He Waited for Fifteen Years Chapter 09

He Waited for Fifteen Years Chapter 09

Half a month later, Shepard took me to look at wedding houses.

We had just finished touring a sprawling flat with a full Central Park view. We were still laughing about something on the drive home.

When I stepped out of the car, I saw Lowell standing by the front entrance. A massive bouquet of long-stemmed red roses in his arms.

His forehead was wrapped in bandages. He had lost a lot of weight.

Shepard put himself in front of me immediately.

“Lowell DeLuca. Verona has said everything there is to say. Why are you here?”

Lowell ignored him completely. He just shoved the roses toward me with desperate determination.

“Verona. I figured it out. I was an idiot. I loved you this whole time and I was too stupid to admit it.”

“But I know now. I love you. Since we were kids, I’ve only ever looked at you. Every time you told me you liked me, I was going crazy inside. Every time you said you’d marry me one day, I couldn’t stop thinking about our wedding.”

He dropped to one knee. From his pocket, he pulled out a faded plastic ring.

“Verona. You gave this to me at the school fair in third grade. You said you saved your allowance for a whole week to buy it. You told me I had to keep it. I’ve kept it all this time.”

“Please. Marry me.”

Shepard was normally restrained. This time, he let out a cold laugh.

“Mr. DeLuca. You had a lot to say when you announced to the world that the only woman you’d ever love was Miss Whitfield. Was your speech shorter back then?”

“Mr. Lombardi. This is between Verona and me. Stay out of it.”

The air between them snapped tight.

I stepped out from behind Shepard.

Under Lowell’s blazing, hopeful stare, I reached out and took the ring.

His face lit up.

I turned to Shepard with a frown.

“Isn’t this the goodbye gift I gave you back then? How did it end up with him?”