Page 68 of Seeking Happily Ever After

His touch felt so good. Instantly, she felt stronger.

“Char, I’m…I just don’t know…”

She managed a small smile. “I’m okay.”

“But you almost weren’t.” His head shot up, his eyes intense as they locked on hers. “And I don’t know…well, I do know.”

She blinked.

“Char, I’m so sorry I lied to you about Amelia. It’s just that…I thought I could stop it. I thought I could…well, I didn’t think I’d have to tell you because I didn’t think it would happen and… I should have told you the truth right from the start,” he finished. “I’m so sorry that I betrayed your trust like that and—”

“Shh.” She held a finger to her lips. “Don’t apologize anymore.”

“But I need you to know that I’m sorry.”

“I know.” She didn’t have much strength, but with the little she had, she squeezed his hand. “I know you did it for Amelia because you love her. You’d do anything for her.”

He nodded.

“I know because I’d do anything for her, too.”

He laughed. “You definitely demonstrated that. You almost died, Char. You lost so much blood.”

“It was worth it.” She meant it. She’d do it again if she had to. But she sure as hell hoped she didn’t have to.

“She’s safe now,” Nick said, the laughter gone. “You both are. Jessica and Billy are both in custody, and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure they stay that way.”

He squeezed her hand again and she looked down at their fingers twined together. For the first time, she noticed the ruby ring was gone. A tear slipped from her eye.

Nick quickly wiped it away. “Char?”

“I’m okay.” But she wasn’t okay. Her injuries would heal. But seeing her bare finger just made her realize that it was over. All of it. There was no more need to pretend to be something she wasn’t with Nick. That made her excruciatingly sad, because she wasn’t pretending and hadn’t been for longer than even she realized. She’d fallen in love with Nick Newton, just as hard as she’d fallen for his little girl.

“I need to tell you another secret,” he continued as he unwound his hand from hers.

“There’s more?” She couldn’t help but try for a small smile. “I don’t know if I can handle anything else.”

“Well, I hope you can handle this one.” He took a deep breath and pulled his shoulders back. “I’m in love with you, Charlotte Davis. Fully and completely. I think I’ve been in love with you from the first time I met you. I know it took me a little bit of time to—”

“What?”

“It took me a little bit of time to—”

“No.” She interrupted him. “Before that.” She blinked slowly. She needed to be sure she’d heard him properly and it wasn’t just the drugs playing tricks with her. “You’re what?”

He laughed. “I’m in love with you. Fully and completely. I may be slow to understand some things, but last night when I saw you and I thought…well, I couldn’t bear it, Charlotte. I couldn’t bear the idea of living this life without you. Not for one minute. I don’t know what I would have done if…well, the point is, I don’t want to ever know what it’s like to live without you. Because I am desperately in love with you, Charlotte, and I hope to hell you feel the same way.”

Fresh tears spilled unchecked down her cheeks. She nodded, but couldn’t find the words to speak.

“Does that mean that—”

“I feel the same, too,” she finally managed. “So much.”

She sniffed and swiped at her tears, but Nick just sat there with a smile on his face. “Oh thank goodness,” he said. “Because if you didn’t, it would make this next question really awkward.” He pulled out a ring box and flipped open the lid to revealthering.

The one she’d picked out before as the ring that would be her dream, herrealring. The oval emerald surrounded by tiny diamonds. The one she refused to accept unless it was for forever. She sucked in a breath as Nick started to talk.

“I’ve already spoken with your father and your brother.” She raised an eyebrow and he laughed. “Let’s just say that Jeremy and I have a few things to work out, but he wants the best for you.”

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