Chapter 32:
Once the train had left for a good hour, William and Julia decided to have dinner together. They agreed to meet for 9:00 in the dining car for dinner. The young man quickly went back to his compartment to take something from it and left just as quickly.
When he was in the room, he analyzed it, as always, with the greatest thoroughness. He could not help noticing the new decorations that had been added during their absences or the curtains that were drawn this time since the Alaskan sun was still shining at this hour.
He spotted Julia sitting at a table, buried in a book waiting for him. He slowly approached her and tapped the table lightly to get her attention. The young woman suddenly raised her head and laughed.
"Excuse me, William. I didn't see you coming."
"You are welcome." he smiled. "Can I?"
"Definitely." she concluded, closing, and putting her book on the table.
"What do you read?"
"Something stupid." she stated firmly.
"Oh." he laughed, quickly joined by the young woman.
They really spent a wonderful evening and did not notice for a single second the other passengers watching them discreetly and talking about them. Their relationship really did not go unnoticed by others, and it was kind of fun that they were interested.
William walked the young woman back to her compartment, one arm hanging around her.
"I assure you that's not what I wanted to tell him but... I don't know, I'm thinking..."
"May the truth always come out of the mouths of children..." William finished, joining his laughter to that of the young woman.
They finally stopped in front of the compartment, in the deserted corridor. The young woman turned to William and smiled at him.
"It was a magnificent dinner… I had a very good evening."
"Me too." he smiled at her. "Julia…"
The detective stopped, hesitating.
"Yes…?"
"I… To be completely honest with you… I had decided to let you take the first steps… I mean if something were to happen, let it come from you. I express myself badly, I can't do it, I think." the young man stammered, completely panicked.
Julia looked at him, completely confused.
"What I mean is…I…" he took a deep breath. "I am in love with you." he finished breathlessly.
The young doctor continued to observe him, her mouth open.
"I am in love with you." William repeated with such assurance this time, he felt his heart racing.
As he looked at Julia, no reaction of which was known, he began to feel hot. He had scared her. Why had he told her that now?
"You don't have to… answer me anything. I needed to tell you." William muttered, feeling helpless. "My fiancée passed away a few years ago… And I didn't expect to feel anything after her death. But today is different, I feel such an intense love for you that I can't sleep anymore… I think about you all the time, constantly and… I have never felt such a thing in my entire life. I loved Liza – my fiancée – but it was never like this… Never." William said in one go. He had told her everything he had in his heart.
"William…" she finally spoke, her complexion flushed. "I'm afraid." she finally confessed.
"By what? Tell me?" he asked softly, moving closer to her until they were just inches apart.
"I have never known anything like it and… I believe that everyone I have known until now has hurt me, without exception. At the Toronto hospital, men are constantly behind my back, insulting me and humiliating me constantly. I learned to build a shell and to be wary of anyone living on this earth…" she explained with difficulty. "It's hard to explain… With you, I feel different. You make me feel like I'm the most beautiful gem you've ever seen..."
"And that's the case." he whispered to her before pressing his forehead to hers, closing his eyes.
She suddenly pulled her face up and lined her lips with his. William wasted no time in bringing her as close to him as possible by the waist and kissing her back with love. The kiss became so passionate quickly, that they both felt a dizzy feeling pass through them. The young woman almost forced the entry of William's mouth with her tongue, and he let himself be embarked with pleasure. He felt her hands digging into his hair and ruffling it to pull him even closer to her. He truly felt the most intense feeling of his life as he lowered his hands to just above her buttocks and squeezed them on her clothes.
"I'm in love with you…" the young woman suddenly whispered as she moved her mouth closer to his ear before sensually taking it into her mouth.
William felt his whole-body shiver. He moved his hand up to take the bottom of her cheek and kiss her lovingly, only too happy to realize what had just happened. She was in love with him… She told him she was in love… Incredible…
They hugged silently, both sighing in relief from time to time. The young man parted slightly from Julia and looked into her eyes.
"I have something for you…" he whispered.
He took a small black box out of his trouser pocket and opened it. The young woman leaned over and opened her mouth.
"Is that a necklace?" she asked, her eyes shining with wonder. "It is magnificent…"
"It's for you..."
"No…no, I can't…"
"Yes, yes." smiled the young man, his eyes as bright as hers.
He took the gold necklace out of the box. The jewel contained a blue stone haloed with a silver band. He approached Julia and delicately hung the necklace around her neck, under her astonished gaze.
"I don't know what to say William… On what occasion? Finally, why?" she asked, confused.
William caressed the young woman's neck after putting the necklace on her.
"This necklace belonged to my mother… It's the only thing I have left of her."
"And you give it to me?! But, if that's the only thing…" began the young woman.
"She wanted me to give it to the woman who would be… my soul mate and who would be the woman of my life." confessed the detective in front of the touched look of the young woman.
"It's... amazing what you're giving me as a gift... We barely know each other... Won't you think about it?"
"Nope. I am on." William affirmed with a nod. "It looks beautiful on you…"
"Did you give it to…your fiancée?"
"Nope." replied the young man firmly.
It was true that he had never given this necklace to Liza. At the time, he did not know why. Especially since they were going to get married… But now it was clear, he had never loved her to the point of giving her something so precious to him… He had loved her of course. But not at all in this way, not with this intensity…
He leaned down and kissed her in a way that conveyed everything he felt. He then looked into her eyes as she smiled.
"This is a wonderful gift… Thank you, William. Thank you."
Julia took him in her arms and hugged him lovingly.
"It's getting late." then said the young man.
"Yes… We will see each other tomorrow, right?" inquired the young woman, full of hope.
"Of course." he concluded, taking her hand, and kissing it softly.
Note: Then, then! That's it! They kissed and they confessed their love! They are so cute! Thank you so much for the last comment, I'm super redundant because I always say the same thing in the face of reviews, I don't know how to express to you how grateful I am! Thanks very much :)