Oh God.
All those broken shards of my heart started to piece themselves back together. I needed them to stop. A repaired heart would only hurt worse.
Caden took another step forward, and I moved until the backs of my legs hit the bed. “Did you sleep well last night? I did. Best sleep I’ve had in years, sunshine.”
My heart jumped.Sunshine. He called me that because he said he’d seen me smiling once and it was like the sun finally rising. That was possibly the sweetest, kindest thing anyone had ever said to me.
“It’s time.”
I looked up. “For what?”
“For that talk I told you we needed to have but would be better if we waited until you had time to process everything you’d gone through. But I can see we don’t have the luxury of that time,” he said. “I know, Brighton.”
My breath caught. “Know what?”
Those golden eyes met and held mine. “Iknow.”
Chapter 54
My legs seemed to have given up on me because I was suddenly sitting on the edge of the bed.
He…he knew?
How?
Well, there were countless hows. Four of them had a name. I didn’t believe Tink had said anything about me being pregnant, but the other three could’ve just been convincing when they’d said they wouldn’t say anything.
“Know what?” I repeated.
His head tilted to the side like it did whenever he was sensing some sort of emotion I was giving off. I was sure he was picking up on them.
“I know you’ve been told what would happen if I do not marry Tatiana or a fae of the Court,” he said.
My mouth opened as my heart pressed against my ribs. Relief made me dizzy, so much so that I almost laughed. He didn’t know. Not really.
His head tipped to the side once again, and I knew I needed to get a handle on my emotions. I dragged my hands over my bent knees, knowing there was no point in lying about what I’d learned. “You mean the basic collapse of your Court and how you’d be dethroned and left to fend for yourself? How the Summer fae would be weakened, and it would eventually lead to the whole world going to hell? Howyouwould be weakened?”
Caden’s features softened as I spoke, causing warning bells to go off left and right. “I’m honored, sunshine.”
I blinked.
He came forward, each step slow and measured. “You don’t need to worry about what will happen to me. I’m not worried.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” I replied. “And also concerning that you’re not worried.”
Caden sat down, his large frame seeming to overwhelm the bed. “I will be fine, with or without the throne. But I won’t be fine without you.”
My heart gave a happy little jump, and I closed my eyes. “I wish you wouldn’t say things like that.”
“Why?” His voice was quiet.
“Because it’s always so perfect. It’s always what I…” It was what I wanted to hear, and that was the problem. “I just wish you wouldn’t say things like that.”
“I don’t think you’d prefer that I lie.”
Actually, I would in this situation.
“This is why you’ve tried to push me away,” he said, and my eyes opened on the wordtried. He was staring down at me, a slight smile on his lips. “It’s not because you don’t want me. It’s not because you don’t love me. It’s because you think you’re doing the right thing.”
