LOGAN'S POV:

I found myself facing Gavin a few hours. He stood outside the bedroom door, a frown on his face. "Is she in there?" I forced myself to ask him. I didn't like the way he was looking at me, like a disappointed parent about to lecture their child. It made me want to punch him but I restrained myself. That wouldn't go down very well with Mia.

He nodded his head. "She is."

I grit my teeth and took a step forward. He didn't move, remaining in front of her door so I couldn't go in. "Well get out of my way then," I hissed quietly, not really wanting her to hear me from inside.

He simply raised an eyebrow and I clenched my fists at my sides. How dare he ignore me. How dare he look down on me. I was his boss, not the other way around. I wanted to remind him exactly what his place was but I knew he cared about Mia and maybe he had a right to be sceptical.

"She was crying," he simply stated, folding his arms across his chest before stepping aside.

My heart felt like it cracked in my chest at the thought. I stepped past him, needing to speak to her. When I pushed the door open, I saw her curled up on the bed, her cheeks damp and her eyes closed. She was sound asleep and clutched a pillow to her chest.

I didn't want to wake her, but over the past few hours I had thought a lot about what she had said and I couldn't wait to talk to her. I needed to sort this now. So, I gently lowered myself onto the bed beside her and pressed a kiss to her head. She didn't move so I ran my thumb across her cheek and lowered to peck her on the lips.

This time, she stirred and blinked up at me. "Hey," I said softly, stroking her hair. "I'm sorry I woke you but can we talk?"

She stretched out before nodding and shuffling into a sitting position. Her hands instantly went to her stomach. It was something she did a lot – whether consciously or not, I wasn't sure. She wasn't looking at me, which I was relieved about. I'd come in here, asking to talk and yet, I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to start.

I swallowed the lump that had formed in the back of my throat and opened my mouth.

"Are you mad at me?" She suddenly whispered before I could speak.

I was taken aback for a moment and when she finally glanced up, I could see the guilt swimming in her eyes. "Of course not," I told her honestly. "How could I be mad at you when everything you said was right?"

Tears filled her eyes and I reached for hands, needing to feel her skin against mine. "I'm sorry I didn't ask you," I told her. I couldn't look her in the eye and focused on my hands wrapped around hers. "I didn't want to put myself in a position where I could be rejected." I swallowed. "I didn't want to be vulnerable."

She was silent for a moment and I didn't know whether she was thinking or waiting for me to continue. I desperately wanted to know what was going through her mind. "You know I love you, right?"

I could feel tears sting my eyes. "I know," I whispered, squeezing her hands. "I also know that could change. You could wake up one day and decide you can do better." I couldn't help but think of my mother, the woman that raised me, and the woman who walked away from me without even a goodbye.

"So could you," she replied, her voice soft.

I shook my head. "I could never do better than you." I knew it with certainty. She was the most beautiful, kind-hearted woman I'd ever met. She was perfect, everything about her was perfect. I knew I could never find anyone better because there wasn't anyone better.

A small smile crossed her face but it quickly dropped away. "I know it's hard for you," she said, "but I don't want to leave you, I just want to know that I can. After what my dad put my mom through, I just, I need to know that I'm free to make my own decision, whatever that might be."

"You have to know I would never do what he did... I-I couldn't." I shook my head, my chest aching at the thought.

She nodded. "I know," she said, "but would you really let me leave? Let me walk away and never see me again?"

I fell silent. I couldn't promise her that, if the time came, I would stand aside and let her leave. Even thinking about it shattered me. I couldn't imagine going back to being alone. I couldn't imagine waking up without her beside me. I'd started to imagine my future with her, I'd pictured us in our new home, married and happy with our children. I wasn't sure I could give that up and she knew it. Her shoulders sunk and she turned away from me, tears shining in her eyes.

"I wish I could say I would," I muttered, the shame I felt clear in my voice. "But I can't. I can't promise that when the time comes, I won't do whatever I need to do to stay together." My own tears threatened to fall when I saw hers trickle down her cheek. I hated that I was hurting her, but I hoped that maybe, I could fix it. "I'm sorry. I don't want to make a promise to you that I can't keep. Losing you would break my heart, but I know that this won't work if you aren't free. I know I can't control you. So here-," I reached into my pocket and pulled out some folded papers.

She frowned and took them from me. "What are these?" she asked through her tears. I watched, my breath caught in my throat as she opened them and a surprised gasp followed. "Divorce papers?" she asked.

I nodded. "Already signed. If you do ever decide that you want to leave, it won't matter whether I want to let you. All you have to do is sign them and take them to a lawyer. I won't be able to stop you."

I wasn't sure how she would react. Maybe it wasn't enough. Maybe she'd refuse to marry me regardless. I knew I hadn't given her any reason to trust me and I didn't trust myself, not when it came to letting her go.

"I won't sign over my children to you though. I hope you understand, if we do separate, I still want to see my kids." Relief flooded through me when a small smile flickered onto her lips and she nodded her head. "I know it doesn't fix everything," I told her, "I'm used to always having control and having people obey my every order. I'm not used to being so powerless and vulnerable, but I want you to have everything you deserve, I want you to have the home and the family and the husband that you deserve."

I rose to my feet before lowering onto one knee in front of her, my heart in my throat as I pulled the ring box back out. "Mia, will you please do me the honour of becoming my wife? Please let me love you every day, care for you, start a family with you. I will do whatever I can to make you happy, if you let me?"

She continued to cry, but the most beautiful smile crossed her face and my heart hammered. I wouldn't have blamed her if she said no and walked away from me but instead, she nodded her head. "Yes."

That one word made me feel more emotion than I ever had, more relief and happiness and gratitude than I ever thought possible. She was giving me the chance and I vowed to both myself and her that I would make sure she never regretted her decision.