He had to stop letting tragedy define who he was.
Otherwise, his child would be marked by these things as well. Forever and ever.
He had to stop it.
He had fought to break the chain by stopping his bloodline. But he realized something now.
He had to break it even with his bloodline carrying on. And it was not something fate would handle for him.
He had to do it himself. He had to break those chains with his own hands.
And by God, he would.
Because Jessie loved him.
Despite all that she’d been through, she loved him.
Despite everything she knew and all the things she remembered, she loved him.
He did not remember everything. But he knew that when he drew his last breath he would remember seeing her for the first time. Remember watching her look at that painting. Remember her standing naked in his room ready to seduce him. He knew that those memories could become bigger than the ones that held all of his pain.
But only if you let them.
Only if you let this love be bigger than fear.
He stood up and turned the knob on his bedroom door. It was not locked.
Because he was not a prisoner. Not anymore. It was simply a matter of choosing to walk out of the cell.
And so he did.
For her.
For love.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
MARENHADPROVIDEDfood and fuzzy blankets upon Jessie’s arrival. She had shouted invectives and made physical threats of violence while Jessie cried.
“I will kill him!” Maren announced. “With...pillows. I’ll smother him.”
It almost made Jessie laugh.
“No, Maren, you don’t need to engage in soft murder on my behalf.”
It was clear that she was unnerved by the fact that it was not Jessie who was being bloodthirsty.
But she simply didn’t have it in her.
Not right now.
Mostly because she wasn’t angry at him, as much as she would like to be.
She was just sad.
“Love really does sound terrible,” said Maren.
“It is,” said Jessie. “But wonderful all at once. I wouldn’t trade it. I wouldn’t go back. Because I’m finally who I want to be because of all of this.”