Page 118 of Billionaire Unbroken - Asher
I’d thought I was going to be safe.
I was finally stopping the blame game and simply allowing myself to feel the normal regret of a mother who had lost a child.
I’d grieved deeply after Nathaniel’s death, but I’d probably never quite get over that loss.
I accepted that, and I’d finally started to move on.
“Is that how it happened for you?” Lauren asked softly. “Did you suddenly realize that you were getting better?”
I nodded. It had gotten a lot easier to talk about my past with my friends. “Sometimes I felt like I was never going to escape from that dark place, but one day I woke up and things were a little lighter. Little by little, things started to get better. I decided I wasn’t going to just lay down and die, because that was exactly what my husband wanted. For a while, I think I lived to spite him. And then I realized I was alive because I wanted to be.”
“I definitely think that Asher wants a normal life now,” Lauren observed. “You two are so happy together. Cole keeps telling me that Asher isn’t going to be able to wait long before he puts a ring on your finger. I think he’s right. How do you feel about that?”
I wasn’t so sure that Asher was actually thinking about marriage, and it really hadn’t crossed my mind, either.
“I love him,” I told her honestly as I continued to pet Lucky. “I can’t imagine my life without him anymore. We’re starting to discuss the future in small ways, like doing some traveling together in the future, and he talks to me about future changes he’d like to make here at the ranch. Mom is coming to visit in a few days, and she’ll probably stay through the New Year. But we really aren’t planning our future together yet. I’m hoping we will at some point, but I’m just grateful for what we have right now. Asher talks about how much I’ve helped him, but he has no idea how much he’s helped me, too.”
I was a different woman than I’d been just a few months ago, and not just financially.
Asher had helped me heal in ways I couldn’t even explain to him.
I was learning what it was like to be in a healthier relationship, and it was night and day from what I’d had when I was married.
I felt supported.
I felt seen.
I felt adored.
I felt beautiful and sexy.
I felt like a woman should feel in an amazingly good relationship, and that was everything to me.
My guy might be a little bit of a caveman at times, but that just reminded me that sometimes, no matter how stoic and strong Asher seemed, he needed reassurance, too.
“He loves you,” Lauren said adamantly. “It shows in every look he gives you and every action he takes. I think you’d better think about how you’re going to handle it when he suddenly proposes. It’s going to happen, Sierra.”
I shrugged. “I’d sayyesin a heartbeat, but I wouldn’t count on us getting engaged quite yet. I think we both needed to get our heads on straight. I’m okay with the way things are right now.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing your ring and helping you plan your wedding,” Lauren teased.
“Don’t hold your breath,” I said jokingly.
“We’ll see,” Lauren answered lightly.
I sighed and stroked my cat one last time before she hopped off my lap.
I didn’t think Asher was just going to suddenly propose.
He’d probably ease into a more committed relationship with me.
Honestly, I wanted a beautiful future with the man I loved.
But something like that was definitely going to be worth the wait.
Asher
“I’m really going to miss our Christmas tree,” Sierra remarked as we sat in the living room with a drink in front of our tree. “It’s so cozy with the fireplace and the tree lights.”
