Adelaide clutched at his shoulders, her eyes wide, her lips parted in astonishment.
“I do not know when it began exactly,” he continued, his voice trembling only slightly as he reached the staircase. “It was not at first sight. I did not fall in love at a glance, even though that was what I was told would happen.”
As far as confessions went, he knew that it was not the greatest, but it was real, and he knew she would prefer that.
“No. It was over time, in the way you noticed things I would have kept secret. It was the way you questioned me, challenged me, and made me see myself differently. I wanted you to give up on me, but you refused at every turn, and I did not want to admit that it was what I had needed for years.”
They burst out of the front door, and they both took deep breaths.
Cassian did not put her down. Instead, he kept her in his arms because he knew she belonged there. Not only that, but with everything that had happened, he did not dare let her go. She was a beautiful, fragile thing, and he refused to put her at risk.
His gaze softened, locked on her face. “I have come to love the steady kindness in you, the patience, the bravery. I have come to love the way you insist on honesty, even when it is inconvenient. I have come to love that you see me,trulysee me, and I have never allowed myself to be seen in that way before. Sometimes, I wonder just what sort of life I might have led if I had trusted it from the beginning, but I cannot regret it. I had to be that way, as it is what led me to you.”
Adelaide’s hands slid down to his chest, trembling slightly as if she feared breaking him with her touch. He willed her to say something, but he knew that she was too overwhelmed for words. Part of him was even grateful for that, as it gave him the chance to say everything he wanted to.
“I love you,” he confessed, his tone earnest. “I love you because you have been here quietly, persistently, without expectation. I love you because you remind me of who I can be when I am not afraid. I love you because I cannot stop thinking about you, even when I try. And I will not stop. I could never stop.”
Her breath caught, tears glimmering in the moonlight.
“Cassian…” she breathed. “I-I love you too. I know that I should have told you before, but?—”
“Do not regret anything,” he murmured. “Just hold on to me. Let me keep you safe. That is all that matters to me.”
They remained together, their hearts beating in sync. Cassian was vaguely aware of the destruction behind them, but he could not bring himself to care. Adelaide was safe, and that was all he could think about.
Suddenly, a shadow detached itself from the darkness at the edge of the garden. A figure stepped forward, tall, deliberate, and unmistakable.
It was Hargrave.
Cassian’s jaw clenched, and he shifted Adelaide in his arms, at last setting her on her feet. He stepped in front of her, shielding her as Hargrave turned to them, a sly grin on his face. He heard Adelaide whimper softly behind him, and all at once, years of rage boiled to the surface.
“Good evening, Your Grace,” Hargrave greeted smoothly, his eyes glinting in the moonlight.
Cassian’s arms tightened around his wife. Everything that had passed between them, the confessions they had both made, had settled within him, and he knew that he would never let harm come to her.
Danger had returned, and he would not let it touch her.
Hargrave stepped forward, his movements unnervingly deliberate. Cassian was aware that the man could have left without being seen. He wanted to be caught, to be known as the man causing the trouble.
He wondered if Hargrave simply wanted a second beating—something he was more than willing to give.
“I see she has found her way into your arms,” Hargrave said, his voice calm but chilling. “How touching. But you misunderstand the world. You are not the first man she has wickedly tempted, only to abandon.”
“That is not her intention. She would never do that to me, for I am nothing like you. I would rather die than have that be the case.”
“You may be right, Your Grace, for unlike you, I am aware of the dangers that lurk.”
“If you knew danger, you would not cross me.”
“I did not come here to fight. You have misunderstood me entirely. I am here foryou.” Hargrave’s eyes settled on Adelaide.
“She is not yours to take.”
“Perhaps not, but she is mine to save.”
Cassian stiffened, instinctively shifting Adelaide behind him. “Save her? What are you talking about?”
Hargrave’s grin widened. “Do you think I do not know the truth? Your mother always knew far more than she let on. Unlike you, she knew what was best for her, and that has always been me.”
