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The room is silent as everyone hangs on to my every word. There’s shock and disbelief on Lily’s face, but I press on, determined to lay bare my feelings. If I don’t do this now, I may never, and that means I could lose her forever.
“Over the years, our friendship has grown into something more, at least for me. Lily, you are the most incredible woman I have ever known, and I can no longer keep my feelings to myself.” My voice trembles slightly, betraying the depth of my emotions. “I love you, Lily, and if you’ll have me, I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you.”
There are murmurs of confusion, and I get it. People think we’re already in a relationship, that our love is a sealed deal. I can feel their stares, but I don’t care about confusing them. None of that matters, because my eyes are locked on Lily — her wide, shocked eyes and the tears glistening at the corners. The silence stretches on, the tension palpable.
My chest clenches tight. Have I screwed everything up forever by making such a public display of affection?
I can’t tell, but I had to do something big to get her attention. And now, there’s no going back.
CHAPTER 29
LILY
My heart races and my mouth dries up as I stand stock still, rooted to the spot. All around me, people are whispering, their attention fixed on Felix.
Shocked by his confession of love, I can’t help but wonder if this is all fake. He’s a playboy prince, notorious for being smooth and charming. But when he said those words — words that I’ve secretly yearned to hear from him — something inside me shifted.
Could it be possible that he truly means what he just said? And if so, why now? What’s changed?
“Are you okay, Lily?” Meg appears at my side and touches my shoulder lightly.
“Uh… yeah.” I touch my brow, not sure how to feel or respond to the sudden turn of events.
“Sweetie, what do you want to do?” she asks. “Do you want security to remove him?”
“Remove him?” The thought sends a chill down my spine. Although I’m still trying to make sense of Felix’s confession, I know deep down that I don’t want him to leave. Not yet. “No. No, let him stay.”
Meg gives me a questioning look but nods in understanding. “Okay.”
Felix still stands on the podium, staring at me with his chest heaving. He normally looks so confident, but right now, there’s a vulnerable edge to him. It seems that he could blow away in the wind if the wrong word were spoken in his direction.
It’s a part of him I’ve never seen, a part of him he’s kept hidden from me. And now here he is, baring his all.
This can’t be for show, can it? Why would he even do this? There’s nothing to be gained; everyone thinks that we’re still engaged.
Before I know it, Felix descends from the podium, each step bringing him closer. I stare at him, unable to tear my gaze away, my heart racing in anticipation.
Suddenly, here he is. Right in front of me. So close I could reach out and touch him.
The room seems to fade away, leaving just the two of us, standing face-to-face in a moment that feels suspended in time.
“Everything I said up there, Lily…” His brown eyes search mine. “I meant every single word. I’ve been an idiot, not realizing what I had until it was gone.”
My breath catches in my throat as I watch the vulnerability on his handsome face, so different from the carefree, unattached image I’ve come to associate with him.
He reaches out, gently brushing a strand of hair away from my face, and the warmth of his touch spreads through me.
“Lily, I want to be with you. I want us to be a family together.” His voice is soft but unwavering, filled with sincerity that makes my heart swell.
A family.
I know what he means. He won’t say it in public, in front of all these people who don’t yet know about the pregnancy, but he wants to be a father to our child.
“Really?” I whisper.
“Really, really.” His hand closes over mine and he pulls it close to his chest. “I’ve never meant anything as much as I do this.”
“What changed?”
