Chapter 20

Chapter 20
Logan's pov

Brianna looked at me, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Logan, I feel the same way about you," she said, jagged breath emphasizing her whisper just above silence. "I love you, Logan."

That filled me with happiness and made me giddy. "'I love you too, Brianna," I said, "and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to marry you, Brianna." 

Brianna widened her eyes in visible shock and just kept staring at me for a moment. After that, she beamed a smile at me and nodded vigorously. 

"Oh, yes, Logan, yes!" she shouted. "I'll marry you!" 

A rush of excitement and happiness surged over me, and I lifted Brianna in my arms and swung her around. 

"Brianna, we're going to get married!" I exclaimed as I laughed and cried at the same time. "And for the rest of our lives, we're going to be together!" 

Brianna laughed and cried with me, and for a long time, we just held each other and basked in the joy and happiness of our engagement. 

As we returned finally to normal and pushed apart from one another, I gazed into Brianna's eyes and beamed. 

"Now we must tell our families," I said with some dread. 

Brianna nodded, slightly anxiously. "I know," she said."Ready I am for this," said the girl. "For anything that may come, it is my wish to bear whatever calamity we may face together with you by my side."

I couldn't help but smile at the affection and admiration I felt for Brianna. "You can count on me to be with you always, Brianna," I said. "Forever and always.”

Amidst the passing time turned from weeks into months, the love between Brianna and I intensified with our dates as well as visits around the city. We would spend hours opining our thoughts and dreams, and there, I found myself falling further in love with her.

So, after a few evenings, we had decided to go to a rooftop bar overlooking the city. We went to our table, I put out my hand to Brianna, and all seemed right.

"I'm so happy when I'm with you," Brianna said, gazing at me with a smile. "You make me feel like I'm home." 

I went and smiled at her, letting my heart swell with emotions. "So do I to you, babe," I replied. "You're the first person I think of when I wake up in the morning, and the last person I think of when I go to bed at night."

Brianna's eyes sparkled with tears, and she bent to kiss me. We sat there like this for a long time, holding one another, watching the sunset over the city.

It would be a month, two months, three months, and so on, and the bond thickened between us. Hours stretched into their talking, sprawling enjoying the world's city. I had never felt that way towards someone before, and I  knew that  truly, I  had come to spend the rest of my  life with Brianna.

She opened up one evening, while we were taking a stroll in the park, when Brianna added, "Logan, I want to tell you a secret."

I looked at her in return, clearly curious. "What is it?" I asked.

Brianna took a deep breath, then said, "I love you, Logan. I love you more than anything in the world." 

It brought a smile, goodwill, and happiness to my face. "I love you too, Brianna." I added, "I love you more than anything in the world." 

We were still standing there and still holding onto each other, gazing into the other's eyes.

I realized it was Brianna, and I know that she is destined for me. And every possible second I was with her, I say, I feel grateful.

Our love continued to grow even more with passing time. We spent long hours talking, laughing, and roaming around the city. I had never felt like this with anyone, and it was crystal clear in my mind that I wanted to live the rest of my life with Brianna.

One day while walking through the city, I said to her, "You know, I've been thinking. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

At first, Brianna's eyes widened in surprise, but she then smiled and simply said, "Yes, Logan. I'll marry you."

I beamed with joy and happiness. Then I fished into my pocket and whipped out a small box, opening it to show a beautiful diamond ring. I slid the ring onto Brianna's finger, and then we hugged each other with tears of joy streaming down our cheeks.

As I stood in middle of everything, clinging to her and staring into her eyes, I felt that I had found my soulmate in Brianna. And I knew from that moment onward that I would love her for the rest of my life.

Days passed, and I started to notice strange things about Brianna. She became really distant and preoccupied, and I knew something was terribly wrong with her.

Initially, I put it down to the wedding jitters. However, days crept into weeks, and I came to know that something was different.

At one time when we were seated on the couch together, Brianna turned to me, concern etched on her face and said, "Logan, wonder if I might speak with you about something." "Sure, what's on your mind?" I questioned, giving her a concerns face as I grasped her hand. 

Brianna hesitated before taking a deep breath. 'I have been reflecting on our situation a lot now, and I have to admit, it frightens me.”

There is a neutral tone here, where the narrator seems confused. One would say, "Scared of what?" to get heard from the girl Brianna.

Then came the pause before Brianna spoke out: "They'll say, 'What are people going to say about it? They'll probably freak out when they learn that I'm marrying my sister's ex-fiancé."

I knew and felt it as a stab of understanding. I had expected that it might be the thing worrying Brianna, but I could have hoped she wouldn't have cared.

"Brianna, I know this is not an ideal scenario," I said, taking her hand in mine. "But I don't care what people think. I care about you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

That deep look into her eyes made Brianna add, "But what about my sister?" "What about her feelings when she finds out we've been together?"

"Look, I know this is a sensitive issue," I said, inhaling deeply. "Brianna, I know that your sister and I share a history," I said. "But I assure you, I'm not with you because she really gets under my skin. I'm with you because I love you, and I want to be with you."

Her eyes remained locked in a probing gaze toward me. I knew she was still fishing for answers, still afraid of what people would think.

But looking down at her, I knew it would take a lot of reassurances. I would have to make her understand that fighting for this love was possible.

"Brianna, I know that this isn't easy," I said, taking her hand in mine. "But I promise you, our love is worth it. We'll face whatever challenges come our way, together. And we'll make it work, no matter what." 

Brianna's gaze flickered over towards me, unsteady still. But looking at her gave me a clearer picture as the fear and doubt she carried slowly trickled away from within her, and instead, shone a light from above with a glimmer of hope, with a glimmer of love.