Accidentally in Love 💙

Chapter 11

Alexis sat on the plane to Sweden as she heard Joseph sleeping next to her. She could never sleep on planes so she brought the book Chris bought for her: The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James. It was one she had heard of, but never read before. Before she started to read it, she began to thumb through randomly, seeing highlighted texts. She began to stop on the highlighted quotes.

"I don't care about anything but you, and that's enough for the present. I want you to be happy--not to think of anything sad; only to feel that I'm near you and I love you. Why should there be pain? In such hours as this what have we to do with pain? That's not the deepest thing; there's something deeper."

"It has made me better loving you... it has made me wiser, and easier, and brighter. I used to want a great many things before, and to be angry that I did not have them. Theoretically, I was satisfied. I flattered myself that I had limited my wants. But I was subject to irritation; I used to have morbid sterile hateful fits of hunger, of desire. Now I really am satisfied, because I can't think of anything better. It's just as when one has been trying to spell out a book in the twilight, and suddenly the lamp comes in. I had been putting out my eyes over the book of life, and finding nothing to reward me for my pains; but now that I can read it properly I see that it's a delightful story."

"She had an immense curiosity about life, and was constantly staring and wondering."

"This expressed only a little of what she felt. The rest was that she had never been loved before. She had believed it, but this was different; this was the hot wind of the desert, at the approach of which the others dropped dead, like mere sweet airs of the garden. It wrapped her about; it lifted her off her feet, while the very taste of it, as of something potent, acrid and strange, forced open her set teeth."

"He gave a melancholy sigh and stood looking at her a moment, with his hands behind him, giving short nervous shakes to his hunting-crop. "Do you know I'm very much afraid of it - of that remarkable mind of yours?"

"I'm yours for ever-for ever and ever. Here I stand; I'm as firm as a rock. If you'll only trust me, how little you'll be disappointed. Be mine as I am yours.'

"It's not my fate to give up--I know it can't be."

She continued to read all the different passages he had highlighted in the book as they started to become blurry, her eyes wet with tears. She found writing in the back of the book in his handwriting.

Lexi-
I'm going out on a limb, hoping it isn't too late. Hoping you know how madly in love with you I am.
There's so many books and so many quotes I could recite to you that told you how much I admire you.
How much I love you. How there's only you for me in this life.
I hope this is enough to convince you to be with me. To choose me.
Accidentally in love,
Chris

She closed the book, holding it to my chest as she cried quietly. She looked at Joey to see him still asleep as she looked out the window.

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When they finally checked into the hotel, she was exhausted, falling asleep almost instantly. She was never able to sleep on the plane ride after reading through Chris's book; all the quotes he left for her. She sat thinking about him and about how she felt the entire flight. He had been right before, she fell in love with him at the same moment he fell in love with her; sitting in that coffee shop. But she knew she was in love with Joey too. She just had to decide who she was in love with more.

Alexis was awoken by Joseph shaking me awake.

"Come on love, it's time to get up."

She groaned, turning to see Joseph smiling at her, "hey." She sat up as he watched her, "what?"

He shrugged, "you've been asleep forever, didn't you get any sleep on the plane?"

She shook her head as she stood up, "not really. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Dress warm. We're going up to the Sky Station."

She nodded as she began to get dressed. They had a short drive via a snowmobile to a ski lift that took them up to the station, seeing the lights above them as they went, "Joey. This is amazing!"

He smiled as he watched her as they arrived at the station, holding his hand out to her to help her off the lift, "I know. I've always wanted to come here."

She leaned out over the banister, looking at the sky as she heard Joseph beside her.

"Lexi. Look at me."

She turned to see him on one knee, "Joey."

He shook his head, "I brought you up here because I wanted to share it with you. I want to share everything with you. I love you so much. Will you marry me?" He laughed, "there is a ring back in the room. It's too cold to take off our gloves."

She laughed, kneeling down in front of him so they were eye to eye.