Page 68 of My Duke, The Stranger
They walked in silence through the residence. Cassian’s inner turmoil battered at him, warning him against this. The fear wasthere still, the doubt in who he could become. But with Isolde so near, and so willing to trust him, he ignored it.
He led her to the third level of the residence, through one of the spare bedrooms, and onto a balcony that had the best view in the entire manor. It looked across the estate, toward the flat horizon, meeting the sky as the two became one.
“Cassian…” She hesitated at the doorway. “What are you?”
“Here…” He indicated for her to step outside. “The view is far better outside.”
“The view?” She frowned as she stepped onto the balcony. “That is what you wanted to show me?”
“Well, that…” He turned and swept his hand upwards, leading her gaze to the full moon which sat flush in the sky. It was a full, blaring white, as large as Cassian had ever seen it. “… and this.”
Her mouth dropped open when she saw the moon.
“Cassian…” She edged to the railing, her hands resting on it as she looked upwards. He stayed behind her, watching as she gaped at the raw beauty of the tranquil night. “It is…”
“I thought you might like it,” he said softly. “A full moon, possibly the most vivid I have seen. It felt wrong to be hidden away, not knowing of it. To miss it would be…” He chuckled. “It would be a crime.”
She said nothing as she looked at the moon.
Cassian watched her, noting the way her eyes lit up, the way her mouth hung open, and how her skin glistened in the moonlight. She was so beautiful, so perfect, much like that moon, and Cassian could not believe that he had tried to drive her away.
Yes, this is the right decision… something I need to at least try and do.
Cassian’s old memories had slowly returned to him, not all of them, but enough that he understood why he had grown into a man so full of hate and sorrow. To detach oneself from emotion completely was to hide from those memories—an easy escape, but a cowardly one at that.
Still, there was a part of him that wanted to do that again. He thought of Julian and his death… pain in his chest so that he winced…how easy it would be not to care.
But as he watched Isolde, as he saw her unbridled happiness, how effortlessly she accessed her emotions, he knew that he wanted that for himself. He wanted tofeelagain and to not be afraid of doing so.
“I enjoyed meeting your brother and sister today,” he said.
She turned and smirked knowingly. “Oh, did you? I was afraid that…” She laughed and shook her head. “Thomas can be a little eager.”
“No,” he said to her. “It was refreshing. It was nice to be reminded of what a family ought to look like. They both love you dearly. As you clearly love them.”
“With all my heart,” she said.
“I wanted to let you know that they may visit any time. And the next time that they do, there is no need to hide them. I do not care if people find out about them, or you, for that matter.”
“Cassian…” She blinked. “It is not so hard to do. If people were to learn the truth?—”
“Let them,” he cut her off. “I saw how happy your brother and sister make you, and I will not deny you that simple happiness. Please, Isolde, let me do this for you.”
She studied him curiously. She looked at him as if seeing through his words. He did not shy away. He did not avert his gaze. He wanted her to see that he was willing to try. A small step this might be, but it was one taken in the right direction.
“Thank you,” she said. “I will let them know.”
They said nothing for a moment. Isolde, her back against the railings. Cassian, standing just three feet in front of her. The full moon shone upon them. The silence of night was deafening, but not the type that carried weight. Rather, it allowed them both to acknowledge the moment and one another, no distractions, just truth.
Yes… Cassian wanted to be better. Or rather, he wanted to be who Isolde saw him as. No more running. No more hiding. His memories might have hurt; they might have been horrid things, but they were worth the pain if they brought love…
As that thought settled, a new one found its way into Cassian’s mind.
He still cared deeply for Isolde. He still loved her, as he had always done. And now that he was willing to admit that love to himself, he wondered if… was the timing right… should he…
His eyes flicked to her lips. His heart skipped a beat. Her eyebrows raised a little, her chest puffed out, hope passing behind her eyes. All Cassian would have to do was reach for her hand, pull her towards him, and kiss her as he had wanted to do since he first woke up all those weeks ago.
As she wants me to… I know that she does.
