Novel 543
Chapter 100
COMMENT Chapter 100
The following five days were spent searching for, and often Ending, healing. Truthfully. Kylan hadn't been certain how he would feel by corning back to where his mother spent her sheth. He was pleasantly surprised how much he loved being here, feeling far closer to his mother's memory than perhaps he ever had.
Kylan was certain Katrina's calm, reassuring presence had a big hand in the way Kylan responded, and in the genuine peace he was able to find. Shr was patient with him. Loving Understanding. Taking everything at his pace, his comfort level. He knew she understood how much this meant to him. How special a trip like this was, and it was obvious she didn't take any single moment for granted.
With Katrina by his side, Kylan felt strong. He felt powerful, but not in a loud, boastful way. But rather a quiet, sobering way. The same way he wanted to hold Katrina, protect her from the world. From anything that could possibly dim the light, the radiance that encompassed that magical woman he was lucky, so very lucky to get to love every damn day of his life.
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"What time is our reservation?" Katrina asked, her gaze fixated on he
her hair in the bathroom mirror as the curled each piece with practiced fingers
"Ten o'clock." Kylan replied, fastening the last of the buttons of his dress shirt, tucking it into the waistline of his pants before reaching for has belt on the nearby bed. "You look beautiful, Kate. You always do," he offered, buckling his belt in place. Katrina smiled at him through her reflection, adding a halo of hairspray around her hair, ruffling, and breaking apart the ends a bit
She really did look beautiful. Perfect, in the eyes of Kylan.
Five minutes later, they walked hand in hand to a bistro not far from their hotel. The conversation flowed easily, just as it always did now, as they reflected on the memories from their trip so far.
Katrina gushed about seeing his mother's old stomping grounds, mentioning how she loved her desire to spend time nearest the water.
Kylan watched her speak; his eyes focused on her animated features with nothing but love. Love he no longer tried to keep hidden. To hide away. He didn't care if the world could see how smitten he was with this woman. He hadn't cared for a long time, if he were able to be honest with himself.
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That was delicious, Kylan. Good choice." Katrina smiled at Kylan, patung her satisfied stomach atop her tasteful, navy blue evening gown
"I'm happy you enjoyed the food." Kylan replied easily, taking hold of her hand in his. "Do you want to walk along the waterfront?" he asked her. thankful she had brought a light jacket to wear.
"I would love to." Katrina replied, pressing herself more fully against Kylan's side.
Kylan headed toward the waterfront, calmly listening to Katrina fill the silence in the air around them. He eyed her intently, forever in awe at how much he loved being around this woman. This amazing person he loved. Who he was in love with
They had been through an incredible amount together. Some moments were difficult, some were downright painful, and Kylan knew how many of those memories, if not all of them, were his fault and his doing alone.
He would never forgive himself for the times he broke Katrina's hean, or the many instances in which he let her down when he allowed his demons to hold him back from what he wanted. From what he worked tirelessly to believe he was deserving of now. One thing he knew for certain without needing to ponder the notion at all, was that Katrina was deserving of everything good, pure, and so much
more.
Kylan still struggled with words and likely always would. It was far easier for him to express his feelings, the depths, and intricacies of the innerworkings of his heart, through action instead.
This is precisely why he had needed Arnaud's help to pull off what he really wanted to. What he longed to be able to give to Katrina herself.
Rounding a carefully chosen corner, Kylan could feel when Katrina teised beside him
"Kylan. Kylan, why is that my.. My father? Why is that Oscar standing next to my father!" Her voice was a pitch too high now.
"C'mon, Katrina." Kylan kept his own voice calm, smooth and with what he hoped was reassurance.
Silently, Kylan helped Katrina down a pathway lined in roses of all colors, candles lighting the way to where Alois and Oscar stood waiting, each of them wearing a suit that Kylan had chosen for either of them.
Kylan thought he would be nervous. He thought his heart would be racing, his palms would be sweaty, and his mind would undoubtedly draw to a
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Instead. Instead, he felt only peace. Chapter 100
This was a plan a long time in the making, in more ways than one. Thirty-four years, a shit ton of mistakes lining the life path that brought him here, to Katrina. And now, now he couldn't be more eager to show her the fruits of his quiet labors of love. Katrina's POV
"Papa? Oscar?" She couldn't believe her eyes. Surely, they were betraying her. Perhaps the glass of wine she partook in at dinner, was hitting her harder than she anticipated
"Ma fleur, I am overjoyed to see you here" Her father gestured to the waterfront around her, his eyes glowing by the light of the candles lining the walkway.
She turned her gaze to Oscar, who smiled back at her with a softness she had never seen. "Hey, kiddo. Glad you could make it," he whispered to her.
Blinking a few times, attempting to come to terms with the reality that this wasn't a dream, she turned to look at Kylan with bated breath.
That same breath hitched in her throat
Kylan had let go of her hand.
He was still next to her, but he wasn't...
He was kneeling
And he was holding a box.
A small box.
A small, velvet, black box.
"Do you know what "poudretteite" is, Kate?" Kylan began, his voice incredibly steady and strong.
-no. I. Kylan, what's.. She couldn't form sentences, couldn't get any real words out.
"It's one of the rarest gemstones in the world. Oscar helped me find just enough of it, all the way in Quebec," Kylan told she, glancing at her driver. her second father, rather fondly. "On top of that, your father helped craft this ring, with the assistance of a local jeweler in Maine, and my firm instruction. We designed every bit of it, leaving no small detail to chance. I think it turned out rather perfectly"
Slowly, carefully, Kylan opened the box in his hands, exposing an absolutely unreal, gorgeous ring. It was so... So simple, so perfect, Plainly put, it was her, embodied in the most ethereal, glimmering ring.
The band was rose gold, twisting and turning in delicate knots and weaving waves. Atop the band sat an almost pink gemstone, glittering in the moonlight. It was. It was large, yet delicate. Far too luxurious, but not quite gaudy.
It was everything she didn't know she wanted, and even more than that.
Tm terrible with words. I'm terrible at expressing my feelings. Before you, I didn't think it would ever be possible for me to talk about something like my heart, and what it wants and yearns for. I harbored pain, regret, self-loathing that had no place to go, so instead it festered, and I allowed it to grow Kylan shook his head, laughing without any trace of humor. "You were never a part of my plan. Marriage was never a part of But hell, if you didn't break down my defenses. If you didn't teach me patience and grace. The sort of grace I was lacking. He took a deep breath
my plan. "You showed me it's okay to feel, it's okay to love. You've never pushed me, never comered me, never made me feel like.. Like I have
to be something I'm just Not" He inched closer to her, taking hold of her hand in his sure one. "Being with you, getting to love you, getting to know you. It has been the greatest, most sincere treasure of my life. With your father's blessing, and with the man you look at as your second father's blessing, it would make me truly the happiest man alive, if you would be eternally mine. For real Without faking it, without contract, Eternally mine. Katrina Morgan, je t'aime, will you put up with my grumpy, insufferable ass every day? Will you marry
me?"
Though she could hardly see through the layer of steady tears that filled her eyes, she nodded her head without a moment's hesitation. She couldn't believe this was real, but she knew she wanted Kylan. She knew her heart, her soul, her future belonged to him. With
him.
"Yes, Kylan. Yes, I'll marry you." She managed to squeak burying her face in the familiar warmth of Kylan
kout between sobs, kneeling in front of him and throwing her arms around his neck,
And Kylan laughed, really laughed, holding her securely to him as her father and her second father watched on, an equal smile cresting on both of their faces.