Chapter 83—Nera
“What are you doing?” Confused, way more than usual, I turned to Maxx, who was taking a knee in front of me.
Everyone gasped, and it took me an embarrassingly long time to catch up to what was happening. Even then, I wasn’t entirely sure.
“Are you all right?” I asked him, thinking he’d maybe stepped on a sand crab or gotten a foot cramp or something.
“Yes.” His lavender eyes sparkled as he took my hand. “Because I’m surrendering to you, Nera Cotrobin.”
“O-okay.” My voice cracked in half and came out as a whisper.
I’d be less surprised by a new hole between my eyes right about now.
“Every time I look at you,” he continued, “I’m reminded of all the moments we’ve shared—the laughter, the conversations, and the quiet understanding. You’ve been my anchor, my confidant, and my partner since we arrived here, and every step we’ve taken together, my love for you has grown stronger. I can’t imagine my life without you by my side. So, I offer you my hand, my hearts, and all the love that resides within me.”
The crowd swooned. My eyes filled with tears as my tired, crash-landing-damaged brain finally made sense of what he was saying.
He loved me. This Faid king loved me so much that he didn’t care if the entire universe witnessed his confession and the slightest throb in his voice when he continued.
“I want to ask you something that comes straight from the depths of my hearts.”
My whole body flushed as the entire audience held their breaths in anticipation. The only sound was the lapping ocean waves and the steady ring of my pulse between my ears.
I stared down at Maxx’s blinding smile, while the unwavering love pouring out of him one word at a time washed over my broken soul.
“Will you be the one to share every sunrise and sunset with me for the rest of our lives? Will you be my partner, my love, my beautiful star, and my queen? Nera,”—he reached into very hungry caterpillar number one’s jar, pulled out a leaf with tiny caterpillar bite marks in it, and quickly fashioned it into a ring—“will you marry me?”