Page 46 of Falling for the Beast

As soon as Aribelle wokeup,she knew it was later than she’d meant to sleep. The sun filtered through the curtains, and the clock proved her right, it was after ten. Rushing, she dressed in one of the outfits she’d ordered online. She grabbed her brush and ran it through her hair, then flew down the stairs and stopped short. Thaddeus was in his recliner reading. He glanced up at her, an uncertain look on his face. “I made muffins. They’re in the kitchen.”

“Thank you.” She went in and grabbed one, bringing it out to the living room. She sat on the couch and tucked her legs under her. “Did you sleep okay?”

He set his book down and came over to sit by her. “Yes.” He played with a strand of her hair.

She wasn’t sure how to bring up what had happened last night. They’d talked about the curse, but she hadn’t forced him to tell her where he’d been, or why he’d lied to her. It had seemed like an unimportant after what had happened, but today she felt like she needed to talk about it. She peeled the paper off the muffin. “You changed your mind about going out last night.”

A guilty look flashed across his face.

“What happened?”

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“What?” She stared at him, not understanding.

He shifted uncomfortably. “Go look in the dining room.”

She obeyed, crossing the room, unable to fathom what he was talking about. What could he have done in the middle of the night that would be a surprise for her? She entered the formal dining room and gasped.

Her father’s puzzle lay spread out on the table, exactly as it had been in her apartment. Not a piece was out of place. Tears flooded her eyes and she set her muffin down as her vision blurred.

Thaddeus put a hand on her shoulder, and she smiled up at him, blinking.

“Don’t cry.”

She threw her arms around him, crushing him to her. She didn’t know how he’d done it, but it was the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for her. He was the only one who knew what this puzzle meant to her. Knew how important it was for her to finish it. Preserve it somehow. She kissed his lips, a quick peck of gratitude. “How did you do it?” she asked.

“Magic.”

She gave him a flat look.

He chuckled. “I rolled it up in a piece of felt to transport it here.”

“Genius.” She laid her head on his chest, hugging him again. “Thank you.”

He patted her back. After a moment, she turned around and sat down at the table, wiping the tears away and picking up her muffin. Thaddeus joined her, sitting in the chair next to her.

“I’m sorry I got mad at you for leaving last night. I thought—”

“I should have warned you I was going out. I didn’t mean to lie to you.”

She took a bite of the muffin and looked through the pieces of the puzzle scattered before her.

They worked on it together, and every once in a while she would catch him looking at her in a way that made her heart beat faster. He was opening up more. Trusting her more. She could feel it…see it.

Last night had been a big step forward in their relationship. Not only had he shown her the piece of the curse he’d held back, but he’d kissed her and hadn’t run away. At last, he was starting to trust her. Her heart was elated.

As time wore on, she could tell he was becoming agitated. Finally, he stood. “You ready to go speak with Catherine?”

“Yes. I’m ready.”

He gazed into her eyes, a slight frown on his face. “Don’t be too disappointed if she turns you away.”

“I only want to talk to her.” That might not have been the entire truth. She wanted Catherine to take back the curse somehow.

He nodded once, then slipped into his jacket. “Okay.”

Aribelle buttoned up her new coat and went outside. It was a cold day, and she hoped it wasn’t a sign of what she would find at Catherine’s. She waited until Thaddeus had his helmet on and was straddling the motorcycle so she could slip on behind him. She put her arms around him and held on while he started the bike and headed down the driveway.

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