“I don’t hate you, William. We were fighting before the crash.”
He pulled my chin up to look him in the eye. His eyebrows pulled together.
“What happened to us?” I could hear the fear in sadness in his voice. I wanted to tell him everything but I wasn’t sure I could stay after everything was out in the open. I needed William. Even if he didn’t know who I was. He was all I had left in the world.
“It was nothing.” I tried to look down but he kept his fingers firm under my chin.
“I want to know. I want you to tell me.” His eyes narrowed and I knew he wouldn’t be satisfied until he had an answer. I was panicking. This was the end. I was going to lose him forever. I wouldn’t get to make the decision as to whether or not I was strong enough to stay and stick things out. It was all going to come crashing down now whether I liked it or not.
“Tell me.”
“You asked me to marry you. I told you no.” I paused waiting to see if he believed what I was saying. It was the truth, just not the cause for the fight before the accident.
“You said no.” He looked down between us, sadness in his eyes.
“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.”
His eyes met mine again.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t love you more. You are more important than some job. How could you think otherwise?” He looked genuinely offended. Great. This went better the first time around.
My mind flashed to my father, angry and unhappy. His job was his life, not his family. He worked hard every day to provide for us. When he would come home, my mother would fight with him about not being around enough. Life was miserable. I didn’t want to be that to William.
William took my hand and placed it against his chest. His heart hammered against my fingers as he looked deep into my eyes.
“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.”
I swallowed hard as I studied his face. “Yes… let’s do it. Let’s get married.”
His lips crashed into mine.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Are you ready?” William laced his fingers in mine and squeezed them tightly. I swallowed hard taking several deep breaths.
“Yes,” I whispered. I was terrified, but I knew I was one hundred percent in love with William. I tried living without him. Those days without him were the hardest days of my life. I needed him.
Stephen stepped towards us, a small stack of papers in his hands. He was smiling as he looked at William.
“Emma,” The mayor greeted me, inclining his head.
“Good to see you again.” I was giggling like a schoolgirl.
William nodded at his old friend as he took my hand in his.
“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. William, do you take Emma to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, honor, 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 to be faithful to her forevermore?”
William smiled as he looked into my eyes.
“I do.”
“Emma, do you take William to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love, honor, 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 to be faithful to him forevermore?”
“I do.”
William looked to Stephen, who nodded for him to recite his portion of the vows.
“I give you this ring in token and pledge as a symbol of all that we share with my constant faith and abiding love.” He slipped a small silver band with a princess cut diamond onto my fingers.
“Now that you have joined yourselves 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.”
William’s arms wrapped around my waist as he pulled me into him. His lips feverishly kissed mine.
“I love you,” I whispered against his lips. His lips curled into a smile against mine.
“I love you, Emma Honor. Now you are mine forever.”
~The End~