Silence fell between them as her hand trembled in his. Standing still before him, her gaze held his for several seconds as the rain fell heavily around them and the lightning flashed in the gray skies above them. Ethan stood before her, letting her see into the deepest part of his soul —letting her see the entire truth.

"Juliet said you woke up one morning and decided you were no longer in love with her. She told me you were the one who told her to leave." She finally said, breaching the silence.

Ethan would have laughed but for the seriousness of the issue at hand —of course Juliet would try to poison Gretchen's mind.

"Do you think I did that?" He asked and she glanced down."Gretchen," reaching out, he tilted her chin up until her gaze was settling on him once more. "It's okay if you're in doubt. I, for one have done nothing but fuel your unbelief."

"The ring," her voice trembled. "Why did you buy me a ring when your family supposedly has an heirloom?"

He touched her cheek, seeing fear in her eyes. "I threw it into the sea the day Juliet left. She placed it on top of the letter she wrote. I took it and the letter and tossed them into the sea." He lifted her left hand and touched the simple gold wedding band that still graced her ring finger. "My family's crest was inscribed on the other ring," he whispered as he gently pulled the ring off of her finger and placed it in her palm. "But I have inscribed the words 'until you' on this one. Because, my love, I used to be broken, until you. I was unhappy, until you. I was lost and angry, until you. I was incomplete, until you. Now, I am positively certain that I cannot lose you."

A loud sob escaped her lips as she shook her head.

"Gretchen," he begged —she was rejecting him. The thought sent a sharp pain through his heart, slowing it down until he feared he would suffer a heart attack.

Standing still before her, it was all he could do for he couldn't turn away —he could never turn from her, neither was he certain he could let her turn from him. He wasn't willing to lose her.

"No, Ethan," she finally spoke. "I do not believe you did that; I do not believe you told Juliet to leave."

Relief flooded his body, his shoulders slumping as a result. Slowly, he reached forward, tears filling his eyes as he pushed her wet hair off of her face.

"Forgive me, my love." He whispered.

Nodding, she stepped forward, her arms curling around his neck. Sighing in relief, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her further into his embrace as his fingers entangled themselves with her wet hair.

"Come home with me, my love." He pressed his lips to the side of her neck, sensing the slight shiver that raced through her body —he wasn't certain if it was as a result of the rainfall, or her emotions.