Sliding my fingers against his lips, I traced the curve of them as I said, “I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Yes.”
My tone was soft as I pointed out, “Our issue was that it was a matter of trust, Kythel. Could I trust you not to walk away again? And you were right. You didn’t make me any promises beyond what we had agreed on. You didn’t lie to me. You were very careful about that.”
“Millie—”
“No, let me finish, please,” I said, touching his lips. “I need to get this out because it’s so incredibly simple, Kythel. And then we can move forward. I needed to make the decision if I could trust you with my heart again. If I could trust you not to break it. If I could trust you when you said you love me.”
I took a deep breath, a small smile quirking up the corners of my lips.
“And my answer was simple. I felt it in my gut,” I said.
“And what did you decide?” he asked, his tone solemn, though it shouldn’t have been.
“Yes,” I said, that simple word filling the space between us. “Yes, Kythel. That’s my answer.”
He exhaled a sharp breath, his arms sliding around me tighter, as if he was still afraid I’d slip away.
“My father told me once that life is just a series of answers. I think about that a lot,” I admitted. “Because answers are knowledge. And knowledge comprises a life, at its core. Life is memory, and memory is just…your answers to life’s questions. How you respond. How you persevere. How you love.
“So when my father died, I asked myself a question. What was I going to do? And my answer to that question? It was to bring him back to Krynn, just as I promised him. And that answer ultimately led me to you.”
Kythel’s fingers traced up my spine, and I shivered pleasantly against him.
“And when I found the cottage in Stellara? I asked myself what I was going to do. That answer? I was going to restore it to what it once was, the last gift I could give my father in this life. I took one day at a time. One answer bleeding into the next. It kept me focused, gave me comfort because it made it seem like these large, insurmountable things were manageable. And one day, they would just become memories. That’s a beautiful thing.”
I didn’t know if I was making sense or not, if the jumbled mess in my mind translated on my tongue. But Kythel’s gaze was soft. He was looking at me the way he had the night I’d made him dinner at the cottage. As if I was the only one in this universe for him.
“So,” I started softly, swallowing, giving him a sheepish smile, “maybe that wasn’t as simple as I thought, but…what I’m trying to say, Kythel, is thatyou’remy new answer. Me and you. Together. And I think I’m your answer too.”
“You are,” he rasped quietly, without hesitation.
“I want all the memories this life has to offer with you,” I told him. “And I know you said that this life isn’t for everyone, but I want you to know that I’m not scared. With you at my side, I’m not scared of anything anymore, except maybe losing you. So yes. My answer is and will always be…yes.”
Kythel was shaking, I realized. Perhaps the tension, the last week of an untethered bond, the exhaustion, the doubt was leaking out of him. Once it was purged, only then could we begin fresh, to begin to build a life together—not bound in duty but bound in understanding and love andchoice.
“Vaan,” he cursed softly. “I love you, Millie Seren. My little fallen star, my gift from the universe. What did I ever do to deserve you?”
“You deserve everything, Kythel,” I told him, and I knew he heard the truth in my voice.
“I’m sorry,sasiral,” he said. “You don’t know how many times I’ve relived that night. Of watching you—”
I kissed him, silencing whatever he was about to say. He sighed against my lips, finally beginning to relax.
“We’re moving past that,” I said against his lips. Pulling back, I smiled and said, “I forgive you. I already forgave you. You did what you thought was best. I can never fault you for that, knowing what I know now. All right? Let’s not speak of it anymore.”
Kythel said gently, “What about the credits? Are you still angry with me about that?”
I chuckled. Had he been worried about that, this high-handed male who had deposited nearly a quarter million into my account?
“Yes,” I teased. “I’ve already rejected the transfer, you know.”
He sighed. “It won’t matter. When you become my wife, you’ll need to get used to it. The Kaalium will open up to you. You’ll have access to everything.”
“Was that a proposal?” I asked, zeroing in on that bit of information and ignoring the rest. We’d crossthatbridge when we got to it.
“I’ll marry you right now if you’ll have me,” he told me. “I want myself tied to you in every fathomable way in this life and the next.”
