Page 37 of King of My Heart

He was somewhat wrong about me disliking him. But I only disliked him in certain moments. He was still my ex, though we never truly loved each other.

“I still want to know,” I told him, taking one last look at the license before putting it back. “You don’t have to tell me now if you think it will upset me. But…please promise me you will tell me soon.”

He glanced at me and sighed. “Fine.”

Good enough for me.

I reached over and patted my hand on his thigh lightly. “Thank you, Caz.”

His hand covered mine and lifted it to his lips, kissing the back of my fingers. I watched closely, and it looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn’t.

We sat in silence again. I didn’t allow myself to think about what it could’ve possibly been like if Julian’s relationship to Caspian wasn’t this broken.

He probably would’ve whined way less, and I wouldn’t have spent so many nights listening to him talk badly about Caspian.

Caspian, the man I was now spending my time with.

And had made out.

Caspian, my ex’s dad.

God…this is messy.

Chapter 10

DARWYNN

The beer and cider festival was perfect—just as I imagined it. Even Caspian enjoyed going from stand to stand to try different kinds of beer. He kept his baseball hat on but wasn’t wearing sunglasses. It didn’t help him see very well in the dim fairy lights hanging all over the stands, and luckily, no one did a double-take or asked if he was really the Caspian King.

He was enjoying himself, but he would never admit it. So I let him take it all in without constantly reminding him that he was currently being a normal guy doing everyday things.

We got the greasiest burgers from one of the stands and ate them as we walked back to the parking lot. After washing it all down with some water, we stood against the side of his car, looking over the water. It was a full moon that shone down over the water in the prettiest way, making the surface shimmer.

I took it all in. The calm. The contentment. Him.

The festival sounds were distant, replaced by the quiet lapping of waves against the dock and the occasional burst of laughter from festivalgoers heading back to their cars.

I didn’t let that bother us.

I glanced at him, taking in his softer-than-usual expression. I liked seeing him like this. Relaxed. Present.

“You had fun,” I said, nudging him with my shoulder.

He scoffed—something he was really good at. “It was tolerable.”

I laughed. “Good enough. I had fun. I like spending time with you.”

Caspian turned his head toward me, and I let his eyes wander over my face and body, letting him take in every inch of me as I kept mine on his face. His gaze lingered on my lips briefly before meeting my eyes again.

We both knew what was going to happen next. The tension had been there all evening, and I sure as hell wouldn’t interrupt it by asking him to take me home.

“Darwynn,” he murmured, turning more toward me. “Have you thought this through?”

I did think it through right after our kiss last night.

And right now, I wasn’t thinking.

I just acted.

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