The Proposal (Forever Bound Book 2)

by Bree Callahan

  Damian: I’m free tomorrow after eight o’clock. Want to come over and have a nightcap?

  Charity: I’ll be there.

  Derek: I’m sure things are going well with them. I know every time I talk to Jesse he says how amazing things are between them, perhaps even more than they were when they moved in together.

  Charity was glad to hear that. Ana had kept pretty quiet about things, but she figured that was because she didn’t want to throw it in Charity’s face that she had a love life.

  Charity: So glad to hear that!

  She tossed her phone down and leaned back against her pillow. She didn’t get to relax for too long before another message rang through.

  Damian: Glad to hear what?

  She cringed. The worst case scenario happened, and she typed a message to the wrong guy. She quickly tried to fix her mistake by typing Damian a message.

  Charity: Glad to hear that you’re free tomorrow night. It’s been a long time coming!!

  She read the message and felt confident that he would believe her. She then typed Derek a message, double checking to make sure Derek’s name was pulled up.

  Charity: Glad to hear that things are going well with Ana and Jesse. She keeps me out of the loop when it comes to their nights together.

  She had barely placed the phone down on her bed when another text came through.

  Ana: Staying over at Jesse’s place. Didn’t want you to wait up.

  Charity smiled at the message. It was very clear that things were going well with them, indeed. It was only a matter of time, and she might just lose her roommate.

  ****

  Derek: Jesse definitely doesn’t keep me out of the loop.

  He typed in the message and hit send. He couldn’t believe how quick the time was going. He started texting Charity because he couldn’t sleep and now an hour later and he didn’t want to stop. Before Charity could respond to his message, he sent her another one.

  Derek: Getting any sleepier? Lol

  Charity responded to his last message quickly.

  Charity: No, so you best be willing to talk to me for anotherhour. 

  He laughed. It was so strange to think about how their lives had been flipped so quickly. Before their date, he would’ve said someone was crazy if they told him that he would be lying in bed and talking to Charity about just about anything.

  Derek: Baby, I’m willing to talk to you all night, if need be.

  The minute he sent the message, he worried she would be offended. He called her baby, and it was the most natural thing in the world, yet he still felt like it would cause discomfort for her. He waited a minute, then two, then it turned into fifteen minutes, and he started to send her another message and tell her to just ignore his comment. He wasn’t about to push her. He started his reply.

  Derek: I’m sorry…that was a foolish

  He erased his message and tried it again.

  Derek: Just ignore my crazy word, I

  He sighed, erasing the message again. Then Charity came back with her message and kept him from typing anything else.

  Charity: Baby, huh? I like the sound of that.

  He grinned at her response. It was the perfect response she could’ve given him. They continued texting one another until he noticed it was two o’clock. He shot her a text message.

  Derek: Has Ana come home?

  Charity: She texted me three hours ago and said she wasn’t coming home. You know what means, lol.

  Derek snickered. He knew exactly what that meant. His friend Jesse was getting his wish answered that evening.

  Derek: Ahhh…yes…coming across loud and clear.  We’ve been talking for just over three hours. Time has certainly flown.

  Charity: Yes, it has, and I’m finally starting to feel a touch of sleep coming upon me. How about you?

  Derek: Yes, I am. Talk to you later this weekend?

  Charity: Of course. Good night, Derek!

  Derek: Goodnight!

  He put his phone down on the stand by his bed and settled back into his pillows. Things were going to be even better than they were because they were starting off their relationship fresh and new. He couldn’t wait to talk to her again.

  ****

  Charity spent all day Saturday practicing what she was going to say to Damian. She stood in front of the mirror and pretended as if he was staring back at her. “Damian…what we’ve had has been amazing, but we always knew one day it would all come to an end. I met someone else, and it isn’t fair to you to continue this charade. I know you’ll understand.”

  She was so engrossed in her conversation with the invisible Damian that she hardly noticed she wasn’t alone in the house. “What in the world are you doing?” Ana asked.

  She jumped and turned around to find Ana staring at her from the hallway. There was a grin on Ana’s face as she gawked at Charity. Charity shrugged. “Nothing!” She left the bathroom, and Ana followed her. “I didn’t know you were coming home today. Thought maybe your rendezvous would last all weekend.”

  “Oh…it is…” Ana replied with a chuckle.

  Charity turned around and stared at her friend. “Then what are you doing home?” she asked.

  Ana smiled. “I have to get some clothes. After all, I didn’t anticipate the weekend turning out like this.” She winked at Charity. She moved past Charity and went into her bedroom. Charity waited out in the living room and couldn’t wait for Ana to get her things and leave so she could get back to her conversation with the mirror.

  “So, what were you doing when I came in?” Ana asked. In no time she was back out in the living room and had a small bag with her.

  “I told you…nothing,” Charity replied.

  Ana laughed. “You were talking to yourself in the mirror. Didn’t look like nothing.”

