26
Nothing compared to the relief of finding out the truth when the lie had been your worst tormentor. It was written plainly all over William’s face.
Right now, standing before her was just a man ready to be vulnerable, to open up. The careful mask he usually wore was gone. Even his distant calm, which he used to keep the world at bay, wasn’t present.
This William was showing her so many emotions without restraint, without reservation. He was almost frightening in his honesty.
Sorcha wasn’t exactly sure what to call how he felt after finding out that she had never loved his uncle.
Curiosity flickered first. Then surprise followed. But before it settled, confusion tangled with something that looked dangerously close to hope. He looked like a man who had beenhanded something fragile and bright, unsure whether to touch it or fear it would vanish.
Sorcha’s heart ached at the sight.
The room had grown even quieter, the only sound the soft bubbling of the water. She was painfully aware of how close they stood, of his warmth, of the way she leaned into him.
Despite everything, despite the sorrow clinging to her heart, a soft laugh slipped past her lips. One that surprised her.
William lowered his gaze to her face at the sound, clearly not expecting such levity to survive the moment.
“How… adorable,” she murmured before she could stop herself.
The word felt strange on her tongue in such a heavy moment, but it was accurate. For all his brooding nature, he looked almost boyish right then.
William inhaled slowly, steadying himself.
“So ye never loved him?” he asked quietly.
The question carried so much more than curiosity. It also carried hope, relief, and even fear of disappointment.
His brown eyes searched her face, and the glint in them told her that her answers could either free him or break him all over again.
“Is that what ye’re tellin’ me, Sorcha?”
She did not hesitate.
“Aye,” she answered softly. “I never loved him.”
His breath caught.
“As I said,” she continued in the same tone, “I barely kent him.”
She drew in a deep breath, her heart pounding hard enough that she could feel it in her throat.
For a moment, William did not move. Did not speak. He simply stared at her, as though something about the world had changed. For the better, of course.
Sorcha watched as realization dawned on him. It was overwhelming, slow. His posture relaxed, as if the tension in his shoulders had eased. His jaw flexed slightly. Not in anger, but in restraint.
He took a step closer. Then another.
Sorcha wished that the space between them would disappear faster. His hands rose until his fingers brushed the side of her face.
The touch was brief, but it was enough to send shivers through her. Enough to make her heart beat faster.
God, she had missed this. Had missedhim.
Even standing away from him earlier had felt like torture. Now that he was here, touching her like this, it was almost unbearable.
His finger slid beneath her chin and lifted her gaze to his. “Take it off,” he said, his voice hoarse.
