"Are you sure?" he says, hugging me from behind.
"Yes, I'm sure."
Chapter Seventeen
Nate
It took me a lifetime to choose the engraving for her wedding ring. I know that no one ever looks at the engravings, but my "I love you" will always stay with her.
Because I love her. I can no longer deny it. Because this stupid arranged wedding has, after all, united us even more. I’ve fallen in love with her.
How can I tell her? What if she refuses me? No, I'll wait. If we’re meant to be together, we will be.
Today is full of commitments. As soon as I have a break, I call her.
"Hello?"
"Happy birthday, baby."
"Hi, thank you. Where are you?"
"I'm sorry, I'm still in the barracks, and unfortunately, I won't be free soon.”
"It's a day like any other, Nate. I just miss you."
I feel guilty. Even though we’ve decided to live together, we’re always busy. Often, when I get home, I find her asleep on the sofa.
"Miss you too, babe."
"I got your flowers. They’re beautiful. You shouldn't have."
"You're my wife, and those flowers are just a small gesture to tell you I haven't forgotten."
"Technically, I'm not your wife yet. But you're sweet. Will you be there for dinner?"
"Er ... did you read my note?"
"Which note?" I hear some noise in the background, and I picture her turning over those poor flowers to find the note. "Found it ... Nate, are you serious?"
"Yes. Get ready. Two days, just us, a bottle of champagne, and the Eiffel Tower."
"Oh my God!"
"See you later, baby."
"See you later, love."
Love … she must have missed it. We’ve become so good at pretending, it seems completely normal to us.
What if we don't pretend? What if, after all, we really allow ourselves to be together, like a real couple?
Being with her gives me a sense of completeness that I have never felt in my entire life. But how can I tell her that I would really like to be her husband, that I would like to love her with all my being, that she has always been my love?
Maybe she doesn't feel the same about me. Maybe she got used to the idea of having to pretend, just enough to believe it. Yet when we’re together, the hugs, the kisses, the caresses seem so true and real. I need to understand if she has the same feelings I do.
I can finally go home, I'm exhausted, but I have to take her to Paris. It’s the perfect place. It’ll be the last “engaged” trip. On Tuesday, we’ll get married, and the honeymoon that I’ve organized in Hawaii will be fantastic. I’ll enjoy every minute with her. I want her to be mine, and not just until I return, but forever.
Chapter Eighteen
