He truly was the love of her life, her first love. And if she were to be selfish, she would want no one else but him.
But how, she wondered, had fate brought them to this very moment?
"Leonid, what are you doing now?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Leonid whispered in a hushed voice, nearly blending with the gentle breeze that brushed their faces.
Charlotte still remembered the moment he confessed his love, and his wish for her to stay by his side. She could never forget the day she willingly gave him her body, after he whispered to her that she was his, and he was hers.
Her fingers trembled, and tears streamed down her cheeks. The warmth of Leonid's hand gave her a measure of comfort, yet she could no longer hold back her sobs. He had awakened feelings in her heart that could never be put out feelings of boundless love and passion.
"Please…"
Charlotte whispered between broken gasps:
"Tell me you're serious, because that's all I can see in you."
Leonid nodded, answering with quiet steadiness:
"I am always serious… and now more than ever, my darling."
Charlotte shook her head slightly, disbelieving, then lowered her feet from the chair to meet his steady gaze, torn between joy and fear.
"Even though I cause you trouble, even though I still can't express myself clearly… and even though—"
"Yes."
Leonid cut her off in a low but firm voice:
"Despite all of that… I come to you with an honest heart."
Then he added in a calmer tone, like a vow beyond reversal:
"Charlotte, today is a new beginning for us. And this time, I will accept nothing less than for you to belong to me, in every sense of the word."
Her eyes widened at his words. It was terrifying to be seen so clearly, to have her flaws known, and yet to be held onto. It was a feeling that surpassed fear, and surpassed comfort too.
"Leonid… this is too much…"
Charlotte murmured faintly, closing her eyes, unable to face him.
"Stop making me cry!"
Leonid raised an eyebrow and then laughed lightly:
"I would, believe me. But my darling, you are so sensitive and that stirs my emotions."
He shook his head with a pleased smile, then leaned closer, still kneeling before her, his chest brushing her knees, his eyes fixed on her face before lowering his gaze to her hand. He continued holding it gently, caressing the back of it with his thumb.
"Charlotte, you deserve every word I've said… and every feeling I carry for you."
Then he raised his eyes to hers, his voice hinting at an old wound:
"When I lost my mother forever, I thought I would never feel love again. I lived on the sidelines, pretending to be strong and cold, avoiding attachment… but now, look at me. You alone, Charlotte, make my heart beat every single time."
Leonid smiled softly, with a trace of tenderness, then continued in a gentle voice:
"So tell me now… will you accept to be with me?"
Charlotte wondered to herself why he insisted on asking, when the answer was so clear to him. Was he enjoying seeing her cry, struggling with her wish to say yes?
She took a deep breath, exhaled several times to calm the pounding in her chest, which felt as if it might explode.
And when she finally steadied herself, she whispered in a voice blending shyness with certainty:
"Do you know that I love you?"
Leonid answered at once, his eyes never leaving her face:
"I know, and I have always seen it in your eyes."
Charlotte hesitated a little, then murmured with childlike embarrassment:
"And do you know you're also my first boyfriend?"
Leonid smiled at her with deeper tenderness, leaning even closer:
"I know that too."
Her voice shook as she continued, as if her heart forced her to confess:
"And… do you still remember how I gave you my innocence?"
Her lips trembled at the words, and her face flushed red among her tears, so she lowered her head to the side in shame.
Leonid reached out his other hand, gently tilted her face back toward him, then answered in a tone that felt like a confession:
"I remember. And I will never forget it."
He whispered, his eyes fixed on hers:
"I cherish every moment with you… whether small or big, happy or sad, intimate or even childish. And I want them to continue… forever."
"Continue… forever…"
Charlotte repeated, as if savoring the weight of the word, and her dark eyes sparkled like glass, her tears starting again just when she had begun to calm.
"You make me feel like I'm special… like I bring happiness no matter what happens."
Leonid smiled and nodded lightly, then spoke with deep conviction:
"You are… in fact, the word special doesn't even do you justice. As for happiness… believe me, I don't care what happens around us, as long as I can see you in front of me."
"I—!"
Charlotte stammered, as if his words weighed upon her just as much as they made her heart pound. She glanced to the side, then broke through her hesitation in a faint voice:
"I… accept."
"What did you say?"
Leonid blinked in surprise, as if her answer had caught him off guard. He steadied himself, smiling with a trembling heart:
"Could you repeat that, my darling? Just to be sure I didn't imagine it."
She turned toward him, cheeks flushed, and parted her lips with difficulty:
"I'll try…"
She closed her eyes, drew in a deep breath, then opened them to meet his gaze:
"I accept to give you a chance… and for us to truly belong to each other."
His eyes glistened under his lashes before he closed them softly, then laughed lightly, raising her hand to his chest so she could feel his heartbeat.
"Oh, Charlotte…"
He whispered with a joyful tone choked by emotion, adding as his heartbeat thudded beneath her palm:
"This feeling… surpasses anything I ever imagined."
She looked at him, and whispered as she touched his chest:
"Your heart…"
Leonid smiled and whispered:
"I know… it's beating with a new life."
Charlotte lowered her eyes slightly, then raised her other hand to feel her own chest, where her own heart was pounding wildly in return.
Leonid added with a warm smile:
"Honestly, I didn't expect you to agree so quickly. I thought you'd say I don't know, like you always do."
A small smile tugged at her lips, and she said softly:
"I… maybe I would have, if you hadn't taught me how to be honest, and if you hadn't changed me to dare to confess."
Leonid laughed lightly, then teased with a warm tone:
"This teacher is happy you quickly learned the meaning of selfishness and courage."
Charlotte protested shyly, her cheeks burning:
"The meaning of honesty, not selfishness… you make me sound awful."
He laughed more as he watched her embarrassment, then said:
"Your honesty was selfish, Charlotte… because you're always honest, but sometimes you hide that honesty from yourself."
Then Leonid gently let go of her hand and calmly opened his jacket, pulling out a small black velvet box from an inner pocket. Their eyes met for a moment, and Charlotte's breath caught under the weight of the surprise.
Leonid extended the box toward her and opened it slowly. Inside the dark velvet lay a gleaming silver ring, smooth and bright. Its design was simple and elegant, yet its high value was unmistakable.
The thin band was carved with delicate patterns resembling intertwined olive branches, embracing a clear half-carat diamond.
Charlotte's eyes widened, and her hand flew up to cover her mouth in honest shock.
"Is… is that a ring? And is it real?!"
She kept staring at the ring in disbelief. Leonid smiled calmly and answered with confidence:
"Yes, it's a ring. And very real."
Then he raised an eyebrow slightly, speaking in a half-reproachful tone:
"Did you not expect me to do this?"
Charlotte shrugged, her eyes shining as she took in the pure diamond, whose color was close to the tiny crescent-shaped diamond in the necklace hanging from her neck at that very moment.
"This surprise is going to make me cry again…"
Charlotte pouted as she raised her eyes to meet Leonid's.
He smiled at her with tenderness and said:
"It's all right… cry as much as you want. But what matters now is…"
He paused for a moment, then slowly took the diamond ring from the box and slipped it onto the ring finger of her right hand. The ring settled perfectly around her finger, as if it had been made for her alone.
"You and I… we belong to each other."
Her tears readied themselves for one last round, as if her eyes were still not done crying.
Leonid gazed at her right hand for a moment, then leaned down to place a soft kiss on its back, before lifting his head and brushing her lips with a warm kiss that mingled gratitude with love.