“I don't know why you keep givin' him second chances with how much he's already hurt you, Mia. He doesn't deserve you.”
“Maybe so, but I can't help how I feel, Jules. I love him. Dat's not gonna change.” When Gage stopped in front of them she swallowed. “Hi.”
Gage
When he entered the main area where Mia's showing was set up, Gage's gaze scanned the crowd. The moment his gaze fell on her, his heart lurched. God, she was beautiful. She'd donned a simple sheath dress in dark purple that clung to her frame and made it abundantly clear she was no longer a child. She was almost a woman and seeing her made the desire he tried to keep in check roar to the surface. She'd pulled her hair up into a twist with several curls trailing around her face and his fingers itched to touch them. Swallowing past the sudden lump in his throat he approached. He didn't miss the dark look her brother gave him. Yeah, he deserved the look, but he was hoping to change that. Starting now. “You look beautiful, cher.” He found it difficult to keep his gaze from traveling down her body. He didn't want her to think that was all he was interested in.
Mia's cheeks warmed with the compliment. “Thank you. You look pretty spiffy yourself. I tink I can count on one hand da number of times I've seen you dressed up outside of christenin's and have fingers left over.”
Gage ran a hand through his hair, mussing it. “Yeah. Well. I don't really like wearin' dress shirts but tonight is a special occasion.” He stepped a little closer to her just as Julius moved away a little bit to give them some privacy. “I wanted to tell you how sorry I am, for what I did, for what you walked in on. I know I don't deserve it, I know I really fucked up wit' you, Mia, but I'm askin', no, I'm beggin', for one more chance. I've been doin' a lot of tinkin' dis week and I realized someting. Da reasons I was givin' myself for what I was doin' were bullshit. Dey weren't fair to you. I kept tellin' myself you still had some growin' up to do, you still have another full year of high school, it wasn't right for me to court you. I kept tellin' myself dat you needed time to get over what Cole did to you six months ago. It was all bullshit excuses to hide da fact I was scared shitless.”
Mia listened to him and as he gave all of the reasons why he'd been messing around with other girls, she found herself frowning. “Scared? What were you scared of?”
Gage finally gave in to the urge to touch her. He reached out and caressed her cheek with his fingertips. “I was scared dat I wasn't good enough for you. I was scared dat da way I felt about you was one-sided, dat you didn't see me da same way. When I saw da pain in your eyes last weekend, it hit me how much of a fool I've been. Any time I saw you talkin' to some guy at school, I wanted to rip dem to shreds for darin' to get near you. And if dey started checkin you out? I wanted to rip dere damn heads off. I don't expect you to forgive me right away. I know I'll have to earn your trust again, but all dat foolin' around, it's over. I'm done wit' it, Mia. Dere's only one girl for me and dat's you.” He was nervous as he held the box out to her. “Dese are for you.” For a moment there he didn't think she was going to take the box but after a moment she did and he waited to see her reaction.
Mia
When Gage reached her and Julius, Mia found herself feeling jittery with nerves. He looked so good all dressed up. The fact that he'd made the effort just to come see her eased some of the hurt she'd felt for the last week. His words melted her heart a little and she knew she was going to forgive him, yet again, for hurting her. Was she a fool for believing that this time would be different? Maybe, but she could hear the sincerity and honesty in his voice. Somehow, she just knew that this time really would be different.
“Scared? What were you scared of?” Hearing those words had startled her. Gage Delacroix was one of the bravest people she knew. What on earth could he be scared of? His response melted her heart even more. When he offered the box to her she took it from him but hesitated on opening it. “You're a damn fool, Gage Delacroix, and a blind one to boot, if you really tink it's one-sided. When I went to da prom wit' Cole, I only went because I didn't tink you would ever ask me, and once I gave him my word I couldn't back out of it. I wanted to be dere wit' you, you ass.”
When she finally tore her gaze from his so she could open the box a soft gasp escaped her. Inside was a dozen of intricately carved flowers. They weren't roses and it took her a moment to realize what they were. “Moon Flowers,” she whispered. He'd hand carved each and every one and then painted them so they looked like the real thing. “They're beautiful.”
“I wanted to give you someting dat symbolized my feelin's for you. Dese flowers will never fade, dey'll never wilt, dey'll never die, and neither will da love I have for you.”
Tears filled her eyes and she blinked several times to clear her vision. “Do you mean dis, Gage?”
“Wit' all my heart. Dere's one more ting.” He removed a small box from his pocket. “Dis is a promise, from me to you. I promise to never hurt you again. I promise to always be by your side when you need me. I promise to support any decision you make, no matter what. And I promise da love I have inside for you will never go away.” Nestled inside the box was a rose gold ring with three gems; a diamond with an emerald on one side and a ruby on the other. Engraved on the inside of the band were the words 'My Promise is Forever'.
A small sound escaped her when she saw the ring. The tears she'd been keeping at bay spilled over and slipped unchecked down her cheeks. She touched the band reverently before she lifted her eyes to his. “I love you, too. I have for so long. You hurt me, Gage. Ever'time you were wit' some other girl, it broke a little piece of my heart. If you mean dis, really mean it, you're gonna have to prove it.”
“Don't cry, cher. It breaks my heart to see your tears.” He reached out and gently pulled her into his arms. “I know I've got a lot to make up for. I know it's gonna take time for you to fully trust me again. I'll do whatever it takes to prove to you dat I love you and dat I mean what I say.”
She gave him a faint smile. “Okay. I'll give you one last chance. But dis is it. I can't go through another heartbreak and come out wit'out pieces of me missin'. I can't.”
“Dat's all I ask.” His arms tightened around her. He saw the look her brothers gave him and nodded to acknowledge it. He knew if he screwed this up they would make him pay for it.
Mia savored his embrace for several minutes before she pulled back. “How did you know about da showing?”
“Remy. Seems Beau gave him a card about it and he passed it along to me. I'm real glad he did, too.”
“Dat makes two of us. I'll have to thank him when I see him again. Have you had da chance to look at any of it?”
Gage shook his head. “No. I just got here. Findin' you was my top priority.”
“Well den, let me give you a tour and you can tell me what you tink.” There were a number of pieces he'd not seen yet.
Gage slipped the ring on her hand before he slid his arm around her shoulder and let her lead him around the gallery. “I don't remember seein' dis piece.” They stood in front of a piece that was a dark jumble of images. It brought out a feeling of pain, fear, and anguish.
“I did dis not long after Cole tried to rape me. A lot of da pieces are from dat time, workin' through all da emotions dat came wit' what he did to me. It helped to heal, gettin' da feelin's out on canvas.”
“I wish I coulda done more to protect you from him.” He would always blame himself. He should have known something was up when Cole kept deliberately steering her away from him whenever their paths almost crossed during prom.
“Don't. It's not your fault. You saved me from bein' raped by him.” She swallowed and looked down. “I need to tell you someting.” The shame she'd pushed down all week came roaring back and she couldn't look in his eyes. “After I saw you wit' dat girl, I went to a party wit' Tina. I got really, really drunk. I drank so much I actually had a hangover when I first woke up.”
“Gettin' drunk's no'ting to be ashamed of, cher. I've done it a few times myself.”
“No. It's not dat.” She bit her lip. “Da next mornin' I woke up...naked and in bed wit' Seth Connors. We were both drunk and...I came on to him. He didn't take advantage, so don't even tink about doin' someting stupid. I regretted it as soon as I woke up. I always wanted...well, doesn't matter now.”
