Hell Of A Marriage {18+}

Chapter six - The unthinkable

Keenan takes the glass of wine on the table and nods it towards her for a toast before bringing it to his lips. “See you grinning because of him.”

She looks down in embarrassment as her cheeks heat up and she nods. Thinking about him always makes her feel so much better.

His eyes dim as a bright smile arrests his broad face, “He's a lucky man, hope one day a girl can feel this happy when she thinks about me.

“I'm sure that day will come, very soon.” she smiles and picks up her glass of wine. “Cheers. To finding true love.”

***

A few days later

The last few days Keenan has spent away from Taylor made him realise that he couldn't live without her and so he made up his mind to meet her and ask her to marry him. He knew it was a huge speech, a bold step and it is probably the best he's ever taken in his life. But if Taylor loved him and is ready to move on as she claimed then it wouldn't be such a hard decision. So he took her out to lunch in a private and quiet restaurant where they could eat and talk.

After they had eaten a little Keenan's hand on the table goes over to hers on her side of the table where she'd just returned it to and slowly and intimately caress it and she locks her gaze in his, silently questioning the reason for this intimate gesture.

His eyes are adoring and so are his words, “I love you Taylor and to tell you the truth, there's nothing I want more than to be able to be with you.

“Keenan–” she wants to say, a part of her already knowing where this is heading but he shakes my head.

“No listen, love, I realized in the day I spent away from you that I cannot live or survive without you.” he takes her left hand up and leans forward to place a soft kiss on it and she stares at him silently. He pulls out a paper from the inside pocket of his suit and sets it on the table before her.

“What is this, Keenan?” Taylor asks in a whisper, as she glances at the contract before her and from the reddening of her cheek in embarrassment he knows she knows what he's talking about, but he plays along. “Something I've always wanted to do. Taylor Snowfall, that before you is a marriage contract and if you sign your name, you will automatically become my wife,” he pulls out a black box in his pocket and flips it open to display the diamond ring on it, he moves it to the side of the table where the contract is and she watches him. “so my question is will you marry me?”

She stares at him like he's crazy or insane. Maybe he was crazy but he was crazy for her. “Keenan, you're not serious are you?”

“I've never been more serious in my life,” he replies, not understanding why she'd think he would be joking about this.

“Keenan, I love you,” she begins to say and he seems to know her answer won't be the one he's dreading, “I'm not really what you want as a life partner.” Her hand goes to the box in his hand and closes it, “I'm sorry Keenan, I can't marry you, I can't sign this.”

His heart clenches tightly in his chest and his heartbeat zeroes down slowly and painful in his chest at her answer. Everything that happens in the next few moments, he sees in slow motion and the rest words Taylor utters, I do not hear.

“Keenan say something.”

He stares at her not knowing what he's supposed to say anymore. “There's nothing to say, Taylor.”

“Keenan doesn't do that, we both know that what I'm saying is true.” even though they both know it's the truth, hearing it from her felt like she's piercing a bullet into his already wounded heart even when she does not intend them to hurt so much.