One night with a billionaire

44. B A X

In reality, when you get down on one knee and propose it's not all that great. I was balancing on the wooden floor, knee aching and throbbing, heart pelting my rib cage, and with a baby in my arms too, well, it isn't particularly great. My nerves were in overdrive. Would she say yes? Would she say no? Am I about to scare her off? Is she over the moon inside, but just looks terrified on the outer? I was a mess. A mess in love with a woman so beautiful, so sweet, I couldn't see my life without her. Whenever I tried to imagine - tried to face a possibility that could happen because of her memory loss - I just saw a black hole and almost broke down. It's like it doesn't even exist; there will always be a life with her. There has to be.

Which is why, as I balance in agony on my knee, I'm praying to God inside that she finally opens her mouth and says yes.

Anytime now would be great, baby.

She's still looking up at me in astonishment, tears evidently swimming through her chocolate irises, and breathing ragged. This was the same look as the other day after we finally slept together since the accident. I couldn't face her running away again. I really couldn't. It was too much. Like I said, life wasn't supposed to exist without her by my side.

"Baby, please say something." I plead, trying so hard not to sound broken but sounding it anyway.

No response. Just tears. Actual, full blown sobbing. Fuck.

I move to place Angel in her Moses basket, when her hand reaches for my arm. She grips it tight as her eyes lock onto mine.

"Come here."

I don't say anything or move. I just stay still. My logic is, if I move there's a chance the day will carry on which means there's a chance she's about to say no. Where as if I just sit here and pretend this moment has froze, then there's not a chance. Only, my logic doesn't exist. The day is still going to carry on, the clock is still ticking by, and Lucy is still looking at me with devastatingly beautiful eyes while they fill with tears. I have no alternative, but to suck it up and hope she isn't about to ruin our first - and hopefully not the last - Christmas Day together.

So I move. I sit myself in front of her, blocking her view of the Christmas tree, while Angel is still sitting on my lap completely unaware of the situation. But from the look she's giving her mommy, she understands she's sad or somethings wrong and that doesn't sit well with me either.

"I shouldn't have rushed you, I should have just waited-"

"Stop." She holds her hand up, swiping her tears as she takes a deep breath. "Just let me talk."

I nod.

"Where do I start? I can just about remember the day we met, the situation was a mess and awful and definitely not how you're supposed to meet the love of your life. But I did."

My heart froze.

"All these pictures in this book tell me how much you've loved me for nine whole months, baby. Not only has Avery and Liam - your friend who I shouldn't trust because I don't remember, but do - told me that we were the perfect couple, but I feel it too. Each time I look at you, my heart rate increases, my head spins, and I get breathless. Looking at this book that you made has helped me. I still can't remember bits, but by the sounds of it I don't need to. They're agonising parts of our past that should be forgotten anyway. So, in response to your proposal..."

She looks at me, like she's reading me or studying me, eyes intensely on me but rich of emotion. I'm waiting so bad for her answer. I'm on the verge of my own tears because I know it's coming.

"Yes. Yes, I'll marry you. Yes, I'll be your wife. And yes, I will have lots more babies with you because I know you want more. I love you, Baxter."

Without thinking, I pull her into me and Angel and kiss the hell out of her. Her lips are salty from her tears, but at least I know they're now happy tears not because I'd terrified her to death.

"You have no idea how perfect you are, beautiful." How I managed to get the sentence out I will never know, I was as ecstatic as could be in this moment. Relief had rushed through like a race car as soon I heard the Y. I didn't need to hear the rest, that was enough. I finally felt complete.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I was so glad you said yes! For a moment I thought I was going to have to sneak out of this house!"

Avery comes running in from the kitchen, camera in hand snapping lots of pictures of us, while Lucy looks stunned.

"You've been in there the whole time?" She asks, pointing to the kitchen.

"Er, derr. I'm the camera man, look." She shakes her camera around, looking as if it was the most obvious thing and Lucy is an idiot for not knowing. I can't help laugh.

"Well, I haven't put the ring on yet." I declare, tugging her left hand towards me. I press a tender kiss first, then slide the diamond onto her finger. She's trembling from emotion, but so am I. "There. Now you can take the most important picture."

"You think? What about this?"

She pulls up a photo taken ten seconds ago of me pushing the ring onto Lucy's hand, gazing into each other's eyes. We look in love and I have to agree, it is the best photo yet. Especially when Angel is in the middle.

"Thanks, Ave."

She waves it off like it's nothing, while Lucy jumps on her for a hug.

"My best friend. Always doing what's best for me."

The rest of our day we spent as a four. Liam was due to come over but got stuck with his family, and my parents went back home and spent it together. I've never had a Christmas so perfect, but I know there's plenty more to come. And I know that one day there will be more than just Angel, me and Lucy.