Loving Him | ✔️

18 - The Talk

Shorter chapter here, but I made the last one a cliffhanger and wanted to get something posted for you guys!

Q: Why do you think Knox stopped talking?
xo

|Chapter Eighteen|

     I drop my bags with a thud.

"What?" I turn around, my voice barely above a whisper.

There's no way...he didn't-couldn't have. He clears his throat.

"I love you," he repeats.

My mouth hangs open in shock, tears threatening to spill. My heart leaps at hearing those words come out of his mouth. For months it's been one sided conversations and silent texts, but now he finally spoke to me. God, after six months since seeing him at Rebound, he's finally talked to me. My heart melts, loving his voice, barely remembering it after so long. I almost even take a step towards him, but then everything comes back and I remember the woman in the dressing room.

     The secrets.

     The texts.

     The hiding.

     Anger blossoms.

"So you think talking is gonna make me forget about the woman in the dressing room? The texts? You decide to pick this moment-"

"Katarina," he stops me.

I narrow my eyes, formulating my next words to continue my rant. His stupid voice saying my stupid name stopped all coherent thought. I force myself not to like how he says my name.

     "It's been six months! Six months since I saw you at Rebound in that wheelchair. Of all that time and all those days you choose right now to tell me the words every girl longs to hear from the person they love? You-"

"I was trying to surprise you," he says, cutting me off.

I gulp, waiting to hear more.

"The woman doesn't mean anything to me. She was designing this," he says and kneels in a manner that has my heart beating fast.

I gasp as he pulls out a velvet box and opens it to reveal the most gorgeous ring I have ever seen.

"I was paying her quite a bit to stay up late for my texts and emails, but she was up for the job and I knew she was one of the best designers in the country. Kurt and Jack knew, Katarina, and that's why they were acting different. I should kill them for making it seem like something different and fueling the building suspicions you had, and were right to have. I know how it looks and I don't blame you for going there. Stella Kay was giving the ring to me in the dressing room where I planned to propose when you came back or when I found you. All of a sudden, she got all handsy and sat on my lap, trying to convince me not to get married to you and saying that I'd miss being an eligible bachelor, but I knew what I wanted and that was you. When she pulled her top down, I reached to pull it back up, but that's when you walked in. What you saw me hiding was the ring," he explains.

     I'm speechless. It all made sense and the honesty in his voice was unmistakable.

     "I-I don't-"

     "Katarina Grace Rhodes, will you make me the luckiest guy alive and marry me?" he pops the question.

By now, I have tears streaming down my face. Happy tears now.

"Yes. Yes, yes, yes!" I sink to my knees and hug him.

He wraps me in his arms and kisses me. I feel so bad for almost walking out and letting myself think down the path I thought. More tears flow down my cheeks and Knox brushes them away. He pulls me away a little and slips the ring on, giving a small smile once he sees it on me. It's a gorgeous diamond ring that you only see in magazines and movies. It's simple but elegant at the same time and I absolutely love it.

"I love you," he says.

"God, I love you too. So much," I say.

He takes me in his arms and I bury my face into his neck.

"I'm so, so sorry. I saw the woman and everything I had been thinking just clicked together, or so I thought. I didn't-"

"I'm sorry, Kat. You shouldn't be the one apologizing. I know how it looked and anyone else would have thought the same thing. I'm so sorry, babe," he says.

"For what?" I ask, trying to hold back my smile at being called 'babe'.

"You thought I was cheating, and after everything you told me, you had reason to. I put you through that and you still had the modesty to act normal until the Fighting Champion was over," he says.

I rest my head on his chest.

"Why didn't you talk to me? Why'd you stop?" I ask.

"You have no idea how many times I was so close to saying something. Telling you how good you looked or how amazing you are, or how much I love you. It was so hard to hold back and keep the promise I made," he says.

He pulls me into his lap and readjusts a little bit so were both comfortable. I sigh and relax into him.

"After I lost you that night nine months ago, I spent a lot of time in the gym. I didn't hook up with girls anymore because I wanted you. I was angry when I couldn't find you and channeled that out in the gym. I was also angry that you never told me you lived in New York," he gives me a raised brow.

I laugh and shake my head.

"Anyways, Kurt noticed I was spending a lot more time in the gym and how my time there grew. He then suggested that I go to Japan for a seminar where I could learn more outside of American fighting. I could learn a lot from the martial arts sensei there and he's been known for his teaching. While I was there, I was taught to look into myself and become one in mind, body, and soul. He told me that was the only way I could be the best fighter possible. I couldn't have distractions and I needed to be one with myself. I made an oath to him that I would become one and work on my focus. I cut out talking to make that promise to him. No distractions and no straying. So here I am now, but I realize that being the best fighter isn't worth losing the only woman I've truly loved. You're worth so much more than some line or promise I made in Japan," he finishes.

"Wow," is all I say, turning to look up at him and finding him staring down at me.

"I'm so sorry," he says, kissing the top of my head.

"It's okay. I became closer to you with you not talking than I might've if you did," I say, hoping to ease any guilt he might have.

"Maybe, but I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't hear your beautiful voice," he says.

I kiss him.

"I love you, Katarina Rhodes," he whispers in my ear.

     "God, it feels so good to hear you say that. I love you, Knox Taylor," I say.

I fall asleep in his arms.
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