7
After the birthday party, the whispers around
town took a sharp turn.
All those fair–weather friends, the ones who’d
tripped over themselves to mock me when
they thought sucking up to Silas was the way
to go, were suddenly singing a very different
tune.
They were calling, inviting me out, showering
me with ridiculously expensive and “rare”
gifts.
く
I turned them all down, every single one.
It was around then that Landon King, out of
the blue, asked to meet me.
Hearing he wanted to see me, a little flutter
of something warm and unexpected sparked
in my chest.
But that small, happy feeling started to cool
the moment I actually saw him.
We sat across from each other in a quiet
corner of a coffee shop.
Landon kept looking at me, then looking
away, his nervousness almost palpable.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he
spoke, his voice hesitant.
“Quinn… I’m still not entirely sure why you…
why you chose me that day. But I need you to
know, if you don’t really want to marry me, if
this isn’t what you truly desire… I can talk to
Grandma. I can talk to your parents. I’ll
explain. I would never force you, Quinn. And
I… I don’t want to see you unhappy or
pressured into anything. But please, believe
me when I say this… Silas Thorne is not the
right man for you. He truly isn’t.”
I looked at him, a little surprised by his
earnestness. “You think I don’t want to marry
you?”
Landon dropped his gaze to his hands,
clasped tightly on the table. He mumbled a
quiet, “Mmm–hmm.” Then, lifting his eyes slightly, he added, “At Grandma’s party… I
saw you crying.”
く
I blinked, puzzled for a second, then it
clicked.
Looking at Landon’s downcast, almost
dejected expression, I didn’t know whether to
laugh or cry myself.
But that last part…
“And how do you know Silas isn’t the right
man for me?” I asked, my voice softer than I
intended.
Hearing this, Landon immediately looked
alarmed, mistaking my question for lingering
affection for Silas.
I kept my eyes fixed on him. He stammered
for a few seconds, then his brow furrowed in
distress. “Quinn… do you believe in dreams? I
mean, really vivid dreams? In… in a dream, I
saw you. You and Silas Thorne, you were
married. But he… he didn’t love you, Quinn.
He hurt you, over and over again. He made
you cry so, so much. And in the end… in the
end, he…”
Landon couldn’t go on, his voice choked with
emotion.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
A wild, almost unbelievable thought flickered
through my mind. I pushed it away, not daring
to explore it further. Instead, I stood up,
walked around the small table, and sat down.
beside Landon.
“I wasn’t crying because of Silas,” I said
gently.
Landon turned his head, looking at me with a
puzzled, “Huh?”
His bewildered expression was so endearing, I
couldn’t help myself. I reached out and
slipped my arm through his.
Landon was clearly startled by my boldness.
Seeing the blush that instantly spread across
his handsome face, I couldn’t suppress a
small laugh.
“I was crying because I was moved,” I
confessed, my voice a little shaky. “Watching
you stand up for me like that, so fearlessly,
without a second thought… In that moment,
Landon, I just knew. You’re the one. You’re
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my right person.”
“No,” he said, his voice suddenly firm, a new
light in his eyes. “I’m your knight, Quinn. The
knight who will always protect his princess.”
His sincere, heartfelt words sent a wave of
pure happiness washing over me.
I fought back the lump in my throat, a happy
sting in my nose. “So,” I asked, a smile
playing on my lips, “does that mean you’re
okay with marrying me now? You can rest
easy?”
Landon nodded emphatically, his eyes
shining. “Yes! I am. I’ve always been willing!”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a
small, velvet box. Inside, nestled on a satin
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cushion, was a simple, elegant ring. I’d spent
the last few days at a jeweler’s workshop,
crafting it myself.
“The last time you held my hand,” I said, a
little shyly, “I sort of… mentally measured
your finger. I think it should fit.”
I looked him directly in the eyes. “Mr. Landon
King, will you accept my proposal?”
Landon’s eyes were red–rimmed, shining with
unshed tears.
He took the ring, his hand trembling slightly,
and with a sense of profound emotion, he
quickly slipped it onto his ring finger the
finger that symbolized marriage, commitment,
responsibility.
く
In my last life, I had exhausted myself trying
to get Silas to wear a wedding ring, our
wedding ring. He’d refused, and then, in an
act of ultimate cruelty, he’d thrown it into a
fireplace, daring me to retrieve it from the
flames.
Now, finally, I understood. True love didn’t
need endless begging or desperate pleas. It
just… was.
