Page 157 of Begin Again, Part 2

"Okay."

They slipped into silence for a while, both lost in thought, feeling grateful they were given a second chance.

Eden sat up suddenly, looked through her bag, and pulled out the bracelet box. "Here."

"What's this?" Liam asked as he took the box and shook it. "A Cartier? Rolex? TAG?"

"It's an American Swiss box. Why would there be a Rolex inside?"

"I don't know, to disguise the surprise?" he smiled sweetly at her. "So what is it? Tell me. The suspense is killing me, Princess!"

"Just open the box," Eden said as she sat on the edge of the bed. "You won't know if you don't open it."

So he did, confusion flickering in his eyes when he saw the pregnancy test inside.

"That night," Eden began, tears stinging her eyes. "That night, I had this whole dinner planned out, and I was going to give it to you, to tell you we're expecting, and then I was going to ask you to marry me."

"But?"

"But you didn't come home."

"So?"

"So you've missed your chance. Now you have to ask me to marry you."

"No, Princess." Liam shook his head. "You are not cheating me out of my fancy proposal. I want it all—the fireworks display, the cheesy dessert ring, the orchestra! You hear me? You have to go all out!"

"You said you don't want cheesy stuff!"

"Yeah, well, I almost died! I have a new appreciation for cheesy stuff now!" he chuckled and pulled her down. "I want all that corny shit, and you'll make it happen."

"If I do, we'll skip the engagement party and go straight to the wedding?"

"We can even go to the chapel right here."

"Okay, I like that. Just a small wedding. Me, you and Aiden, maybe my parents and your parents—"

"I think I like getting shot." He smiled and brushed her hair away from her face. "If it means making you mine sooner than I'd anticipated, I'll get shot every day."

"Don't say that," Eden admonished him. "Don't joke like that!"

"I'm sorry." Liam kissed her temple. "But getting shot opened my eyes. I mean, I'm pretty sure they still look closed, thanks to that asshole. But that's a score I'll settle another day, and I'll rearrange his face with my fists."

"Liam," she gently shook him out of his meltdown.

"As I was saying, when I sat there, thinking I was dying, I realised I don't want to waste another second, Princess. It took me two years to find you. That's a long time, and I don't know how many two years we have left, so let's make the most of our time. Me, you, Aiden, and our little warrior princess."

"We don't even know if it's a girl."

"It is, and she'll look just like Aiden," he smiled.

"You mean like you?"

"Well, I am the handsome parent, aren't I?"

"Why did I miss you again?" Eden asked, throwing her hands in the air. "Anyway, let's bet on it. I say she'll look like me and have my intellect, of course. And you say she'll look like Aiden."

"What's the wager?"