Page 105 of Shattered Veil
Balor
Icame here to propose. Iwantto propose. I planned to ask her to marry me and give her every possible reason why she should say yes.
Her friends encouraged her to negotiate.
Forcing the ring on her blows my wad, and I lose any leverage I have to keep her in my life.
Her. Not just her and the baby. Her.Ella.
“This was where my mind went this morning after I dropped you off. Even before you...”
“Pulled the disappearing stunt?” she says with her eyes slipped close. “I’m sorry.”
I kiss her mouth. “First of all, you don’t say you’re sorry to me. You never have to be sorry. If you’ve done something that upsets me, I’ll tell you. But you never have to apologize.”
Shaking her head, she says, “I don’t want to be treated like glass, or given all these passes. I expect to be held accountable if I’ve done something wrong. Just not with...”
“Never.” He pulls our foreheads together. “Ever. This ring is a promise. It will be here waiting for you. I know what I want.”
“And what is that?”
“You.”
“Can we wait until I see my doctor?” She sounds guilty, like if she’s not pregnant, I’ll want out of this relationship.
Not likely...
“Will you let me go with you?” I ask.
“Of course.” She softens. “What about my father? Did you send him to Tokyo on purpose?”
“If on purpose, you mean so you and I could make a goof what we had the last couple of weeks? Aye. Sort of. I did need a developer over there.”
And we needed to audit his keystrokes.
That’s the bigger picture I need to lay on Ella. She needs to know exactly who her father is and that he will be punished in some way.
Several of my brothers have to contend with an in-law they don’t care for. That’s life. Snow is mine.
Now I must convince my brothers to let him live so the woman I’m falling for doesn’t hate me and take away my baby.
“I DON’T WANT YOU STAYINGhere alone,” I say, glancing at the flowers. “I want you with me. Can you give me that right now?”
Nodding with a smile, she says, “I want that, too.”
I take her in my arms, and it’s the most whole I’ve felt in hours. “I’ll send someone to pick up the flowers.”
“They’re so beautiful. You didn’t have to.”
“Aye, I did. It’s not that I gave you a meadow’s worth of flowers. I will always pull out all the stops to show you what you mean to me.” I cup her cheeks, tearstained and swollen from stress.
“Me, too. And I’m so...”
I stop her with a look. “I accept you’re sorry for taking off on me today. I understand you’re stressed and confused. Let’s go spend time really getting to know each other better.”
“I want that, too.”
She lets me help her pack, and I smile at all the clothes I bought her because I recognize the labels.