Mr. Ward's statement
Pure intentions? What was he talking about? Did he want to court me? Like when a man courted a woman? Gentlemen usually do that to take the woman down the aisle. Was that what Garrett Ward had with me? Was he really serious or just kidding me? Or was I myself misinterpreting things? I could have just been imagining that Garrett was saying that he wanted to court me, so I blinked my eyes in confusion and disbelieved.
"Court me?" I babbled, trying to understand the immensity of that word in my head. He sighed and approached me, getting on his knees in front of me.
"Yes, that was always my intention. Ever since I realized I was in love with you."
"You love me?" Another babble from me.
"Of course I love you, Lily. You shouldn't doubt it; I know I was a little rash when I took you to bed first before talking to you earlier. It was silly of me, I know; I let myself be carried away by my desires for you, but it was because at the time I didn't think there would be unforeseen events; I thought I would have all the time in the world to talk to you and make you mine completely, but everything went downhill, and when I came back from London, I couldn't find you at home. I almost went crazy. I immediately ran to look for you until I found you at that club last night. Not only that, but I was desperate, thinking that you had given up on me and Arthur; I even thought that you were already dating someone else, but I couldn't give up on you that easily."
He kissed the back of my hand and stroked it as he looked at me. His face was so vulnerable now; he looked nothing like the Garrett Ward I met on my first day working at the castle. On that dark day, he looked impenetrable, arrogant, rigid, and relentless, all dressed in black. On that day, he scared me so much that I didn't even have the courage to look at him, but today he looked totally vulnerable and emotional, even with some anguish in his eyes. Oh, God!… I squeezed my eyes shut. That was a lot of information. Garrett Ward was telling me he loved me.
"Do you want me to replace your dead wife?" I opened my eyes. I needed to clarify things. He was shaking his head.
"No, it's not like that. I don't want you to replace anyone because what I feel for you is very different from what I felt for her. As much as you are very similar in character, you are totally different people, and how I fell in love with you is very different from how I fell in love with her. I have this urge to start something with you from scratch. Maybe I'm being selfish or even hypocritical because it hasn't even been a year since Felicity died, but I'm honestly tired of suffering, Lily. I can't take it anymore. In you, I see a new opportunity that life is giving me to get back on my feet. You make me smile in the most unlikely moments; you have healed me with your sweetness and care; you have restored me. That's why I really want to court you to become my wife one day."
"Oh, Mr. Ward… your words are so profound, I can't believe you're actually proposing to me." I couldn't hold back the tears that rolled from my eyes; he wiped them by taking his fingers to my cheekbones and gently wiping. "I'm so happy to hear that; all your feelings for me are totally reciprocated." He smiled beautifully at me and kissed the back of my hand again.
"Please never again think that I intended to take advantage of you; that was never my intention." I held his face to both sides of his face and nodded.
"You don't need to say anything else; I get it. Just promise me that you'll never leave me again, even if it's for whatever reason. I'm so dependent on you right now; please don't let me down. Why did it hurt so much when it happened?" He wiped away my tears by nodding.
"I'll never leave you again; trust me, I'll never look like I left you again." Then he brought his mouth to mine in a warm kiss filled with emotions and tears. I was so happy, I felt like I was dreaming about it all. Garrett Ward had come out to me; he had said that he loved me and that he had pure intentions with me, but it was still hard for me to believe that this was all real. "I love you so much, Lily."
He mumbled in the middle of the kiss which made me smile with emotion. "I love you very much too." He laughed happily and hugged me tightly with his long arms pressing my small body against his, I caressed his defined back that was now naked and let him kiss me as much as he wanted.
There was so much expression in that kiss, it was clear to see the great love he felt for me and after we confessed what we felt for each other, it was as if everything started to make sense now. Maybe that was my goal in life, I always wondered why I was abandoned by my parents and left at the door of that orphanage on a cold night while I was still a simple baby, I asked myself in my melancholy moments, why I had to grow up in thosesuch undesirable conditions, certainly being an orphaned child was not the nicest thing in the world, and when I had the chance to leave that place I preferred to stay to help take care of those abandoned children even knowing about the conditions I was going to work, I never in mineI dreamed of life that a man like Garrett Ward could eventually fall in love with me knowing where I came from, knowing my humble background.
I mean, I had no titles and not even a last name. The last name Stark was given to me at random just to be able to register, not even the name Lily was not given by my family, so I was simply nobody in the world, but this powerful and influential man was wanting to have me as his wife for the my character? This was by far the most important thing that could have happened in my humble life. I was so emotional, I didn't even know what to think. Was everything I had suffered up to this point supposed to end like this one day? I was more than grateful for that, I really didn't even know how to contain my emotions.
"Thank you so much for everything Mr. Ward. I promise I will always look out for you, I will always do my best to please, I am so grateful to have your love."
"You deserve it, my flower." He babbled still kissing me, I smiled in happiness.