Love, accidentally

Chapter 51

T R I S T A N

"Wait, my assistant Kim is blowing up my phone, so I'm going to take this quickly. Don't jump each other's bones." Vera pointed with her finger at both of us, making me grin.

"Fine, El." Will sighed, as if we were two teenagers getting scolded by his mom.

Still getting used to love and El.

He had that mischievous look on his face.

"What are you on about, honey?" I leaned back in my chair, the café empty for the past hour for a reason that I guessed started with the letter William.

"Oh, I thought you'd never ask, love." He leaned forward, rubbing his hand along his shaven jaw.

"Will, what's happening? I don't want to talk about you and Vera because she's capable of doing that on her own. But I have to ask about your intentions here. Other than being obsessed with me." I tilted my head, raising an eyebrow at him.

He threw his head back, laughing.

"What makes you think I'm not wondering about your intentions towards her? You're the one who fucked up." He raised an eyebrow, his protectiveness evident.

I clenched my teeth, not used to having men who aren't family feel protective over Vera. But I owed him a lot.

"I want to marry her." I said the only thing that I could think of.

I wanted to marry her. I wanted to have her and be there for her for the rest of my life. I wanted to raise our daughter together and give them the best life a man could give his family.

Will took a breath, narrowed his eyes and leaned back again. He was reading my face. Reading me.

"Did you tell her that?" He asked at last.

"Not yet." I said.

We stayed silent for a minute before I spoke again.

"I know what you did for her," I took a shallow breath, my hands shaking slightly, "I'll always be grateful to you for being there when I wasn't. You saved her, Will. I'll always be in your debt. But I need to know your intentions because I can't bear to sit here with you if you have feelings for her. I can hate you and still owe you my life."

"I like you, Tristan. Still, I'm not discussing El and I with you if that's what you're asking, but I can assure you that the only outcome that I want is for her to be happy. I can see that she's happy with you. You weren't there to see it, but...seeing her this well after everything means the world to me. You don't owe me anything. I respect her and her choices and I'll never come between you and her. El's my friend." Will smiled, his eyes brewing with a lot of emotions that I chose to ignore in order to believe his words.

"I'm choosing to trust you right now. Don't make me regret it, honey." I smiled, trying to ease the tension.

"Believe me, love, when you're with me, the chances of you regretting anything is impossible." He played along, returning to our flirty nature.

"And yet you haven't touched me yet." I rolled my eyes playfully.

He laughed again.