A Little Lost (21 page)

              “I wonder if he knew it would be me” he smiles.

              I snort “Yeah. He knew. That’s in the letter too”

              “He was a smart man”

              “Well, he was right about Chris”

              “It’s a shame he couldn’t have met Amber and warned me about her too”

              “Oh that reminds me. I’ve got something for you” I lift myself out of the water and wrap a towel around myself as I head into my bedroom.

              It takes a few minutes but I finally locate the envelope.

              “This was under the pillow, I found it when I moved in” I hand it to him.

              “What is it?” he asks turning it over.

              “I don’t know, that’s my dads writing though”

              I watch as he opens the letter and then reads it aloud shaking his head smiling.

              “Kyle, My favorite kind of fool. Thank you. I know it was you who saved my baby girl and for that I owe you the world. I can’t give you the world though
but what I can give you is better. I can give you Louise, although you always had her anyway. But I give you my blessing. I also give you my company. My company wasn’t in the will for the sole reason that everything I own is left to Louise, except the company. When I first found out about my poor health, I hired a CEO. It’s up to you whether you keep him or decide to take over yourself. Enclosed in this letter you will find information about the company accounts and another set of bank records. They are for you. All I ask of you is that you take great care of both the company and my daughter. You’re destined for great things Kyle, your mother and father are lucky to have such a talented man for a son and I know they so proud of you.

              “I hope you live a long and healthy life. Never give up on what you love. I wish I could have spent more time with you. Paul”

              I smile and wipe the tears from my cheeks.

              “He’s giving me the company?” Kyle asks looking from the letter to me and back at the letter again.

              “So it would seem” I laugh.

              “But it’s worth what? Two million?”

              “Four actually, probably shouldn’t mention it to Amber” I joke.

              “He’s also giving me you” he grins.

              “I’m worth seven. You’re a rich man Mr. Carlton”

              “You’re not worth seven” he shakes his head and closes the distance between us “Your priceless ... Mrs. Banks -Carlton”

              “Nuh-uh” I shake my head, backing up a step.

              “Oh yes” he takes a step towards me.

              “No” I hit the wall.

              “Why not?” he stops in front of me.

              “I forgot what we were talking about” I lie looking up at him.

              “We’re talking about you being my wife”

              “You only just got un-engaged a few hours ago” I point out nervously.

              “I was never really engaged. I couldn’t be when I always only ever loved you”

              “I’m not going to be your rebound Kyle” I swallow.

              He plants his hands on the wall either side of my head, blocking me in.

              “You couldn’t be a rebound, there’s nothing to rebound from”

              “You loved her” I try

              “I
love
you” he counters

              “Umm..”

              “And you love me”

              “Ummm...”

              “It was always going to be us”

              “Ummm...”

              “We’re forever”

              “You left” I find my voice.

              “I came back”

              “You broke my heart” I remind him.

              “True but do you know what that means?”

              “What?”

              He leans his head down so his mouth is next to my ear “It means that only I know exactly how to put it back together again” he whispers.

              I whimper. “Don’t say it if you don’t mean it”

              “I won’t ever walk away from you again Louise, I can’t. I’m here to stay now, as long as you stay with me”

              “I might be able to do that” I whisper.

              “As my wife?”

              “Why don’t I get a big romantic proposal speech?” I wonder aloud.

              “Because, you know I love you. There’s no bullshit between us. No words can describe how much I want you, how much I need you. You already know because we’re meant to be together.

              “I could get down on one knee and tell you that your amazing and smart, beautiful and funny but I’m not going to. I could also tell you that loving you is like breathing, it’s just something I have to do to stay alive, but I’m not going to. I could tell you that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I could also tell you that I want you to have my children, I could tell you that when your in my arms, I fell like I could take on the world. Or I could tell you that when we are together nothing else matters, that as long as I have you I will never need anything else.

              “I could explain how seeing your smile in the morning gives me the strength to get through the day, or how you make me laugh like no one else can, or that your so amazingly beautiful, sometimes it hurts to look at you.

              “I could also explain that leaving you was the hardest thing I ever had to do but I was your first, so I needed you to be with someone else so you could understand that together we are amazing and our love isn’t something that you can find with anyone.

              “And lastly, I could promise you that I will never leave your side again and that I will love you for as long as I live, but I’m not going to tell you any of that because words aren’t enough for a woman like you.

              “I don’t want to tell you that I’ll love you forever. Instead, Louise Banks, if you will marry me, I’ll dedicate the rest of my life to what I
do
want to do and that’s
showing
you. So I’ll ask you again. Will you be my wife?”

              “I guess I got a speech anyway” I whisper, swallowing back tears.

              “I guess I still haven’t got an answer” he nips my ear with his teeth.

              “You know I couldn’t ever say yes to anyone but you” I choke out.

              Kyle pulls his head back to look me in the eye “I love you Louise”

              “I love you Kyle”

              “Forever” he whispers before his lips finally meet mine.

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