Broken Ever Afters

Chapter Twelve

* This chapter has been edited *

The sky is magnificent tonight – carpeted with stars as if they came shining by to spy in on us. The crescent moon reflects in the dark water below the bridge crossing the lake. Several lamp posts adorn the bridge, lighting the way to passers-by – none of which are in sight at the moment. Cold air caresses my warm cheeks.

We stroll from the gardens to the bridge. My heart beats fast inside my chest I fear it will be visible from the décolletage of the dress. When we reach the crown of the bridge we stop walking and Jacob turns around to face me.

"After being on the run for a long time, it feels good to feel things are settling in place at last," he starts. "My disagreement with William began when he wanted to burn the book – the original manuscript, assuming we'd both be freed and no evil character could get hold of it. He always considered this land we created as his prison. I feared the opposite thing would happen and we'd be erased with the rest of the characters. Gothel got word of this and allied with other villains to hunt us down, inciting them against us. Will and I had a falling out and we separated.

"Do you know what you did in there?" he asks, joining our hands together after a brief pause.

I know what he's referring to - the situation between him and his brother, of course. Their bond as brothers wasn't severed to a loss. Anger clouded their judgement and they needed to be reminded of it - nothing special there from my end.

"You're this wonderful person who sees the beauty in everything and everyone. What I feel for you isn't because you're beautiful. Don't get me wrong – you are beautiful. What I mean is you're much more than looks. Inside, you have a beautiful soul which makes my knees wobbly when I look at you. It makes what I'm going to say a little difficult. I –"

Bringing out my hand and placing my finger across his lips, I stop him from saying anything else. A rush of heat rises up my face and I hope it's too dark for him to notice my redness.

"Jacob, I've never felt alive before everything here started. I know it might go away someday but I don't want to leave. It sounds selfish from me to say I don't want to go back, having left my father alone. I can see why you want to stay. This place is simply amazing not including the villains chasing after you but that's temporary."

Jacob smiles and looks at me with watery eyes like he's on the verge of crying. Sure, I can add this to my list of qualifications – transforming perfectly healthy men into big softies. 

"I can explain why you feel drawn to this place. I should have done it earlier and I tried to in the boat before being rudely interrupted."

"I'm not done yet," I scold him playfully before letting our gazes meet. "You are my happily ever after. I never thought I'd believe it or say it out loud. I love Ames. He's been my best friend since I can remember and yes it was starting to get real and maybe it could have flourished into something more but it pales compared to what I have with you."

Jacob swoops in for a kiss. I can't say I wasn't expecting it but it catches me by surprise. If he hadn't placed his hands on my back, we'd both be rolling off the bridge right now. His touch feels like silk on my bare back.

I could get used to this - living in this enchanted kingdom, wearing these beautiful, lush gowns, maybe have a cottage by the forest where we could live in peace, away from the worrisome and hectic of city life.

A pang of guilt hits me like being stabbed in the abdomen. Rumpelstiltskin would undo his magic. Ames would die. Little Adam and Lyla would have nobody to look after them. My father would live his old age alone and heartbroken and I would be Rumple's servant for the rest of my days. No one  would receive their happy ending.