfucker down no matter what it took.

Stealing me away from my Machiavellian machinations, Willow squirmed in her bed. She shifted her raised leg and grimaced. Every nerve in my body jumped with concern.

“Do you hurt, baby?”

She shook her head. “Not when you’re with me.”

I caressed her face. “My darling, you’re going to be with me for a long time.”

Her eyes widened and her parched but oh so kissable lips parted. “What do you mean?”

Panic set in. I had to do this right, seal the deal, give her a ring. Any ring. Fuck. What ring? Then, as my gaze zeroed in on Baboo snuggled next to the woman I loved with all I had—Ping!—a light bulb flashed above my head like they did in comic strips. On my wrist, I was still wearing the pink ribbon that used to be tied around the little monkey’s neck. Reaching under the sleeve of my jacket, I undid the ribbon as Willow watched in silence. Holding the ribbon between my fingers, I got down on one knee, then took Willow’s left hand in mine.

“Willow, my love, I want to lay my roots next to yours. Make beautiful saplings and watch them grow as we grow old together.”

Her eyes shone into mine. “What are you saying, Ryan?”

“I love you with my heart and my soul.” My voice loud and clear, I wrapped the frayed pink ribbon around her ring finger, sealing it with a bow. “Will you be my wife?”

“Oh my God, yes,” she whispered, gazing at her finger. We were tied together. Bound.

And with that, I leaned into her and pressed my lips against hers. She was too weak to resist me deepening it with my tongue. A moan escaped her throat, one of pure joy, not pain.

I pulled away and traced her moist lips with my finger. Tears were streaming from her eyes. I moved my hand to her cheek and brushed them away.

“My butterfly, why are you crying?”

“Oh, Ry-man, I’ve loved you from page one.”

Undying Love. I swiped my own tears. Here in this hospital where I’d lost Allee Adair, I’d gained Willow Rosenthal. The next Mrs. Madewell.

Willow needed her rest. It was time to leave. A relieved but weary Mel stood by my side waiting for the elevator. Later, after getting some sleep at a nearby hotel, I would tell him that I had proposed to his daughter. A better father-in-law could not be had.

---