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I stop moving as my heart pounds hard in my chest. “Why?”
Gemma lets out a whimper, and I swallow hard. “He moved everything out of the cottage and into his house. I was given an ultimatum to marry him or…” She chokes up, and I wait patiently for her to finish. “He’ll destroy my dad’s house and the cottage.”
“Baby, he can’t do that.” My anger level increases, and I become volatile, ready to beat the fuck out of him. The consequences be damned.
“He can, Tyler. He’s backed me into a corner.” She continues explaining the deed and how Robert weaseled his way into owning her dad’s property. With each sentence, she becomes more emotional, and I can’t handle it. She’s never been this upset before, and it’s breaking us both in the process. Robert needs to pay for hurting her.
“You don’t have to do this,” I press.
“I don’t have a choice. I’m so sorry.” She sniffles, and her voice gets quieter. “I never wanted to marry him, but it’s the only way he’ll sign it over to me. Once we’re married, I’ll get the deed, and Dad’s property will be safe.”
I pace my bedroom and realize I’m chewing my bottom lip as I try to think of something to get her out of this. Never would I have imagined he’d stoop so low, but I should’ve. I didn’t trust the guy the first time I laid eyes on him.
“Did you ask your dad about any of this? Double-check that Robert wasn’t making shit up?” I run my fingers through my hair and sit on the edge of my bed, then suck in a deep breath.
“I did,” she nearly whispers, the defeat in her tone evident. “It’s true.”
Staring at the wall, I think about our future, and I refuse to let it slip through my fingers. Not this. Not ever.
Over the years, I’ve dated, but it was never anything serious. Nothing compared to what I have with Gemma. When I imagine getting married and having children, the only woman I dreamed of having that with is Gemma, and I refuse to allow Robert to take that away from me.
She’s supposed to marryme, not him. The idea hits me, and my heart races at the prospect.
“Gemma…” A smile fills my face, and I’m so damn anxious that I can barely contain myself. “I have an idea. It’s a crazy one, though.”
She’s still crying, and I hear her sniffles. I wish she was sitting in front of me so I could place my palms on either side of her cheeks and press my lips against hers.
“Considering I have no options, I’m all ears.”
I lick my lips, my nerves getting the best of me. “When I think about marriage in general, it makes my palms sweaty. But when I think about marryingyou, it’s different. It feels so damn right.”
Gemma continues getting emotional. “But I have to marry Robert, and he’d kill me before giving me a divorce. So that could never happen for us.”
“Unless you marry mefirst.”
The line goes quiet, and I almost question if she’s still there. “Tyler…”
“If you were in front of me right now, Gemma, I’d get down on one knee and tell you how much I fucking love you and always have. You’re the only woman I’ve ever imagined myself growing old with, and if you’d allow me, I’d spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy.” My heart races, and I wish I didn’t have to do this over the phone.
“Tyler Blackwood,” she whispers. “Are you asking me tomarrymarry you?”
“Yes, yes, I am.” I smirk. “Because if you’re married to me, you can’t legally be married to him. He’ll think it’s legit and sign the paperwork. By the time he realizes what’s going on, it’ll be too late for him to do anything about it.”
“He’ll never see it coming,” Gemma says with a sweetness in her tone.
“Hell no, he won’t. I can’t imagine a future without you, baby. You’re my everything. And I wish you were here so I could propose properly, then make love to you all damn night. I know it’s a wild idea but—”
She interrupts me. “Yes,” she blurts out, and I can tell she’s smiling. “I love you so damn much that I can barely put it into words. I just don’t want you only doing this because—”
“Trust me, it’s not because of Robert. It’s because I love you, need you, and want you forever, sweetheart,” I admit.
She lets out a hum. “You’ve made me the happiest woman.”
I chuckle. “I’ll get all the details together. We can go down to the courthouse and file the paperwork together. We’ll slip out of work separately and take care of it. It’s gonna be the best kind of satisfaction, knowing you’re my wife and not his.”
She lets out a relieved breath. “This really could work.”
“It will. I’ll always protect you, Gemma,” I reassure her. “Now we just have to figure out how to get him away for a bit so we can move your things back to your place and change the locks. Should do a security system, too. Once everything’s done, you can tell him to fuck off.”
