"Of this. Of ye. Of—" Magnus gestured between them. "Of lettin' meself care about ye and then discoverin' ye're just like?—"
He stopped. Couldn't finish that sentence.
But Ada understood anyway. "Like yer first wife."
"Aye."
"Magnus." Ada moved closer. "I'm nae her. I dinnae ken what she did tae ye because ye've never told me the whole truth about it, but I'm nae her. I wouldnae betray ye."
"How dae I ken that? How dae I trust that ye mean it?" Magnus's voice was rough with frustration. "Freydis seemed honest too. Seemed loyal and devoted and everythin' I thought I wanted. And she lied tae me every single day fer months. How dae I ken ye're nae daein' the same thing?"
"Because I'm tellin' ye the truth. About everythin'. About me faither, about why I ran, about why I kissed ye at that festival." Ada's hand came up to rest against his chest, over his heart. "I'm nae perfect, Magnus. I'm stubborn and I dinnae always listen. But I dinnae lie. And I wouldnae use ye the way she did."
Magnus covered her hand with his. "I want to believe that."
"Then believe it." Ada's voice was fierce. "Stop waitin' fer me tae prove I'm terrible and start believin' that maybe—just maybe—I'm exactly what I appear tae be. A woman tryin' her best tae make this marriage work. A woman who—" She stopped. "A woman who cares about ye more than she probably should."
Magnus's breath caught. "Ada?—"
"I'm nae askin' ye tae trust me completely. Nae yet. I ken that'll take time." Ada's fingers curled into his shirt. "But I am askin' ye tae stop avoidin' me. Tae stop sleepin' like ye're afraid tae touch me. Tae stop actin' like kissin' me was a mistake when I ken—Iken—ye wanted it as much as I did."
She was right. Gods help him, she was right about all of it.
Magnus had been avoidin' her. Had been keepin' distance because it felt safer than admittin' the truth—that he wanted her. That he was already on the way to loving her. That every day spent trying not to care just made him care more.
"I'm nae good at this," Magnus said quietly. "At trustin'. At lettin' people in. Freydis took that from me when she—when she did what she did."
"Then we'll figure it out taegether. Slowly. At whatever pace ye need." Ada looked up at him. "But dinnae shut me out completely, Magnus. Please. I cannae—I cannae be married tae a ghost."
Magnus stared down at her. At her earnest face and determined eyes and the hand still pressed against his chest like she was trying to reach his heart through sheer force of will.
Maybe she already had.
"All right," he said finally. "Nay more avoidin'. Nay more stayin' up late tae avoid sharin' the bed properly. Nay more—" He stopped. "Nay more actin' like kissin' ye was a mistake. Because it wasnae."
"It wasnae?"
"Nay." Magnus cupped her face in his hands. "It was probably the least mistaken thing I've done since ye arrived."
Ada smiled—bright and genuine and so beautiful it made Magnus's chest ache. "So ye'll stop broodin' in the kitchens at midnight?"
"I'll try."
"And ye'll come tae bed at a reasonable hour?"
"Aye."
"And ye'll stop sleepin' like there's a wall between us?"
Magnus's thumb brushed across her cheekbone. "That one might take a bit longer. But I'll work on it."
"Good." Ada rose up on her toes, pressed a quick kiss to his jaw. "Now come on. We're both exhausted, and the floor is freezin', and I want tae get some actual sleep tonight."
She took his hand, started leading him toward the door. Magnus followed, still slightly dazed by the kiss she'd just given him—casual and affectionate and so different from that heated kiss in their chamber three days before.
Like she was comfortable with him. Like touching him was becoming natural.
Like maybe they really could figure this out together.
