“Let’s not talk about them,” he said quietly. “They’re no longer an issue. What I want to talk about is us. Can you ever forgive me, Kell? Can you possibly love me again?”

He rose from his perch beside her and went down the two steps to the beach below her. Then he slowly slid to his knees in front of her and reached for her hands.

“You once got on your knees and begged me to believe you. You begged me not to turn my back on you. It’s my turn to beg, Kelly. I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I wouldn’t blame you if you never forgave me. But I’m begging all the same. I love you. I want us to have a life together. Here. On the island. Away from all the unhappiness of the past.”

“You want us to stay here?” she whispered.

He nodded even as his hands trembled around hers. “I bought the house. I have the hospital on standby. I’ve made sure that our child will have the best possible care. I want us to start over, really start over this time. I’m begging you for that chance. Give me the chance to make you love me again.”

Her heart twisted and the mind-numbing grief that had sweltered so long in her soul silently slipped away, leaving renewed hope—and love—shining in its stead. This time she didn’t try to squash the hope. She let it fly.

She reached for him, framing his face, stunned to feel the shock of tears on his cheeks. His eyes were tormented and there was desperation—fear—in his gaze, but there was also answering hope.

“I love you so very much,” she said brokenly. “I’ve spent so long being angry, telling myself I hate you. The anger took over until I was miserable with it. It’s been a constant weight pressing down on me. It’s poison and I can’t live this way anymore. I don’t want to live this way anymore.”

He closed his eyes and when he reopened them there was such relief and such vulnerability that she knew without a doubt that she’d made the right choice.

“If you can forgive all the hurtful, hateful things I’ve said to you then I can forgive you for not trusting me.”

“Oh, God, Kell,” he said in a wretched, pained voice. “I deserved everything you’ve said and more. What I did to you was unforgivable. How can you forgive me when I can’t forgive myself?”

She leaned forward and kissed him, still holding his face in her hands. She stroked her hands through his hair and then over his cheeks again, smiling a tender smile all the while.

“We make quite a pair, don’t we? We’ve made mistakes. But I like to think that we haven’t given up. And that maybe we’re stronger for it all. It makes me hurt that you’ve given up so much for me. Your family. Your friends. The city you grew up in. And you gave it up, bought a beautiful house you knew I’d love all because you loved me. If I don’t forgive you then I’m denying myself that love and I don’t want to live without you, Ryan. Or your love. Not anymore. The last months have been the worst of my life. I don’t ever want to relive that kind of agony again.”