Chapter 38
Ryker
Two Weeks Later
My heart was racing as I made my way to Parker’s house.
He’d told me to come over. He told me that Mila knew I was coming.
And yet, I was still unsure about her reaction toward me.
What would she say? How would she feel? She’d never responded to my letter.
And I hadn’t wanted to harass her and bombard her with calls and texts.
I was dying to see her. Dying to hear from her, but I knew I’d fucked up.
I knew I hadn’t been the man she’d needed, and now, I had to be patient.
I’d wait for the rest of my life if that was what I had to do.
I wouldn’t even mind. I would wait until the day I died, if it meant that my last breath could be spent with her.
I rushed up the stairs to Parker’s house and pounded on the door, anxiety killing me.
“Hey,” Mila said as she answered the door, her brown eyes friendly but hesitant.
I stared at her, taking in all her beauty.
Her long blond hair flowed down her back; her face looked thinner, her lips trembling slightly as she tried to smile.
Her eyes looked into mine hesitantly, shining brilliantly, and I just wanted to swoop her into my arms, hold her, kiss her, and never let go.
“Hey,” I said, my throat dry. I didn’t know what to say. She was here, in front of me, as beautiful as ever, and I felt like I was a little boy again, unsure and needy. “Parker invited me over,” I continued dumbly.
“I know.” She nodded. “He’s not here.” She ushered me in. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“Oh?” I said, my body turning cold. “Why?” Fear invaded my soul. Was this when she was going to tell me that she no longer loved me, but she wanted to be friends?
“Because there’s something?—”
“Wait.” I held my hand up. “Before you say anything, I need to talk to you.” I knew this was my moment.
This was the moment I had to prove myself, once and for all.
I was the man. I was the man, and I needed her to know that I wanted her.
I needed her to know that her love hadn’t been in vain.
I’d woo her for the rest of her life. I’d chase her.
I’d do whatever she wanted me to do. I needed to be her one.
I needed her to see I was her soulmate. The one she’d been waiting for forever.
I was her forever love. I was the man who had been sculpted to love every inch of her.
I was made to love her. Made to please her.
Made to make her happy. She needed to know that.
She needed to know that I wasn’t going away.
I’d never give up. Love like ours didn’t come easily.
Or to everyone. We were the lucky ones, and we couldn’t just throw that away.
“Okay.” She frowned. “Go ahead.” She looked at me curiously, her eyes searching mine, and I stared back, smiling, letting my emotions shine through.
“I wrote this for you.” I cleared my throat and started to recite the poem I’d written.
“I loved you for a million years.
And then I met you.
And my love for you was more than my heart.
My heart was more than my soul.
My soul was more than the universe.
The universe was less than my love.
I loved you then.
I love you now.
I love you forever.
Till death do us part.
And then I’ll love you for a million years more.”
She watched me in silence. I was embarrassed but proud of myself. I cleared my throat and spoke again.
“I wrote it because a long time ago, you said your perfect man, your soulmate, would write you love poems. And I wanted to prove to you that I’m your soulmate.
Your fated destiny. The one you’ve been waiting for.
The one who was made for you. I know I’m an idiot and an asshole.
And I know I have a lot to learn. And I’m not perfect, and maybe sometimes I don’t act like that guy, but I’m him.
I want you to know that I’m him. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you that I’m him.
Can I spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you and want to be with you?
” I paused, my breath coming fast. “Say something, please?”
“I love you, Ryker Walker.” Her eyes were brimming with tears. “These are happy tears, by the way. I love you so much, you don’t even know. You are already my perfect man. You will always be my perfect man.”
“Are you just saying that?” I said, knowing I would break something if she said yes. My whole body felt like it was going to float away because I was so happy. “Please say you’re not just saying that.”
“No.” She grinned, stepped toward me, and kissed me.
“Nonno left me a letter. He told me off.” She laughed.
“He wrote that he knew I would be pissed at you and would probably stop talking to you. He said he knew I would think you didn’t love or trust me enough.
He told me that I should be proud to be with a man who loved and respected him enough to uphold his promise.
He said that I shouldn’t be an idiot, and I should be grateful to him for getting us together and to not mess it up.
