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"Absolutely nothing," he affirms, stepping closer. His presence is like a live wire that sends a jolt through the air between us. "Except maybe a second chance with you."
"River, you can't be serious." My voice barely rises above a whisper. "After everything..."
"Look at me, darlin’." He reaches out and squeezes my hand. His hand is warm against my cool skin, grounding me. "I love you. I need you. You are the only thing that matters. You're my safe harbor in any storm."
"River..."
"Say you believe me, Pearl." His plea is soft. But it seems to thunder loudly in the quiet of the evening.
"But River," I start, my voice trembling with the weight of uncertainty. "What about all those things you said? About not wanting to tie yourself down? You always talked about marrying some high-powered executive, someone who matched your ambition. I'm just... I’m just not her. Never will be."
River shifts, leaning his hip against the weathered wood of the picnic table, and there's a vulnerability in his eyes that I've never seen before. It’s like he’s pulling back a curtain, giving me a glimpse into a private room where his deepest fears are on display.
"Pearl," he says, his voice lower now, intimate and laced with something that sounds a lot like pain. "My whole anti-marriage spiel? It was a front, a defense mechanism. I was scared of being left behind. I was a coward because I thought that no one in their right mind would choose to be with me. It was easier to pretend I didn't want it than to admit that maybe I’d never be loved like that."
“Oh, River…”
"Let me get it all out," he says. "I was terrified that if I let myself want anything too much, I'd end up alone. So I convinced myself I didn't need love. It was a faraway idea, always on the horizon. But that was before you. You've changed everything, Pearl." His hand finds mine across the table, warm and solid. "You make me want to be brave."
His touch sends a shiver skittering across my skin. The River before me is a far cry from the polished, untouchable billionaire. He's human, he’s flawed, and he is reaching out for connection.
"River…" I start, my voice softer than I intend.
He squints and winces. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
It’s hard not to crack a smile.
"You have to know how sweet you can be. When you’re not being bossy, that is." I reach across the table, mirroring his earlier gesture. I enjoy the texture of his skin against mine. "You are lovable. You are loved."
His gaze is fixed on mine. “My family doesn’t count. Hell, no one else really does.” He brings my knuckles to his lips and kisses them briefly. “I want you to love me.”
“I do love you. But—” She looks torn. “I was already taken for a fool once.”
River stills my lips with a fingertip. He looks at me, a storm brewing in those deep blue eyes.
“Give me another chance, darlin’. I swear on everything I am, I will not let you down again. I will be relentlessly honest and the one you can always count on." His voice is fervent, a solemn vow spoken from the depths of his being.
The intensity in his gaze anchors me. For a moment, all the noise of the world fades away until there's just the two of us. I breathe out, feeling the air being sucked from my lungs.
Is that enough for me to take a chance on him? I will have to take the risk of a lifetime.
"River," I whisper. My throat tightend as tears well up in the corners of my eyes. My vision blurs, but I see him clearly. "To hear you say that..." I blink, tears beginning to fall. “That's all I ever wanted.”
River shuffles back from the bench and lowers himself to one knee. The gravel crunches under his weight, a stark, grounding sound that jolts me back to reality.
"River, what are you?—"
"Shhh," he silences me with a gentle intensity. His hand reaches out to take mine. His touch is warm and certain. His eyes don’t waver from mine. "Pearl, I want to do this right.”
He takes a deep breath, almost as if he's drawing strength from the earth beneath him. "Will you marry me? This time, I want you to say yes to me for real. We can marry with just our mothers present. No fanfare. No pretense. Just us."
My heart races, pounding against my ribcage like it's trying to break free. This is what I’ve yearned for, isn't it? The real deal, not a game or a strategy. But the hesitation coils in my stomach, tight and insistent.
"River, I..." I start. The words seem to stick in my throat. A million thoughts crash through my mind.
Can I trust this feeling? Can I trust him?
"Take your time," River urges softly. He stays on one knee, his gaze never leaving mine. There’s a vulnerability there I’ve never seen before, a raw hope that makes him look more approachable, less like the unattainable bad boy and more like... well, just River.
