Page 53 of The Aether

“Among others. Your husband comes to mind, though.”

Vivian smiled, although she didn’t exactly think his comment was amusing. “Yes. Damian is the king of secrets.

Lifting his cool eyes to hers, he nodded. “But he’s a good man, Viv. The best, really. Never forget it, okay?”

“I’ll try not to,” she replied softly.

“It’s harder to see when you’re in it, but your husband would move mountains for you and your children. He’d kill for you without a moment’s regret.”

“I know that.”

“If you do, then what’s the problem?”

“I’m not sure he’s forgiven me for leaving or for the years he missed with Sabrina.”

“If he didn’t forgive you, you wouldn’t be here. He wouldn’t let someone close to him if he didn’t trust them.”

“You think?”

“Iknow.” Castor rose and claimed the spot next to her. Gripping the brass bars of the footer, he shrugged. “Damian saved me when I was a lost teenager. He took me in when I had nobody to give a shit one way or the other.” Meeting her gaze, expression stark, Alex shook his head. “Did he ever tell you that I’d tried to rob him and Alastair after I ran away from home? No?” A wry smile curled his lips. “I was a cocky shit back then.”

“You still are,” Vivian said with a light laugh.

“True.” He nodded his acknowledgment. “Your husband could’ve punished me, but he formed a pact with Al. Their goal was to teach me right from wrong. They trained me to be a formidable man who’ll never be victimized again.”

Her heart went out to the scrawny teenage boy who felt the need to escape his awful family. “Your brother, Loman, did a number on you, didn’t he?”

“And Ronan, too.” Alex swallowed hard. “I’m just sorry I wasn’t there for him like Damian was for me.”

“He turned out all right.”

“It’s truly a miracle, yeah.” In his deep emotional state, Castor forgot himself, and Vivian could hear a hint of Irish accent.

“I’m glad Damian helped you.” She placed a hand on his forearm. “And I imagine, deep down, you still feel undeserving, but that’s not true. Youdodeserve good things, Alex.”

His mouth twisted in a slight grimace before he smoothed his features. “All I’m saying is that an unforgiving asshole doesn’t do what Damian did for me. If you ask him, he’ll tell you he forgave you a long time ago, Viv.”

Tears burned her eyes, threatening to spill, and she blinked to gain control.

A thoughtful light filled Alex’s eyes. “Ah.”

“What?”

“You don’t forgive yourself.”

CHAPTER19

Was it true? Was Vivian the problem? Was her inability to forgive herself for separating father and daughter during Sabrina’s formative years keeping her at a distance?

Maybe.

Probably.

Yes.

Vivian shook her head as she held Nate tighter to her.

He didn’t protest her firm hold and, instead, raised his arm, flattening his tiny hand over her heart. Calmness settled over her. An odd sense of rightness. Had her son done that?

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