“What do you want to know?” He body grew rigid.

“Everything.”

“I’m an only child. I grew up in Michigan. I came to live with my aunt a few years ago when…”

“What?” I rubbed my hand over her back.

“When my parents died in a car accident.”

Every muscle in my body tightened, and I had to force myself not to squeeze her too tightly.

“A car accident?” She slowly nodded her head. “Fuck, Emma. You must have been so scared when I…” The words caught in my throat.

“It wasn’t your fault. It was an accident.”

“I could have killed us both.” My heart began to pound in my chest as the realization of how much I had hurt her washed over me. I could see the fight that night clearly now. I could see the hurt in her eyes as I told her how I knew Allison and her aunt.

“You remember…”

I nodded as I tightened my arms around her, and the warm wetness of her tears dampened my chest. “That’s why you hate me.”

“I don’t hate you, William. We were fighting before the crash.”

I placed my fingers under her chin and tilted her head up so I could look her in the eye.

“What happened to us?” I needed to hear it from her. I wanted the past to be exposed so I could stop hiding who I was. I could only hold back from taking her the way I wanted to for so long. Today was a test that I barely passed.

“It was nothing.” She tried to hide her face, but I kept my finger under her chin, forcing her to face the truth with me.

“I want to know. I want you to tell me.” I could see the worry in her eyes, but this wasn’t negotiable. I narrowed my eyes as she took a deep breath. “Tell me.”

“You asked me to marry you. I told you no.”

“You said no.” I repeated as the memory of her rejection played fresh in my mind.

“I was scared you would regret it if you lost your job. You love teaching. I could never live with myself if you lost that.”

“I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t love you more. You’re more important than some job. How could you think otherwise?”

She was silent as she thought over her reasons and doubts. I took her hand in mine and held it against my chest so she could feel how rapidly my heart was beating.

“Emma, I don’t know what happened between us, and I don’t care. My heart races out of control every time you come near me. I’m terrified that you will walk out of that door and it will stop. I can’t live without you. I don’t care if I never remember my life. I want to start a new one…with you.”

“Yes, let’s do it. Let’s get married.”

My lips crushed against hers, claiming her, owning her. Our turbulent love nearly killed us both, but she was giving me a second chance to make her mine, and I wouldn’t let her slip out of my grasp this time.

Chapter Twenty-three

“Are you ready?” I asked as I laced my fingers with Emma’s. She took several deep breaths before responding.

“Yes,” she whispered as Stephen stepped closer to us, a stack of papers in his hands. He smiled at me knowingly, and I smirked.

“Emma,” he greeted her, inclining his head toward her.

“Good to see you again,” she laughed with excitement. Stephen’s gaze fell to me, and I nodded. I knew he was concerned, but I knew exactly what I was doing. I couldn’t live without Emma, and this was the only option.

“We are here today to participate in a most joyous occasion, to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments, by acknowledging the wedding of William and Emma.” His eyes locked on mine. “William, do you take Emma to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love her, honor her, and protect her? Share the good times and achievements as well as the hard times and disappointments? Keep her in sickness and in sorrow and be faithful to her forevermore?”

I looked down into Emma’s bright green eyes and smiled. “I do.”

Emma looked to Stephen, but I kept my eyes locked on her as he began to speak.

“Emma, do you take William to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love him, honor him, and protect him? Share the good times and achievements as well as the hard times and disappointments? Keep him in sickness and in sorrow and be faithful to him forevermore?”

“I do.” The pressure left my chest as she promised to be mine for the rest of her life. I looked to Stephen who nodded, and my gaze fell back on Emma.

“I give you this ring in token and pledge as a symbol of all that we share, with my constant faith and abiding love.” I slid her ring onto her finger, marking her as mine.

“Now that you have joined yourself in matrimony, may you strive always to meet this commitment with the same spirit you now exhibit. We all bear witness to this ceremony you have just performed, and you may now call yourselves by those old and respected names: husband and wife. May God bless this union. You may kiss the bride.”

I wrapped my arms around Emma’s waist as I pulled her body against mine. My mouth found hers hungrily as I kissed my new bride.

“I love you,” she whispered against my lips. I couldn’t help but smile.

“I love you, Emma Honor. Now you are mine forever.”


THE END