Chapter 10
Everyone has their flaws, sure. I mean, I don’t often think before throwing myself right into the stupidest kind of danger. Dating a werebear? That’s stupid. They are passionate and volatile and the only reason they’re so likable is that charisma is basically coded into his very DNA. Falling in love with one is even dumber. And sometimes, you just have to accept those flaws.
He hired professional movers to move all my things into his house overnight. He took us to a different hotel as they did that. It only took two days and then all my paperwork had his penthouse as my home address.
It was annoying that I wasn’t asked about this arrangement, but it is not completely unforgivable. This particular behavior isn’t too bad compared to some of his other less likable behaviors. He only thought he was helping, after all. And I just can’t stay mad at the kindest man I know. The kindest man I have ever met. He just loved me too much to stay rational. Too much love. If I’m being completely honest, it’s really hard to characterize that as a flaw, no matter what spin I deign to put on it.
I woke up in his arms, in his – no – our house. It’s fit for a Queen and her King, and it’s perfect. It gives me shivers to say that and I just feel so excited and happy to think of it. He looked down at me and smiled softly at me. He looked at me like I was some adorable, cherubic thing sometimes.
“Marry me.” It wasn’t an order even though he phrased it that way. It was still my choice. All of what we have been doing together is my choice. The way he said it. So nonchalantly. Like he was offering to go get some coffee and not be his partner in holy matrimony for the rest of my life!
“What?” I asked, incredulously. He’s usually such a romantic man. He takes me to elaborate dates and uses his beautiful words and charisma to leave me helpless to his charms. If that is all true – and I know it is – why is this so unromantic?
“I figured as you are giving birth to my child, and we were living together. It would be best if we were to get married. Rationally and strategically speaking of course.” I nearly gnashed my teeth at the clinical way he spoke. He couldn’t honestly believe this was a good way to propose to his girl, even if I know the truth. “To avoid a scandal.”
How dare he! A scandal. A scandal! I am worth so much more than that and he is not giving me nearly as much credit as I deserve! Especially if he only intends to marry me because we are living together! I mean, hell, the only reason we are living together is that I am pregnant. Before that, he asked me to move in with him already! Was he going to try and make me marry him if I had originally accepted?
I don’t care if I’m being unfair right now! This whole situation is unfair on me!
Pausing right before I tore him a new one for being completely emotionless, I watched the way his hands shook just slightly as he waited for a reply. The tenseness in his shoulders and the furrow of his brow. All things he was trying to hide from me, but I could see them easily. I could just see through him completely.
He’s not nearly as put together as he makes me believe he is.
It was utterly pitiful and pathetic. He looked… scared. Like a little kid that I just couldn’t bring myself to be mad at. It’s not his fault. None of this is his fault. It takes two to tango and, even he looks upset at himself for how unromantic his proposal was.
Maybe he just didn’t know how to make it romantic.
Maybe he was afraid I’d say no. So afraid, in fact, that he didn’t want to make a spectacle out of it. Out of us. Afraid that I would reject him and he would be exposed and vulnerable. The fear makes him so human.
Too bad I was too sweet to let him squirm for long. I kind of had this sadistic side of me that wanted to make him squirm a little more. “Yes. Of course, I’ll marry you.” My voice came out hoarse and too high-pitched at the same time, I was overly excited and I just needed to get the words out as quick as possible.
I looked up to see his reaction, some small part of me still believed this whole situation to be nothing more than a cruel joke at my own expense.
His face lit up with happiness and his beautiful eyes glittered in a way that I feel like comparing them to stars would be an injustice. The tenseness in his shoulders relaxed and his smile could make the moon and the stars weep with jealousy, never being able to match even half of the beauty that practically oozed out of every pore of his face. The shine in his eyes outshone the sun itself and I felt that I had to look away before he blinded me with it.
Before the sight of his eyes and the thought of his beauty rendered me speechless and weak. Before I would just agree to anything he asked of me just to get him to keep smiling.
He hid his emotions well, after a moment to get his bearings, though his eyes continued to light up. He didn’t let me see his beautiful smile for long and it’s not fair. I deserved more of that dazzling scene that came to life in front of my eyes. “Good. We should have a big ceremony… for the ruse.”
I rolled my eyes. What is up with him? He already told me he loves me. What more could he be worried about? This dork. “Sure.”
He wants me to believe he wants me to marry him not because of love, which is bizarre. Why would he want me to think that? He told me he loved me multiple times already! But I know better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. We will be married. We will be happy That has to be enough.
He was happy right now though, and honestly… that was all that I really needed to be on board with this decision.
When I thought about it, it worried me, just a tiny bit, to know how much I valued his happiness over anything else. Even my own.
It should have worried me more. But being in his strong arms seemed to comfort me, no matter how truly illogical I knew that was.