Chapter 60 Apology And Acceptance
VINCE’S POV
If I looked at her, I’d tell her everything, and if I told her everything, I would lose the only person who looked at me with pure, untainted devotion.
Shit!
I knew I was stressed, frustration took the best of me but that didn’t grant me the right to raise my voice or hurt her. I was doing this all for her, if she wouldn’t be mine, everything would be pointless.
I was pacing around the room, holding my sides, waiting for Alyssa to return to the room impatiently so I could apologize but she didn’t.
The guilt in me enhanced incredibly. No matter what, giving her pain was never among my intentions. With my shoulders slumped in dejection, I went down.
She was right where I left her. Standing still with tears glistening in her pretty eyes.
My chest tightened, walking to her. My hands extended to hold her shoulder but hesitation burst in me.
Standing right before her, I said gently, “Alyssa… come back to the room.”
“I don’t want to disturb you.” She sniffled, not daring to lift her eyes from the ground, increasing the remorse building me.
“Look. I am- I am sorry. I didn’t mean to raise my voice or use… hurtful words.” I whispered, finally gathering my strength to hold her shoulders and giving it a soft squeeze.
“I am sorry. Please. Forgive me. This won’t happen again.” I leaned down to her level. She glared at me through the tears and hit my chest.
“Do you also realize you are the only one left for me? Yet you… didn’t share your pain with, yet you… yelled at me, Vince.”
Moving my hand to her neck, I pulled her in my protective embrace, kissing the top of her head, “I am sorry. Consider it a last mistake, please.”
She cried a little in my arms before relaxing gradually. I remained in her proximity, feeling her heartbeat latching to mine, sniffing her addictive scent.
Her fingers clamped around my shirt. I took the opportunity and lifted her off from the ground, leading her back to the room.
She didn’t react and kept frowning. I maintained the mellow smile and made her sit on the bed before I sank to my knees in defeat.
“Why are you being like this, Vince?” She asked weakly.
Taking her hands in mine, I kissed them wholeheartedly, placing them over my forehead to express my veneration. Her hardness cracked, narrowing her eyes, lips quivering.
“I am scared, Alyssa.” I confessed.
Resting my head on her laps, closing my eyes in hopes her shadow might consume me and shelter me from my troubles.
“I thought I would be able to handle this threat but it’s getting to me and I am… incredibly terrified by each passing second.”
“Terrified of what?” Her voice broke, the inability of not being able to help me getting the best of her too.
“Of failing to protect you. Of not being the protector I claimed myself to be.” I whispered desperately, refusing to let her go, willing to plead for her forgiveness if I must.
“Will you forgive me, please?”
She mumbled, “Just this time.”
I grinned, hugging her, “This won’t happen again. I promise.”
She finally let out a smile as we went to sleep.
But, to me, this wasn’t enough for an apology. I had hurt the one I swore to protect. A terrible mistake from my side. I must redeem myself.
In order to fix the crack I created. The next day, Alyssa woke up to the floral scent filling our room.
“Huh…?”
"Good morning, beautiful," I hummed, flashing a grin as I set the flowers in the vases, decorating the room according to her liking.
I walked over to her, planting a kiss on the top of her head, setting her slippers too.
"Vince? What is all this?" She asked with a nervous chuckle, sitting up and pulling the duvet to her chest, observing the room.
Before she could look away, I held her chin, my thumb caressing her curve with my uttermost affection.
"An apology and a reminder," I whispered, my eyes boring into her with a beautiful intensity.
"That you are the center of my world. I am sorry about last night, Alyssa. I let the stress of the world turn me into someone I don’t like.” I confessed sincerely, getting away from her.
“I am going to make it up to you. Starting today."
"You don't have to do all this," She said, though her heart was already fluttering, I could see the glow on her face.
"The flowers are enough."
"The flowers are just the beginning."
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box. Inside sat a diamond bracelet that looked like a river of frozen light.
Catching her wrist, I slid it smoothly, indulging in the way her gaze twinkled, soothing the sting I was carrying for the past few hours.
"I have cleared my schedule. No phones. No work. Just a private jet to the coast for lunch, and whatever else your heart desires."
I leaned in, my forehead resting against hers.
"I want to be the man you deserve, Alyssa. Not the man you should fear."
She leaned into me the weight of the diamonds on her wrist no less than a promise of her safety. The doubt that had started to grow in the dark of the night felt silly to her, it was concealed by my warmth.
How could a man who looked at her with such worship be anything but her hero?
"Thank you, Vince," She whispered, pecking my lips before letting out a melodic giggle, wearing her slippers.
"Anything for you, My Missus," I murmured, my dejection returning to complete the scenario.
“Just please…. Forget about it. I will handle the things. Trust me. Don’t ask.” I requested as politely as I could, watching her softening.
I tightened my grip on her neck, "Can you do that for me? Can you be the perfect wife?"
"I will be whatever you need me to be," she whispered, her eyes fixed on mine, blindly holding faith in me.
"Good. Because without me, Alyssa, they'll tear you apart. Everything I do, it is for you. Do you trust me with that?"
She nodded fervently, her dependence on my protection becoming the very cage I was building for her.
“I do,”