Author's Note: lol I know it was mean to leave it at that but I couldn't resist…besides, the chapter was getting lengthy and I wanted to split them up. I know it was mean and I'm sorry but it was kinda funny lol. You all just lost your tops. Well its good to know ya'll like the story so much to get mad at a cliffhanger :). Anyway…Enjoy the rest of the proposal and Review…tell me if you liked it :)

Chapter 41 – You're Not Cursed

Sara didn't know what to say. Her brain was fighting an endless battle, yelling orders at her.

"Say yes!"

"Say no!"

"Kiss him!"

"Run away!"

"Say yes!"

"Say no!"

"Say 'I love you'!"

"Do something…anything!"

"Open the box!"

Open the box? She had forgotten about that. She looked at the little box in her hand. She knew she should answer him before she opened it. She looked back at him and bit her lip. She didn't know what to do. She was still worried she might fall so she slowly lowered herself to his level. He took both her hands. "Sara?" he whispered again.

Sara opened her mouth to try again to speak. Nothing came out. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Nick I don't know…I…Nick this…" there was so much going on in her head that she couldn't even finish a sentence.

Nick couldn't believe what she was hearing. She didn't know?

"Nick, I don't know if I can do this…" Sara whispered as she hung her head.

"Oh…Sara…I'm scared too. But I know what I'm doing…Sara I…I love you," Nick was so scared she was going to say no. He knew she might be a little reluctant and he had to sway her his way. He just had to.

"Nick…" she couldn't look at him so when he pulled her chin up with a finger the water works started. The tears came down her face and Sara tried to control them so she could speak. "Nick I don't know." It was so quiet she almost didn't hear it.

Nick sat there dumbstruck. He was holding one of her hands and had the other up to her face. He moved that hand to her cheek and gently rubbed his thumb over it. She closed her teary eyes. She didn't know what to say…she didn't even know what she had decided yet.

"Sara…why…why are you scared?" He used his thumb to brush away her tears. "Why are you scared?" he asked again, softer this time.

Sara kept her eyes closed. Nick's hand on her face calmed her…but not by much. "I can't…I can't do it."

"Can't do what?" Nick knew he was pushing harder then was necessary but he needed her to do this. He needed an answer. He felt selfish but he couldn't loose her.

"I can't…I can't hurt you. I can't let you get hurt." Sara felt stupid and vulnerable. She knew exactly why she couldn't do this but she didn't really want to tell Nick why.

"Hurt me? Sara the only way you could hurt me would be to…to leave me." It was true. Right now his stomach had done a few flip-flops and this was only a little hint that it wasn't going to work.

Sara was shaking her head. She knew he wouldn't understand. "No…no…I can hurt you. I don't want to…I don't want to but…but…"

"But what?"

Sara took a deep breath. She was going to have to explain this. But to do that she needed to have a clear head. She sat back on her heels and started, strategically avoiding his eyes. "Every single guy I like…something ends up happening. Something terrible. It happened to Alex. It happened to John …even to Jeff."

Nick was confused. "Who is John?"

Sara let out a single laugh that turned quickly into a sob. "John was my boyfriend in high school. M-my first boyfriend. He was sleeping with Christine McGrady and she didn't know about me and when she found out she tried to run over him with her car." Sara sniffed. She had hated him for that but she couldn't help but feel responsible for the broken leg and two fractured ribs John got.

"But that's not he point." Sara shook her head, trying to get back on track. "John was run over with a car, Alex died in a car crash and Jeff was arrested. I loved them all and something bad happened to all of them." Sara hung her head. She felt even more stupid then she had before.

"Sara…honey…nothing is going to happen it me." Nick ran his hand through her hair. "Nothing."

"How do you know that?" Sara asked a little louder then intended. "Every single guy I have even come close to loving…gets hit by a car…or arrested! I'm…I'm cursed. What makes you think you can get away from it?"

Despite himself, Nick smiled a little. "Sara you aren't cursed. Nothing is going to happen to me."

"I don't know that. And you don't either. If…if I marry you and something…" Sara couldn't bring herself to say it. She took another breath. "Look at Alex. We were married for all of 9 months before he died. I…I can't go through that again. I was so…so…so…" Sara was at a loss for words again. Nick waited patiently. He knew she had to get this out however long it took her. "…hurt. It took me a good six years to get over him. And even then…"

Fresh tears made their way down Sara's face. Nick leaned in closer and held onto her hand. "I won't let anything happen to us. Nothing. I promise you."

Sara looked up. She couldn't believe he understood…and now he was promising this. If it was possible, she felt like she loved him even more. She looked at him for a long time. He had he smallest of smiles on his face, looking at her as if she made up his whole world. She looked down again at the box as she felt the walls around her heart crumble at his feet. She sniffed.

"You got me a ring," she whispered. She opened the box and felt her breath catch in her mouth. It was hard to see in the dark but Sara could make out the diamond and a silver band. Despite herself the tears came down even harder. "You got me a ring," she said.

"Does that mean your saying yes?" Nick asked hopefully. Sara looked up at him. She wasn't sure what she was saying. "I'm sure about this Sara. I know we can be so happy together." It was like he was reading her mind.

She took one more look at the ring and smiled. "This means I'm saying yes."

Nick smiled and leaned in to kiss her. At first he just kissed her softly then Sara pulled away. She looked at him a second then said, "We're getting married." She couldn't believe it. She had to believe it. She smiled at him then leaned forward and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him to her. Despite her worries, she felt so sure that this time…this time…it just might work.