  Charity wanted to know what Ana heard her say, so she pressed forward. “Did you hear anything?” she asked.

  Ana tilted her head and scrunched up her nose. “Not really. By the time I reached the bathroom your conversation had ended.” She laughed. “But it looked serious.”

  Charity breathed a sigh of relief that clearly Ana hadn’t heard anything. “Haven’t you ever talked to your reflection before?”

  Ana nodded. “When I have some great life mystery I want to be solved.” She grinned. “Do you? Maybe I can help.”

  Charity chuckled. “You can help.”

  Ana’s eyes brightened. “How?”

  “You can go back to your boyfriend and enjoy the rest of the weekend. I’ll be fine here, besides I’m kind of enjoying the time alone,” Charity lied. Most of the time she hadn’t been alone, so that would be a huge falsehood. Ana just snickered and moved to the front door. “Have fun!” Charity replied.

  Ana turned around, and they locked eyes. “You’re sure you don’t mind me leaving you alone all this time?”

  Charity laughed. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

  Ana rolled her eyes and grabbed the door handle. “See you later, then.” She waved as she left the apartment and finally Charity was alone. Charity went back into the bathroom and continued her conversation.

  “You have been great, Damian…you have, but you have prepared me to love someone, and I can’t block out that feeling, even if I never expected it.” She groaned. Everything she was saying sound like a bunch of words thrown together and she wasn’t even sure she bought them. “I could just text him,” she muttered, but even Charity knew she couldn’t do that. He deserved more than that.

  As the hours crept by and she wasn’t any closer to having her conversation mapped out, she heard her cell phone signaling a text message. She left the bathroom and went into her bedroom. She grabbed it from the stand and saw Derek’s name on the screen.

  Derek: Thinking of you. Can’t wait until we see each other again.

  She smiled at his message. She needed it more than ever, and it gave her a little strength to push on. She typed back her reply.r />
  Charity: Thanks, Hon. Thinking of you, too. We will soon see each other, and our past will be behind us.

  She slipped her phone into her pocket and left her bedroom. She got back into the bathroom and started over. “Damian, when we first got together I was in a bad place. You helped me to get out of that place, and I could never thank you enough, but things change. I’ve found someone, and while I wasn’t looking for it, I know that it’s what I want. Please understand that I would never want to hurt you.” That was the last thing she would want to happen, but it wasn’t like they anticipated this being forever. He would understand, and they would end the evening knowing it was behind them.

  Figuring she had the words in her mind, she left the bathroom and worked on putting it behind her. She put a TV dinner in the microwave for supper and aimlessly ate it, while she waited for the time to tick by. She left the apartment earlier than she needed to and when she got to Damian’s house, she saw he was already home. She glanced at her clock. She still had a half hour until she was due to be there. She parked a couple of houses down from his and just sat in her car.

  She lowered the visor and flipped down her mirror. Again, she practiced what she would say to him. “Damian, I…” her words left her. Her heart started beating quicker. “That’s not it,” she mumbled. She tried again. “Damian, when we first got together, we were…I was…” she closed her eyes and tried to picture herself back in the bathroom. She was angry she didn’t write the words down, but she didn’t expect to forget them. “ I was in a bad place,” she continued. “You helped me get out of that place.” She nodded. That was it. “I could never thank you enough, but things have changed.” I’ve changed, she thought, noting that that was the more obvious wording she should use. “I’ve found someone.” Her words started to echo in her mind and when they came out they were barely above a whisper. “I wasn’t looking for it,” she continued. “This is what I want. Please understand that I would never want to hurt you.” She glanced down at her clock and couldn’t believe she’d practiced that speech for longer than a half hour. She was already late to his place. “Damn,” she mumbled. She started up her car and pulled away from the curb. She turned into his driveway and took a deep breath before getting out of her car.

  She hurried up to his door and knocked. When he opened up the door, he greeted her with a warm smile. “Come in!” He stepped back and welcomed her into his house.

  She stepped into the foyer. “I’m so sorry I’m late, I…” her words fell off when she noticed the spread on his coffee table. There were two bouquets of flowers adorning each side and a bottle of wine, along with two glasses in the center. Plus there were candles throughout the living room. “What’s all this?” she asked. She turned to him, and he smiled.

  “I thought we could both use a romantic night in. Don’t you think?” He moved in and his lips went to hers.

  “We need to talk,” she softly whispered against his lips.

  “And we will.” He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. It left her heart racing and more confusion settled in. She couldn’t interrupt him…not right away anyway. She would be breaking it off soon enough, and that’s what counted.

  Chapter 12

  Charity took another sip of her wine as she heard Damian still talking about how great it was to have her back at his place and how much he couldn’t wait to rekindle their romance. She nearly choked on the wine. She didn’t understand why he was suddenly focused on romance, when what they had didn’t revolve around that. She put her glass down and figured it was like taking off a band-aid. She needed to just rip it off and worry about the pain afterward.

