Uncharted Read online

  “Of what?” He was bewildered.

  “Of getting hurt.” She looked at him. “You gotta remember what happened the last time I did that with someone; everything fell apart.” She put the pancakes and bacon on plates and brought them to the table. “Milk or water?”

  “Milk.”

  She poured glasses for both of them and grabbed the syrup before returning to the table.

  “Yeah, I guess.” He sat down in front of one of the plates. “But I would never hurt you. I thought you knew that.”

  “Emmerick, we barely knew each other a month. How was I supposed to trust that?” She sat across from him.

  “Do you trust it now?”

  She took a bite of pancake while considering his question. “Yes. I didn’t leave again, now did I?”

  “No. No you didn’t.” He watched her eat her breakfast. She was still covered in the powder from the pancake mix.

  She gulped down some of her milk and noticed he hadn’t touched his food yet. “Eat!” she demanded.

  “Marry me.” It was half question, half demand.

  “What?”

  He put a small box on the table between them and opened it so she could see.

  “Marry me,” he repeated. This time it was a simple request.

  Her jaw dropped. Is this really happening? Then her face lit up. “Emmerick, I—”

  “Just marry me.” He took the ring out of the box and waited for her to offer her hand.

  She slowly, and not so steadily, extended her arm in his direction.