Bound By Her Ring
Page 18
She crossed her arms, “I’m going to collect some clothes, I won’t be long.”
“I was going to come and find you, so we could talk.”
“I didn’t think we had anything else to talk about, Luciano?” she emphasised his name to reinforce his wish that they part.
“Lukas. For you, my name is Lukas.”
Jasmine didn’t know what to make of his statement. She wanted to believe it was a positive sign, but she’d been let down before by him she wasn’t sure she could trust her feelings. Before she could question him more, Lukas continued.
“I’ve got something for you.”
She braced herself for what was going to come next.“More accusations, because if that’s the case, I’m not interested in hearing them. As I said I’ve just come to collect my clothes. Then the house is all yours.”
Lukas walked towards her and when he took her left hand in his, she couldn’t prevent the tingle that rippled through her veins. His finger smoothed over the indentation on her ring finger. She tried to pull her hand away but he tightened his grip.
“No, no more accusations. Only this.” He opened his closed fist and she saw her rings winking out at her. He picked them up with his other hand and slipped the rings back on her finger, raising it up to lay a soft kiss over them. “They belong here, on your finger for all of eternity.”
Jasmine couldn’t describe the feelings overwhelming her. Elation vied with trepidation. His actions were so telling. Did they mean what she hoped they meant? “I don’t understand.”
Lukas cupped her face and smoothed her hair down. She shivered uncontrollably, fighting the hope rising up inside her as she looked into his eyes. They were open for her to see. What she saw in their bloodshot depths chased away her lingering despair.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not believing you. I should have.” He placed a soft, sweet kiss on her forehead. “I know how important these rings are to you. How they kept you connected to me during your amnesia. By taking them off, you showed me what I should’ve known all along. You can’t fake genuine feelings.”
“Oh Lukas.”
“I love you, Jasmine. I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you. I should’ve believed in that love. I should’ve known you would never do anything to hurt our child.” He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He opened them, they were clouded with shadows. He took another breath and asked, “Can you forgive me?”
Could she, she wondered. Could she forgive Lukas? She was on the road to forgiving her father and what he’d done was ten time worse than what Lukas had done. So the answer to his question was an unequivocal yes. With what her father had presented to him it would’ve been so easy to believe she’d terminated their child. She also knew her love for Lukas would never die. It had already endured so much. It would endure for eternity. “Yes, Lukas. Yes I can and will forgive you.” The shadows in his eyes dissipated in a puff, and love solely for her came firing out towards her. “I love you so much and am so very sorry for everything my father did to you.”
“Hush, Jasmine, all that matter is you are here with me.” He kissed her, tasting her tears. He pulled away but still held her close. “I love you tesoro mio. I always have and I always will.”
She gripped her stomach as if trying to recapture their lost child. “I’m sorry for not taking care of our baby. I loved and wanted it so much.”
She melted against him as he pulled her tight again. “It’s not your fault, I don’t blame you. It was an accident.” He placed his hand on her belly. “There will be other children and we will always love and remember our first child.”
It was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever said to her.
“I love you, Lukas.”
“And I love you Jasmine.”
Their lips met again and Jasmine knew they would always remember what they’d loved and lost and found again.
Each other.
EPILOGUE
The music swelled and Luciano gave into the desire and turned and locked eyes with the vision in pale pink walking down the aisle. His smile grew wide as Jasmine got closer to him. She looked as beautiful in this wedding dress as she’d looked in her bridal sarong on the beach. This was the wedding she deserved. She deserved the world and he was going to give it to her.
Finally she reached his side and the man walking Jasmine down the aisle to him placed her hand in his.
Thomas Anderson laid his hand over Luciano’s and Jasmine’s. “Look after them both, they are my life.”
Luciano appreciated the words. Over the last few months the three of them had worked through their differences and were now at a place where the past was forgotten.
Luciano place his free hand on the gentle swell of Jasmine’s stomach, where a new future for them all lay. “As they are my life too.” He removed his hand from Jasmine’s stomach and shook Thomas’s hand. “You have my word, I will love them for all eternity.”
With a nod Thomas walked away.
“Can we get married now?” Jasmine asked, her eyes glinting with tears as she looked at him.
“Definitely,” he said as he leaned in for a kiss.
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ISBN: 9780857990181
Title: Bound by her Ring
Copyright © 2013 by Nicole Flockton
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