Ugly Love (Hoover)/Chapter 39
from the Collection âUgly Loveâ
Chapter Summary
Miles watched Tate sleeping, something he did every morning she stayed with him. He remembered seeing her asleep in Corbin's apartment after their first meeting and realizing that his attraction to her had awakened feelings he had suppressed for six years.
Those feelings reminded him of first seeing Rachel. Fear of suffering again had made him resist emotional attachment. After kissing Tate, he had convinced himself that they could have a physical relationship without love, but he had repeatedly hurt her and now wanted to make amends for a lifetime.
They had officially been dating for six months. Before five in the morning, Miles woke Tate and announced that they had a plane to catch. She was reluctant to sacrifice a rare day off, but his excitement persuaded her to get dressed.
Cap waited in the lobby with breakfast and Tate's juice. Miles valued the friendship between them and trusted Cap, whom he had known all his life. Tate had initially worried that Cap shared her confidences with Miles, but Miles had assured her otherwise.
Cap explained that Miles was taking him on his first airplane ride. Tate was surprised that he had never flown and gave Miles an appreciative look. Once airborne, Cap watched through the window, absorbed in the experience.
After reaching altitude, Miles muted Cap's headset and reminded Tate of a question she had asked after Thanksgiving: what a sunrise looked like from a plane. He wanted her to experience it. She watched silently until sunlight filled the cabin, then held his hand with tears in her eyes.
After landing, Miles helped Cap out while Tate stayed aboard. Cap discreetly handed him two boxes before leaving with a driver. He thanked Miles for the flight, but departed before Miles could thank him in return.
Back in the cockpit, Miles told Tate that her question about the sunrise had marked the first time in more than six years that he wanted to love again. He opened a box containing a key and asked her to move in. She enthusiastically agreed.
Tate warned him about her cooking, laundry habits, and morning mood. Miles said he wanted to share her everyday life, then produced the second box, containing a ring. He asked her to break their second rule and marry him. Her tears, laughter, and kiss gave him his answer.
They embraced and playfully discussed making love in the airplane as an engaged couple. Miles felt his remaining defenses disappear. He rejected the phrase about loving someone to death, believing instead that Tate had loved him back to life.
Characters
Quotes
But the second she opened her eyes and looked at me, I knew. She was either going to be the death of me . . . or she was going to be the one who finally brought me back to life.
Her silence makes me nervous, so I quickly remove the ring and pick up her hand. âWill you break rule number two with me, Tate? Because I really want to marry you.â
When her mouth meets mine again, itâs as if every last piece of
my armor disintegrates and every last piece of ice surrounding
the glacier that was my heart melts and evaporates.