“I love you, Penelope.” He took another step, his voice trembling now. “And that terrifies me more than anything else in this cursed world. Because it means I cannot bear the thought of harm coming to you. Because it means I want to hold you close, and yet let you go, because you deserve the freedom you always longed for.”
Penelope’s throat was parched.He loves me.That was all she could think of, barely registering anything else he had said to her.
“That’s what I promised you. Freedom,” he continued. “But here I am trying to restrict that from you.”
Penelope stared at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
“You love me,” she echoed softly, unable to move on from those words.
“Yes, you stubborn, beautiful woman,” he shook his head. “I love you.”
An incredulous laugh escaped her lips, mingled with a sob. What could she say to this?
“You are silly.”
“I beg your pardon?” Alexander asked, taken aback for a moment.
She stepped toward him now, feeling that the distance between them was too large.
“Do you want to know the truth, Alexander?”
It would not matter what his response would be, because she was going to tell him anyway. “I’ve broken every rule you set, only because…”
She steeled herself. She had never done something like this before.
“Because I love you, too. And I couldn’t help myself.”
“Penelope…” his voice came out hoarse. Her confession seemed to have impacted him more than he let on.
“Don’t you dare pity me, if that is what you will say,” Penelope urged. “I do not wish to be ashamed of loving you.”
“I could never.” He took a step closer to her. There was barely any space between them now. “Do you… do you understand what you’re saying?”
“I’ve never been more certain of anything.” She lifted her face to meet his. “I love you, Alexander. And I’ve made a mess of it. And I am sorry….”
He silenced her with a kiss. It was sudden, consuming, stealing the breath from her lungs before she could finish her sentence. His hands framed her face, as though afraid she might vanish if he didn’t hold her .
Penelope let out a soft gasp against his lips, her hands finding their way to his chest, curling into the fabric of his waistcoat. When he finally pulled back, their foreheads rested together.
She needed this more than she knew.
“We love each other,” Penelope admitted. “That has to count for something. Why do two people who love each other need to live apart?”
It was a genuine question, and Alexander mulled over it for a moment.
“Of all the things I’ve tried to give you, Penelope… freedom was the one I thought mattered most.”
She drew back just enough to meet his gaze.
“Freedom doesn’t mean leaving you behind. You don’t get to decide what I choose.”
“You’ve always longed for independence,” He frowned faintly. “I do not wish to constrain you, as your father did.”
“You are not him,” she corrected him. “And if it comes from you, then I wish to be constrained.”
His eyes darkened with possessiveness as she said the words, and he kissed her again. This time, it was the barest of pecks.
“You would be fine if I were to track your every move?”
