I lifted my glass in acknowledgment, and Riven nodded once before sitting down.
Cassian leaned close to my ear. "He likes you. That's practically a declaration of love from Riven."
"He told me not to break you."
"Like I said. Practically a love letter."
The night wore on. Guests danced and drank and laughed. My father pulled me aside at one point, his large hands warm on my shoulders.
"Your mother would be proud," he said. His accent thickened the way it always did when he talked about her. "You know this, yes?"
I nodded because I couldn't speak.
He kissed my forehead and released me, disappearing back into the crowd to argue with my uncle about soccer.
Finally, when the last guests said their goodbyes and the venue emptied to silence, Cassian and I climbed into a car heading toward a hotel neither of us could reasonably afford.
He reached across the console and laced his fingers through mine.
"We did it," he said.
"We did."
The city lights blurred past the windows. I was tired in a way that felt earned, my feet aching from dancing, my cheeks sore from smiling more than I had in months.
"Any regrets?" Cassian asked.
I turned to look at him. His profile was lit by passing streetlights, familiar lines and angles I had memorized over three years. The slope of his nose, slightly crooked from a childhood accident. The way his hair fell forward no matter how many times he pushed it back. The curve of his mouth, always ready to smile.
"No," I said, shaking my head.
He glanced at me with vulnerable eyes. "Really?"
"Really."
He lifted my hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. "Good. Because you're stuck with me now."
"I know."
The hotel appeared ahead of us, lit up against the dark sky. Cassian pulled into the parking lot and cut the engine, but neither of us moved.
"Hey," he said.
I looked at him.
"I meant what I said in my vows." His voice was quiet but certain. "I'm going to spend the rest of my life makingyou happy. Whatever it takes. Whatever you need. I'm yours, Calla."
My heart pounded. There was an ache that wasn't quite pain.
"I know," I whispered.
And I did know. That was the thing. I knew exactly how much he loved me and how much he was willing to give.
I just didn't know if I was capable of giving the same.
But I wanted to try. For the first time in my life, I wanted to try.
Cassian smiled like he could read my thoughts. Maybe he could. He had always seen more of me than I wanted to show.
