“I’m not.”
His head jerked up. The tremulous smile on her face and the emotion brimming in her eyes set off dread in his heart that spread through his body like poison.
No. She can’t possibly...
“Because your stepfamily is taken care of?” he asked with a casual indifference he didn’t feel.
“No. Daxon turning out to be such a horrible person...it was freeing.” She chuckled. “Learning what a horrible person he was, witnessing it for myself, it was like any desire I had to form a relationship with him just dried up. It was almost like when I made the decision to leave Kansas, as if chains had fallen off and I was suddenly free of this weight I’d created for myself. I had nothing but what I wanted out of my life. And the last couple of weeks, learning my royal duties, finding my passion again in working with the schools... I feel more like myself than I have since I was a child.”
He suppressed a sigh of relief. Perhaps he had misunderstood what he’d read in her gaze. Perhaps she was just overcome with happiness at having a purpose.
“I’m glad.”
“As am I.” She brought his hand up, her fingers lightly dancing across his knuckles, the back of his hand in absent caresses that stoked the heat in his blood.
“Cass...” She sucked in a deep breath. “In finding my confidence, I also came to realize how important you’ve become to me. Not just because of what you’ve done for my stepfamily or because of what you’re doing for Linnaea.”
No. No, no, no.
“Briony—”
She placed a finger over his lips.
“Cass, please let me say this.”
He watched her, not trusting himself to move. He would either kiss her senseless or flee. Neither option was a good one.
“I want to marry you, Cass. Not because I have to, but because I want to. I feel like I belong here, like I’ve found my home. Part of it is Linnaea, but a large part of it is you.” Her smile grew wider. “Because I—”
“Stop!”
Cass stood in one swift motion and pushed Briony’s hand away as he stalked over to the window. He stared out over the frozen landscape, his chest rising and falling as his heart raced. She’d been on the verge of saying it, saying the words that would ruin everything.
He focused on the line of trees in the distance, followed their trunks and snow-covered branches with his eyes as he slowly distanced himself from the emotions waging war inside his chest. When he’d at last regained control, he slowly turned to face Briony.
She sat on her bed amid a tangle of sheets, shoulders thrown back with the confidence of royalty. Pride surged through his defenses. She was more of a royal than Daxon could ever hope to be.
She would have made an excellent partner.
He acknowledged that thought with a measure of regret before he quashed it and buried it deep.
“I regret to inform you, Briony, that I must terminate our arrangement.”
To her credit, she didn’t dissolve into tears or throw a fit like other past lovers had. No, she just continued to stare at him, eyes searching for answers he couldn’t give.
“Why?” she finally asked, her voice low and surprisingly emotionless given that just moments ago she’d been on the verge of saying something quite emotional.
“The dynamics of our relationship have changed. We will no longer suit.”
“Because of what I almost just said?”
“Yes. I cannot return the sentiments you almost shared.”
She cocked her head. “I believe you already have.”
His chuckle filled the room, dark and caustic.
“You’re imagining things, Briony.”