Chapter 47 Garrick
Garrick
Crap.
I might have misread this situation entirely and royally screwed my chances with Juliet.
I knew she wasn’t a ‘grand display of affection’ type of girl, but I thought she’d let me have a pass for the apology.
As I follow her outside, the crowd watching us, my mouth goes dry.
All the moisture in my body headed to my sweaty palms and forehead.
The audience seems enthralled with my declaration to Juliet.
There are plenty of heart-eye emojis going around the place – Tyrone was right, love will always win over the masses.
On the other hand, Juliet is not the masses and might think I’ve lost my grip on reality.
She spins around when we get into the frigid night air.
The lights from the windows and lamppost glow brightly.
She’s holding herself around the middle, still sore, only being a few days out from surgery.
‘Garrick,’ she says, a huff of frozen breath coming from her warm lips.
‘That was …’ She bites her lip ‘… A lot.’
I offer a half-smile. I still can’t read which way her heart is leaning. ‘Then I nailed my objective. I wanted –’ I start, but she holds up her hand to make me stop.
‘Did you really not choose someone?’ Her brows pinch together in a deep furrow.
Of course, she’d think about the show first. What if she’s thinking I screwed up Beeloved’s good press?
I shake my head. ‘I couldn’t. It wasn’t right to do it just for the show when we all knew the only girl I ever wanted was you.
’ Maybe it’s my keen observation skills, but I swear there’s a tiny swoon there.
‘Going through with it would have been even worse for the optics. Love’s all about honesty, I hear.
I figured audiences would appreciate it. That you might.’
I talked to Ellie and Desiree one-on-one yesterday before we started the elimination to tell them what I had planned.
As I guessed, neither of them was too broken up that I wasn’t choosing them as my Beeloved.
But they still thanked me for being delicate about the situation and hoped I found someone who made me happy.
Ellie agreed we could do a collab on her channel with Pierre, and he’d show her the special effects make-up they use on the characters in the park.
Desiree actually asked if she could apply to be a princess next summer.
All in all, for them, everything worked out. Let’s see if that’s true for me and my Juliet.
Juliet bites her thumbnail, frowning. ‘I guess fair enough. But this whole situation kind of ruins the premise of the show. The point was the app doing its job.’
Moving closer, I push a strand of hair off her face, my warm hand resting on her flushed cheek. ‘Are you kidding? Everyone loves a surprise twist at the end of a story.’
Her brows dip further, and I want to kiss the ache away. ‘You left me in a hospital bed and abandoned me when I needed you most.’ Tears shine in her eyes.
My chest aches as I see the pain I caused firsthand.
‘I know I did. If it helps, I probably hate myself more than you hate me. Even as I sat there breaking your heart, I knew I didn’t mean it.
But I really thought I was saving us both in the long run.
Seeing you lying there, all I could think about was my mom and how it destroyed me when she died.
Every emotion I’ve tried to push away since then came flooding back in, and it was like I was drowning.
‘Intrusive thoughts kept running through my brain of all the terrible things that could happen to you – or to me. I never ever wanted to feel that pain I felt before again. I didn’t want you to experience it either.
But I realized that not having you in my life hurt just as bad.
I’m still scared – I’m not ashamed to admit it now – but I’m ready to shake off its control over me and jump headfirst. That is if you are? ’
Her eyes still glisten, but I can see the wheels turning behind them.
‘Garrick, I decided a long time ago that love wouldn’t be in my cards.
I was fully prepared to make my way through life without it.
I never accounted for another person getting a space in my heart.
’ She motions between us. ‘I … I don’t know how to do this. ’
‘Me neither. Clearly.’ I place my hand on her cheek.
‘We can come up with a pro/con list if that helps ease your analytical brain’s worrying.
But truthfully, I don’t care if the list is only one pro because one is enough for me.
There are about a million ways this could fail, but I’d never forgive myself if we didn’t at least give it a try.
So, I’m willing to give it a go if you are.
What do you say, will you be my Beeloved?
’ I use the cheesy tagline I’ve been spouting for the whole show, but this is the first time I feel nervous asking it.
I want what I’ve seen spread across fairytale pages my entire life. That happily-ever-after so many achieve, even if it doesn’t last as long as you want – like Mom and Dad. I don’t want to miss out on all the good Juliet and I could have together because I’m scared of the ending.
What’s the saying? It’s the journey, not the destination.
She licks her lips, shoulders rising and falling with a heavy breath. ‘Yeah. OK,’ she huffs, that perfect, elusive smile clearing the clouds away. It might be the dead of winter, but my body has left this place and is doing the limbo in paradise.
‘Ever the romantic.’ I’m smiling like the fool that I am.
Her cheeks are pink from the cold, or me, giving her the cutest look. I almost lose my breath when I gaze at her. ‘Shut up and kiss me.’
‘Whatever you say, Juliet.’ I pull her in and kiss her like it’s going out of style.