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“I’m sorry, Beth,” he told her, the words falling from his lips before he could think. The emotions welling within threatened to consume him whole and he knew that if he didn’t clear the air between them, he would never be able to forgive himself. “For pushing you aside without saying a word, for failing to love you the way that I’d promised. I’m sorry.”
Elizabeth paused—and the tears began again. William shot out of his chair, going to her side. He took her hand in his, sliding his other around her shoulder as sobs rocked her body. Elizabeth tapped him on his thigh, something he suspected was meant to be a hit.
“You could have told me,” she sobbed. “You could have said something. Instead, you chose to suffer all on your own.”
“That is what a man should do,” he tried to joke, but when she cut him a scathing glare, he clammed up. Swallowing, he pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her. “You’re absolutely right, as usual. So, please don’t cry. It rips me to shreds to see you cry.”
“You should have thought of that before,” she murmured softly, taking the handkerchief and dabbing her eyes. The tip of her nose was now tinged red and there was a flush to her cheeks. The sight drew him in for a moment, chasing away all other thoughts. In the simple things she did, she was a vision that stole his breath away. How could he have turned away from her in the first place?
He cursed his past self, the weakling who’d believed God was against him. But that couldn’t possibly be the case if he’d brought such a beautiful, kind, and spirited woman into his life—not once but twice. Despite all the struggles he’d gone through in the past years, William realized just how blessed he truly was.
“Marry me, Beth.”
Her gasp brought his thoughts to clarity and he realized what he’d just said without thinking. But he didn’t take them back, didn’t release her hand when she looked up at him with shock in her lovely brown eyes. He tightened his grip, hoping she could see his sincerity.
“I love you,” he told her. “From the moment I saw you again, I realized that I’d never stopped loving you. And I want to spend the rest of my life showing you that, if you’d let me.”
“William…”
Her still-surprised state was beginning to make him nervous. He took her other hand in his, forcing her to face him with her body. Her lips parted gently as she stared up at him, appalled.
“From the moment I brought you into my home, I knew I would be powerless to stop myself from falling even deeper in love with you,” he told her honestly. It felt as if he’d reached into his chest and put his heart on display and now he could only hope she wouldn’t crush it within her fist. “God knows I tried my best not to, because deep down, I felt I should save you from who I was, this person who was so unlike the boy you fell in love with during your youth. But though my lips said one thing, my actions said another, and for every moment you were with me, I knew I couldn’t let you go.”
He sank to his knees, peering up into her eyes. His heart began to pound, not knowing if his words were making an impact at all.
“But now that I’ve realized how foolish I’ve been, I want to spend the rest of our time together letting you know how much I love you and how grateful I am to have you in my life. I only ask, Beth, that you accept my proposal, because I do not want to spend another second away from you than I already have. Therefore,” William licked his lips, his nervousness shooting through the roof, “please, will you do me the pleasure of remaining by my side as my wife?”
Elizabeth could easily reject him. In that tense moment that followed his question, William was only aware of that fact. After what he’d done, after how he’d hurt her and then continued to do so even when he’d brought her here, she would have every reason to. Every time she tried to step closer, he would push her away, would try to drive a wall between them that was fated to crumble. Now, he knew the fate of his heart was in her hands and she could easily give back to him what he’d dealt to her.
But when the happy smile spread across her face, so bright that it dazzled him for a moment, William was hopeful that she might not.
“I’ve waited so long to hear those words again,” she breathed. “Of course, William. Nothing would make me happier.”
