Can I trust him? Is tonight’s passion a sign that our situation has changed, or was it yet another ruse to convince me to once again fall victim to his whims and aspirations?
Until tonight, he had kept his distance from her, and when they had spoken, his words had been curt and full of irritation. He’d behaved as though he despised her, and yet he had been the one to run after her tonight, after she’d believed all hope was lost. Why? What had driven him to such lengths? And why now?
Her thoughts spiraled further into dark possibilities. Was there another woman? Perhaps someone he’d loved, someone he had been forced to give up to marry her? The thought made her heart clench painfully.
Or maybe… maybe he didn’t like women at all? Or perhaps he simply didn’t want a marriage, didn’t want children, didn’t want any future that included her in any way? She sensed that her ruminations were likely ridiculous, but she couldn’t shake them.
Katie buried her face in her hands to block out the questions for which she had no answers. Her reputation was already in tatters. Everyone believed they had known each other before their engagement, and that they were deeply in love. But the truth of the matter was far more wretched and far more dangerous.
What have I done to myself and my good name?
If she didn’t marry Aiden, the scandal would ruin her. People would assume the worst—that she was already pregnant, that she had been caught in a sordid affair. But, if she did wed him tomorrow in the presence of her family and friends, then the charade would be complete, and there would be no turning back.
Katie was overwhelmed by the gale of fear and uncertainty that churned in her mind. She felt trapped, cornered by the very steps she had initiated and the very decisions she had made thereafter. And, worst of all, she was utterly alone. Aiden, the one person who could have reassured her, who could have made her burden easier to bear, had instead bid her goodnight and retired to his chambers, leaving her alone to confront her worries.
Why was she the only one losing sleep over this dilemma? Why was she the one suffering while Aiden slept comfortably, as though none of this affected him?
Annoyance bubbled up inside her and rapidly turned into self-righteous indignation. How dare he! How dare he treat her like this, after everything she had sacrificed to keep up this charade to protect both of their reputations? She felt miserable in spite of his arduous kisses, touches and promises in the corridor. She realized she would be entering this marriage with dread instead of joy, and he was sleeping through it all, indifferent to her plight.
The images in her mind infuriated her, and before she knew it, she had jumped out of bed and pulled on her long overcoat and cloak.
She wasn’t going to let him get away with this. She needed answers—no, shedemandedanswers from him. If he loved another woman, if he didn’t want her, then she would force him to confess it to her. She deserved that much. And if he didn’t want marriage and didn’t want children, then why had he invested his time in this farce?
Surely he could not have gone through with this complicated ruse purely for the sake of appeasing his family and the council!
The questions burned in her mind, fueling her determination as she tightened her slippers around her ankles and marched out of her room.
The castle was eerily quiet as she crossed the hall and into Aiden’s wing. The only sound was the soft rustle of her cloak as it brushed against the stone floor. Her heart pounded in her chest, a mix of bitterness and anger driving her forward. She had never been one to confront people, especially not men, but tonight, she was through with remaining passive. She was done letting Aiden control the narrative of her life.
The hallway outside Aiden’s chambers was dimly lit, the long shadows stretching across the cold stone. She stopped in front of his door, her hand hovering just inches from the wood. For a moment, she hesitated, her resolve wavering as doubts crept into her mind.
What if he gets angry at her for barging in like this? What if he refused to answer her questions and threw her out? But the anger inside of her and her need for explanations quickly overpowered her hesitation.
She knocked on the door loudly, the sound echoing through the quiet hallway. There was no turning back now. She was going to get the truth from him, no matter what it cost her.
Katie stood at the door, her hands trembling as she waited for Aiden to answer. When the heavy wooden door creaked open, he stood before her half-dressed, his shirt untucked and unlaced, and his hair slightly tousled from sleep. His blue eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence between them was formidable.
“Katie,” he finally said in a rough voice, as though it pained him to say her name.
She took a deep breath, her resolve hardening. She had come this far, and she wasn’t going to back down now. “I want this to be our second night,” she said, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging inside her.
His eyes flashed. “Leave,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
“No,” she replied, standing her ground. “We need to get our nights over with, Aiden. Then we can move on and never have to see each other again.”
His brow furrowed, bewilderment replacing the anger in his gaze. “This… this isnae necessary.”
“Isn’t it?” she shot back, her voice rising with the intensity of her ire. “Until this very evening, you’ve ignored me, avoided me, andbehaved as though I’m some burden you can’t wait to be rid of. I’m just trying to make it quicker and easier for both of us.”
Aiden took a step back, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “That’s nae what this is,” he said, his tone exasperated. “Ye dinnae understand…”
“Then make me understand!” Katie snapped, her emotions boiling over. “I tried to apologize to you, Aiden. I tried to say I am sorry that you have been coerced into marrying me, and that you’re now stuck in this situation because of a lie I told. But you won’t even talk to me about any of it.”
Aiden let out a low snarl, the sound echoing through the small space. “Ye think I’m the one who should be angry? Katie, I should be the one apologizin’ to ye for draggin’ ye into this—for… well, for everythin’.”
The strain between them hung in the air like a fully charged storm cloud ready to burst.
“You don’t have to apologize,” she whispered, her voice softening. “But you must talk to me, Aiden. We’re supposed to spend the rest of our lives together, and we can’t even spend five nights.”
