Page 86 of Into The Rabbit Hole

She was doing a lot better now, feeling relieved that she could breathe again, but she couldn’t believe that Ben wasgone.

It was bizarre. She couldn’t believe that a powerful man like that, with such a strong presence and essence, was nomore.

He’d impressed her. Really impressed her. She was grateful that he came for her, and grateful for what he did. It would never make up for the wrong, but his attempt to try by sacrificing his life was what she would always value. In those final moments, she saw a new person she never wanted to forget. Wade and Taylor would have been proud of him, and probably felt the same asher.

Her mind ran to Wade and Chloe, and all that they’d been through. The doctors were still checking Chloe. Wade, too, because he’d broken a few ribs and fractured his collar bone. She’d go back to check on them when they finished uphere.

“You know what today is?” Brian asked, breaking the silence that surroundedthem.

“What day is it?” She turned and looked at him, smiling at the prospect of them. She’d waited years for this freedom withhim.

His eyes sparkled with delight. “A newday.”

“It is a new day.” Shechuckled.

“It’s a day where anything could happen, and it’s not reliant on anyone besides us. We don’t have to fear for our lives, we don’t have to worry about the beasts that haunted us and kept us apart. We’re done with secrets and lies, and venturing into any damn rabbit holes. It’s a blank slate.New.”

She liked that. She did. “New.” She nodded. “What should we do with thisnewness?”

“I think we shouldn’t waste any more timewaiting.”

“I agree. All we’ve done is wait around for the last 37years.”

“That’s a really long time.” He smiled, running his hands through hiscurls.

“Superlong.”

“Today should be the start of our livestogether.”

“Yes.”

He straightened up and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small blue velvetbox.

Her hands flew up to her mouth when she realized what it was. “What are youdoing?”

“Taking advantage of the day. I brought this along earlier to give me somehope.”

As she observed him, she saw the eager boy she used to know, the sweet, adventurous boy who loved her and waited for her. Except for the hints of gray that speckled his thick dark curls, and the hint of expression lines that made most men look sexier as they got older, he looked the same. Better, he looked better. He flicked the box open to reveal an extremely beautiful ring. It was one of the best she’d seen. It looked antique, almost medieval looking from the gold vines that wrapped around each other to create the band. The diamond in the middle complemented it perfectly. He went to go down on one knee but she stoppedhim.

“Yes,” she saidquickly.

“Yes?”

“It was always yes. I will marry you. In my mind I was always married to you. You don’t have toask.”

His smile brightened and he took her hand, slid off the ring she’d put on yesterday, and replaced it with the newone.

“Thank you for loving me,” he toldher.

She shook her head and smiled. “Thank you. It’s you who deserves the thanks. You waited forme.”

“Always.”

She threw her arms around him and hugged him, relishing the thought of the new life that awaitedthem.

* * *

Wade