” She laughed and touched my face. “I laughed, and I cried reading his letter. Oh, Ryker, I still hurt so much, but I need you to know—I want you to know—I love you more than anything. I always have. I always will. You are my everything. Nothing can ever part us. You know that, right?”
“I know.” I grinned at her and kissed her hard. “I know that we’re it. Forever. I don’t want you for four weeks, Mila. I want you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?”
“Oh, yes, Ryker. Yes. I’ll be your forever wife.” And then I kissed her good and hard and promised myself that I would never let her go.
“Do your parents hate me?” I asked her as we just stood there, holding hands.
“No.” She shook her head. “I think they realized that what Nonno did was the best for everyone. My parents are going to retire. And, well, your dad put Parker in charge of the company.”
“I know.” I smiled. “I made that happen.”
“You did?” She looked at me in surprise.
“Parker is my best friend. He’s going to be my brother.” I grinned, happy at the thought. “I had to hook him up.”
“How did you do that?”
“I’ve got a few things on my dad.” I laughed. “Let’s just say, I put all my cards on the table to make sure this deal went through the way I wanted it to.”
“Thank you,” she said. “Thank you for looking out for Parker and me and my parents.”
“I never knew what it was to think of someone more than myself,” I said, thoughtfully, needing her to understand how I felt and the depth of my love for her.
“I never knew that I could care about someone so much that I would move mountains to make them happy. I would move mountains for you, Mila. I would swim oceans. I would fight a lion, a tiger, and a shark for you. I would walk across the Sahara Desert, battle an army with my bare hands. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.
I wake up every morning, and you are the first thing on my mind.
Every single morning. And that makes me happy.
That makes me want to wake up. Just the thought of you.
And at night—at night when I feel alone, or cold, or tired—I just think of your smile.
Or your laugh. I close my eyes and lie there, and it makes me feel secure, comforted, warm inside.
I’ve never felt that before. I’ve never known that love could feel this way.
And the best part . . . the best part is that I’m not scared.
I’m not scared of it ending or fading away.
I’m not scared because I know that true love never dies.
I will never not love you, Mila. I will never not want to be the man holding your hand. I will never not be your one.”
“I loved you from the first moment I saw you, Ryker Walker. I know that sounds weird. I was too young to even know what love was. And I didn’t know you.
But inside, the second I laid eyes on you, I knew.
I’ve always known. I think Nonno must have known as well.
Maybe it was destined in the stars. Maybe we really were carved for each other by some master sculptor.
I don’t know how it could be. But I’ve known from the first second that you were mine.
I didn’t fully understand the depth of my feelings until I got older.
And these last few weeks, well, they made me love you even more.
I got to know you. I saw your flaws. I saw your weaknesses.
I saw the man you were under the facade.
And sometimes, I hated that guy. Some days, I just wanted to cry.
But I never wanted to walk away, and I never thought, not even for a nanosecond, that I would stop loving you.
Because that will never happen. I cannot be me if I don’t love you. ”
“And I cannot be me if I cannot love you.” I grinned at her and pulled a ring out of my pocket. “Will you accept this ring, Mila? Will you marry me? Will you do me the honor of being my wife for eternity?”
Mila’s eyes widened, and tears streamed down her face, only this time I didn’t feel a sense of worry at the waterworks display. “Yes, Ryker. There’s nothing I’d like more.” She leaned forward and kissed me, her eyes glowing as I slid the ring onto her finger.
“What about Parker and Lara?” I winked at her, and she grinned.
“Well, yes, I’d like to see them together as well.” She laughed. “But that’s a matter for another time.”
“I know.” I kissed her again. “We’ll work our magic, and we’ll get them together too.”
“I sure hope so.” She sighed blissfully and gazed lovingly into my eyes. “I want them to be as happy as we are. I want them to share a love like ours.”
“There is no better love than what we have.” I kissed her lips lightly. “We have a forever love. We will always be together, flying through the sky, surfing on clouds, singing with the birds, and howling in the wind. We’ll always be us, and I’m not afraid anymore. I’m not afraid of anything.”
Thank you for reading Four Week Fiancé.