Page 84 of Claimed By the Fae Lord

Old hurts and despair bubbled up to the surface, remembering the terrible things he'd flung in my face. My eyes burned and I took a shuddering breath.

“I have to say something to you, Liam. If I don’t, I don’t think I’ll ever get past it.”

“Then please say it.”

“I never acted against you. I didn't go out of my way to hurt you as you did to me. The thought never even entered my mind. I actually considered abandoning them and running back to you. Then after … after the Lunar Ball, I believed there was no hope. You were already moving on to other females while I couldn’t stand the thought of someone else touching me. I thought I must have been mistaken about your feelings.”

“Raina—”

“Please let me finish.”

His exhale was a long enough pause for me to continue.

“But the thing that showed your true animosity, was when you accused me of being an opportunist and having involvement in my parents machinations.”

Unable to hold them back, the tears spilled down my face.

"I know," he whispered. “I was lost in my own pain, not just at losing you but the thought you didn’t want me enough to even try. When your parents reached out to my father to discuss termination, they led him to believe you were the one who wanted out.”

“That’s not true. They didn’t even tell me until after it was done.” If I didn’t loathe them before, I definitely did now.

“I know that now. At the time, however, I allowed my grief and resentment to rule my conduct. I acted rashly and I am so very sorry for it. There's no excuse I can give you to make any of it right. There is no apology that can erase it.”

Gently, so gently, his warm hand cupped my face and his thumb wiped my tears.

“Then how do we get past it?” I feared I never would.

He was silent a moment, then, “I could let you skewer me with your spear. In multiple places. That might make you feel better.”

“Liam—”

“Or, you could lock me in a room with Mirrelle and Gunnar for a week. I’m not sure there’s a worse torture at this point.”

This time I gave a small laugh. Then a yawn.

Liam leaned forward and brushed his lips to mine. “You need sleep, flower.”

“But—”

“Shh. We have time. I’ll be right beside you all night and for the foreseeable future.”

“Okay.”

Liam slapped my hip playfully. “Now turn over and get some rest. I know you prefer to sleep on your other side.”

I huffed and rolled over, tempted to scoot back and snuggle up against him. Instead, I closed my eyes and curled into a ball like I used to when I was young.

“Goodnight, flower.”

“Goodnight, Liam.”

I couldn’t believe I’d had the opportunity to confront him and it didn’t turn into some aggrieved argument over who’d been wronged the most. In fact, Liam seemed to want to shoulder the blame.

He had much to shoulder, but I’d done nothing to keep us together, to even make him feel like I wanted to stay with him.

A sea of unsaid things stretched between us, though we were only inches apart. Instead of feeling like it would be an insurmountable task to cross it, I actually felt that spark of hope grow, the light stretching and reaching for the dark parts inside me.

It was with that comforting thought I found myself in the land of dreams—and gods it was delicious.

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