Chapter 4 #2
“Her mom said she’s getting Kylie into counseling. And the grandparents are coming to stay for a while, just to help out. Make sure Kylie feels safe and all that.”
Thankfully, she will be safe, thanks to the efforts of Derek and the police.
The car did end up falling only minutes after Derek rescued me and Kylie, taking Harry down along with it. But the rescue team showed up just in time and pulled Harry to safety. He has a concussion and a broken collarbone, but according to Kylie’s mom, her ex-husband should recover completely.
Then he’ll go to prison, where he’ll hopefully receive the help he needs. Though I wouldn’t say I feel all warm and fuzzy towards the guy—the whole kidnapping me at gunpoint and trying to transport me across the state took care of that—he did seem remorseful as they pulled him from the water.
“He’s been struggling,” Kylie’s mom explained at the hospital. “He lost his job recently, and I think he’s started drinking again. But I never imagined he’d do something like this. I thought Kylie would be safe, doing a 5K with her running club. If I’d had any idea, I’d never have let her go.”
But just like my decision to go to the restrooms alone, how could her mom have ever thought that such an innocent thing could turn dangerous?
“I’m going to ask Indy if he can have one of the guys at his New York branch keep an eye on the dad,” Derek says. “Just in case he tries anything.”
“That’s a good idea,” I agree. “And that reminds me. I need to send Indy and his team a gift for helping. Cookies or beer or something.”
Derek smiles. “I’m sure they’d love that.” His expression turns contemplative. “Maybe we could head out to Oregon sometime to visit. What do you think?”
As the topic shifts to more pleasant things, I feel my body relaxing. I lean against Derek and rest my head on his shoulder. “I’d really like that. When would you want to go?”
Derek presses a kiss to the top of my head. “I’ll call Indy, see what their schedule looks like. Maybe we can plan something before winter.”
His hand moves up and down my my back in a soothing motion. “Before winter sounds nice,” I tell him. “I’ve still got ten days of PTO for the year. So I could definitely take some for a trip to the West Coast.”
“Speaking of PTO,” he replies, “I was thinking you should take Monday off. Maybe Tuesday, too.”
I turn to look at him. “Oh?”
“Yeah.” His features soften. “You’ve had a rough day. And then flying tomorrow… I think you need some time to decompress. I already talked to my boss, and he said he’d cover my class on Monday. So we could both take the day off, have a lazy day…”
The idea of a day at home with Derek sounds appealing. “What would we do?” I ask.
“Get up late, to start.” His hand moves to my hair, gently stroking. “Have a big, greasy breakfast with lots of bacon. Then we can cuddle on the couch, watch some of your favorite movies…”
“Bridesmaids? And Thirteen Going on Thirty?”
His nose wrinkles in distaste. But I know he secretly likes both movies. He just doesn’t want to admit it. “Yes. If that’s what you want to watch.”
“What else?” I prod.
After a few seconds of thought, he replies, “Lots of snacks. And we can work on your costume for next weekend.” His hand goes up. “I’ll sew, though. You’ll just relax and tell me what to do.”
The mental image of Derek hunched over my pink sewing machine, his brow furrowed with concentration, makes my heart feel all mushy. “That sounds really nice.”
Derek cups my cheek with his hand and gazes at me for a long moment.
Then he kisses me. It’s not a hard and desperate one, like he gave me after pulling me from the car.
It’s sweet. Gentle. Treasuring. “Then we’ll order delivery from Carlotta’s,” he continues.
“Eggplant parm and garlic twists and those Italian cookies you like. And when we’re so full we can barely move, we can binge that new series on Netflix. ”
“The one about the LARPers whose story comes to life?”
“Yup.” He smiles. “Then I’ll carry you to bed.”
“For some sexy time?” I ask hopefully.
“You’re still recovering—”
“From bruises,” I clarify. “Nothing serious. And sex is therapeutic, you know.”
One eyebrow arches up. “Therapeutic, you say?”
“Yes.” I kiss him back, nipping his lower lip just the way he likes. “It’s therapeutic. Good for stress and getting to sleep. If we’re supposed to be having a relaxing day, we really should.”
His lips twitch. “Far be it from me to argue with that.”
“I guess I’m emailing my boss, then,” I say. “I’m sure she’ll understand once I explain.”
“I’m sure she will.” As Derek looks at me, he takes my hand, turns it over, and strokes his thumb in small circles across my palm. “I really love you, Em. So much.”
