Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
BITTERSWEET AND MELANCHOLY
YOU MEET OLIVER in the garden, the next day. you're anxious and feel absolutely awful, remembering the kiss you and laurie shared a few days ago.
"oliver—", "[ y/n ]—" you laugh easily, at your simultaneous speech. you gesture for him to start first and he does, taking a deep breath.
"[ y/n ], i can tell that something's wrong. what is it?" he holds your hands in his and you look down at them, sufficiently saddened.
"oliver...i'm so sorry. i can't marry you." you whisper and a tear escapes your eye. you brace yourself for him to yell at you, but it never comes. he just holds your hands tighter in his.
"i feared this. i knew how in love with laurie you were and i let him take you away from me. i'm so sorry i wasn't enough." he moves to stand, and kisses you on the cheek.
"no, oliver! you are enough! i'm just—i can't help the way i feel about him." you sigh. he just smiles sadly at you and makes his way to the exit.
"you'll make a beautiful bride." with that, he leaves, leaving you in tears.
"hello aunt alice," you say, strolling into the living room. you're in good spirits after having talked to amy and her consoling you.
"oh, that laurence boy was just here." she says, sipping her tea lightly.
"he was?" your smile drops, shifting in your dress.
"what a disappointment he's turned out to be. must be the italian in him." she laughs to herself.
"um...when will he be back?" you say, sitting down in the chair across from her. hopefully you can catch him soon and tell him everything.
"he's gone. to london." your heart drops in your chest. "why? what do you need to discuss with him?"
holding back tears, you felt dizzy now. "i...i just told oliver chadwick i couldn't marry him." aunt alice turns her head to the side but says nothing, almost expecting this to happen.
"um, if i may be excused," you croak out and head your way toward your room, preparing for the second wave of your tears.
you don't feel any better weeks later, and to worsen it, amy comes to you telling you that you need to go home with her. beth had gotten worse and suddenly passed. you hold each other as you both cry, reminiscing on your childhood and of the sweet and gentle, "queen bess".
you rush to your room, hurriedly packing your things and grabbing whatever you can find to shove into your suitcases. shuffling through your jewelry box, you can't find the ring laurie had give you for christmas. you sigh in frustration and give up after hours of searching.
amy's leaving the next day with fred and her aunt, and you're leaving with laurie in a few days. aunt alice being too sick to travel.
you and laurie share a room during your trip back to concord, and one night he sits down next to you as you read. you're teary-eyed as you remember how you used to read to beth when you were younger. you look up at him, and whimper and he pulls you into a hug.
"i couldn't let you travel alone, with your aunt being so sick." he says. "even if you despise me."
"i don't despise you, teddy." you laugh bitterly. brushing the tears from your face. his hands tighten around you and you dig your face into his neck, crying softly.
"she was the best of us." you pull away, gathering yourself. he looks up and stares outside the window at the ocean.
"you're not wearing your engagement ring." he says after moments of silence.
"i'm not marrying oliver." you whisper, hands brushing his.
"i heard about that." he says equally soft as he glances at you, and you turn to look at him.
"and you're under no obligation to say anything, or do anything, i just didn't love him as i should." you look down at the floor, words rushing out and, paying attention to the rocking floorboards. laurie swallows, and doesn't say anything, instead studying your face.
"we shouldn't talk about it, we shouldn't say anything. i'm sorry for even bringing it up, we should forget—" you're still rambling when laurie's hands catch your face and kisses you. it's bittersweet and sad, but you know it's right. it feels right. he kisses you with a deep passion and longing, tears adding to the salty mix. you kiss him back the same, hands on his shoulders now.
he pulls away finally and you've stopped crying. getting down on one knee, he holds up the ring he had given to you, the one you were searching for, for hours and breathes out, "marry me." and you can't stop yourself from saying yes.
