Page 76 of Eat Your Heart Out
44
Ali
A few days later
Since telling Gerard I loved him, life had been a dream. He still slept longer than I did in the mornings, so I snuck out to grab my morning coffee on the top deck and watch where we were heading.
Land was straight in front of me. My heart stirred at the thought of docking soon and driving to the City of Lights, taking a few days to ourselves on land. On my own, my thoughts wandered.
The thought of our relationship coming to an end still held a weight that paralyzed me. However, as the sun grew higher in the sky and I finished my cup of coffee, I sighed and realized I needed to stop thinking like that. He loved me. I loved him. I was staying.
I poured my second cup, and Gerard came up and joined me.
I poured his carafe of tea. “We’re docking?”
He nodded. “Soon, we’ll have the driver take us to Paris while the crew scrubs the ship.”
He finished his piping-hot tea fast. I took my time with my coffee. The silence, interrupted only by the waves breaking and the whistle from the command center, signaled a new start to me.
I put my mug down. “It sounds amazing. I’ve always wanted to see Paris, London, the Netherlands, Spain, Rome, and everything I’ve only ever seen in movies.”
We went downstairs to change. The last thing I wanted to do was show up to the limo in my yacht lounge shorts. I giggled at the thought as I went to my room, which had been converted fully into a closet. I’d gone from shopping the clearance rack to wearing Chanel, and I preferred the classic lines of the brand.
Once I was in a simple black-and-white-striped dress and flats, I met Gerard topside. He was devastatingly handsome waiting for me in a button-down shirt and linen pants. My heart stirred. I’d made the right decision.
He placed his hand on my back. “Let’s get going.”
We walked off the dock and into a limo. The partition to the front was closed, and at first, I watched the countryside, in awe of the green hills. However, I slowly realized Gerard wasn’t talking. I tilted my head and gazed at him as I wondered if maybe something was wrong.
My skin buzzed, and I narrowed my gaze. “What’s going on with you?”
He winced. My heart rate increased, and for a second, fear gripped me.
Then he said, “I know you’re getting your life together and need time.”
I couldn’t quite breathe. “Yeah?”
He placed his hand on mine. “But I hope you stay with me beyond the year at sea. I know it’s too early to bring it up, but it’s weighing on my mind.”
I gulped and reminded myself all was fine. He wasn’t looking to throw me out. I forced my shoulders to relax. “I’m so different than the woman you picked up on the side of the road.”
He tilted his head. “No, you’re not. You’re just more comfortable with yourself.”
Aww.My heart melted as I nodded. “I… maybe I was closed off, but I’m… here for the long haul now. I’m different enough to know love means trusting and staying together.”
He scooted closer. The air smelled like his cologne, and I forgot where we were.
“Marry me, Ali,” he whispered.
My heart thumped. I trusted Gerard with every part of me. I sighed and closed my eyes. “I… want to. Ask me with the ring in hand, then I’ll say yes.”
“Yeah?” he asked.
I gazed up at him. I never wanted him to doubt me ever again. “Of course.”
For the first time in my life, I understood happiness wasn’t just a fleeting moment. It came from appreciation, and I learned that from giving Gerard my heart.
