Chapter 38

Apologies for the delay in this update, I'm trying to update Monday, Wednesday, Friday and either Saturday or Sunday! I was in London Wednesday so here's a very delayed chapter! I know some people have been desperate for the next part after how I left it ;) Will also post a chapter this evening for you, hope you enjoy it! Please review (or like I know some of you do let me know on twitter what you think haha) Thank you! Laura x

Connie had started to walk away but Jacob soon caught up to her. The whole time he called her name and not once did she turn around. He reached forward for her wrist and turned her around. "No you're not walking away like this-" "Jacob just let me go, it'll be easier for both of us… Please."

Jacob shook his head as he looked at her. "Tell me you don't love me and mean it-" "I don't love you-" "I don't believe you." He stepped closer and pressed his lips to hers all in a seconds notice. Jacob moved a hand to rest behind her head as he kissed her. Connie made no attempt to move from him, but he felt her respond to him and then felt her tears against his cheeks as they stood there.

They broke apart and Connie looked away before sitting down on the sand. Jacob looked out to sea before letting go of a breath and sitting beside her.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" Nothing. "You walk away from anyone who makes you happy. You stop yourself from having what you want, from what you deserve. Why-" "Because it's what I do, Jacob! I run and I don't ever think about going back…"

He couldn't help think she was anything but beautiful. She was more than he ever deserved, so he wasn't surprised she'd finally seen some sense and left him.

"Connie, no matter what you think about yourself. There's a house full of people worried about you, scared that you're hurt. You might think you don't deserve to be happy, that you can't love anyone. But I know that nobody deserves happiness more than you. You've shown me another way of living and I never want to go back."

She finally collapsed into him and he quickly moved his arms around her scared that he'd lose her again. "I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…" "Hey, you don't need to apologise… shh, everything's going to be okay, I promise-" "Don't make promises Jacob because they only ever get broken."

Connie sat up and looked at him. "There's something I need to tell you." He watched as she turned away from him. "Hey, whatever it is Con you can tell me." She let go of her breathes slowly before beginning to talk.

"That day you first came to my house… When I found out Grace wasn't coming home. I was ready to forget everything and it seemed there was only one way of doing that. I was ready to just end all the pain, all the hurt I, I couldn't take it anymore."

Tears streamed down her cheeks again as the weight of what she was saying pushed down on them both. "You mean that day I came to your house, and you told me about Grace, you were going to… If I was any later I'd have found you, not talked to you…" Tears silently fell on Jacob's cheeks as he couldn't find the strength to even put it into words, but she just nodded in response.

Jacob stood up causing Connie to look away and along the beach, she'd lost him for good now. He was going to leave her now, why wouldn't he. He looked down at her holding out his hands. "Come on." She looked back at him with a confused expression on his face but soon took his hands.

"People have hurt you in the past and you found it hard to open up. If I could go back and change all that I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'd sacrifice everything if it meant you could go back and do it all again to get rid of all the hurt." Connie stood in front of him, avoiding eye contact with him as his words hit her like a tonne of bricks.

"I don't care what you say about promises… You need to hear this. I promise to always hold your hand. I promise that we'll always walk this world together, everything that could ever be thrown our way. I promise to never make you cry. I promise that whenever you're hurt or feel alone I'll be there for you. I promise to care for you and make you feel like the most precious thing in the world. I promise to never go back on any of these promises because the worst thing I could ever do is let you down… That's something I could never forgive myself for doing. I'm not afraid to take a stand and fight for you because I'm not about to back down and lose the best thing in my life."

He watched as he saw the effect of his words on her as silent tears spilled over and down her cheeks. "I love you Connie Beauchamp and if that makes me a bad person then so be it. You're my world and always will be." Connie cried as Jacob pulled her tightly into his chest. "I love you so, so much Connie Beauchamp. The thought of ever losing you…"

Jacob moved to take something from his pocket. "I always knew I loved you, I just needed to prove to you how much you mean to me… I want to always be there for you and Grace, please let me." She felt his grip loosen on her hand before noticing the ring he held in the other hand. "Will you still marry me Connie?" Rather than speaking Connie threw her arms forward around his neck, holding onto him as she felt his arms wrap around her middle.

Connie moved backwards as Jacob slipped the ring onto her finger. She smiled before he took hold of her again, never wanting to let her go again.

Jacob pulled away and looked down at her. Her hands rested against his chest while his moved along the sides of her body and held onto her hips. "Promise me you'll never think about that ever again Connie, because I don't think I could live knowing you, that you- I couldn't live without you Connie." She moved a hand to the side of his face turning him back to her. "I promise you, you'll never have to…"

Jacob bent down and pressed his lips to hers again. She let her arms wrap around his neck as his went around her waist. She'd longed for his touch all afternoon, everything felt better when she was with him. It was when she was away that her thoughts were clouded with the fear she felt deep down.