Truth be told, she didn’t dare accept his ring. The less you love, the more at ease you feel. The more you love, the more you fear loss.
Of course, Julian Donovan wouldn’t choose a crowded, public place like the airport to give her a ring. He acted as if nothing had happened, walking over to take her hand and lead her away. Since their luggage was checked in, he had a free hand, which was perfect for holding hers.
Naomi Shaw had no desire to be so intimate with him and tried to pull away. It was just like before—she would break free, and he would catch up; she’d pull away again, and he’d grab her hand again, continuing until she had no strength left to resist.
But he held on, his grip steady, firm, and unrelenting. It was just as it would be for the rest of their lives; no matter what happened, they would hold each other’s hand and never let go.
The flight was smooth. The two children were well-behaved, neither crying nor making a fuss, so Naomi Shaw didn’t have to worry about them. It was Julian Donovan, however, who vexed her to no end. The four of them were seated in a middle row with four seats. The original plan had been for her and Julian to sit on the ends, with the children between them so they could both look after them. This was especially true for Joy; since she was still so little, Naomi held her for most of the flight.
When she returned from the restroom, she found he had moved to sit next to her. Joy was now beside Dylan, who was showing her a picture book. Too lazy to deal with Julian, Naomi simply closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. But he reached over and pulled her head into his embrace.
"If you’re tired, sleep for a while."
She raised a hand to push him away. ’I’m not tired!’ She had only pretended to be asleep to avoid touching him.
Seeing she wasn’t sleepy, he took the ring he had just bought from his pocket, opened the delicate box, and offered it to her, his gaze burning into hers. She snapped the lid shut and handed it back to him.
"I don’t need this. Just give my ring back!"
He leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper in her ear.
"Do you really want to make a scene and beg you to accept this in front of everyone on the plane?"
The plane was now flying smoothly, and the cabin had quieted down; so passengers were even asleep under their blankets. His threat made Naomi Shaw glance around nervously, and in the instant she was distracted, he took the ring, grasped her slender hand, and slid it on. It was a perfect fit, neither too big nor too small, nestling on her fair ring finger.
Furious, she started trying to pull the ring off, protesting in a hushed voice.
"Julian Donovan, how could you do this?"
He grabbed her hand, stopping her. "Don’t take it off!" he ordered domineeringly.
Faced with his overbearing command, Naomi Shaw stopped struggling. She stared down at the ring for a long mont, then t his eyes, her tone heavy.
"You know what giving soone a ring ans, don’t you?"
"It’s precisely because I know that I forbid you from wearing the one from Sean Donovan. And it’s why I had to buy you another one!"
His actions were as domineering as his tone. Naomi Shaw sighed.
"Julian Donovan, I’m begging you, please stop this. Our relationship right now is simple: you’re Dylan’s father, and I’m his mother. That’s it!"
’Can’t you just stop shaking my resolve, ti and ti again?’
Since their seats were right next to each other and Julian Donovan was leaning so close, their faces were nearly touching. His gaze locked onto her small face as he spoke in a serious tone.
"Naomi, before, Juliet Jennings was between us, which led to constant conflict and misunderstandings. But she’s out of my heart now. Can’t we have a fresh start?"
"Even if there’s no one standing between us anymore, even if we have..."
She had been about to say ’even if we have two children,’ but she changed her words at the last second. Her tone was sowhat desolate.
"...even if we have Dylan, I don’t plan on... getting back together with you..."
After three years apart, they had drifted too far from each other. She had accepted Sean Donovan’s proposal, and she couldn’t give up on him, even though she knew perfectly well that what she felt for him wasn’t love.
Her resolute words cut Julian Donovan to the core. Ignoring her protests, he pulled her into his arms and made a domineering proclamation in her ear.
"This ti, it’s my turn to chase you for six years, just like you once chased . If, after six years, you still can’t accept , then I..."
He trailed off, silent for a long mont. Finally, still holding her, he let out a lancholy sigh.
"If you still can’t accept then... I don’t know what I’ll do."
When you walk away without a backward glance, not everyone has the courage and patience to wait in the sa spot for your return. That is why looking back is the loneliest, most painful, most helpless, most difficult, and most heartbreaking thing of all...
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