Page 40 of Of Curses and Beauty

His arms hung limp at his sides, but he raised his chin and let her see him, let her see all of him. Every scar and broken piece, but also the hope and desire he knew radiated from him because of her.

Her head began swinging back and forth, barely perceptible at first and then with fervor. “No,” she said. “No, no, no, no, no.”

Keeping the distance between them, he squatted, so he might be closer to her level as she sat on the ground. “No what, Alaine?”

She closed her eyes as he spoke her name and something like ecstasy passed over her face, there and gone in the blink of an eye.

“I can’t. I’m not strong enough.” Her eyes opened though she kept them downcast, unable or unwilling to meet his stare.

His brows drew together, but he waited for her to continue.

“I’m betrothed,” she whispered.

He nodded, but it went unseen.

“I must marry Lord Baxter for my family, for myself. I have to save them.” She spoke as though convincing herself, her hands clenched into fists atop her skirt. “I thought I could do it. I thought I was strong enough, but that was before. It was so much easier to say yes when I thought you were only a dream. How can I go through with this when you stand before me as real as the sun and as perfect as the dawn?”

He rose and took a tentative step forward, bolstered when she didn’t flinch or move away. Before he could think better of it, he rushed to her, dropping to his knees and taking her in his arms. She didn’t fight him this time, flinging her arms around his middle as she pressed her face to his shoulder. She trembled in his grasp and he pulled her closer, wishing he could lend her strength through physical touch alone.

“Oh, Daric,” she cried, her voice muffled in the fabric of his jacket. Realizing it, she pulled back enough to see his face. “I feel as though I am drowning. I see you and I know you are my savior, but I fear the only way to keep my family afloat is to let myself be pulled under.”

He brought his hands up to cup her face, his thumbs gently brushing away the trails of tears. Though he could barely feel her through the numbing cold, he marveled at being in her proximity. He would swear the sunlight chose that moment to peek through the clouds. When her words finally breached the wall of his blissful ignorance, he became extremely aware of the fragility of their moment together. The damp cold soaked through his pants, reminding him that reality was all around them. No longer could they hide from the world in their enchanted cottage.

“I meant what I said, Alaine.” He stared into her eyes, willing her to see the truth reflected in his own. “I needed to find you—to see that you are safe—and I have done that. Of course, I hoped that we could be something more, that we could continue what was started in that little cottage without the shadow of the curse above our heads. But I could not in good conscience ask you to put aside the well-being of yourself or your family to be with me. If marrying this man—” The words caught in his throat and he struggled against the emotion that choked him. “If marrying this man to save your family is what you want, I will respect your wishes. Tell me that this choice will make you happy and I will be satisfied.”

Her tears began to fall anew and he leaned forward to press his forehead to hers.

He continued in hushed tones so that not even the trees could overhear what was meant for her ears alone. “No matter what you decide, I want you to know that you are loved.”

She sobbed and it broke his heart, but he needed to get the words out before he lost his nerve.

“You are loved and cherished and respected, and you are worthy of it a thousand times over. Your mind is beautiful. Your soul is beautiful. And the world is infinitely better with you in it. Against time and distance, we found each other. I am grateful for the time we had together, however brief it may have been. I wish you peace and happiness in whatever path you walk. Know that there is nothing that you could do to make me stop loving you.”

He let his tears run freely, their combined despair salting the ground between their knees. Far above their heads, a bird cawed, its shrill call echoing like the peal of a bell, calling them back to reality. As though they’d reached some unspoken agreement, they struggled to their feet, both looking worse for the wear.

“Let’s get you back home and warm,” he said, turning to leave those accursed woods.

He’d barely turned his back to her, then he felt her hand at his elbow, pulling him back.

“If the choice were mine, it would be you.” Her voice was feather soft, but he still caught the words.

He tried and failed to put a smile on his face, nodding solemnly. “I know.”

Chapter 36

Alaine

Ontheirwalkbackfrom the forest, Daric recounted his recent encounter with the witch. Alaine’s head spun from the knowledge that the witch had supposedly had good intentions from the start. She certainly wasn’t as quick to forgive as Daric seemed to be, but she supposed the witch must have been quite convincing to smooth over all his years of trauma.

She and Daric parted ways before her family home came into view. Leaving him went against every instinct she possessed, but she knew introducing him to her family would be more trouble than it was worth. Besides, she didn’t need anything to hinder her marriage to Baxter, not when she was so close to freeing her family from this mess. It didn’t stop her from turning to look back at him until he disappeared amidst the rolling, grassy hills.

When she arrived at her family’s doorstep, Alaine felt like she’d left a part of herself behind in the woods. She looked back once more to where woods had beckoned her all those months ago. Though she could no longer see him, she raised her hand in farewell to Daric, to freedom, to the little girl who’d dared to hope for more and the woman she could have been.

Alaine turned back to the door, taking in the chipped green paint and crumbling façade. Never before had she noticed these minor imperfections. She was surprised they passed her mother’s scrutiny, but then it had always been only Alaine who failed to live up to her mother’s expectations.

There were tears in her eyes as she opened the door, but she refused to let them fall. She had pitied herself enough. It was time she accepted her responsibilities.

No sooner had she crossed the threshold than her mother pounced, bombarding her with questions about her whereabouts and demanding answers about her state of dress.

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