Chapter 141 – Ethan's POV.
I stared at the ring box in my hand — small, black velvet, and trembling slightly from how tight I was gripping it.
So much planning. So much secrecy. And yet, here I was, pacing in my office at nearly midnight, unsure if I was doing the right thing — or losing the woman I loved.
Amara.
Her name alone made my chest ache. And now her message flashed on my phone, soft and raw in its honesty.
"Ethan… can we talk? I need to know if we're still on the same page. Please don't shut me out."
God.
I ran a hand through my hair, sinking onto the edge of the couch in my office, the proposal blueprints scattered across the coffee table in front of me. Everything was ready. The rooftop venue was booked. The lights. The flowers. The live band that would play her favorite old jazz song. The custom dress I had secretly ordered, in case she didn't feel like dressing up.
I had planned every detail down to the moment I would drop to one knee and say the words I had practiced over and over.
But I hadn't told her. I couldn't.
Because I wanted it to be perfect.
And in chasing perfection, I had pushed her away.
I hadn't meant to go silent. I wasn't avoiding her because I didn't love her. I was distant because I loved her so damn much, I wanted to give her everything — not just another moment, but the moment.
She deserved that.
But the longer I kept her in the dark, the more pain I saw in her eyes whenever we met. The more uncertainty bloomed in her soft smile. I'd kiss her, hoping it would silence her doubts, but I could tell it wasn't enough.
I hadn't told Arya or Damon either. I wanted to do this on my own, my way. But now, I wondered if that had been a mistake. Amara wasn't the kind of woman you keep in the shadows — she was the light itself.
I leaned back, phone still in my hand. Her message glowed on the screen like a quiet plea.
I need to know if we're still on the same page.
She probably thought I didn't want her anymore. That I was slowly drifting — but that couldn't be further from the truth.
If anything, I was drowning in how much I needed her.
And I hated that I'd made her feel otherwise.
I picked up the small velvet box again, flipped it open. The diamond sparkled under the dim office light — nothing too flashy, just elegant, timeless… like her.
She had no idea how many nights I'd stayed up with my heart racing, thinking of this moment. How many times I imagined her saying yes, crying, falling into my arms.
But now, for the first time, I was terrified she might say no.
What if she thought the distance meant I wasn't ready?
What if I'd waited too long?
I stood up suddenly, grabbing my coat.
No more waiting. No more silence.
If she wanted to talk — she deserved the truth. And more than that, she deserved to know just how deeply, how wildly, how endlessly I loved her.
—
The ride to her apartment felt longer than usual, though the city lights blurred by in flashes of gold and red. I kept rehearsing what I'd say, but everything sounded wrong. Too stiff. Too late.
What if she didn't even want to see me?
When I reached her door, I hesitated before knocking. My pulse thundered in my ears. I raised my hand…
The door opened before I could touch it.
And there she was — standing in a loose shirt and pajama shorts, hair messy, eyes tired. But still the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
She blinked. "Ethan?"
I didn't wait.
"I love you," I blurted, my voice hoarse. "God, Amara, I love you so much and I've been an idiot — a complete idiot. I haven't been distant because I'm tired of you. I've been distant because I've been planning something. Something big. Something for you."
She stared at me, speechless.
I reached into my pocket, slowly pulling out the small black box.
Her breath hitched.
"I didn't want you to think I was taking us lightly," I continued, stepping inside. "I didn't want to just ask you on a random day with no meaning. I wanted to give you something magical. The moment you deserved. The kind of moment people dream about. But in doing that, I pushed you away, and I'm so sorry."
I opened the box.
Her hands flew to her mouth as tears filled her eyes.
"I want to marry you, Amara," I whispered. "Not someday. Not maybe. I want to wake up next to you for the rest of my life. I want to cook you breakfast, dance with you in the kitchen, and love you through every joy and storm."
I got down on one knee.
"Will you marry me?"
She was crying now. Trembling. "You—" she choked out. "You planned a proposal all this time?"
I nodded, smiling through my nerves. "Every second of it. But honestly… I don't need the lights or the rooftop anymore. I just need you to say yes."
A beat of silence.
Then she dropped to her knees in front of me, cupping my face in her hands.
"Yes," she breathed, pressing her forehead to mine. "Yes, Ethan. I've always wanted to say yes."
And just like that, the distance between us vanished.