“Glen. One is expensive enough, but two? I can’t accept these…”
“One is for your seventeenth birthday and the other for your twenty-first. I could tell you liked both, so it worked out perfectly for two birthdays, don’t you think?”
“But… That’s not the point, and you know it!”
Glen narrowed his eyes at Emma’s stubbornness. “I wanted to be the first to give you a gift for your twenty-first birthday. If I only gave you one, it would only be for your seventeenth, and I couldn’t tolerate the thought. So no more arguments. I want you to accept both.”
His words made her face flame violently. All anyone looking at her now would see was a beet-red tomato. Normally, she’d already be desperately hiding her flushed face from him, but, today, a small part of her wanted him to notice. She thought it might make him happy to know he could stir such a reaction in her.
“Then…thank you. I’ll cherish them both. Forever.”
Glen nodded, satisfied that Emma was being honest with him and herself. Still… What exactly is our relationship? Despite giving her such extravagant gifts on her birthday, he hadn’t said a word or even hinted at his feelings. On the one hand, she had an idea based on his actions, so words weren’t strictly necessary. Rather than being dissatisfied with his lack of an overt declaration, she had the feeling that his affections for her were so deep that he sought no reciprocity.
But even if he put his feelings for her into words, Emma knew the only way she’d respond was something along the lines of, “I thought as much. Actually, I feel the same way as you. Although you probably already knew, yes?” She sensed he didn’t want that from her. From the moment they exchanged their first words at the dinner party in her original life, she realized his love had been unconditional. Is that even possible?
Back in the confines of the carriage, Emma remained indecisive as her mind whirled with possibilities.