"Look, Carrie... I won't lie and say that I don't want to be married. I do. I love the idea of being someone's husband. But I love the idea of being with you more. And it doesn't matter if that means that I'm not married. A wedding isn't anything more than promising to be with someone forever. I'm doing that right now." He kissed her again, briefly.
He smiled a bit about her worries. "It doesn't matter what people do. What we do is what matters. You don't have to worry about disappointing me." He swallowed and looked into her eyes. "This is your decision. This is about what you'll be most comfortable with, and I don't want the fear of how I'll feel affect it. If you're terrified by marriage now, then say so now so that later I won't wake up to an empty bed. And if you feel like you want to be married to me, then you can tear the papers up and one day, years ahead, maybe we'll have a ceremony we can remember."