Stuart’s eyes t Edie’s, and the intensity of his look robbed her of words. Nervous? Eager? She didn’t know. She didn’t know if she should laugh or cry at the expressions on Stuart’s face, but she could feel his gaze on her like a physical force. "I’ve been patient, haven’t I?" he asked, confused by Edie’s reaction.
Edie sat alongside him, watching him closely and wondering what thoughts rolled around his head to make him look so nervous. Stuart couldn’t take the silence anymore. He was going to tell her or at least try to tell her how she made him feel. "You are my heart, my soul. You are the one I love. I love you with all my might and with all of my strength." For a mont, he stopped and looked at her. "The only thing I know is what I feel, and there’s nothing in this world I want more than you," Stuart spoke with such intensity and emotion, and he was nearly trembling.
Deeply touched by his words, Edie nestled closer into his arms. Her eyes were filled with tears of joy and love when she looked up at Stuart. "I love you too. More than I can put into words....."
Stuart put his finger on her lips and said, "I haven’t finished." He paused and looked at her, with nothing but love in his eyes. "I love you more and more as each day goes by. Your happiness ans more than anything to ."
Stuart stared straight into her eyes, trying to get her focus. "I’ve got a lot to be angry about," Edie said.
He gave a slow shake of the head. "I know." He hung his head in sha. "Am I too late?" he waited nervously for her answer.
She gave him a steady look, but there was a hint of annoyance in her voice when she said, "Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say this to ?" Edie smiles and wipes tears from her eyes. "Of course," she finally said.
Stuart took her left hand in his, and he gently slipped a ring encrusted with diamonds onto her wedding finger. "You’re already my wife. Now you will beco my wife in the eyes of the world," he said in a firm but gentle tone.
Edie’s eyes lit up when she looked at the ring. It sparkled with brilliancy from the overhead light that was reflecting upon it. "It’s beautiful," she said.
Stuart said with a sly smile on his face, "Now you’re stuck with forever!"
Edie wanted to frown, but couldn’t help smiling at him. "Till death do us part," she responded.
Stuart reached into his pocket and pulled out the chain Brittany brought for Edie. "Do you still have the ring the Deputy gave you?" he asked with uncertainty in his voice.
"Yes, I bring it with wherever I go," she said as she took it from her purse and handed it to Stuart. Edie knew the importance of the ring, but since it was given to her by Mada, she never wore it.
Stuart put it on the chain and placed it around Edie’s neck. "This is the ring my father proposed to my mother with," he said, sounding so proud. "Then he bought her another one for when they got married, but she never wore it. She always wore this one. This ring was a token of my father’s love for the Deputy. I think she gave it to you because she wants you to wear it one day."
"Your parents must have loved each other very much?" she asked curiously.
Stuart felt uncomfortable talking about his parents. He hesitated at first and replied, "Yes, they did! Everyone always comnted on how perfect they looked together until....." He paused, his voice seed to quiver slightly. "Until my father died. Can we talk about sothing else? Shall we go get sothing to eat?" he asked, quickly changing the topic.
Edie was disappointed, but she understood. After they were finished eating, Stuart dropped her off at the school. As soon as she entered the building, all eyes fell on her. They stared at her in awe. The word was spread who Edie was. She scanned the room quickly and noticed the won who were gossiping about her were all gone.
Cecil was sitting in her seat, eating chips. The second he saw her, he jumped up and ran over and hugged her. Then he took a step back and said. "I’m not very happy with you. You went out to eat and didn’t take with you. I was stuck eating all this junk food."
Edie smiled at him and waved a bag in front of his face. "That’s why I brought you back so sushi. Would you like so, or are you still mad at ?" she asked.
His gloomy face instantly changed. His eyes widened in surprise. "No, I’m not upset with you anymore," he said as Edie passed him the bag.
Cecil imdiately noticed the ring on her finger. "Did Stuart give it to you?" he asked as he pointed to the ring. "It’s nice, but not as nice as Andy’s," he blurted out.
Edie laughed. "This is my engagent ring. When we have an actual wedding, Stuart will give another ring. He has so work to do here first. Then in about a month, you’ll have a wedding to attend. The whole world will know that I’m Stuart Yates’s wife." She couldn’t hide the excitent in her voice.
"I can’t believe he actually knows how to buy a gift," Cecil said. "On Brittany’s twentieth birthday, she ca to visit Stuart and told him what day it was. Do you know what he did?" he said, sounding annoyed. "He picked up a crystal ashtray and gave it to her."
Edie narrowed her eyes suspiciously and asked, "Does Brittany smoke?"
Cecil shook his head. "No, she would never smoke. But Stuart said she could use it when she learned how." Cecil paused for a mont, thinking. "My dad told what happened on my first birthday. Everyone brought a present except for Stuart."
Edie looked at him curiously. "Did your father tell you why?"
Cecil nodded his head. "Yes. He told Stuart said I had too many gifts already."
Edie burst out in laughter. "I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s Stuart, after all." She looked at Cecil suspiciously. "What else do you know about Stuart? I like hearing these stories. If you tell , I’ll buy you a bag of treats," she said, trying to bribe him to spill the beans.
"No! I won’t do it," he said in a stern voice. "You will have to buy three bags," he said with a sly smile on his face.
"You drive a hard bargain," Edie said. "The deal is closed."
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