Chapter 19 Keith remembered how meticulously he'd planned for the perfect proposal during his second year with Julia . He asked his close friends for their opinions and handled every detail himself - from the location to the decorations . A proposal needed to be a surprise , which meant he couldn't tell her about it beforehand . But he also couldn't use just any excuse to get her there . After all , no one wanted to show up unprepared at such a memorable moment . Keith had scouted dozens of venues before finally locking down every detail . He'd taken her to that candlelit dinner before proposing . Julia had been curious about the occasion , pressing him with questions about why everything felt so formal . It wasn't until the first rose was placed in her hands that she began to suspect what might be coming . Even now , he could still picture how she'd looked at him that night - like he was her whole world . The memory stirred a bittersweet kind of happiness in him . How had they gone from that perfect night to this ? How was she about to marry someone else ? Keith couldn't wrap his head around it . Perhaps it was the severity of his injuries , or perhaps Keith simply didn't want to get better . Whatever the reason , he stayed in that hospital bed far longer than necessary . The truth was , he'd been dragging out his recovery on purpose - just to have an excuse to see Julia . It didn't matter that she barely spoke during her visits or that she often just sat quietly in the corner chair . Even when Calvin occasionally showed up beside her , Keith still found a strange comfort in just having her in the room . But no amount of stalling could stop the inevitable . Discharge day had arrived , and both Julia and Calvin had come to send him home . As Keith settled into the backseat of the car , a wave of deja vu hit him . The scene felt oddly familiar , and for a moment , he couldn't quite place it . Then , it came to him - it was just like the time she was preparing to leave him . Back then , he hadn't noticed anything was wrong . But looking back now , he finally realized how often Julia had been hurt during that time . He'd ignored her pain and turned a blind eye while constantly bringing Catherine around - even on the day Julia was discharged from the hospital . Now that he thought about it , that moment felt eerily similar to this one . But one thing had changed - Calvin was now her legitimate fiance . No one could question why they were together or why they stood side by side . At that time , Keith had been Julia's husband in name only , spending all his time with another woman . He finally realized how much Julia must have been hurting back then . Through the rearview mirror , he watched her sitting silently in the front seat . Chapter 19 2/2 When they finally pulled up in front of the Carson Villa , he got out and let Julia and Calvin walk him to the door . Just as they were about to leave , he suddenly called out to her , " Jules . " She stopped and turned back , confusion clear in her eyes . " Could I talk to you alone for a minute ? " He paused , afraid she might refuse , then quickly added , " Just for a moment . It won't take long . " Julia ultimately decided to stay . She couldn't quite name the emotions swirling inside her . What they'd had years ago had been too intense , too all - consuming for her to simply walk away from- even after three years had passed . The resentment was still there , but it was complicated now by what he'd done at the birthday party - the way he'd stepped in front of that knife meant for her . Her anger had become tangled with something harder to define . " I'm sorry , Jules . Today , I finally understand how many of the things I did back then caused you pain . " He smiled bitterly , a flicker of hope still visible in his eyes . " If we really can't go back to how things were before , then … could we at least be friends ? " 01 4 The moment those words left his mouth , Keith already regretted them . He knew he could never truly let her go . Regardless of her reply , it would be too cruel for him to bear . E He couldn't watch her love someone else and pretend not to care , and he couldn't accept a future where she was completely out of his life . Julia remained silent for a long time before finally shaking her head . She rejected his proposal without mercy . " Keith , I can't forgive you , " she said . Chapter 20