  “Damian…we really need to talk.” She turned her whole body so she could face him on the couch.

  He continued to grin, and she had to look away. He was handsome…sexy…a gentleman…the perfect guy that anyone would fall in love with, but that wasn’t them. It was time he moved on and looked for the woman to spend the rest of his life with. “What is it, Hon? Your facial expressions are so serious.” He brushed a hand against her cheek, inadvertently brushing her hair back behind her ear. “Sexy…but serious,” he replied with a slight chuckle. She sighed, pulling back from him. His eyes narrowed. “Okay…that struck a nerve. What’s wrong?” His words were shaky, and she worried she was about to disappoint him.

  “It didn’t strike a nerve,” she replied quietly. She looked down at her hands that now formed a ball in her lap. “I just don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Whoa…” he softly exhaled. “That does sound serious?” He paused, before laughing slightly. “Did they announce they’re not going to have any more episodes of Master Chef?”

  She looked up at him. She couldn’t believe he was teasing her at this time when she was struggling with what she was moments from telling him. She shook her head. “Will you please not joke. I’m trying to tell you something here.”

  “I’m sorry. I was trying to take the edge off things. I’m listening. What’s going on?” Her eyes still lingered with his and slowly every word she had prepared to say was no longer in her mind. She couldn’t remember a single word, and it was clear she needed to go with her gut.

  “I don’t know why I have a hard time forming the words.”

  “Just say it,” he softly replied.

  She picked up her nearly empty glass and downed the last drop of wine. Damian’s eyes widened as he watched her, but he didn’t comment. She looked up at him, and she knew how she needed to handle it. She just had, to be honest, and hope for the best. “I care about you, Damian. You are the first man that made me truly forget my broken engagement.” He smiled but never drifted his eyes from hers. “I will always be grateful for you.” His face slowly started to fall, and his smile soon disappeared.

  “But?” he asked.

  He was perceptive. Charity would give him that. “You deserve a woman that you can love. You deserve a woman that will give you everything you could ever want out of life.”

  “You give me that,” he softly whispered.

  She rolled her eyes and locked eyes with his. “We’re not in love.”

  He looked away from her. “No…you mean you’re not in love with me.” His eyes slowly went back to hers. Her jaw dropped.

  “What? You said that you didn’t mean those words. You said that you were asleep. You said—.”

  “I said a lot of things. It was perfectly clear that you didn’t want me to love you. It was perfectly clear that if I would’ve told you the truth, then you would’ve backed out of our agreement. I wasn’t ready for that, so I lied. I told you that I didn’t mean those words, but can you blame me?”

  Charity felt sick. She should’ve gone with her heart and run away at that moment. She should’ve trusted that he was in love with her and not give him the benefit of the doubt. Now they were sitting there and having an argument that she didn’t want or expect to be having. “I don’t want to hurt you, Damian.”

  He nodded slowly. “Yet…here you are.” She felt her chest clenching. “May I ask what happened?” he quietly asked.

  She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I met someone else.”

  “Oh…” he softly replied back. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there with him appearing upset and hurt, but he did respond back with a question. “Mayor Worthington?” he asked.

  She lifted an eyebrow at him. She had ever thought of lying to him, but then it hit her that she was tired of lies running her life, and she nodded to his question. “How’d you know?”

  He laughed. “Well, for starters…I saw the way you looked at him. I’m assuming that’s why you quit suddenly after your business trip. Does he know? Does he feel the same way?”

  She confessed he did. “I wasn’t looking for it, Damian and the truth is…I didn’t expect anything to come of it.” She didn’t go further into details, just waited for him to process the information.

  “So, basically, you’re saying that for you what we were doing was simply a busine
ss transaction?”

  She sighed. “You make it sound so formal. I enjoyed being with you, Damian and I wanted it to be more.” She hesitated, then added, “Maybe deep down I thought it was, but what I have with Derek just seems real.”

  He stood up from the couch. Pain washed over his face. “How do you know if you don’t give it a chance?” She leaned back against the back of the couch and listened to his intense questions. “How do you know that what we have isn’t love? Are you just going to push me to the side and say it’s over?”

  “Damian, don’t…” she begged.

  “No!” He knelt down next to her and took her hand into his. “You aren’t giving this a chance.”

  “I have,” she softly whispered.

  “What? Yes…this started off as something so far away from love. I get that, but along the way my feelings changed and perhaps if you try to open your heart to it, then yours will, too.”

  The more he spoke, the worse she felt. “Don’t you want a woman that can immediately open your heart to her?”

  He slowly shook his head. “Not, if that woman isn’t you.” He reached up and cupped her neck in his hand. “I love you, Charity. All I’m asking is that you consider it.”

  “I have,” she replied, again, but he shook his head.

  “Mayor Worthington swooped in and caused you to forget what’s important in your life. I get it. He’s powerful…rich…and no one can compete.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t care about either of those things, Damian.”