Page 129 of Dirty Hearts

“They were.” I tried to play along, but it was hard.

I looked to Claudius when Marcus released my hand, and he came over to me.

“We’ll be back,” he told everyone and slipped his arm around me, ushering me back outside.

We stopped in the corridor near the turn to go to the cardiothoracic department.

We stopped and looked at each other. I had so much I wanted to say to him. I just didn’t know where to begin.Howto begin.

And… I noticed he seemed to be having the same problem. To me that meant one thing. It meant he must have been on the same damn train of thought he’d been on this whole time, and I’d be damn well damned if I was going to live like this for another ten years. I could see it. It would be me trying to get over him the way I had for the last ten years. Me growing into my forties trying to search for the completion I felt with him and not finding it.

It would be me spending every minute of every day thinking about him. The same way I had for the last ten years.

When I looked at him, I saw past the bruises, and the person who stood before me was the guy he used to be. Again I saw him, the guy who’d tried to get my attention ten years ago by asking me to make him a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich. The guy he was before he got the cross tattooed on his cheek.

“You look terrible,” I said and pursed my lips together.

“Yeah. I know.”

“Worse than yesterday, and you looked bad then. If there were a patch on your cheek that wasn’t beaten, I would slap you too.” I placed my hands on my hips.

He closed his eyes, opened them again, and leaned his head to the side, allowing his dark locks to drift over his shoulder.

“Why, Ava? Why do you want to slap me?”

“I don’t know how you could ask me that, as if you wouldn’t deserve it. First, you left me with Gio, you should have woken me so I could be here like everyone else. Then there were the last few days. You didn’t answer any of my calls and left me with your brother, and now… look at you. You’re standing in front of me probably trying to figure out how to cut me loose, while I’m here loving you so damn much.”

His expression softened, and I hoped to God that what I saw in his eyes was a spark and not something I imagined.

“I’m not leaving,” I added. “I won’t leave you alone. You can tell me whatever you want, but I will follow you around forever if I must until you see that we’re supposed to be together. I’m going to be selfish, and for once I’m going to care about me. I won’t leave you alone, Claudius. In my head, I’m still that person waiting for you. I’m still waiting for you to do something. Whatever that is. Something more than looking at me like I’m crazy, and—”

He stopped my rant with a kiss. He reached for me, slipping his hand behind my head, and captured my mouth with his. A force comparable to an electrical charge washed over me and shook me from the inside out.

“Marry me,” he whispered against my lips. At least that’s what I thought he said.

Right now, I could have been imagining all sorts of things, especially after that kiss.

“What?” I breathed.

He smoothed his hands over my cheek, then stepped back and reached into his pocket for the little blue velvet pouch he’d showed me weeks ago. The one that contained my engagement ring.

As if I weren’t shocked enough, he went and shocked me further by dropping to both knees and reaching for my hand.

“Ava De Luca, my Angel Doll.” Claudius looked up at me with the deepest conviction and love I’d ever seen. “Sorry isn’t a strong enough word to express all I feel for what I put you and your family through. I don’t know when I’ll stop feeling this way, but I can’t live without you. I tried so hard, but I can’t do it. I’m selfish, and I should leave you alone, but I can’t. I can’t live without you. So, please… just be mine. Marry me and be my wife. Please, marry me. I promise to love you more than I always have and protect you. Just say yes.”

All I could do was stare, but I wouldn’t waste time staring for longer than I should, shaken by the shock of his words.

“Yes.” I nodded.

“Yes?” he asked as if my answer should be a surprise to him.

“Absolutely yes.”

I’d never seen him look so nervous. His hands even shook as he took out the ring and slipped it on my finger. It felt like it had always belonged there.

He stood up and kissed me again.

When we pulled apart, we both saw Luc and Amelia standing at the end of the corridor. Luc had his arm around Amelia, and she rested against his chest beaming at us. They both were.