Rachel Dyken - Fearless

The human heart beats around one hundred thousand times a day. It pumps over two thousand gallons of blood through over sixty miles of blood vessels in any given twenty-four hour period. The physical greatness would be staggering enough, given those facts. But the emotional capacity? Words cant explain. Doctors cant describe why certain parts of your heart react to anger, sadness, joy, and love. Why, when you laugh, your heart laughs with you. When you cry, your heart breaks for you. But the most amazing fact of all? How easily we give our heart away even with the knowledge that in another persons hands you are the most vulnerable you will ever be.Wes Michels

Wes

I sat in one of the pool chairs at my house. The mid-afternoon fog gathered around the Sound making it look more magical than eerie. Every time I exhaled, I could see my breathproof that I was living.

Such an amazing experienceto know youre alive.

My muscles ached and my head felt like it was going to explode. I was still trying to figure out if I liked living in that moment or if I wanted to stick my head in the sand and let out a little cry.

I was trying to balance wedding planning with Kiersten, drama with Gabe, and spring training with the Seahawks.

Life was quickly spinning out of control not in a bad way, but if there was anything Id learned in my twenty-two years of living, it was that even good things could end up being bad if you didnt put what was important first.

And Kiersten?

She was most important.

I winced as my muscles debated whether or not they were going to work or cease from functioning and let me fall on my ass.

Wes? Kierstens pretty voice floated through the air. The sound of her voice was always like a balm to my soul, it reminded me of the first time my name had the honor of being formed by those beautiful lips. I could be in the worst moodand just hearing her voice, my name and her voice mixed together, was enough to fix everything.

Moving slowly because I felt like an old man with a walker, I turned and gave her a bright smile.

Whats wrong? She ran towards me and grabbed my hands. Her green eyes filled with tears.

Why do you assume somethings wrong, baby?

Her lower lip quivered. Your smiles fake.

Aww I pulled her into my arms, knowing that it was going to hurt like hell when she squeezed around my midsection. Im just in a bit of pain, thats all.

Her eyebrows furrowed together in concern. Your chest?

No. I chuckled stroking her red hair with my fingertips. My entire body. Those workouts are rough.

Oh. She sighed in relief, almost melting against me. So youre fine? Your hearts fine? Everythings fine?

Sweetheart I slowly released her and looked into her deep green eyes, framed by dark lashes and flawless skin, she still took my breath away. Are we going to have to have another one of those talks where I tell you not to freak out every time Im doing something other than smiling?

Her shoulders sagged. Probably. Its just everything with Gabe and Saylorit just reminds me of last year and I dont know. Its too close to home, you know?

Yeah. I sat back on the chair, pulling her down with me until she sat in my lap. I know. My hands instinctively dug into her red hair, my fingers twisting her silky locks. Each strand had a mind of its own as it wrapped around and slid through between two fingers, only for me to grab another piece and repeat the process. Each touch of her hair shot an obsessive need to have herstraight through me.

With a groan, she laid against my chest. Its kind of cold out here. What were you doing anyways?

I swallowed the panic and told myself that being nervous was ridiculous. Kiersten had seen me at my best and my worst. She could take anything.

Remember last year? When I told you I wanted to marry you a year after I woke up from surgery?

She tensed in my arms. Yeah.

SoI dont want to do that anymore.

Kiersten immediately started fidgeting with her hands. Wes

I cant wait. I stopped her from pulling completely away from me. If I have to wait one more week Im seriously going to lose my mind. I kissed her exposed neck and sighed against it, my body finally relaxing now that I was in her arms. I want to get married now.

But

I lied. I wanted to be married the day you said yes.

But

Ive spent my entire life being patient, Kiersten. Ive spent my life waiting. Waiting to live, waiting to die, waiting to hear good news, waiting to hear bad news. And for once, I really, really, want to be selfish and screw the whole waiting process. I want you. I want you right now. I want you in every way a man could want a woman. I want you every second of every day. I want to give you my name. I want to live with you. I want to take care of you. I want to have kids with you. I want to massage your feet after a hard day. I want to hug you when youre sad. I want to hold your hand when youre sick. I want to hold you in my arms and never let goeven waking up in the morning with our bodies intertwined, wont be enough for me. Breathing your air destroys me because I can taste you in everythingeven when your lips arent anywhere near minedamn, I can taste them, I taste you. I want you so deeply etched in my soul that I dont know where I end and you begin. So, Kiersten, Im going to pull the whole I was dying and this is my dying wish cardbecause every day Im not with you. Every day that goes by when I dont get to share every single moment with youis like waiting to die all over again. So, will you marry me? Not in another eight monthswill you marry me.now?

How Kierstens hoarse voice shook. How in the world do you expect me to answer that?

My chest ached deep inside like Id held my breath for too long and my lungs were about to explode. Was she rejecting my proposal?

I would have married you the second you asked, Wes. Had the doctors said they could only keep you alive for five minutes, I would have spent those five minutes in your armsloving you. Time is preciousand I want to give you all of mine. So marrying you today? Even if I was in nothing but jeans and a t-shirt. Even if I was running a fever or got hit by a carId do it. I love you. My hearts been yours since the minute you needed it to beat for you. So Wes She cupped my face and peered deep into my eyes.

With one look, she exposed everything I had ever been or would ever be. I stopped breathing.

Then her lips tipped upward in one of her gentle smiles. My answers yes.

Really? I choked and gasped for my next breath. You mean it? Right now?

Her eyes narrowed. Sure. Right now.

Oh good. I smiled, kissing her mouth once twice, considered a third but spoke instead. Im so glad because that would have been super embarrassing.

Kiersten bit down on her lower lip and pulled back from me. Her gaze searched behind me then behind her.

I looked too. Nothing but swirling fog in both directions.

Those beautiful, accusing eyes returned to me, and she raised one eyebrow. What did you do?

I read so many romance novels someone should seriously cut my balls off and take my man card.

Huh? Kiersten wrinkled her nose.

You think I dont notice, I said, smirking. But I see what you and your Kindle do at night. Laughing, I cupped her chin. Why didnt you just tell me you wanted me to storm your castle? I would have totally bought a horse.

Kierstens face flushed red.

And, really, there were so many highlights on that one contemporary romance where the guy was a hockey player that I almost thought about trying out for the NHL.

Her blush deepened.

But what really got me, I whispered, was that every single one of your quoteswere about true love. About surprises and a lot of them, about being fearless.