Betraying Marco [Book 2 of the Stavros Series]✔️

25 |Jane Eyre and Rochester|

Just keep in mind I'm not a doctor soooo this may or may not be possible

...

When retelling stories of traumatic events in one's life people usually tell it in great detail. That's how I remember my Mom's death. I remember at what time of day, where the sun was in the sky, what the ocean smelled like, and what color her bathing suit was.

But when it came down to my near death experience I could barely process anything, let alone remember most of it. All I know is that I was in a building, the wrong one apparently, it crashed down around me, I woke up briefly as I was being rushed down the hospital hallways, I woke up again before passing out from the anesthetic a nurse gave me, and the final time I woke up was some time later with Marco sitting by my side.

When I woke up my mouth felt like I had been in the desert for a month and my whole body ached. I attempted to speak despite knowing my voice would come out sounding like a frog.
"Marco."

He jolted in his seat. His eyes snapping up to mine from his hands fiddling in his lap. There was only one emotion that crossed his features in that moment. Relief.

Instead of saying anything he shot up from his seat and leaned forward until our lips touched. I let him kiss me, despite how much I desperately wanted water. He didn't stop at my lips though. He kissed my cheeks, my forehead, my nose, my chin, my neck, my eye lids and practically any skin he could see on my head.

"Marco," I croaked again, pulling away just slightly.

He looked down at me with more relief than I think anyone had ever had before. He didn't say anything though. His eyes were filling with tears, his bottom lip was wobbling, and both of his hands were on my body: my cheek and my own hand.

Instead he leaned down to kiss my once again and I let him, only because I knew he needed it more than I needed water.

Finally, when he pulled away he had enough strength to speak. His first and only words were, "Will you marry me?"

I was shocked into silence, and then I thought I was only being delusional. The anesthetic they put me under apparently hadn't worn off yet. But after staring at Marco, looking at his unwavering smile and his bright eyes, I knew he was being serious.

Two years.

That was the deal and that's how long it's been.

"It's about damn time," I murmured, squeezing his hand in mine with as much strength as I could muster.

Marco smiled widely and chuckled before kissing me again, hard. I winced in pain and he immediately pulled away, apologizing.

"I'm so glad you said that because you don't have a choice," he said once he pulled away. He pulled something out of his pocket, a small black velvet box. I knew exactly what was in that box and I wasn't more excited in my entire life.

Unlike the first time he asked me this felt right. It felt more than right, it felt like this is exactly what was supposed to happen to me. I just wish it didn't involve the building collapsing around me.

Marco opened the box, revealing the same diamond ring I had around my neck for five years. He slipped it onto my finger, lifting it to his lips afterwards.

"I'm going to go get the doctor now," he said after a couple minutes of comfortable silence where we just lovingly stared at each other.

Marco left me alone letting me get accustomed to the hospital room around me. Tubes were hooked up to parts of my body that I couldn't see beyond pieces of tape, machines surrounded me, and there were an array of flowers covering almost every flat surface in the room.