She waited a few beats then shook her head, disappointment clouding her features. “See, that right there. You can’t even say it, Mal. I’m done pinning my hopes and dreams on guys that can’t follow through. I deserve more, and I’m fine doing it all myself.”
She was right. If I couldn’t say it, why should she believe it?
Only I knew I felt it. And I knew that she felt it too. I saw it in her eyes today.
So why was it so hard to say the words out loud?
“I love you, Saylor.”
She dropped her water glass. It crashed to the floor, spraying water and broken glass everywhere. But neither one of us moved to even look at it.
“What?” she whispered, her face suddenly pale.
“I love you, Saylor Tate.” I stood and shoved my chair back with my foot. Grabbing her hand in mine, I moved to kneel down.
“No, you can’t!” Saylor stood up and tugged on my arm to keep me standing.
“Yes, I can. I love you. I wanna be with you. I want to have kids with you. Nothing would make me happier than holding a tiny little replica of you. I’ve never said that before—kids werealways the last thing I wanted or even thought about—but I want that with you. I want to make a family with you.”
She dropped my arm and looked at me with wide eyes. “I thought you were going to get down on one knee and the glass…” She blinked a few times then shook her head. “This is crazy. We can’t. I mean I don’t even really know you. We can’t just—whatever. This is crazy.”
Jone came over with a broom and a mop and quietly cleaned up the mess from Saylor’s water glass. I could tell from his pursed lips he’d heard our conversation.
Tossing a quick look around the room, we hadeveryone’sattention.
I gestured helplessly. “I don’t care. I know you. I know what’s important about you, and we’ll figure out the rest as we go. Because you’re it. You’re the one I want. You’re the one who makes me want to be a better man. I love you, Saylor.” As Jone backed away from our table, I took a chance and went down on one knee in front of her. Grabbing her hand, I held it in mine and grinned up at her. “I don’t care if this is spontaneous or impetuous or whatever. I’ll say it again, I love you, Saylor. I want to build a life with you. Will you marry me?”
“I don’t—I can’t…” She pulled her hand out of my grip. “I’m sorry.” Then she turned and ran out of the room.
Leaving me on my knees in front of the entire island.
Fuck.
Pushing myself up, I didn’t spare our audience a glance as I took off after her. “Saylor, wait! Please!”
I caught up to her on the beach path. My heart sunk as I realized she was crying.
Shit. I was totally fucking this up.
“Why did you do that?” She whirled around and stabbed a finger in my direction. “That was such a gross, demeaning joke. It’s not funny.”
“It’s not a joke to me. I’m not laughing. I’m as serious as a fucking heart attack. I want you. I want to marry you.”
“You can’t just say things like that. You can’t make me want…” She shook her head, tears glittering in the torchlight. She made a gasping whimper then turned and stomped down the path and away from me.
Like hell was I letting her run away.
“You can’t just run when things get hard!” I yelled at her retreating back.
She whirled around. “You don’t get to say that to me.” Stomping back up the path, fire now glittered in her eyes even as her cheeks were still wet with her tears. “You don’t know the shit I’ve faced. I don’t run away. That’s not who I am.”
“Then stay here. Fight with me. Now. Tell me why it’s such a bad idea—why you and I don’t make sense.”
“You, you, you…you’re a rock star, and I’m a teacher.”
“My band is breaking up, and you hate your job. Next.”
She rolled her eyes. “You live in LA, and I live in Las Vegas. That’s not exactly commuting distance.”
