Behind The Proposal novel Chapter 39

"She gazed up at him. "My life is here, Tom. So are my family."

"And all they do is walk all over you," he pointed out.

"They're still my family."

"And what happens when I need to be in Cairns all the time?" he asked.

"I don't know. But I can't just drop everything and move to the other end of the country," she shook her head, not willing to give up her life and everything she'd worked so hard for. "You keep telling me to stand up for myself, then in the next breath you tell me to do what you want. You're doing exactly the same thing as my family."

"It's not the same at all," he denied, staring at her incredulously. "I want you and Jass to come with me. I'm trying to do what's best for all of us."

She crossed her arms across her chest. "You still want me on your terms. Not mine."

"I don't walk all over you like they do," he scoffed and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.

"This isn't walking all over me?" she raised an eyebrow. She was furious with him.

"No," he insisted, shaking his head, his eyes wide.

Sophie felt her blood pressure rise as she stared at him. Could he not see what he was doing to her? She hated confrontation. He was right that she'd never stood up to her parents, but suddenly she felt empowered and stood her ground with him. "I'm not moving."

He rolled his eyes and blew out a breath. "Why not?"

Was he serious? Narrowing her eyes at him, she fixed him with a glare. "Because I like it here. I don't want to give up my job and my family. I told you that when you asked me to marry you," she growled.

Raising his hands in defence, he took a step back. "I know you did. And I said we'd work something out," he admitted

"By work it out, you meant that you'd somehow get me to give up my life and my family to follow you," she snapped and turned away from him.

"That's not what I meant."

She spun around to glower at him, "Wasn't it? Are they not important?"

"Of course they are."

"Don't placate me," she retorted, getting even more furious at him.

"I'm not."

"You are. And I know I don't earn what you do, but I happen to like my job. A lot."

"I'll do whatever I have to do to make this work." She wanted to believe him, but then he ran his hands up and cupped her face to look in her eyes and said "Let me take you to bed."

"That's your answer to everything," she pouted, knowing that was always how their fights ended.

He grinned and brushed his lips against hers softly. "My mother always told me the key to a successful marriage was that you shouldn't go to bed angry. And that's the best way I know to put a smile on your face."

"I don't think that's what she meant."

"Well that's how I've interpreted it."

She scoffed, "You interpret everything that way."

He simply smiled at her as he rubbed his nose along hers, "Why wouldn't I, when my wife looks like you do?" He skimmed his hands over her hips and bottom and up again.

She chuckled and swatted his shoulder playfully. "Flatterer."

"You love it."

In that one moment, as they stood together in her kitchen, everything was perfect. She was married to the man she loved, and they were happy. She wouldn't think about how in a matter of weeks he could be living on the other side of the country, because she didn't know how she'd cope without him anymore. She didn't want him to move away. She didn't want it to come between them, because she loved him with every cell in her body.