CHAPTER NINETEEN: LOVE IN THE OPEN
234 Words
They didn’t hide it for long.
At first, only a few people noticed.
The way Adrian softened around her.
The way Hailey smiled more.
Then it became obvious.
“Finally,” one of the staff whispered one day.
Hailey laughed.
“Was it that clear?”
“Painfully,” her coworker replied.
Adrian didn’t care.
For once in his life…
He didn’t worry about what people thought.
Because what he had with Hailey…
Was worth more than reputation.
More than control.
More than fear.
It happened on a quiet evening.
No grand event.
No crowd.
No spectacle.
Just the two of them.
They were walking along the same street where everything had begun.
“You always come back here,” Adrian said.
“It reminds me of where everything changed,” Hailey replied.
He stopped walking.
“So do I,” he said.
She turned to him.
Confused.
Then—
He reached into his pocket.
Her breath caught.
“Adrian…”
“I’m not perfect,” he said. “I’m not easy. And I don’t always say the right things.”
She smiled softly. “I know.”
“But I know one thing for sure,” he continued.
He got down on one knee.
“I don’t want to do life without you.”
Tears filled her eyes instantly.
“Marry me, Hailey.”
She didn’t hesitate.
“Yes.”
TO BE CONTINUED....
- Writer
