'…I just… I felt such an enormous anger; I would've done anything to make sure that she was safe.'
Victor felt his entire world crashing down on him in one crushing, agonizing moment. His lover, his constant companion, his life was hurt.
And he had just figured it out.
His one love was hurt. Because of him.
It shouldn't have happened.
None of it.
Not the hurtful words he had said.
Not the tears that she'd cried.
Not any of it.
He never could get the suppressed guilt out his mind, even after she said she forgave him.
Did she really mean it, though? After all these years, Victor, does she really want to end up with you again? After all you've done to her in the past years, you expect her to stick around. You don't deserve her. You never did, because you are a bitter, lying, cheater that'll take her for granted. You always did. What's so different now?
He should've just… stayed with her in the first place. He should've made sure she felt loved every single day for the rest of their lives. But he hadn't.
He kept screwing up. Every time she would give him a chance, he'd screw up somehow. In some way, without meaning to, he would hurt her.
He would make sure that never happened again. Even when she had her doubts, he would, he had to, be there to shoulder the blame and remedy her broken heart. It pained him to know that he was the reason for so many tears she had let fall, that he was the reason for so many errors in judgment.
But even so, after all these times, she had come back to him, for him. Not because their reputation said that she had to, but because Vikki Newman, his wife, his bride, the love of his life, loved him back.
He loved her. And for the first time in recent memory, he was going to make a goal that really, truly mattered to him.
He'd stay with her. Only her.
Forever.
He had a choice to make. He could let her walk away, maybe even leave him, or he could marry her.
He would love her regardless. He always had.
Pocketing the ring box, Victor strode out onto the sidewalk, one thought in mind.
Whatever it takes.