Page 135 of Wild Tangled Hearts

“You’re right,” I assert, my voice brimming with determination. “It’s not fair. It’s incredibly difficult, and I wish you didn’t have to endure it.”

“But I do,” he says, his expression reflecting the weight of his condition, and what it means for both of us. “It’s not a choice for me. Butyoudo get to choose.”

“And I’ve made my choice. I choose you, Sebastian.”

“Bella—”

“I refuse to let fear dictate how I feel about you.”

His fingers become entangled in my hair, and I can see a battle raging in his expression. The torment in his eyes. He shakes his head, torn by conflicting emotions.

“Do you love me?” I ask.

“You know I do. That’s why I want to protect you.”

I nod, my determination growing. “I’m not naïve. I know love alone is not enough. But every relationship demands effort, compromise, and challenges.”

“You’re right,” he concedes, acknowledging the truth in my words.

“My only fear is losing you, and that’s what would happen if I walked away.”

He hesitates, his body tense. But then, he clings to me as if I’m his lifeline, and I can feel the depth of our connection, the weight of his emotions in that embrace.

“I love you, Bella. So much,” he says, and then his lips find mine, soft and hesitant as if testing the waters, and quickly becoming more demanding. In an instant, his restraint crumbles, and our mouths crash together in a kiss that’s primal and all-consuming.

His breathing grows unsteady, and the turmoil within him becomes palpable. It’s as if the emotions he’s bottled up are unleashed, and he pours them into our kiss. His desperation mingles with passion, and our lips move together hungrily, seeking solace and reassurance in each other’s embrace.

When he draws back, his hands cradling my face, his voice cracks as he says, “Marry me.”

“What?” I whisper, searching his eyes.

He takes a deep breath, his gaze locked onto mine. “I love you, Bella. And I want to spend as many years as I have left being your husband. Marry me. Be my wife.”

Reader’s Choice

What should Bella do next?

Give him an enthusiastic “YES!” and plan a wedding so epic it would make Cinderella jealous. Turn to this page.

Seal the deal by grabbing his hand and leading him to the bedroom. Who needs a big wedding when you can create magical little moments every day? Turn to this page.

Chapter63

Sebastian

LOVE AND GUIDANCE

The old oak tree outside my childhood home rustles in the gentle breeze, casting dancing shadows on the porch. Sitting there with my mom, I take a deep breath, trying to calm the ache in my chest as I think about what I read on the internet. I’ve spent the past week learning everything and anything I can about cystic fibrosis.

I close my eyes, holding my steaming cup of hot chocolate, listening to the distant sound of the neighborhood kids playing, and inhaling the familiar scent of freshly cut grass. It should be comforting, but my heart is heavy with the weight of what I’ve discovered.

My mom takes my hand and squeezes it. “What’s wrong, honey?”

I swallow hard, trying to hold back the tears that threaten to spill over. “It’s Sebastian,” I say, my voice cracking on his name. “He...”

“Did you break up?” she asks with a sympathetic tone.

“No.” I shake my head. “It’s so much worse than that.” My emotions overwhelm me, and the words spill out of me like a dam breaking as I recount everything to her. About the disease, about how he’s been hiding it from me, and about what it would mean to be with him. I tell her about the fear that grips my heart, the uncertainty that looms over us, and how much I love him.

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