I shake my head. “Slow down. I don’t want to scare her away.”
“Scarewhoaway?”
I squeeze my eyes closed and take a deep breath before standing and turning towards the door. “You’re early.”
Rachel points over her shoulder. “Do you want me to leave and come back later?”
Simon laughs. “There, all done. I need to get going. I’ll catch you both soon?”
“Yeah.” He pats my back as he walks past. “Thanks again for your help and good luck.”
“Likewise,” he says, giving me a wink. He turns to Rachel, kisses her cheek, and dashes off.
“What’s going on?” she asks, looking around the room. Her eyes go wide as she takes it all in—the Disney sleigh bed covered in a transparent dust sheet, new carpet I had fitted, and the walls painted two days ago. The stencils were the finishing touches.
“It’s for Molly,” I reply.
“Wow, Olly, it’s lovely, but seriously, it’s too much.”
Shit, not the response I was hoping for. “You don’t like it?” I ask, my shoulders sagging.
“No, I love it, but she’s never going to want to leave,” she replies as her eyes roam over the stencils.
Man up, Olly. Ask her.
“Are these…” She walks over to the wall.
“Molly’s baby hand and footprints. It was Simon’s suggestion. Your mum gave us her copy so we could create the stencils.”
“She did?” I nod and come to stand beside her. “It’s the most thoughtful thing you could’ve done. But like I said, she’s going to be a terrorist when it comes to leaving.”
I fill my lungs and blurt it out, “I don’t want you to leave.”
She turns to me slowly. “What?”
“I want you and Molly to move in with me.” Silence ripples over the room, her jaw slack. “Sorry, I had a whole speech prepared. I wanted to make it special when I asked you.” Now I’m rambling. I wipe my slick palm over my face, not sure what I’m even saying now.
“You’ve lost me—ask me what?”
Fuck it. It’s now or never.I drop to my knee and grab her hand. This was not how I’d planned to do this, but what the heck.
“Rachel Evans, I love you with a passion I never thought existed. You make me want to be the only man you see. Will you and Molly-Mae move in with me…and will you agree to be my wife?”
I’m not sure if it’s her hand that’s shaking or mine. But it’s the lack of response which has my heart stuttering in my chest.
I scramble to my feet and release the grip I have on her hand to begin pacing the room.
Shit!
Chapter Sixty-Six
OLLY
"Shit, I blew it, didn't I?" I turn away.
"Olly," she says her voice timid.
"I love you, Rachel." I rack my brain how to fix this.
