A smile spread across Layla’s face, a hint of mischief in her eyes that I’d never seen before. “I’ll take over the shop. If you tell Riven your true feelings. If I have to be brave and go after my dreams, then so do you.”
I laughed in disbelief, then stopped. She was right. Herman was right. I pinched the bridge of my nose, realizing I’d forgotten about my promise to take Riven out for dinner. Looks like I was out of excuses. It was time to face him.
“Deal,” I said.
Now I just needed to do it.
Chapter Nineteen
RIVEN
Isat in my room at the inn, elbows perched on my knees, hands steepled as I rested my chin on my fingertips. I shouldn’t have let Emma run away like that. In the moment, I’d thought it would be good to give her space, and then, I figured when we went out to celebrate later tonight, I’d tell her the truth: that I wanted her to come with me. And that if she couldn’t come with me, then we’d figure something out. I’d come back and visit as often as I could. If that wasn’t going to work, then I’d stay.
I’d do whatever it took to be with her.
These last few weeks had been amazing, and I wasn’t ready for it to end, not when it had just begun. I didn’t know what Emma wanted. She’d seemed upset about the tour letter, but that didn’t mean she wanted a relationship. That didn’t mean she’d leave Thistlegrove to go with me.
She said she just needed to go home and change, but she’d been gone for hours, and I’d been here waiting like an idiot.
I stood. I wasn’t going to wait anymore.
I’d go to her cottage, bang down the door if I had to. I’d tell her everything. Lay it all out there. No more holding back. No more secrets.
I took three long strides across the room, grabbing the handle and wrenching open the door—and stopping.
Emma stood there, fist raised like she was about to knock.
Her hair was swept up in its characteristic messy bun, curls spilling out from it. Her cheeks were pink, chest heaving like she’d been running.
And she was wearing the same thing she’d been wearing earlier: a simple green dress with long sleeves and an apron tied over it.
She pushed past me, walking into my room and pacing.
“Emma? Are you okay?” I asked.
She stopped, whirling to face me, blue eyes swirling with emotion. “This isn’t just a fling,” she said. “Not to me. And I know you’re Riven Shiu and can probably get any woman you want, and maybe that’s the whole fun of it. You travel and go from town to town and meet all these women and I was just a part of that experience. And if that’s the case, then okay. I get it. We can move on and pretend this never happened.”
I stared at her in shock, unable to believe she’d ever actually think that.
“But that’s not what I want.” She held my gaze.
I stilled. “Then what do you want?”
“I want to travel,” she said. “I want to see the world. I want to experience different foods and people and customs. I want to see the grand castles in the human lands.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “But mostly? I want you. I want a life with you.”
I nearly collapsed with relief. Those were the words I’d wanted to hear for so long, but I didn’t know what had changed, why all of a sudden she could see this future with me when it had never seemed like an option before.
“What—” I shook my head. “What about your father? The tea shop? Your life here?”
Her face fell. “It’s okay, Riven. Really. If this isn’t what you want, I won’t hold it against you?—”
I reached out, grabbing her arm and reeling her to me. My lips crashed against hers in a deep, crushing kiss that I hoped would silence every one of her doubts.
She pushed back, arching her neck to look at me with a question in her eyes.
“I love you, Emma Thorne,” I said. “I think I’ve loved you since that night in the institute where we almost kissed.”
Her jaw went slack.
