Natalie
I suck in a deep breath, yet it doesn't calm me.
My world has officially turned into madness, and my brain isn't thinking rational thoughts right now.
Noah smiles at me, and my heart is beating out of rhythm. His eyes tell me that he remembers everything, bringing me to tears. This is how... Fuck. Noah looked at me like this the first time we met—like I was the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth.
It breaks me.
Because it's not the right thing to leave Alaric by the altar. It would break him apart, probably forever. It's such a traumatic experience to be dumped here of all places...
But...
I believe love is the rarest thing you can find. People search for it their entire lifetimes. And even though it's crazy, I falter...
I want to be selfish and leave Alaric because no other man has ever affected me like Noah.
His blue eyes, brown hair, and that damn smile... Does he even understand it makes time stop and my head spin? How do you move on from that feeling?
I take another deep breath to calm myself—it does nothing to quench the fire burning within me. I'm like a firework. There is no holding back the love I feel for Noah, and I peer up at Alaric while shaking my head.
"Natalie?" Alaric whispers.
My lips quiver in response, and I whisper. "I'm sorry, Alaric... I'm so terribly sorry..."
Alaric's eyes widen in disbelief, and time speeds up a notch. Butterflies swarm my belly, and I run down from the altar in my high heels. The white dress flows behind me, and shock sweeps over Noah's features. He is so gorgeous.
I take his hand, and we run like idiots in love.
I don't even look at the audience. But I catch a glimpse of Cynthia's fury in the background. She must be having the worst day ever while I'm about to experience my best.
That thought makes me laugh out loud. I haven't been this optimistic about the future in days, weeks, or months. I'm like a bird flying from its nest—life is about to begin.
"Are you sure about this, Natalie?"
I snort at Noah. "Let's just go—I've already made it this far!"
My words earn me a smile.
Noah pushes open the church's doors and takes me to his luxurious black SUV parked underneath a tree. I can't believe all of this is happening as I open the car door.
We get inside the car, and as we are driving away, I finally realize how crazy life has turned. What the hell am I doing?!
I grab the seat with both hands and look straight ahead. We are driving down a road with birch trees on either side. The sun is shining, and life is beautiful, yet I can't breathe.
I'm Natalie, and I'm a mother—I never do crazy stuff anymore!
"I think I have a panic attack," I say with parched lips. "It's getting harder to breathe by the minute."
Noah's eyes meet mine. He is wearing a goofy smile. "Really? Because I was about to say this is the best day ever. I'm so damn happy."
I relax a little in my seat and even slump my shoulders. Noah has a way of making me feel at ease. "You are?"
"Yes?" His smile is infectious. "You, Emma, and I will finally be a family. This is where our story begins. I have so many plans for us, so many things I want us to do and see."
My lips curl into a big smile, and tears slide down my cheek. "Our story began a long time ago, Noah. We have a way of colliding, like two magnets bound to crash at every turn... And although we haven't been together, our story never stopped."
"True, but I would like to pretend that part about my amnesia never happened," blue eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. Noah is the only man who can make my insides swoop like pancakes. "It feels like I've been in a deep sleep ever since you left."
Noah and his smooth words.
"You're so sweet..." I'm crying now, and I feel pathetic for it. I'm so damn emotional it's embarrassing. "Stop being so damn sweet!"
Noah grabs my hand, and we interlock our fingers over the armrest. His hand is much bigger than mine, manly and safe. My heart flutters, and the bubbles of joy won't stop coming.
"Never," Noah's voice sounds sincere. He is also incredibly sexy, but I'm trying to ignore how aroused he makes me by simply speaking. It's that damned accent of his, I swear. "I will always try to be on my best behavior around you. It's what you deserve."
"Please tell me this isn't a dream," I laugh through my tears. My eyes are probably already red and puffy. "I will be so sad if I wake up alone inside my room. You don't realize how many dreams I've had like this."
Noah laughs in amusement. "Do you often dream about escaping from your own wedding?"
"No!" I exclaim but laugh with him. I've missed hearing Noah's rumbling laughter. His whole face cracks open like the sky after a storm. "Being with you—that's what I dream about."
Noah glances at me with affection written over his features. "I've missed you too, Natalie. More than you can imagine."
I can't stop myself from smiling. "I'm such a wreck, though. I don't know whether to laugh or cry... What we are doing is absolutely crazy! Like my grandmother is probably rolling in her grave!"
"True. This is crazy but necessary," Noah licks his lips. He seems a little bit nervous, which is odd. "Natalie. There is something you should know. I didn't just kidnap you from your wedding to date you."
I blink at him with dread entering my chest. The way he started his sentence was scary.
"Hmm?" I hum. "What is it?"
"Open the middle console."
Silently, I do what he says to find a little black box. It makes heat travel over my skin. I lift my eyes to Noah's face, and he smiles at me. I want to kiss him, but he is driving the escape vehicle.
"Natalie," Noah says in his deep voice. He looks so sexy when he says my name that I have to fight the urge to tackle him to the ground. "Will you please open the box?"
Smiling, I do what he asks of me. I use my manicured nails to open it and stare down at the diamond ring inside. It's gorgeous, and there is a note inside the box.
"Read it," Noah says.
For a moment, I simply absorb the moment. Noah's blue eyes are kept on mine in the mirror, and his smile is genuine. He is waiting for our future to begin, and for the first time in forever, I can't wait for tomorrow.
I'm finally where I'm supposed to be. It was a rough journey, but this car seat is better than that church. Marrying Alaric would have been a mistake, and I wouldn't have found happiness in London.
I take a deep breath, and then I read out loud. "Natalie, you're the woman I've been looking for my entire life. Even when I forgot about you, I missed you. Even when I didn't remember us, I still loved you. You're the person I want to see when I think of a bad joke. You're the person I want to tell when I've achieved something. You make me laugh, and you never fail to put a smile on my face. And now that my memories are finally put back together, I have to ask you this—"
I glance at Noah. He is giving me a pearly smile while my heart is erratically beating. This is everything, the moment I've been waiting for without knowing it.
I finish the last sentence with hot tears crawling out of the corner of my eyes. I'm feeling bubbly. "Do you want to marry me?"