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Harper’s jaw dropped at the first mention of the word “love” and stayed there until he was done speaking. “Well, why don’t you start from the beginning? You’ve never said much about your family or where you grew up. Just about your brother’s accident.”
Sebastian nodded and sat back in his seat, ready to tell her whatever she wanted to know.
“I grew up poor,” he said. “And so we’re clear, not the kind of poor you’ve been. I mean dirt poor. Oldest-trailer-in-the-trailer-park poor. I never owned a new pair of shoes until I went to college and bought them myself. Until then, every bit of clothing I’d ever had was my brother’s hand-me-down. My parents did everything they could to get ahead in life, but there was always something on the next horizon ready to knock them back down.
“When my brother and I were old enough, we worked to help make ends meet. Kenny worked at the burger place near our high school. I liked to tinker and helped my dad with fixing the car and such, so I ended up working at a shop that fixed old lawnmowers and small engines. If I could, I’d mow people’s lawns after I fixed their mowers, too, for extra cash. Every penny went to my parents. For a while, we were doing okay. My dad got a promotion, my brother graduated from high school and started working full time. Then he had his accident.”
Harper was watching him speak so intently, he wondered if she was even breathing. He shook his head and sighed. “We had insurance, but Kenny fell off the plan when he graduated. He didn’t have any at work yet, either. There was a little coverage from the owner of the ATV, but it wasn’t nearly enough. He spent my entire senior year in hospitals and rehabilitation centers. The bills were crippling. My mom had to quit her job to stay home and take care of him, making it worse.”
“How awful,” she whispered.
“I was determined to do more than just
rebuild lawnmowers my whole life. I wanted to make something of myself so I could help my parents and my brother. That’s what drove me. I worked as much as I could after his accident, and the only money I ever kept for myself was enough money to apply to MIT and take my entrance exams.”
“How are they now?” Harper asked.
Sebastian finally found a reason to smile.
“They’re great. With my first million, I bought my parents a real house in Portland that was near the doctors and specialists Kenny sees regularly. It’s nice, but not too big for them to maintain, and it’s fully wheelchair friendly so my brother can get around. I bought them an accessible van and I send them money every month to help take care of things. My dad continues to work out of pride, but he should be retiring in a few years.”
Harper smiled and reached out to put a hand on his knee. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“We’ve all come a long way. It took a lot of hard work to get there. I don’t regret it or the toll it took on my health to get there. I just know I need to do better going forward.”
“I can understand why you did what you did. To start with nothing and build a company like yours is amazing. I bet you look at someone like me, who squandered a fortune, and resent the hell out of it.”
Sebastian shook his head. “I don’t. Everyone comes from a different place, but that makes them who they are. You made your mistakes and you grew from them. You owned them. I’m not sure I’d be strong enough to stand up and do what you did at the wedding. Even with the money I’ve made, giving up almost thirty-million dollars is heartbreaking.”
“Well, actually, it turns out that I didn’t.”
He frowned at her. “What do you mean?”
“I spoke with my grandfather. I came clean about the whole thing. He decided I’d learned my lesson and gave me the money anyway. That’s why I bought the champagne. Today is my birthday. My grandpa wanted me to throw a big party but I wasn’t ready for all that after what happened in Ireland. I thought I might have a little celebration by myself. Would you like to join me?”
Sebastian smiled. “I would.” He wouldn’t have more than a sip since he was trying to be good, but he would certainly toast to her birthday.
They got up and went to the kitchen where she poured two champagne flutes. Back in the living room, they sat, this time both of them on the couch together.
“Happy birthday, Harper,” he said, raising his flute. “I’m glad I was able to be here today to celebrate with you. I wasn’t sure if I would have the chance to tell you that. Or any of the other things I said to you today. Thank you for giving me the chance.”
Harper smiled and clinked her glass against his. “Thank you. This isn’t how I imagined my birthday, but it couldn’t have been better, really. I’ve learned a lot about myself the past few weeks. Without Josie trying to blackmail me, I might not have realized that I could get by on my own. Or that I didn’t need money and fancy cars to define me. I also wouldn’t have realized how important you are to me, too.”
Sebastian’s heart stuttered in his chest and this time it had nothing to do with his clogged arteries. He set his untouched drink on the coffee table. “I’m sorry I didn’t know it was your birthday today. I would’ve brought you a present.” He reached into his pocket. “Instead, all I have is this.”
Her gaze locked on the blue box and her jaw dropped once again. “What...” Her voice trailed off.
“I told you before that I love you, Harper. And that I’m ready to find some balance in my life. But what I left out was that I want to find that balance with you. Just you. Life is too short to hesitate, and I can’t risk losing you again.”
Sebastian slid off the couch onto one knee and opened the box to display the emerald-cut halo ring inside. “I promise that I won’t keep secrets from you anymore. I promise I will never make my work seem more important than you or our family. You are the most important person in my life, Harper. I never knew I could love someone the way that I love you. Please do me the honor of being my wife, Harper Drake.”
He looked at her in time to see her eyes flood with tears. “Yes,” she whispered with a smile that spread from ear to ear.
Sebastian slipped the ring onto her finger and squeezed her hand in his. They stood and she leaped into his arms. He pulled her tight against him and kissed his fiancée for the very first time.
This was the start of their future together. A future he almost didn’t have, but that he would cherish with Harper for as long as he could.
Epilogue
