Sleeping Engagement

XXIX. The Row to No

His face was hopeful as Margaret stood before him, completely stunned.

"Y-you are serious," she stammered with a laugh, stepping away from him. She sniffled and wiped her tears with the pads of her fingers.

"Utterly serious," Cole replied.

"But—" she started, shaking her head. "N-No." This was getting quite difficult. No, not difficult. She only had to say yes. But things were complicated—at the moment, that is.

He went very still, confusion on his face. "No?"

"Yes."

"Yes, you do not want to? Or yes, you want to?"

"I do not—" She let out a frustrated breath. "I cannot. For many reasons." She started to panic and she looked around as though there was a way out. "There are reasons I cannot say yes."

"Is it my mother? Your family?"

"Yes! My brothers will hang you!" Her eyes narrowed at him. "And dare not suggest we go to Tiny Town like a pair of cowards. And I know you're going to argue that Levi and Tori did the same. But their case is different from ours."

He closed his eyes, his entire body stiff. She knew how this must have been difficult for him.

"Is there someone else?"

"No. Never."

At the sound of certainty in her voice, his eyes flew open. "I can protect you from everyone as my wife."

She frowned. "Then is that why you wish to marry? So you can guard me like you do Fiona?"

"It's not like that."

She shook her head, her eyes wandering to both ends of the corridor. "I need time." Wait, she wanted to tell him. Wait until I'm done proving you're innocent.

Wait until I am ready to tell the truth.

He slowly nodded, not asking the question she knew he wanted to ask. Until when would he have to wait? He would never dare ask because she just told him how she waited for him. And how long was that? Too long.

But it was not all about how long she had waited, or how much she wanted to say yes.

Guilt. Mission. Duty. Family.

Four simple words. But they were enough reason to stop her.

Her family she could deal with. The mission and her duty to the League she could immediately dispose of. The guilt, however, would be quite difficult for she was not merely guilty of what she had been doing, but also of what might happen due to what she was doing.

If it was not for her duty with the League, her answer would be simple. There would be no other strong reason not to because she loved this man. She never stopped loving him.

But what about him? Would she even gamble her love for something uncertain?

Cole stepped closer and cradled her face in his hands. He bent his head and planted his lips on her forehead. "Very well. I'll wait."

***

He wanted to give her the world. He might not have it all, but he hoped he would be enough. He hoped what they had would be ample for the future he wanted with her. And he knew they had enough. He could see it in her eyes, in the way she answered to his touch, how she would laugh at his pathetic words. He could feel it in his chest, how her pain mirrored his, how she consumed his thoughts.

Their past, the one before Leah's death, was as fresh as the pain. All of it present to this day. There was no denying it now.

The struggle to this day had not been easy and to finally get to this point when nothing else mattered by taking her for his wife and be met by uncertainty was quite disheartening.