Free Jagged Edge by Mercy Cortez Page B

crushed me, he had a hold on me.
    I thought of Jared, would I have done any different? I doubt it, he didn’t have a choice, I would have died otherwise, in his mind this was better, I wasn’t so sure, maybe in time I would be okay but I wanted to throw up and run away from it all, Caitlin died, and he showed her mercy before she did, she didn’t deserve it, she tried to kill me and would have succeeded.
    Just as I was collecting my thoughts, trying to understand everything I saw Jared bent down on one knee, please don’t. God please don’t, just get up.
    “Melissa will you marry me?” I shook my head and mumbled nothingness, I couldn’t, not yet, how could even ask me that now. I felt like my head was going to explode.
    “Melissa, I’m sorry, I nearly lost you, you were unconscious for three weeks and I love you, please don’t shut me out, please!” he cried, I hated when he cried, it made it so hard to say or do anything, made me just want to hold him and love him.
    “I’m not saying no, I’m saying just not right now Jared, I’ve been through a lot and I am barely thinking straight; just give me time, I love you, too”
    I spent the next three weeks trying to get better, trying to forget that my kidney wasn’t mind, the doctors decided therapy was for the best, and it had helped although I hated talking about my past, I came to realise it wasn’t my fault and I couldn’t protect myself, I always wondered if I did something wrong, I was brought into this world unwanted and I guess that’s enough to make anyone feel badly about themselves.  My father didn’t try to contact me, I never asked how much Jared paid him but I didn’t care, I was just glad he was gone from my life forever and as much as Caitlin’s death was a shame now I saw her as just a troubled woman, almost like me, but at least she couldn’t hurt us or herself anymore.  I was finally able to get up and walk around sort of normally and Jared drove me to the little house I had seen so long ago, the one outside the city, so quaint and sweet, inside it was like a cottage; wooden beams to the ceiling and floral wallpaper, it was old but perfect, old dark wood furniture and a butlers sink, it had a charm to it, it felt like a home I could raise children in some day. He looked after me, fed me, and bathed me, everything, even though I did keep telling him I could do it myself.
    We were sitting on the couch and he looked at my wrist and noticed my bracelet was missing, I was lucky he hadn’t noticed before I guess, with all the happenings at the hospital I had lost it and I felt terrible about it, he pulled out a box and opened it to reveal my bracelet and I was so happy, he held me lightly, in all this time he could barely touch me because I was too sensitive but lately he could hold me a little.  He pulled out a new charm; it was a ring, hanging down with a real diamond in the centre.
    “Melissa I asked you this all wrong once before but I am never going to stop until you say yes and so you may as well say it now.  When I met you I saw a spark in you, I saw someone driven and intelligent and absolutely gorgeous. I never dreamt that my life would change so much because of you but it did, every day I count my blessings and I know that even if I had nothing and only had you, it would mean I was the richest man in the world. This charm, this represents us, together, forever.  Melissa...” he pulled out another small box and opened it, inside was an Akoya Cultured Pearl Ring, it was so gorgeous and so simple. “…Melissa Payne, will you promise me forever and be my wife?”
    I smiled and held him, didn’t care about the pain and he chuckled.
    “See I knew it was because I didn’t have a ring last time” he laughed
    “Shut up, Mr. Edge and let me answer” I teased back
    “Yes, if we can face all that we have in the last few months, we can definitely face marriage. I would love to be Mrs. Melissa Edge; I love you so much Jared, now