I take her hands in mine again. “Truth about how I feel aboutyou.” I lift her hand and kiss the back of it. “Brooke, I’m obsessively in love with you. And I really hope you love me too.”
Her eyes fill with tears.
“Silas, I don’t know what marriage is supposed to look like. I didn’t have parents to model. Sure, Casey and Charlie’s parents were around, but I think it must be different, seeing it rather than living it.” She tilts her head and smiles softly. “But I do know that I love you.”
Fuck yes.
“It doesn’t matter what it’s supposed to look like. We build our own life,” I say without hesitation. “Together. With conversations like this—even when they suck.” I kiss her gently.
When I pull back, she laughs weakly. “Yeah, this one really sucked.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “But you’re still here. And so am I.”
I lean in, resting my forehead against hers again, breathing her in, grateful she’s okay.
She closes her eyes, settling against me.
“Hey, Cupcake?”
“Hmm?”
“I want to do this the right way. I don’t want our marriage to be based on a spontaneous decision we made when we were young. I want it to be based on me loving you and you loving me. I want you to choose me, just like I choose you. Will you marry me again?”
Her eyes open, glassy, and the sweetest fucking smile spreads across her face.
“Yes. I will marry you. Because I love you.”
“I love you so much it hurts.” I slide my hands, carefully, around her neck and lean in to kiss her.
We stay like that, kissing and just breathing each other in until Ryan rushes into the room an hour later.
“Brooke,” he says, measured. “Are you okay?” He walks over to her and lays a hand on her arm and kisses her cheek.
“I’m feeling better. Mostly a little rattled by the whole thingnow. But, hey, that could definitely be a paper topic for one of my classes.” She smiles weakly, and her eyes start to flutter.
“You can’t go to sleep yet, baby.” I lightly squeeze her hand.
“But I’m tired. I just want to rest my eyes for a few minutes.”
“No, Brooke. Silas is right. You have to stay awake for a while.”
“Oh, Dad. Silas and I are getting married.”
He looks back and forth between us. “Aren’t you already married?”
“Yes, but we want to do it the right way this time. So, you can go ahead and shred those papers, like I told you to at lunch the other day.”
Ryan starts to say something, but I interrupt.
“I understand why you did it. I really do. But, sir, we love each other. This isn’t a joke to us. We want to make a life together, and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure she’s happy.”
“What about school?”
“Well, I’m hoping to get drafted close enough that the commute is easy for us. Then once she graduates, she can decide if we stay here most of the year or wherever I’m playing. I just want her. The rest is just a bonus.”
He pulls in a deep breath. “Okay then. You’re both adults. All I can do is be here for you when you need me, I suppose.”
“Thank you, sir.”
