Page 75 of Her Sweet Surrender
“You know I love Thane as much as you love Kylie.”
He furrowed his brow in pain but nodded.
“Like you, I can’t imagine a future without him. But when Hope’s heart-rate started to drop dangerously low while giving birth, I silently begged for my life to be taken so hers would be spared. I know that Kylie felt the same way about your little girl.”
He shook his head violently, but Brie said firmly, “Faelan, I would have gladly given up my life with Sir, because Hope is more important than either of us.”
“No!”
Brie smiled at him compassionately. “Your little girl was created out of love and is a part of you both.”
“I have a secret of my own, Brie.”
She held her breath, troubled by his somber tone.
Letting out a ragged sigh, he confessed, “I wish the baby had never been born.”
They stood together in silence as the truth filled the space between them.
Although his words sounded heartless, Brie knew it was his love for Kylie that spurred them.
Faelan shook his head angrily. “Sheknewsomething terrible was going to happen and I ignored her.”
“No! Dr. Glas said her vitals were good. How many times did he check in on her? And she always said she was fine but nervous. Kylie didn’t know any more than we did.”
“She was terrified, Brie.That’swhy she asked you to come.” He groaned. “And now, we know why…”
Brie understood he was condemning himself for what happened. She suspected he was replaying every aspect of the day, questioning every decision he made, wondering what he could have done to prevent her from dying.
She knew from experience that what-ifs served no purpose.
“Faelan, I remember something Captain told me after the plane crash. It seemed coldhearted when he said it back then, but it has carried me through some difficult moments since.”
“What?” Faelan asked, his voice gruff with emotion.
“It is never wise to concern ourselves with what-ifs.”
He growled, not appreciating Captain’s simple but profound advice.
Brie continued, “Your daughter is depending on you, Faelan. You have to concentrate on recovering from this unexpected loss. She needs her father to be well.”
He frowned, shaking his head as he stared at the ground. “I am a man of extremes, Brie. When I love, I’m all in.” He glanced up at her. “I was that way with you and Mary. But Kylie was different because she loved me back with the same intensity I loved her.”
Tears pricked Brie’s eyes as she nodded.
“Kylie was everything to me, my best parts. I’m nothing without her.”
Brie reached out to him. “That’s not true.”
He looked her dead in the eye. “You want the real truth?”
She nodded, holding her breath.
“Now that she’s gone, my only thought—my only desire—is to join her.”
Goosebumps rose on Brie’s skin at the finality of those words. “Kylie would never want that!”
Faelan snarled. “You can’t speak for her.”
