Chapter 14 Teagan
Teagan
"You got shot! I don’t care if it was weeks ago—we are not going out tonight." My arms cross tightly over my chest, my brows furrowing like they always do when Axel tries to push his limits.
"So what?" He shrugs, casually defiant. "You worked through four fractured ribs and a sprained ankle. I’ve been sitting here healing. It’s Valentine's Day, Teagan." His tone softens, but there’s a fire behind his words, a promise in the way his eyes hold mine.
He’s better—stitches out, strength returning—but the thought of black ice or some freak accident undoing all that progress sends a surge of worry through me. I open my mouth to argue, but he cuts me off with a sly grin.
"If I have to throw you over my shoulder, I will." His voice is low, teasing, but there’s no doubt he’ll do it.
Damn him. That’s so hot. Stop it, Teagan. You’re supposed to be mad.
"It might calm my nerves if you’d tell me where we’re going," I counter, trying to regain control.
"Nope." His grin widens, maddeningly smug. "It’s a surprise."
"Axel, I swear, if you—"
"You’re the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met," he interrupts, stepping closer. His voice lowers, his teasing fading into something softer, something that makes my chest tighten. "But damn if I don’t love you for it."
The words slip out before I can stop them: "You’re lucky I love you." My heart stutters at the admission, but there’s no taking it back now.
Axel’s smile softens, his hand reaching out to cup my cheek. "Lucky? Yeah, maybe. But it’s a damn good thing you do."
I sigh, my resolve cracking under his gaze. "Fine. But you’re wearing a jacket. You’re not catching pneumonia, on my watch."
His laugh is warm, wrapping around me like a favorite blanket. "Deal."
The crisp February air nips at my cheeks as Axel leads me outside, our hands clasped. Snowflakes spiral lazily from the sky, coating the world in a quiet kind of magic. When we reach the street, my breath catches.
A horse-drawn carriage waits, its black velvet canopy dusted with snow.
The driver tips his hat, and Axel helps me into the carriage like some kind of modern-day prince.
The seat is cold, but when Axel pulls a quilt over both of us, the heat from his body sitting next to me seeps through the fabric, making the cold bearable, easing the chill that has settled into my bones.
"You okay?" he asks, his voice softer now.
I nod, leaning into him. "I’m fine. Just... surprised."
The carriage rolls forward, the rhythmic clop of the horse's hooves blending with the soft crunch of snow. We slip into a peaceful silence, broken only by the occasional glance he throws my way, his eyes alight with that mischievous spark that always sets my heart racing.
Eventually, we arrive at a secluded beach, the ocean stretching out in front of us like a silver ribbon under the moonlight. Axel leads me down a path flanked by snow-covered rocks, his grip on my hand steady, grounding. When we round a bend, I stop short.
A colored picnic blanket covers the sand, surrounded by rose petals arranged in the shape of a heart. Candles flicker in the cold air, their golden glow casting everything in a warm haze.
"Axel," I whisper, my breath catching.
He pulls me forward gently, his eyes holding mine. "Teagan..." His voice comes out different now—low, serious, like he’s been holding this moment close for a long time.
Before I can speak, he kneels in the snow. My heart lurches as he pulls a velvet box from his pocket.
"I know I’m not perfect," he begins, his voice rough but steady. "And I know I drive you crazy sometimes. But you... you make me better. You make me fight for something more—something bigger than myself. I don’t want to imagine a life without you, Teagan. I can’t. I won’t."
He opens the box and inside sits a ring—the ring.
A stunning platinum band, encrusted with a large, flawless diamond capturing the light from the moon, sending a thousand tiny reflections dancing around us.
It’s beyond anything I ever could have imagined.
"I want forever with you. I don’t want to ever be without you by my side. Will you marry me?"
My chest tightens, and my mind goes blank for a split second.
I can’t believe he’s doing this. He’s proposing to me.
I want to say something, anything, but I can’t find the words.
But it’s not about words right now, is it?
It’s about the way my heart swells like it’s about to burst, the way I’ve known—deep down—that I’ve always known Axel was meant to be mine.
“Absolutely,” I finally whisper, my voice breaking as I pull him up from his knees helping him dust the snow off. My hands move to his face, my fingers trembling as I touch his skin, the stubble along his jaw. “Yes, Axel. A million times yes.”
Axel smiles, and the look in his eyes—like a weight has been lifted off his chest—makes my heart swell. He slides the ring onto my finger, and when he pulls me into his good arm, it feels like everything is right in the world. Like this is exactly where we’re supposed to be.
“I love you,” he murmurs against my lips.
“I love you too,” I breathe, and I mean it, with everything in me.
In this moment, with the cold wind whipping around us and the ocean stretched out behind us like some kind of endless promise, I realize this is the beginning of forever. And I’m not just ready for it—I’m eager for it.
Axel pulls back slightly, his gaze soft but intense, before reaching for the wine glasses. His fingers brush mine as he hands me my glass, the quiet gesture bringing us back to the present. Raising my wine glass, I toast. “Best Valentine's Day Ever. Here’s to forever.”
He clinks his glass to mine, “To forever.” Reaching forward, he draws me to him by the nape of my neck. When his soft lips brush mine, the tenderness of it sends a flood of sensations all over me.
Here’s to forever, indeed.