After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 987

“I can’t even explain why, but I just like you. I’m drawn to you. I want to be with you and spend the rest of my life by your side.”

“I know, a lifetime is a long time. If I say I’ll treat you right forever, you might think I’m just saying sweet nothings, making promises I can’t keep. But I hope you’ll believe me, and give me a chance to prove it.”

“I want to show you we could actually grow old together, just the two of us, always.”

Isabella smiled.

“I never said I wouldn’t give you a chance.”

“Look at you, getting all anxious.”

With one arm still hugging the bouquet, Isabella reached up and brushed Harold’s cheek with the other hand.

“I really wasn’t planning to start a new relationship so soon.”

“It doesn’t seem that soon to me. You split up with Ethan a while ago.”

From Harold’s perspective, the divorce already felt like a thing of the past.

“It’s not about how long it’s been since the divorce. I just didn’t want to rush into anything new. I was worried that if I let myself like you too quickly, it would feel like I was just using you to get over Ethan... and that wouldn’t be fair to you. But since we’ve been spending time together, the way you treat me, your sincerity, I can feel all of it.”

“I really am starting to fall for you. And it’s genuine. It’s not about Ethan anymore. It’s about you.”

“You’re a good guy. I’ve always thought so. My friends and family, they’re always telling me to give you a chance, to give myself a chance. They keep saying I shouldn’t let one failed marriage make me give up on love completely.”

“There really are people out there with happy marriages. I want to believe I can have that too. I want to take that chance.”

Her friends and family had talked her through it, and Isabella knew she had truly thought it over.

Her mom always said the divorce wasn’t her fault. Ethan was the one who messed things up, who let her down.

Harold let go of her, gently took the bouquet from her arms, and walked over to the sofa to set it down. Then he turned right back to her and hugged her tight, holding her like he never wanted to let go.

“Isabella, I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll go at your pace. We’ll take our time and just enjoy being together.”

As long as she was willing to give him a chance, Harold felt like he could do anything.

He was determined to be the perfect boyfriend, to give Isabella all the safety and love she needed, to help her let her guard down, to give her the courage to really bet on love again, maybe even to marry him someday.

He would love her, cherish her, and spoil her for the rest of their lives. No matter what she wanted, he’d always support her and respect her choices.

“I just want a real relationship this time. I want something sweet, something where the memories are actually good. I don’t want to look back and only remember all the mind games and the lies.”

Her relationship with Ethan had been three months of pretending, of him acting and plotting, never being real with her.

Even their six months of marriage had very few happy memories.