10. Felicity
TEN
FELICITY
The last week had been easy. Simple. I was able to pretend like this could last. Had hoped it could, that the sweet mornings, the stolen moments, and the late nights could be our forever.
Damien stares at me expectantly, as do his friends, but I can’t make myself give them the response he wants.
“I need some air,” I say, shakily getting to my feet. “Please.”
Damien blinks hard and nods. “Take the time you need.”
I can tell that’s not the answer he wants, but I slowly make my way to the door, entire body unnaturally calm yet numb.
The threat still echoes in my ears, so terrifying it makes me wonder if it’s even worth it anymore.
Would it be so bad to take out a loan? To make some drastic but necessary changes to draw more guests in?
Maybe I should just…try and do this on my own.
“It’s not a lie for me anymore,” Damien murmurs before I can leave, his voice so low I know this is meant only for me to hear. “I need you to know that. And I’ll do it. No hesitation. The clause can be gone. It doesn’t scare me anymore.”
Tears burn as I push my way out of the kitchen.
I don’t stop at the porch; I keep going, entering the gardens.
Here, the space is designed to be pretty, rather than functional.
The flowers are supposed to be a draw, the privacy a bonus.
But I keep going until I make it to the gate that leads to my private space: the vegetable garden.
Bees dance between different areas, butterflies fluttering towards the forest. I make my way to a bench I added for my grandmother when she became too frail to kneel or stand for long.
I let the first tear fall with a sigh. “I don’t know what to do,” I whisper, looking down at her rings.
I haven’t taken them off since Damien placed them on my finger.
It’s like being connected to her in a way.
“What if this ends badly? Or worse? I can’t lose this place…
but I also don’t know if I can lose him. ”
It’s insane, but I grew up on stories about people falling in love here in Willow Ridge. Maybe it’s because I’ve been forced to watch it play out around me, and I’ve never had the courage to seek it out myself.
Is it fear over the possible repercussions of this lie being found out, or the possibility that it isn’t a lie anymore?
I wipe away a stray tear and huff. “I wish you were here to help me figure this out,” I whisper, dropping my face into my hands. “I wish I wasn’t alone.”
“You aren’t alone,” Damien says, startling me. I look up to find him with his hands in his pockets, standing at the gate leading into the garden. “I’m sorry. I wanted to make sure you were okay. I wasn’t trying to be a creep. But I also hate seeing you cry.”
A shaky breath falls from my lips as I wipe away my tears. “I asked for space.”
“I know,” he says softly. “But if there is one thing you need to know about me, it’s that space isn’t exactly my strong suit. It’s why I climb into bed with you every night, and why you let me.”
I shake my head and force myself to look away. “Why were you doing that?”
“Because despite what we told ourselves, I got attached.” He enters the garden slowly, but doesn’t come any closer despite my heart wishing he would.
“I suppose I could have made this deal with anyone. I sure as hell could have asked someone from the office. A friend from my social circle. But I asked you because you’ve always been in the back of my mind.
I just never figured out why. Until now. ”
I swallow hard as he takes another step towards me. “You already…liked me?”
“In a way,” he admits, shrugging. “I’ve never actually genuinely liked someone before. Not the way you make me feel.”
“Be honest,” I whisper, hands trembling. “How do I make you feel?”
He stares at me for a long moment, the look in his eyes tearing at my heart.
“Like a man worthy of love. Who might actually deserve an ounce of your attention.” He takes three final steps, putting himself in front of me, and kneels.
“It made me crazy, knowing you never looked at me. I was so used to attention that getting none from you drove me mad.”
I don’t know what to say; I never realised he felt that way. “You were always so off limits that I tried to stay out of your way,” I stammer, cheeks burning. “And honestly, Callahan and Tobias terrified me. It made me think you and August would be the same.”
Damien chuckles and takes my hand. “I think that’s fair,” he murmurs, thumbing my wedding ring.
I glance down and catch sight of his; the gold band my grandfather used to wear catches the light, shining like how it used to whenever he came out here to find Grandmother and me with our hands buried in the soil.
“Do you actually want to make that amendment? About kids?” I ask softly. “Because I need you to be honest about that. Don’t say yes because you think that’s what I want. Tell me the truth. Is that something you actually want? Or is it another lie for Bradshaw?”
He flinches, pressing his lips together. But he doesn’t shy away from meeting my stare. “I want to make the amendment. I knew the moment you heard about it you were hurt, and I wanted to change it then.”
I blink rapidly. “I wasn’t hurt,” I shake my head. “But I was surprised.”
“It hadn’t even occurred to me to take it out of the prenup, and I froze. I think I should have done it then, and that’s part of the problem. I should have told him to cut it. Because you want kids, and trapping you in this marriage isn’t fair if that’s something you want.”
A heavy lump forms in my throat, the ball of emotion almost too much. “Do you—do you want them? Kids?”
He stares at me for a long moment before nodding. “With you? Yes.”
I’m not sure if it’s relief or something else rushing through me, but I throw my arms around his neck. “You aren’t just saying that because you want to appease me or Bradshaw?” I whisper, squeezing my eyes shut.
His arms go around my waist. “Of course not,” he murmurs, eyes searching mine. “I love you.”
I still, heart racing, the words echoing in my ears.
I love you. Did he really just say that?
I love you. Could he possibly mean it?
I love you. He loves me?
“Damien…” I can’t stop the tears now; the fall down my cheeks lie a waterfall that’s just been unleashed, and the sobs that wrack my body from having to keep everything together these last few days completely destroy me.
Damien tightens his hold on me, smoothing one hand down my back while the other cups the back of my head. “We will do this at your pace,” he murmurs, holding me like he’s afraid of letting me go. “I don’t care about the inheritance. Not if it means losing you.”
If I felt relief before, it slams into me in an entirely new way. Hearing those specific words from his lips feels like a weight has been lifted off me.
“I will help you fix the den because you’re my wife,” he continues, “and this place is your home. Hopefully, it’ll be our home.”
My breath catches in my throat. “But I thought—you have the other place?—”
“I’ll talk to the others, but as far as I know, Callahan is looking to get a place with Margo so Sadie has something stable.
Tobias has the lake house with Isabella.
And August might be more than happy to take that house so I can stay here with you.
” He finally pulls away to cup my face. “I will do anything because I love you.”
I drop my forehead to his and breathe in deeply. “I love you too.”