Page 188 of Now and Forever

“With all of my heart,” I found myself saying as I watched him look as though I had just eviscerated him inside and out.

He dropped his hands to his sides, no longer holding me prisoner, and I stood there, watching him fish out his key ring and unhook the key to the apartment.

“I—” He paused before breathing through his lips. “Marry me.”

“What?” This wasn’t funny anymore.

“Marry me,” he repeated with all seriousness. “You may not love me anymore, and I’ve gotta admit that shit hurts me, but I do love you. I’m in love with you. I have been for as long as I can remember. It’s through this love that I’m finding the strength to keep fighting for you.”

“You’re willing to marry me even though I just told you I don’t love you?”

He grimaced. “I have enough for the both of us, and I can’t help hoping that you’ll someday learn to love me again. I won’t stop until you do.”

I let out a disbelieving laugh through my tears. “You’re just—stop, please.” My hysterics went into a full-fledged panic when I saw him drop to his knee, hands holding my tensed ones as he sought my eyes, imploring.

“But I’m serious, Chloe. Will you marry me?” he beseeched. “I love you. I always have, even though I tried to kill it. It never died, though, and it’ll never stop. You’re my ultimate. It might sound crazy to you, but I don’t want to be with anyone else. None of them shine brighter than you. Why do you think I’ve kept a room here?

“At first, I thought it was just because I wanted to be around Jackson, but before you arrived, I was barely here. Then, when you came, I became so overwhelmed by the drastic changes of your appearance and attitude that we immediately got off on the wrong foot, and it’s been a wild ride since. And I don’t want to get off this rollercoaster ride, baby. I want to ride it until the very end,” he said.

“Drew, I …” I got too choked up to speak as I sniffed and cried some more. Why was he so flipping crazy?

Still on bended knee, he was unwavering, never losing hope. “I’m not leaving until I get an answer. I’ll stay this way until you see me, until you hear me, until you forgive me.”

Damn him for being such a relentless lunatic.

“You don’t have to marry me. We’re fine. I forgive you as long as you promise never to hide anything from me again. No more secrets, or I won’t be able to trust you.”

Drew then got to his feet and began to plant kisses all over my face.

“No more secrets, I promise,” he grunted out. “God, I love you. Are you sure I can’t change your mind about marrying me tomorrow? Because I just didn’t say that out of the blue. I’ve wanted to make you my wife for weeks now, but I never said a thing in fear that I might scare you away.”

“Learn when to shut up and make love to me, Drew Cavendish.” Clinging to him, I melted against him as he kissed my tears away.

He was trying his best, and he didn’t need to marry me to prove that he meant everything he had said. I believed him. I could taste it, feel it, and lastly, I could see it. His eyes told me so.

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