Undeniable (Cloverleigh Farms #2)(67)

Oliver nodded, his mouth set in a line. “I did. But Chloe didn’t know about it. Before I could explain things to her, the situation got away from me. So she was totally in the dark when I asked her to marry me last night.”

Aunt Nell looked at me. “Is this true?”

“Yes,” I said, my voice and my knees trembling. The rest of me felt like I was having an out-of-body experience. Was this really happening?

“But you said yes!” Aunt Nell exclaimed. “Why did you say yes?”

“She said yes to cover for me,” Oliver answered, and I was glad he did. My throat was so tight.

“So …” She grabbed my arm. “So you’re not really in love?”

My mother, who was seated adjacent to me in a leather club chair, sat up straight and touched her heart.

I looked at Oliver.

“We are,” he said emphatically, his eyes locked on mine. “At least, I love her, and I hope that she can find it in her heart to forgive me and give me another chance. Not that I deserve it.”

“No. You don’t.”

Everyone looked at Gran, who’d uttered the words. She sat over to the right of the fireplace in a tall wingback chair, looking imperious and unhappy—but not shocked.

“I’m sorry, Gran,” Oliver went on. “I knew better. My parents taught me better. Grandpa expected better.”

His voice wavered, and my heart ached. I knew how he’d loved his grandfather.

“Yes, he did,” Gran said. Then her voice softened. “But he wasn’t perfect, either.”

Oliver shook his head and looked at me again. “Chloe said yes last night because she could see how humiliated I’d be if she’d said no. She had nothing to do with the lie.”

“Oh, Oliver,” his mother said, bringing her hands to her cheeks.

“I haven’t been honest with you,” Oliver said, looking around the room. “And I’ve made a lot of mistakes. But I want to make up for the wrongs I’ve done if I can, starting with one from the distant past.”

My heart beat like crazy as he came toward me and knelt down at my feet. This time, he took my hand, and slid his grandmother’s ring off my finger. “It’s not that I don’t want you to have this,” he said. “I do. But I need to earn that privilege first, and it’s going to take a little more time.”

He pocketed the ring and looked over his shoulder at his grandmother. “If it’s okay with you, Gran, I’ll hold onto it.”

She nodded her consent.

Oliver focused on me again. Reaching into his other pocket, he pulled out … a Tamagotchi.

I’m not even kidding, he pulled out a fucking Tamagotchi.

“Chloe, this is something I’ve owed you for a long time. It’s a symbol of one of the first times I let you down.”

I started to cry. I couldn’t help it.

“I know it doesn’t make up for the pain I’ve caused you, but I hope you’ll see it as a new beginning for us—a nod to our past and our future.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I wept.

“Say yes. Say you’ll give me another chance. I promise, in front of all these people”—he gestured around the room—“who will hold me to account, no more games. I want the real thing.”

“Me too, Oliver. But I’m scared.” I felt heat in my face and knew it had to be beet red. “And this is really sweet with the Tamagotchi and all, but you’re totally putting me on the spot here.”

“I’m sorry. But I wanted you to be here when I told my family the truth. I wanted you to hear me say publicly that I’m sorry for what I put you through, and even though you have every right to walk away from me, I hope you’ll stay.”

I was so tempted to give in immediately and say yes, of course I’ll stay. After all, I was crazy about him and wanted him in my life. But he needed to know I would not be taken for granted or made to feel foolish again. “Could we maybe have a few minutes alone?” I asked quietly.

“Absolutely,” said Aunt Nell, rising quickly to her feet. “Dinner is ready, everyone. Why don’t we go into the dining room and be seated? Chloe and Oliver, you can join us whenever you’re ready.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Oliver said, rising to his feet.

"And if you screw this up, you’re grounded,” she whispered ferociously before rounding everyone up and herding them out of the library.

Then we were alone.

Oliver sat next to me on the couch and handed me the Tamagotchi. “Here. This is for you. And I’m sorry I ambushed you in front of everyone again.”

I smiled tightly. “You like a show. I know this about you.”

“You know me better than anyone.”

Nodding slowly, I took a deep breath and looked at the Tamagotchi in my hands. “I want to believe everything you’re saying. And I want us to be together. I want to trust you. But this is hard for me.”

“I know.”

“It means a lot that you told your family the truth. That couldn’t have been easy.”

“You know what?” Oliver thought for a moment. “It kind of was. Or maybe not easy, but once I’d made the decision, it felt good to get all that off my chest. Like unloading a lot of old baggage before starting a new journey.” He took my hands. “Come with me. I don’t know exactly where we go from here or if we can get the money for that land or not, but even if we can’t—I don’t care. You’re more important to me than any real estate or business deal or dollar amount.”