“I love you, too,” I reply. “You kept me strong. Thinking about you, I mean. Wanting to be with you again. And I thought about what you’d tell me to do. I imagined I could hear your voice in my ear. It made me feel less afraid.”
Emotion darkens his gaze. “Em.”
“I’m not telling you to make you feel bad. I guess I just… I wanted you to know you were with me. Even when you weren’t there physically. I could feel you just the same.”
His eyes close briefly. When they reopen, they’re shining. “I wasn’t giving up,” he says. “I would have done anything to get you back. I couldn’t bear to think—” He stops. Swallows hard. Then he leans over and reaches into the nightstand drawer.
Sitting back up straight, he shifts slightly, so he’s facing me.
The depth of emotion in his gaze makes my nose prickle and my throat go thick.
“I didn’t plan on this,” he adds, opening his hand to display a small velvet pouch inside.
“I was going to wait. I had this idea of taking you on a weekend getaway to a romantic bed and breakfast and having champagne in a hot tub beneath the stars.”
My breath catches. “Champagne in a hot tub?”
He nods. “With rose petals floating on the water. And those fancy chocolates you like for after.”
“And what does that”—I angle my chin at the pouch—“have to do with it?”
“I thought I’d give it to you then,” he replies. Loosening the drawstring at the top, Derek tips the pouch over and a delicate ring falls onto his palm. As he holds it out to me, the light catches the facets of the diamond and sets rainbows spinning out from it. “But.”
I tear my gaze from the ring so I can look into his eyes.
There’s so much love within.
So much hope.
“But?” I ask. My heart races so quickly I’m lightheaded from it.
“But today…” He exhales a shaky breath. In all the time I’ve known Derek, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this nervous. Glancing down at the ring, he says, “This was my grandmother’s ring. I got it from my mom last night. Because I knew I was going to ask. I just didn’t know when.”
“Your grandmother’s ring?”
“She and my grandfather were married for sixty years. And when she passed, she said she wanted me to have the ring. She said it would bring as much happiness as it brought to them.”
My heart is a puddle. Tears sting my eyes. “And you want—”
“I don’t want to wait, Em. I just want to marry you. Maybe it’s selfish; not planning a whole romantic proposal, but after today… I can’t bear the thought of waiting another second.”
“It’s not selfish.” I lean in to kiss him, tasting the salt of my tears on my lips. “It’s perfect. Because… after today, I don’t want to wait, either.”
“So you will?” he asks, cautious joy sparking in his eyes. “You’ll marry me?”
“If you ask,” I reply. Sniffling, I give Derek a wobbly smile. “You haven’t asked yet. So I can’t officially say yes.”
A ruddy pink flushes his cheeks. “Oh. Right.” With a nervous laugh, he starts to slide off the bed.
I catch his hand. “Where are you going?”
“I need to kneel. So I can ask properly.”
“No.” I don’t need some old-fashioned proposal. All I need is for Derek to ask. How he does it isn’t important. “Stay here. Right next to me.”
He exhales. “Okay.” His fingers wrap around mine. “Emily. Em. I love you. So much. You make me a better man. A happier man. You taught me that just because I’m different, it doesn’t make me less.”
“Derek.”
“I swear, Em, I’ll spend my life doing everything I can to make you happy.
You want a new costume every week, I’ll make it for you.
I’ll take sewing classes if it helps. I’ll watch those movies you love so much.
I’ll buy you fancy chocolate. Give you back rubs every night.
And I’ll protect you. To my last breath. ”
Now I’m full-on crying. “Derek.”
He swipes at my tears. “Don’t cry. Please.”
“I’m happy,” I tell him. “They’re happy tears. Because I love you. And I want to marry you with all my heart. I want to run a half marathon with you. Go to Oregon to visit your friends. I want to buy a house together and adopt a dog and one day, have kids with you. I want all of it. With you.”
Derek looks at me. “Is that a yes?”
“It’s a yes.” I fling my arms around his neck. It hurts when I crash into him, but the joy overtakes it. “Yes, Derek. I will marry you.”
“Em.” His breath whispers across my hair. Then he gently frames my face with his hands and kisses me. “My Em. My fiancée. Love of my life.”
Then he releases me just enough to slide the ring on my finger. For a moment, we both stare at it, in awe of what it represents.
Trust.
Hope.
Love.
“I love you,” I say, bringing my gaze back to his. “My fiancé. My love.” I press my lips to his. “My hero.”