Page 123 of The Princess and the Fraud

“If you didn’t have your deadline, I wouldn’t marry you,” I told him, and now I curled my fingers around his, returning the pressure. “I’d want to get to know you over time, to find out every little thing about you, and to show you every little thing about me. But even though you don’t have time for that, I’m not sacrificing anything. I still would’ve chosen you either way.”

Aaron looked down as he swallowed, almost as if my words had hit him too hard in the chest. “It was never a choice between you and Caroline. I was choosing between a dream that wasn’t mine and a dream that was. I was choosing between a run-down house and a cello.”

“A horrible house,” I agreed. “With ugly paint.”

A ghost of a smile touched his lips.

“When did you… choose the cello?”When did you decide it wasn’t her?

“Yesterday morning.” Aaron cringed, almost like the admission was embarrassing. “Hours before we were supposed to… I knew it was wrong. I’d been forcing myself not to think of it all week, forcing myself to believe I was doing what I needed. I thought I could live with it. And I was out walking the grounds again, looking for a reason to stay on the path I was on, but really, I was only looking for you.”

The words settled over me.I was only looking for you. “And you called it off?”

“I texted her. Blocked her. She knocked on my hotel room door, but I didn’t answer. Funnily enough, I got a ‘please leave the premises notice’ this morning.” Aaron gave a small chuckle. “Can you believe that’s happened twice now?”

My lips couldn’t help but twitch. “Knowing you…”

“I’m sure her parents will make up a grand thing, about how I manipulated and embarrassed their daughter, but I don’t care what they think. I only care about you.” He coasted his thumb along the back of my hand. “When I’m with you, I’m not putting on a performance I know people want to see. I’m not thinking ten steps ahead. I’m just… at peace. I was the first person you told about the cello, and you’re the first person who’s made me feel like I’m enough, just as I am. Not as Aaron Astor.” He spoke reverently. “Just Aaron.”

A warmth spread through me, something deeper than just the relief of hearing him speak his truth. I couldn’t help the smile that crept across my face as I watched him, this man who’d spent so long running from his own desires, finally choosing himself. It was like a weight lifted off his shoulders, and the thought of him stepping into his own life, free from the pressure of expectations, was like an exhale of relief. For both him and me.

I smiled at him, not just because of what he said, but because of what it meant. I’d spent so long trying to hold on to my mother’s dream, to the life I thought I should want. And now, seeing Aaron step into his own life, free from the weight of his past, I realized I was doing the same thing. We were both choosing ourselves now, together.

We’d both jumped from our metaphorical bridges. Together.

“I like just Aaron.” I leaned an inch closer, staring into his brown eyes. “I like him a lot.”

Aaron lifted a hand to once more smooth my bangs from my eyes, peering right back as if he marveled at me. “And you, Lovisa Hahn, are everything I’ve been waiting for.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Wow, way to make my confession sound lame in comparison?—”

Aaron didn’t let me finish. With his hand still resting on the side of my face, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.

I immediately relaxed into the kiss, into him, a wonderful wave of warmth crashing through me. It was so starkly different from our first kiss in terms of passion and intensity, but the emotion was just as strong. The softness of his lips touching mine was like the seal of a promise, surrendering to our future together. Our fingers were still tangled, and my free hand reached out and cupped the elbow of the hand that caressed my face, holding onto the moment. But this time, it wasn’t out of fear of letting go.

I kissed Aaron deeper, wedging myself as close as I could, savoring the scent and taste and touch of him. We’d both jumped together, freefalling into a future we could create all on our own.

And this new beginning happening on the porch of my mother’s dream house felt too perfect. Too much like fate.

We both parted for small gasps of air, and Aaron released my fingers, but didn’t stray far. His hand slid around my waist and pressed against my back, holding me close. I could’ve smiled at how easily he’d moved, almost instinctively.See, I wanted to tease.Your bodydoesjust know how to move. And he said he didn’t understand love.

I slid both of my hands to his hips, hooking my fingers in the beltloops of his jeans. “Do you want to get married?” I asked in a casual tone, trying to pretend I wasn’t lightheaded. “I don’t have anything going on this afternoon.”

Aaron traced his fingertip along my temple. “No.”

I frowned. “Don’t tell me you’ve gotanothergirl lined up.”

Now a full smile touched his lips. “No?—”

“If you start again about me chasing other people’s dreams for them?—”

“It’s not my dream.” Aaron leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the temple he’d just touched. “Not right now, at least. It isn’t something I want to rush into.”

Okay, I understood the sentiment, but—“Five million dollars, Aaron.”

“And I’d be duping my grandmother just to get it.” Aaron smoothed his thumb over the top of my hand. “She wouldn’t have wanted me to rush into it just for money’s sake. She would be upset if I did. And I would be… disappointed in myself, too, if that’s why I did it.”

I eyed him closely, unsure. “You can really live with letting that kind of money go?”

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