Page 77 of The Wrong Brother

He pulls something from his pocket, and my eyes fall on the small, crumpled piece of paper in his hand. It’s weathered, as though it’s been folded and unfolded a hundred times. My stomach twists painfully as recognition hits.

“That’s… that’s my letter.”

“The one you wrote about Brett,” he says softly, his voice thick with emotion. His thumb brushes over the worn edge of the paper as he looks at me, his expression vulnerable in a way I’ve never seen before. “About how you felt, how much you loved him. I have to know, Jenny. Do you feel even a little bit of that for me?”

My world tilts, the floor beneath me threatening to disappear. “What are you talking about?” My voice is shaky, my throat tight as I stare at him in disbelief.

“Because if you do,” he continues, his voice gaining steadiness with each word, “I’ll give everything up. The business, the merger, everything. Right here, right now. I’ll go with you to Paris, Jenny. Just say the word.”

My knees threaten to buckle, and I step back, trying to process the enormity of what he’s saying.

“Zack… I don’t understand. Why are you doing this?”

He exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. His usual calm, composed demeanor is gone, replaced by a raw, unguarded intensity that shakes me to my core.

“Because I’ve always cared about you,” he says, the words spilling out like a confession. “Even when I didn’t understand it. Even when I tried to deny it.”

I open my mouth to respond, but he doesn’t let me. Instead, he takes a step closer, his gaze locking onto mine.

“Do you remember how you felt the night you wrote this letter?” he asks, holding it up. “Do you remember how broken you were?”

I can only nod, the memory flooding back…the pain, the hopelessness, the overwhelming desire to escape.

“I found you that night, Jenny,” he says, his voice shaking. “I saw you lying there, so small, so lost, and for the first time in my life, I felt… helpless. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew I had to do something.”

I stare at him, stunned, as his words hit me like a wave. He swallows hard, his jaw tightening.

“I arranged your first job in Paris,” he admits, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I knew it was what you needed. A way out. A chance to find yourself. I didn’t expect anything in return…I just wanted to see you happy. To know you were okay.”

Tears blur my vision, and I shake my head, unable to believe what I’m hearing. “Zack…”

“I’ve loved you for a long time,” he continues, his voice breaking. “I just didn’t know it. Not until now. Not until I thought I’d lost you forever.”

My chest feels like it’s caving in, the weight of his words suffocating me. I take another step back, my hands trembling. “You hurt me,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. “You lied to me, Zack. How am I supposed to trust you?”

His expression crumples, and he takes a tentative step forward, closing the space between us. “I know I hurt you,” he says, his voice thick with regret. “And I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you’ll let me. Just… don’t leave. Don’t walk away from what we could have.”

I want to say something, anything, but my throat is too tight. He reaches into his other pocket and pulls out a small black velvet box. My heart stops as he sinks to one knee, flipping the lid open to reveal a massive emerald-cut diamond ring.

My hands fly to my mouth as a gasp escapes me.

“I’ve had this ring for a week,” he says, his voice low but steady. “I thought it was the panic of everything falling apart, but I know now…it’s you. It’s always been you. These past few hours without you have been hell, Jenny. The worst kind of hell. I’ve never felt this doomed in my life.”

Tears spill down my cheeks, and I don’t even try to stop them. My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it might burst.

“Marry me,” he says, his gaze never leaving mine. “Please. Give me the chance to make this right. To show you how much I love you.”

I’m shaking, my entire world spinning, but when I look at him…his earnest expression, the raw vulnerability in his eyes…I know there’s only one answer.

“Yes,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “Yes, Zack. I’ll marry you.”

His face lights up with relief, and before I can say anything else, he’s on his feet, pulling me into his arms. I let out a breathless laugh, wrapping my arms around his neck as he lifts me off the ground. Our lips meet in a kiss that’s everything…soft, desperate, and filled with all the emotions we’ve kept locked away for so long.

“I love you,” he murmurs against my lips, his voice trembling. “I love you so much, Jenny.”

“I love you too,” I whisper back, my hands tangling in his hair. I’m in complete disbelief.

The world around us fades away as we hold each other, our love finally out in the open. In this moment, there’s no pain, no doubt…only us, and the promise of everything we will build together.

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