I froze. “What?”
“Being with you again. Waking up and seeing your face first thing in the morning, holding you when I fall asleep at night. I want you, Frankie. Now more than ever.”
Risk lowered my dress back down, but he never took his eyes off me.
“Not just because I’m pregnant?” I pressed. “You want me for me, right?”
“Of course, just for you. I’ve wanted you back since the moment you sent me away when I was eighteen.” He shook his head. “The only difference now is I’m fighting for you, for my family. I won’t walk away, not even if you send me away. I’ll fight for you, for us, until I’ve no breath left in my body.”
It was like I had been sucked into a recurring dream where I had heard Risk say all of this to me before. I was so scared I was going to wake up and find myself all alone again.
“I love you.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “D’you love me?”
“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. “So much. I love you.”
“Then be with me,” he said. “It’s as easy as that. Be mine again . . . we’ll figure everything else out along the way. As long as we’re together, we can figure everything out.”
“Okay,” I said, surprising us both with my quick acceptance.
“Yeah? Just like that?”
“Yeah,” I squeezed him. “I’ve wanted to be yours, and only yours, since I was fifteen. Nothing’s changed about that, rock star. I don’t think there will be a perfect time for us to get together but I’m not wasting any more time. I want to be with you. My mum’s passing has shown me I need to live my life to the fullest, I need to create my own happiness. I know that happiness is with you.”
“Thank God,” he took my face in his hands. “Because I was hoping you’d be living with me rather than being a neighbour when I have the new house built.”
A veil of confusion washed over me.
“I don’t understand.”
“A piece of land a few hundred of metres that way,” he pointed past the colourful beach huts, “has been for sale the last year,” Risk smiled. “I closed on it today. The land is just behind the beach so while the beach won’t be ours, the land will be. We can build on it whatever way we want, we can wake up every morning and see the ocean and the pier, two things we both love.”
I was so surprised that I was momentarily speechless.
“You . . . here in Southwold . . . but LA?”
“Cherry,” he chuckled. “I can live anywhere in the world. LA was easier because so much work took place there but also because it was far away from you. I needed to be far away from you if I couldn’t have you. Me and the guys have been talking it over and we want to split our time. Angel wants to continue to live in LA, his girlfriend just moved in with him. His mum and sister both live there so that was the obvious choice for him. Hayes and May will keep their homes in the Hills, as will I, but they’re both buying houses in London, too. May already owns his childhood home here in town which I’m sure he’ll continue to happily use.”
I felt as if I swallowed my tongue.
“Nolan is going to take care of our schedules, he’s our acting manager now that Chris is gone. He’s searching for a competent assistant in the meantime. When we want to record, we’ll schedule it. When we have to promote our music, play festivals, tour, go to award shows and do other work shit, we’ll know about everything in advance. That way you can decide whether you want to come along with me or stay here until I come back.”
This was all too wild to believe.
“It can’t be as simple as that . . . it can’t be.”
“It is now that we’re successful and earn good money. At the start this was never a possibility but it is now, Cherry.”
“Why does is sound like you knew that we’d get back together?” I quizzed. “This is all very well planned out, Risk.”
He brushed loose strands of hair from my face.
“Because I wasn’t going to walk away this time, Frankie. I was going to get on my knees and beg you if I had to. God, baby, you have no idea just how much I love you, d’you?”
If it was anywhere near as much as I loved him then yeah, I knew.
“I may have a vague idea.”
“Only a vague one?” His lips twitched. “I guess I better get a jump on letting you know just how much I love you.”
“I think you should.”
He lowered his face to mine. “What d’you propose?”
“Well,” I smiled. “I think a kiss would be a good place to start.”
“I’ve a question first.”
“Ask it.”
I sucked in a breath and flung my hands over my mouth when he dropped to one knee, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a drop-dead gorgeous diamond ring.
“I didn’t think I’d be doing this right now,” he said. “I bought this ring the day I got to LA and I kept in in my pocket my entire stint because I knew one day I would ask you to marry me with it. I went to see Michael this morning and I asked his permission to marry you when I earned your trust back. He gave me a bit of a hard time but he shook my hand and said yes. You’re my light, Frankie Fulton. You have been since I was thirteen. You would made me the happiest, and luckiest, man in the world if you would do me the honour of becoming my wife. Will you marry
