Billionaire's Second Chance At Love

Chapter Eighty-Four

"With Jasper following me like a dog with a bone and Molly eyeing my every move like a hawk, it's a surprise I was able to keep this from them," he whispered into her ear, kissing gently on her shoulder. "Aren't you proud of me?"

"For this?" She pointed at the twinkling setup, biting her lip. She turned around to face him, not shying away from wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down until their foreheads connected. "I'm more than just proud. I'm grateful," she told him. "Thank you."

"Of course," he whispered back without hesitation, his gaze never breaking away from her. "You deserve all of this and more," he said, his fingers gently tracing the contours of her face. "I want you to be happy, Carmen. And I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen. I promise you that much. I have been such an ass to you for so long—"

"Hey," she didn't let him finish, putting a finger to his lips. "Enough beating yourself up about something that can't be changed. Let's just move on from it, okay? There's no use in being stuck in the past. It's only going to bring pain and hurt, and I don't think we should begin this second chance that we have with something like that, don't you agree?"

"Right."

"Exactly. So, let's make some happy memories, shall we?" she said with a huge smile, only to gasp with her eyes growing wide when he lifted her off her feet and started to carry her towards the setup. "Hey, I can walk, you know. It's not even that far."

"I'm just doing what you said," he grinned down at her, as he quickly covered the small distance and put her down on the soft sheets. "Making happy memories. Starting from now."

They spent the evening talking, laughing, and sharing stories, enjoying each other's company as the night progressed. Carmen couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much, the last time someone made her feel so happy, warm, and light—the last time she had felt as if nothing else around her mattered.

"So, what's your favorite color?" she asked him, despite already knowing the answer.

"Black," he said, proving her right without realizing it as they both continued to gaze up at the sky, lying down with their hands on their stomachs. "What about yours?"

"Blue."

"Makes sense," he said, and that quickly caught her attention.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I already guessed it."

"Oh really? And how's that?"

He turned his gaze from the sky to her, looking amused and quite pleased with himself. "Do you really think I wouldn't have noticed?"

But Carmen had grown more and more frank by this moment, and perhaps a little tipsy after that bit of wine had entered her system. "Actually, yes. That's exactly what I thought."

"Well, you're wrong," he shifted his position, lying on his side and propping his head with his hand. "I saw you, Carmen. I always saw you. Always."

Without her knowing, her eyes began to shimmer with unshed tears, the pain once again rising in her chest. "You don't have to lie about something like that, Ronin," she tried to blink back the tears, flashing a clumsy smile. "It's not as if I'm complaining."

Not able to help himself, he reached out and gently wiped away a tear that escaped the corner of her eye, cupping her face right after. "I'm not lying. I know I messed up, and like you said, I can't change the past, but I want you to know that I saw you, really saw you. You weren't just someone in the background, Carmen. You mattered to me, even when I was too blind to see it."