Chapter 3 – Forever Never Ends
"You have no idea how lucky you are, Nick. If I lost you…do you have any idea, how badly you scared me today?" He grinned that cocky grin that could make you either love him or hate him more that ever.
"When I woke up on that table," he explained quietly, "I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't hear anything either. I could only see fuzzy images and I had no idea where I was. I saw you though, even though who you were didn't completely register. You looked so beautiful. I thought that I had died and you were an angel. I hope all angels are as beautiful as you."
"Nick," I scolded, lightly punching his shoulder. "I'm not flattered. I'm worried about you. What were you doing? Were you trying to kill yourself? Because that's essentially what you were doing!" What he told me next made me even more proud to know the man.
"When I was still only a little boy," he began, "I was left to care for myself. My mother was dead and I had no memory of a father. I worked the streets, trying to earn a coin or two to feed myself. I never once went as low as the other boys did, stealing food from carts and using the little money that they made for other things. I was taught to be respectful and respectable. That lesson was the only thing I had left from my mother. She always told me that if I did what I was told by authorities and respected them, I would, one day, also be respected and admired. So, I learned to work hard and live. If I didn't, I would have died very young. When I found out that I had skills as a blacksmith, I grabbed the opportunity and ran with it. I had my own business by the time I was sixteen…which was when I met you." He smiled briefly, then went on. "Some people don't understand it. I live alone. If I don't work, I don't get paid. If I don't get paid, I can't pay for things I need, like food or attention from Old Man Morris. I know he's just trying to help, but he doesn't understand what it's like to be alone. People like him have family and servants to help him. No matter what, I have to keep going. I have no one."
I moved closer to him and laid my head on the thin pillow beside his face. Reaching out, I took his hand and weaved my fingers between his.
"You're wrong," I told him. "You have me, Nicolas, and I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here forever." He reached toward my neck and pulled at the chain that I wore under my collar. He fingered the plain engagement ring that usually lay hidden beneath my dress on the fine chain.
"Promise?" he asked quietly. I brought our clasped hands around the ring and kissed his fingers.
"Forever never ends."