The Proposal

He shook his head. “I won’t let you take my son from me!”

Emma’s green eyes narrowed into angry slits. “Don’t you dare threaten me like that! You know I would never keep you from Noah. Just because I don’t live here, doesn’t mean you won’t get to see him.”

“Ellijay is a f**king hour and a half away! How will I get to see him when he’s that far from me? Are you going to put me on some visitation schedule? Like every other weekend or some bullshit?”

She rubbed her temples. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I just know I can’t stay here anymore. Alone.”

“Dammit, Emma, I can’t believe you could be so cold.”

She jerked her chin up and glared at him so hard that he took a step back. “You ass**le! How dare you accuse me of being cold! I’m not the one who cheated and ruined everything between us!”

“I didn’t sleep with her,” he protested.

Emma threw her hands up. “The fact you couldn’t get it up or I interrupted you is irrelevant to the point, Aidan! You brought some stranger into your home on the pretense of screwing me out of your heart and mind!”

He grimaced. “I’ve said it a million times in a million different ways that I’m sorry!”

“I know you have, but just like I told you back at O’Malley’s, I would work on forgiving you, and it’s going to take a hell of a lot of time. So don’t expect me to fall into your waiting arms like nothing ever happened any time soon. I had a life before you, and I’m going to have one after you!” She turned and stalked away.

“Em, wait!” When she kept on walking, he called, “Fine, you want even more grand gestures? Here’s another one.” He sank down onto his knees on the sidewalk.

When Emma whirled around, her eyes grew wide. “What are you doing?”

He gazed around them. “What the hell does it look like I’m doing? I’m on my knees—totally and completely begging you to forgive me.”

“Get up!” she hissed when a couple walking their dog paused to stare at them.

“Not until you forgive me.”

She growled in frustration. “I said it would take time, so quit being dramatic.”

He shrugged. “Fine, call me a Drama Queen. Call me any f**king name in the book! Just get all the anger and hate out of your system, so you can work on forgiving me tonight.” He opened his arms wide. “I said it on cards, in text messages, and voicemails, and even in that fruity book of poetry I sent you. But now I’m going to say it to your face in case it’s the only other chance I have.”

Suddenly in that moment Aidan didn’t feel so sure of himself. He drew in a ragged breath. “I am sorry, Emma. I’m so sorry for breaking your heart. I’m sorry for being an utter prick and being afraid of my feelings for you. Most of all, I’m sorry for screwing up the perfect life we had by pushing you away and cheating on you.”

Emma’s face flushed with warmth as the woman on the sidewalk gasped. Aidan turned to her. “Yeah, that’s right. I’m one of the countless ass**les who break women’s hearts. I couldn’t tell Emma I loved her, and I almost screwed another woman trying to push her away.” He smacked his palms hard against his chest. “But from the depths of my heart and soul, I’m so, so sorry!”

“Jesus dude, have you lost all your pride?” the man questioned, which caused the woman to punch him in the arm.

Aidan chuckled. “Yeah, I have. Because I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win her back,” he pointed to Emma and smiled at her.

When Emma strode over to him with a determined look, Aidan felt his hope rising. It quickly faded as she grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head up. “Get off my front walk this minute, or I’m going to call the cops!” She shook her head maniacally. “I can’t believe you just embarrassed me in front of my neighbors like that!”

“I thought you wanted a man who would say how he truly felt?”

She rolled her eyes. “This,” she said, motioning wildly to him, “is not what I had in mind.”

“Fine,” he said pulling himself off the ground. He leaned closer to her and cocked his eyebrows. “But can you honestly say you weren’t the tiniest bit impressed by that?”

The corners of her lips pulled up, and he could tell she was fighting not to smile. “Maybe a little.”

“Aha, I knew it!”

“Come on. Let’s go inside before you can be more of a twatwaffle tonight.”

He burst out laughing. “What did you just call me?”

“It’s one of Casey’s words.”

“Hmm, let me guess. It’s probably one of Casey’s words for me?”

She nodded as she unlocked the front door. “Yes, but with some stronger expletives along with it.”

“I figured as much.”

“Have a seat. I’ll go let Beau out of the basement.”

When Aidan eased down on the couch, a memory flashed in his mind of making love to Emma in the very same spot before they went to see her grandparents for the first time. He heard Beau long before he saw him racing around the corner.

“Hey boy!” he cried, rising up off the couch.

At the sight of Aidan, Beau went into full freak-out mode with his whole body wiggling while he whined and cried. He barreled into Aidan, knocking him back down onto the couch. Then he went to licking Aidan’s face, hands, and any other body part he could get his tongue on.

Emma laughed. “See, I told you he missed you.”

Beau barked a few times as if in agreement, and then went back to slurping his tongue over Aidan’s face. “Okay, boy, I missed you, too.” Aidan rubbed over Beau’s back and then patted his head.

“Now sit down, Beau, and be a good boy,” Emma instructed.

To Aidan’s surprise, Beau obediently slid down onto the floor and sat stock still for Aidan to pet him. “Damn, I can’t believe you’ve gotten him to obey.”

“It’s taken some time.”

“Did you take good care of Mommy while I was gone?” Aidan asked, scratching Beau’s ears. At her sharp intake of breath, he glanced up at her and winked.

“He’s been wonderful company. Especially at night,” she replied softly.

“I can imagine. The nights alone have been hell on me.”

Emma opened her mouth to say something, but then suddenly wagged her finger at Beau. “Stop that licking, or I’m going to put the cone of shame back on you.”