The Suspicious Proposal by Cherry Kay

beautiful life together. You're ready for it now.
     
    “What happened with us... well, those were mistakes that we made and we both had to learn from them and go on, and we have. Now things are so much better for me, and you are a much better person and you're ready for the best kind of relationship. You're ready for dedication and love, and I am sure that it will come to you. It's just going to be with another woman, and you can still be friends with me if you want to be, but you'll have to understand that I am going to marry Logan Grayson and that is what I'm doing with the rest of my life. You need to respect and understand that."
     
    She let go of his hand and watched him to make sure that he understood her. She saw the comprehension in his eyes and she knew that he was finally accepting that he was going to have to let her go.
     
    "We can be friends, and I want that. You're too amazing to lose, but I don't think I will come to your wedding. I hope that is okay. I mean, I wish you the best and I want you to be as happy as you can be, but I just don't think that I could come and watch you marry another man. You understand, don't you?" he asked quietly.
     
    Brittany nodded. "I understand completely. I wouldn't hold that against you, so don't you worry about it. I just want to be sure that you're okay." She knew that he had somehow gotten it into his head that if he changed, he could have a chance at winning her back. He’d thought that there was a chance for them to be together again, after she broke up with Logan. Now she had to make sure that he understood that there was no way that they would be a couple again.
     
    "You know, Darren, you've grown so much; just as a person, I think it would be easy for you to find a lady who could help you grow more, and then you might have more confidence in yourself and your chances with women. You're so different than you used to be, and even if I was single, it wouldn't be right for us. I am sure that you can find someone who would be good for you. You just need to have some confidence in yourself and go out and look." She smiled warmly at him.
     
    "I just wish it was you, that's all. I am ready to begin a relationship, so maybe I'll do what you say, and go out and see about meeting some new women and maybe something good will happen. She won't be you; none of them will ever be as good as you.  I wish I had known that before I hurt you, but I know it now, and you're right, that will make me a better man in a relationship with someone else.
     
    "I'm lucky to count you as a friend," he told her, giving her hand a squeeze. "I do want to be sure about your engagement, though. Are you positive that Logan isn't going to hurt you again? I hurt you pretty bad but I never saw you as upset as you were after he did you wrong. I just want you to think about it real hard before you give the rest of your life to a man who probably hurt you worse than any other man ever has," he said seriously.
     
    Brittany knew that he would bring it up, and she was ready for him. "I know, and I appreciate your concern. I have made sure that he and I will be okay. We talked about it and I have a couple of other little things up my sleeve that will show me just how serious he is about me. I know he and I will be okay, and that's something that I was really careful to make sure of before I made any decisions about taking him back.”
     
    She leaned forward and looked at Darren seriously. "I love him. I want to spend my life with him, and now I can make sure that he wants to spend his life with me for all of the right reasons. I really appreciate your care and concern about it, Darren. Thank you."
     
    He nodded and shrugged. "Just looking out for you. You might not be mine anymore, but that doesn't mean that I don't care about you and want the best for you. I'm always going to want the best for you, and I am always going to care about you."
     
    He stood up to go and Brittany hugged him tightly and patted