Page 116 of The Fiancé Hoax

Everyone in the boutique stopped what they were doing to gape at him.

He scanned the room, then zeroed in on me. He crossed the space with determination and stood before me in the middle of the store.

His blue eyes locked on mine, making my stomach do somersaults, and he took my hand.

“Felicity, I made a terrible mistake. I haven't been honest with you. I told you that I wanted to go our separate ways after Monday. That we got too close to each other. And that we needed to split up to protect my daughters. It was all a lie.”

My heart was racing. What was he doing? I was totally confused. But I was also aware of Katie and the customers watching the scene unfold before them.

“Cooper, maybe we should talk about this in private,” I murmured.

He shook his head stubbornly. “No. Right here. Right now. I don't care who hears me.”

I nodded in a daze. “Okay.”

“The truth was that I didn't trust myself not to screw everything up again. I made so many mistakes in my past that I stopped believing in love. But that's stupid. That's like not believing in the air we're breathing. I do love you, Felicity. I've loved you for a long time.”

“I love you too, Cooper.” The words tumbled out without a second thought. “But… why did you say all that the other day? Why did you pull away from me?”

“Because I was an idiot.” He took a breath and spoke in a lower voice. “I thought that because I misjudged Gen all those years ago, I couldn't trust myself when it came to love. So I kept telling myself everything with you was only temporary. But I couldn’t deny how I felt. I knew how special you were that first night I met you sneaking into your dad's party.”

He grinned, and I couldn't help but smile at the memory.

“And when you came to live with me and the girls, you made me the happiest man alive.”

I nodded. “You made me happy too, Cooper. Which is why I was so confused when you grew distant.”

“I'm sorry for being such a jackass for so long. I thought I was protecting myself and my kids. When really, I was hurting everyone involved. And… I thought if I was honest with you, I’d tie you down. Your life is just beginning. I figured you’d be settling to be with a messed-up guy like me. I've been through a lot of shit, and I thought you deserved someone better. Someone who's not so… broken.”

I blinked at him. “Are you serious? Cooper, you're not broken. And I've been through some shit, too, you know. Just because you've been through a divorce doesn't mean you're damaged goods.”

He chuckled. “I know. But a few days ago, my history felt like a big wall between us.” He squeezed my hand and searched my face. “But I'm ready to knock down all those walls. I want to be the man you deserve, Felicity. I want you to stay with me and the girls, if you can forgive me.”

He looked down at the flowers he held, as if he’d suddenly remembered them. “These are for you.”

He handed me the bouquet. They were my favorite—daffodils and purple tulips. He had remembered what I told Lily weeks ago. Not even Lauren knew I loved this combination.

“These are for you, too.” He handed me two folded papers he pulled from his pocket. “I found these last night in your studio at home.”

I unfolded them and gasped at what I saw.

Eva's crayon drawing depicted me, with long brown hair, sitting at a table working at a sewing machine. Two little blonde girls worked beside me on their own smaller machines. Small red hearts floated through the air.

I looked at the second paper. Lily had drawn a peach-colored house to match the stucco of Cooper’s home. In the front yard, Cooper, Eva, Lily, and I all held hands and smiled.

At the top, in big, uneven kid letters, Lily had written one word.

Family.

I was speechless. Through the tears in my eyes, I looked up at Cooper.

He went down on one knee, taking my hand in both of his.

“Felicity, you make me happier than I ever thought possible. I want to spend my life with you. Would you do me the honor of marrying me? For real?”

He took out a velvet box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a diamond ring.

This one was nothing like the gaudy ring he’d bought me for the fake engagement. This ring was perfect—romantic, vintage-inspired, and gorgeous.

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