"I can't give you a marriage, Vee," he said. "I cannot give you a wedding. I cannot get you excited like this. It kills me every day," he continued. "I thought I could handle this… Believe me, I thought I could."
Vee's grip on his arm tightened slightly, her heart sinking as she listened.
"I can't," he said finally. "I'm sorry. At this point," he added, "I'd offer my soul to the devil to marry you."
"I thought you were the devil…" she said softly, attempting to lighten the moment, her lips curving into the faintest hint of a smile.
He shot her a dark look in return.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly, lifting her hands in surrender, a small, apologetic smile tugging at her lips. "I couldn't help it." She tilted her head. "Remember when I used to say I would never love you?"
"Yeah…" he said, a small, reluctant chuckle escaping him despite everything. "You were very convincing."
