Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)

When Chris heard the noise, he looked up. His gaze fell on my face. I didn't even have to see it to know how dark my expression was. "Are you feeling unwell?" he asked, frowning slightly.

I walked to his desk without a word. Swallowing the bitterness in my throat, I said, "If you don't want to marry me, I can let your mom know."

Chris' frown deepened when he realized that I had overheard his conversation with Derick.

My throat felt dry as I continued, "I never thought that I'd end up being a burden to you, Chris-"

"To everyone else, we're already like a married couple," Chris interrupted me.

So what? Was he marrying me because of what everyone else thought? I wanted him to marry me because he loved me and wanted to spend his life with me.

With a click, Chris capped the pen in his hand and looked at the marriage license application form I was holding. "We'll register next Wednesday."

This was what I wanted to hear, but at that moment, it only made me feel terrible.

I lowered my head and shook it slightly. "Chris, you don't have to force yourself. I'm not some charity case."

"Madeline Crown!" he said sternly.

I trembled and looked up to meet his impatient gaze, only to see him reaching his hand out toward me. My grip on the marriage license application form tightened.

His jaw clenched, and he ordered, "Give it to me."

I didn't move, and the atmosphere grew tense.

A few seconds later, he got up and stood in front of me. His tall frame loomed over me as he exhaled lightly with a hint of helplessness. "I was just joking with Derick. Did you take it seriously?" Was it really just a joke?

"You know how prideful men can be," he explained. He raised his hand and gripped my arm before sliding down to take hold of my hand. Then, he pulled the document from my grasp. "Don't believe everything you hear in the future." He then turned around and put the document away in a drawer before grabbing his coat. "I need to go out for a bit."

Lately, he had been going out frequently, and he would stay out for a long time each time.

"Chris," I called after him. "Do you like me?"

Chris was about to walk past me, but he stopped at my words. He fixed his dark eyes on me, and after a moment, a dimple appeared on his left cheek as he smiled. Chris looked good when he smiled. I still remembered how he had approached me with that same warm smile and called me "kid" when I had first arrived at the Gildon estate.

That smile of his had warmed my heart and made me fall hopelessly in love with him. Even now, I still loved his smile.

I felt a weight on my head as his large hand ruffled my hair.

"Of course I like you," he replied. "Why else would I go halfway across the city to buy you some roasted pears, give you your favorite roses every birthday, or watch the meteor showers with you? And... why else would I want to marry you?"

Whenever I began to waver, a smile and a few sweet words from Chris were enough to make me surrender.

I was like a kite, with the end of the string firmly held in his hand. Depending on his mood, he controlled my joy and sorrow as he pleased.

But the words I had heard earlier still affected me.

This time, I didn't let myself be as easily placated as before. I looked into his eyes and asked, "Do you like me romantically?"

I felt his hand stop its motion on my head as his smile faded.

His large hand moved from my head to my cheek, and he gently pinched it.

He said, "Don't overthink things. Let's go home together after work. You like fish, don't you? I'll have someone deliver some fresh salmon and cook that for you tonight."

Then, he left. He had avoided my question, just like he had countless times before.

The scent of his hand cream still lingered in my nose, and I could still feel the warmth of his hand on my cheek. Even so, my heart felt cold.

He treated me well and pampered me. He liked me, but this affection felt more like that between family members than that between a man and a woman.

Yet, I only had him in my heart. I had loved him for ten years.

What should I do?

Should I marry him and live a life like an old married couple who were so familiar with each other that even intimacy didn't pique his interest? Or should I leave him so that he could find his true love?