“I don’t think it will,” he murmured. “I think this is going to last. I want it to last. I think you do too. Tell me you want this to last.”
She bit her lip.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he breathed.
He loosened his grip on her arm, making it clear to her that he wouldn’t hold her against her will. She could pull away from him if she wanted to. She could stop this. He wouldn’t prevent that from happening. He would be sad about it, but he wouldn’t force her.
But she didn’t pull away.
He let out a sigh of relief, leaned in, and kissed her.
And with everything she possessed, she kissed him back.
There could be no doubting her feelings for him after a kiss like that. There could be no mistaking what she wanted. She might find it hard to say, but that didn’t make it untrue. She loved him. She could argue all she wanted, pull away from him all she wanted, but her love for him was real.
That was all he needed to know.
She could put up these walls for now if that was what she wanted to do. That didn’t bother Thomas at all. He had plenty of time. Years, if that was what it took. She would come around eventually, and he would be waiting for the day when she did.
She pulled away from the kiss and looked up at him.
“I’m frightened,” she whispered.
“Trust me.”
“It’s not you I’m afraid of. It’s myself. It’s my curse. I don’t want anything to happen to you, Thomas.”
“But you do love me.”
“It’sbecauseI love you that I couldn’t bear it! Can’t you see that? It would destroy me if I were to lose you now!” A tear made its way down her cheek.
“I know,” he whispered. “I know because I feel just the same. If I lost you, I don’t know what I would do. Don’t take yourself away from me, Madeleine. Stay with me. Please.”
She sighed and leaned on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, his heart singing for joy.
She did love him. And as much as she might fear her curse, he could see that her resistance was beginning to crumble. She wanted to let herself give in.
He would help her find the courage to do that and not pull away from him again.
He kissed her again, briefly this time, just enough to leave him with the taste of her lips on his, and then he let her go. She lingered for a moment, then left the library with her book still in hand.
He watched her go.
The nightmares had triggered the resurgence of worry about her curse. He was sure of it. If the herbs her uncle had sent were effective, she could leave those nightmares behind her and embrace her future with confidence.
He very much hoped that the herbs would work—both for her sake so she could get a restful sleep and for his own.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR
Madeleine awoke feeling wonderfully refreshed and as light as a feather. It took her a moment to realize why.
She’d had no nightmares the night before.
In fact, her dreams had been lovely. She had been walking in a meadow with Thomas by her side, and unlike in real life, she had known she had nothing to worry about. She hadn’t feared the curse. She hadn’t worried that some terrible fate might befall him. She’d just enjoyed being with him, purely and simply.
That’s how life could be if I just decided to let it.
Suddenly she was irritated with herself for believing in the curse as long as she had. Curses weren’t real. She had let the fear of this thing control her life for far too long.
