He nodded. “I should have listened to you. I should always listen to you. You make me better in every way possible and I honestly can’t imagine my life without you. Please, don’t make me,” he said softly; his eyes vulnerable as he waited for her next move.
She looked up at him and smiled; her first genuine smile in a long time. Despite the bizarre circumstances that brought them together, he reminded her of adventure; of the risk and reward that comes with taking a chance. Somehow, in all of the wild moments she’d had in her life… all of the most notable ones had happened with Malik.
He smiled as he looked down at their hands, still clasped together. He looked up at her as if to say ‘whoops’ and began untwisting his fingers, but Amie kept her fingers firmly locked with his, leaning in closer to him.
Malik’s thick, dark hair prickled against her fingers as she worked her free hand up the back of his head. They stared at each other in silence with a feeling that needed no utterance or declaration.
He stared at her eyes and then her lips. He leaned in closer, pausing before reaching her lips, feeling her breath ghosting over his mouth, before embracing her so vigorously that their guests burst into cheers and claps.
“I can’t be without you, either,” she said softly, kissing him once more. “I love you so much, Malik.”
Her heart spun with joy; he had made the right decision. He had made it all right, and she could once again believe that the good heart she’d seen all along was real. This was the man she fell in love with.
Malik’s eyes filled with tears and he smiled at her once more before walking off the stage and finding his family amongst the crowd. “Forgive me,” he said sadly. “I was lying to you, to all of you, just so I could pursue…” he chewed his lip before finally affirming, “a life that I no longer want. All that I want is standing right here next to me; the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
Sadira wiped the tears from her eyes and embraced her son. Amie knew Sadira would understand; she knew the goodness in Malik like nobody else.
Malik swallowed hard, grabbing Zafina’s hands at the same time as his mother embraced him. “Can you forgive me?” he asked sincerely as his mother backed away from him. He looked his father in the eye, man to man, and asked again, “Will you all forgive me for being so unworthy?”
Zafina wiped away a single tear, nodding silently and giving her brother a proud smile. Mahumet grabbed his son by the shoulders and nodded towards him, his emotion evident in his expression. “We can forgive you, son. I think the more important question is, can Amie?”
Malik turned back to Amie, walking back to the stage and kneeling down on both knees before her. “Amie, I love you. You brought me back to life, and without you there is nothing. It would only ever be for you that I would make a fool of myself on stage like this, begging you to forgive me.”
Amie chuckled; tears of joy and confusion now streaming down her face. “Of course,” she said. “Now, get up here.”
“There’s just one more thing. I need to make you an offer—without any acting involved, don’t worry,” he chuckled and tapped his nose. “Amie Elizabeth Shaw, would you do me the great honor of growing together in love and life, for all of eternity?”
She blinked at him, dumbfounded, her heart racing with joy. “W-what?”
“Oh, Amie,” he laughed. “Will you marry me, the right way this time?”
She grabbed Malik’s hand and pulled, gesturing for him to stand back up.
“Yes!” She shouted. “Yes, yes, yes!”
Her mind couldn't escape the immense love that had grown between them over so many weeks. The wild romantic gestures; dancing in the gardens to no music at all, the way he spoiled her with affection, the way his whispers at the theater had made her feel truly cared for. Still, these seemed like nothing compared to all of the small moments they had shared together; the first night she had found him downstairs watching black and white movies, the hidden caresses, and their night together making love.