Chapter 250 250

Chapter 250 250
Maya

The area had been transformed into some sort of fairy haven. Candles lined the gravel walkway in flickering rows, their warm light dancing against the encroaching dusk. Delicate lanterns hung from slender iron hooks, casting a golden glow that made everything shimmer.
A trail of soft rose petals stretched from the gate all the way down to the beach, each one placed with deliberate care. At the far end, I saw a raised platform adorned with fairy lights and sheer white curtains fluttering gently in the ocean breeze. A small table stood in the center, perfectly set for two with champagne glasses catching the light like crystal stars. A private chef stood nearby in crisp whites, and a waiter waited discreetly beside him.
I turned slowly to Elias, stunned and delighted. "Elias! You did this?"
He smiled, boyish and proud, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I thought we deserved a night just for us. It's been a while since we had a real date."
I blinked back tears and hugged him fiercely, my voice muffled against his chest. "You're incredible."
"Not incredible," he said, brushing a kiss into my hair. "Just in love with you."
"Oh my gosh, stop…you're going to make me cry." I grumbled into his chest, though my heart felt overfilled to bursting with happiness.
"C'mon, let's have dinner." He guided me forward, one arm hooked around my waist. As we stepped onto the platform, he pulled out a chair for me with a gentlemanly flourish. "Milady."
I sat, still a little dazed as I looked around, trying to absorb every detail. The waiter stepped forward and welcomed us with a warm smile, then handed us a menu and wine list.
I was flummoxed. "Okay, but seriously—when did you even have time to plan all this?"
Elias grinned, "Oh, I'm a man of many resources, plus, I called in a few favors."
I laughed, heart full. "You're ridiculous."
"Ridiculously in love with you," he said, settling across from me.
"Okay, now you're being corny." I giggled, thoroughly enjoying the moment. Seeing him so playful and happy like this made me even happier.
Dinner was light and delicious—seared scallops with a drizzle of citrus butter, grilled steak medallions cooked to perfection, paired with wine and delicate bites of chocolate mousse for dessert. Soft instrumental music floated through hidden speakers, something romantic and melodic that felt like it had been composed just for us. The ocean provided a gentle backdrop, waves whispering against the shore in a rhythm that matched my heartbeat.
We talked about everything and nothing. Made plans for our future. Laughed about the twins and their increasingly chaotic personalities. Every now and then, he'd reach across the table to tuck my hair behind my ear or let his fingers brush over my hand like he couldn't help himself. Like he just couldn't stop touching me. Every brush of his fingers was like a log added to a slowly burning flame, burning low and delicious in the depths of my belly.
When the plates were cleared and the candles burned lower, Elias stood and offered me his hand.
"Dance with me?"
I slipped my fingers into his. "Always."
We swayed slowly, barefoot now, the wood warm beneath our feet and the music wrapping around us like silk. His hands slid around my waist, mine looped behind his neck, my head resting on his shoulder as I shut my eyes. We didn't speak, just let the moment carry us. I breathed him in, that familiar scent of cedar and warmth that had become my definition of home. His thumb traced lazy circles against the small of my back, and I melted further into him, wishing this feeling could last forever.
I was completely, perfectly content. The night couldn't get any more perfect as far as I was concerned. Until he took my hand and gently pulled me toward the sand.
"Elias? Where are we going?"
His grip tightened slightly. "Come on. There's just one more thing."
I followed him, puzzled but smiling, down to the shoreline where the waves lapped gently at the sand. The moon had come out by now, full and luminous, and darkness blanketed everything, save for the flickering lights of the candles behind us. And there, right where the tide touched the edge of the beach, was a small heart drawn in the sand. Along with some words that made my heart stop.
"Oh my god!" I gasped for the second time this evening, my hands flying up to cover my mouth. It took a moment for me to realize that Elias had moved behind me and when I spun around, I gasped again.
He had dropped to one knee.
My breath caught and I couldn't form any more words. The world narrowed to just this moment, just him, kneeling in the sand with the moonlight turning his eyes into something almost ethereal.
Elias reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. "Maya," he said, voice deep and unwavering, "I know we've taken the long, messy, painful road to get here. We've had our feelings tested, passed through fire that should have burned our love to ashes, but somehow, we survived. And it was all thanks to you. Your unwavering love for me, even when I didn't deserve it, and even though I still don't, your love has been the one constant and true thing in our lives and I'm forever grateful."
I could barely see him through my tears, but even then, there was no mistaking the sincerity in his eyes, the way he was looking at me like he adored me.
Worshipped me.
"But I also know that I've never loved anyone the way I love you. That I don't want a life where you're not by my side. You gave me a second chance when I didn't deserve one, and tonight, I'm asking for one more."
He opened the box. Inside was a ring, and even though it was not the one I'd left sitting at the bottom of a drawer over a year ago, it was simple, elegant, and breathtaking. A single diamond flanked by two smaller stones, set on a delicate band that caught every flicker of candlelight.
Perfect.
"Will you marry me again? Not because of obligation. Not because of the past. But because I love you now, more than ever, and I want to spend every day proving that you'll never need to doubt me, or my love, again."
I dropped to my knees in front of him, cupping his face as tears spilled down my cheeks. "Yes. Yes, Elias. I'll marry you."
He kissed me, soft and deep and full of promise, while the waves crashed behind us and the candles flickered like stars. His arms wrapped around me and held me close, and in that moment, everything we had endured felt worth it. Every scar, every tear, every sleepless night had led us here, to this shoreline, to this kiss, to the beginning of something new built on the foundation of everything we had survived together.