Free Finding the Love Back by Adina Jan Page A

stopped in her tracks.
     
    She couldn’t believe her eyes. Christian was kneeling down on one knee, holding open a jewelry box with a ring that sparkled brightly. Ava covered her mouth with her hands. Was Christian doing what she thought he was doing?
     
    “Ava Marie Collier, you have been the love of my life since we were kids and even into adulthood. I thought that I could get you out of my heart and my mind, but I can’t and I won’t try to anymore. I know that I hurt you once and I promise to never do it again so long as I live. You are the woman for me and I want to wake up next to you every day for the rest of my life.  Ava Marie, will you do me the honor of being Mrs. Christian Carter?”
     
    The diamond shined when the lights from the city bounced off of the jewel. Ava couldn’t suppress the tears that were now falling from her eyes. She just knew that her mascara was running and that she must look a mess.
     
    “Are you serious?” She had to ask just to make sure that she had really heard what she thought she heard.
     
    Christian nodded. “I am extremely serious, Ava Marie. Marry me.”
     
    Ava nodded and screamed out, “Yes! I will marry you.”
     
    Her hand was trembling when Christian took it and placed the ring on her finger.
     
    “Ava Marie, I promise to make you happy every day of our lives.”
     
    Ava held her hand up and admired the ring. It was a beautiful expression of Christian’s love for her.
     
    She hadn’t thought about marriage and if you had told Ava a month ago that she would be accepting a proposal from her childhood sweetheart, Christian Carter, she would have told you that you were crazy.
     
    But here she was, with the ring on her finger to prove his love for her. And Ava couldn’t be happier right in that moment.
     

Chapter 16
     
     
    Ava lay in bed next to her fiancé. She spent the night making love to Christian. Their love making was explosive and passionate. It felt like this time, Ava was able to completely let go and she was present in the moment with her lover. Christian couldn’t contain himself when the passion flowed between them. He was helplessly in love with Ava and Ava was helplessly in love with Christian.
     
    They playfully spent the morning in bed, teasing each other and feeding each other breakfast.
     
    Ava had work later that day and it took everything in her to get up and leave Christian’s side. She could have spent every day of the rest of the week with Christian. They ended up doing so. When the two of them weren’t working, they spent their time either at Christian’s home or at Ava’s home.
     
    When Ava called her father and told him that Christian had proposed, he told her “It’s about time.”
     
    Ava was surprised by her father’s response. Reginald admitted that Christian had already asked him for Ava’s hand in marriage so he knew that it was coming. He was happy for the two of them and looked forward to the two of them marrying.
     
    Ava and Christian decided that they would not spend an immense amount of time being engaged. Instead, they planned to get married in the early fall. Ava called in the best event planner in Atlanta and began planning every moment of their upcoming nuptials. Christian enjoyed watching Ava plan their wedding.
     
    Christian decided to make Atlanta his home base. He had to continue to travel, but he and Ava agreed to make Atlanta a home base for their family.
     
    By the time early fall came, Reginald was traveling the road to recovery well. He would be able to make the drive to Atlanta and would be well enough to walk his daughter down the aisle. Ava was ecstatic.
     
    The wedding festivities brought both of their families and friends together. Christian was happy to see Ava smiling and he was looking forward to making her his wife. He had been in love with her all of his life and he was looking forward to loving her every day for the rest of his life.
     
    They agreed to write their own vows and