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Zanecouldbarelycontain his excitement as he made his way to Maggie’s house. The small box he’d been carrying around in his pocket for the last couple of weeks digging into his thigh. He hoped she was home taking care of herself and not at an event tonight. He didn’t care if he had to knock on every door in town to find her, though, if she was. He had to make this right.
He was relieved to see her Explorer in the driveway as he threw his car in park in front of the house and bounded up the walkway. As he reached to ring the bell, the door opened. JT filled the doorway, and he was obviously not happy to see him. He didn’t say a word, just stood there with his large, tattooed arms folded across his chest and gave Zane a death glare. Aw, shit.
“JT,” Zane said, “I need to see Maggie.”
“She’s sleeping,” JT growled.
“C’mon, brother. I need to talk to her. I know I’ve been a dick,” Zane pleaded.
“I’m not your fucking brother and yeah, I know, that’s why you’re not talking to her.”
Zane ran a frustrated hand over his face. “Please, man. Just tell her I’m here and if she doesn’t want to talk to me, I’ll leave.”
JT started to speak again, when Maggie’s voice came from behind him. “Let him in, JT,” she said in a low, emotionless voice. He looked and saw her over JT’s shoulder.
“Maggie, sweetheart!” he exclaimed, seeing her bruised face and dull eyes looking out at him cut him to the quick. He had done that to her, not fucking Shawna, him. That’s what a broken heart looked like.
JT gave him a push to the chest. “You don’t get to call her that anymore, asshole.”
Maggie reached up and lay a hand on his shoulder. “JT, stop. I’ll talk to him. It’s okay.”
“You don’t have to. You need to rest,” JT argued.
“I do need to.” She gave him a wan smile. “Go on, it’s fine.”
JT kissed Maggie on the head and spared another glare for Zane before he turned and went back into the house. “Come in,” Maggie told him, motioning him inside.
He followed her to the cozy living room and sat next to her on the couch. He reached up tentatively toward the stitches in her forehead. “Do they hurt much?”
“No, not really,” she replied, subtly moving her head away from his touch. He blew out a breath.
“Maggie, I don’t even know how to tell you how sorry I am. JT is right. I was a huge asshole. I should never have left you in that hospital all alone. I don’t know how you’ll ever forgive me.” He reached out and took her small, soft hand in his. She gave a slight tug, but he held onto her.
"Looking at you in that hospital bed broke something in me. All I could think was that I had done that to you. I'd failed to protect you and you were hurt because of me. You could have died because of me and..." His voice caught and he looked down at her hand in his. He rubbed his thumb lightly over her knuckles, soaking up this small bit of physical contact she was allowing him like a balm. He blew out a deep breath trying to regain his composure before he continued. "All I can say is that I thought I was doing the right thing to keep you safe. It was the only thing I could think of in the state I was in. That’s all I ever wanted to do, sweetheart, love you and protect you. Hell, Maggie, I’d wrap you in bubble wrap and carry you everywhere you wanted to go if I thought it would help.”
“Zane, you can’t...” Maggie started.
“I know I can’t protect you from everything and I don’t want to take your freedom away from you,” he acknowledged. “I've never loved anyone like this, Maggie. I didn't know what to do with all the guilt and worry that seeing you hurt brought up in me and I went a little bit crazy. Eustace made me see what an idiot I was being by playing ‘what if’. He made me understand that I hurt you more than Shawna ever could by abandoning you like I did."
He took a breath, gathering his thoughts again. "The reality is that until the police catch up with her, we're both going to have to be on our guard, but I can't play the 'what i" game anymore. If you’ve been even half as miserable as I’ve been, I can't imagine how you can forgive me. I can only ask and hope you'll give me that gift.” He brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back. "I need you, Maggie. I love you. Please forgive me."
Maggie searched his face. He looked gutted. She could see the pain in his eyes that she was sure mirrored her own over the last forty-eight hours. Her expresso brown eyes glistened with unshed tears. “When I woke up and you weren’t there...” her voice caught in her throat, a tiny sob escaping. “And then, that note. I wanted to just curl up and die.”
He scooted closer to her and wrapped her in his arms. She accepted the comfort and lay her head against his chest, crying softly. His heart broke as he held her and felt the tears dampening his shirt. “I’m so, so sorry, baby,” he mumbled over and over to her, stroking her hair and back, doing his best to try to comfort her against the hurt he had caused. Jesus, I did this to her. I don't deserve another chance.
Finally, her quiet tears started to ebb, and she sniffed. She sat up and grabbed a tissue from a box on the coffee table. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that,” she said as she wiped her eyes and nose.
“Aww, sweetheart, it’s me that’s sorry. I’ll never forgive myself for making you cry. All I can do is promise to try to never make you cry over me again if you’ll give me another chance,” Zane said, keeping a gentling hand on her arm. “I know I don’t deserve it, but, please Maggie, say you still love me and you’ll give us another chance.”
She looked up at him again, her eyes searching. He cupped her cheek, his thumb wiping a stray tear that fell from her lashes as she found something she was looking for in his eyes. The edge of one side of her mouth turned up slightly and Zane thought he had never seen such a beautiful thing. “I’ve missed you so much,” she said, quiet as a whisper. “But, Zane, I don’t think I could go through this again.”
Zane drew her toward him and kissed her temple then placed a soft kiss on her mouth. “I promise, baby, I’ll never leave you again. I’ll always stay by your side, no matter what. I don’t want to miss out on even one more hour with you. I want to live every second I can get with you for the rest of my life.”
Maggie wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. Zane held onto her like a drowning man. He couldn’t believe she was actually going to give him the gift of her forgiveness. He said a silent thank you to Eustace, Dani, and Levi for staying on him and finally getting through his thick skull. How did I think I was going to go on without her?
They sat holding each other for long minutes, just drinking each other in, making up for the interminable hours apart. Finally, Zane pulled away and gave her an almost shy smile. “This may not be the best time to do this,” he said. He had to stop and swallow the large lump of emotion that had built in his throat as slid from the couch onto one knee and dug the small, black box out of his pocket. Maggie’s hands went to her mouth as he opened it. A princess cut diamond in an art deco style sat in black velvet winking at her. “But I want to spend the rest of my life making this up to you. I want to wake up to your beautiful face every morning. I want to go to sleep with you in my arms every night. I promise to do everything in my power to give you nothing but happiness if you’ll let me. Margaret Elizabeth Wade, will you have pity on me and make me the happiest man in the world by becoming my wife?”
