Page 28 of Turret

Confusion puckered her brow…before her eyes widened. “Quinn?” she whispered.

My gaze darted to the door to ensure it was shut in order to block Quinn—who undoubtedly stood faithfully on the other side—from our conversation before I slowly nodded.

Melina didn’t speak for a long moment as she struggled to find the right words. “What happened?”

I wearily settled in a seat with a heavy sigh, already exhausted from the confrontation. Melina scooted a chair over and leaned close with a look inviting me to confide in her.

And suddenly I couldn’t my pain contained any longer. “You were wrong. He’s not in love with me at all. He told me so.”

Her breath caught and for an agonizing moment she stared in disbelief. “When did this happen?”

“Last week, after I confessed my own feelings for him.”

I half expected her to look triumphant that she’d accurately understood my love for my guard long before I did, but she only looked somber. “And…he rejected them?”

Her saying the words out loud confirmed them. A fresh stab of pain pierced my heart. “He did. I’ve not only been haunted by that moment all week, but the mirror just forced me to relive it in acute and agonizing detail.”

She continued to stare, seeming at a loss for words, while I sat miserably in silence. “There must be a reason he rejected you.”

“It’s because he doesn’t love me,” I said hollowly.

“I don’t believe that. You must tell me exactly what he said.”

I was certain it wouldn’t make a difference, but I forced myself to think back to that horrible moment in order to recall his exact words. “He said he was honored by my feelings before he tried to convince me I didn’t actually care for him the way I thought I did.”

Though she rolled her eyes, to my surprise she was smiling. “So he didn’t actually claimnotto love you.”

“That makes no difference. He doesn’t.”

She shook her head. “Hedoes, I’m certain of it. The way he looks at you…it’s how Corbin looks at me.”

My heart twinged in guilt at the mention of her fiancé. While Quinn didn’t seem to care for me the way I did for him, Melina had the assurance of being loved by the man who possessed her heart…yet no certainty of a future with him so long as she remained trapped within the tower. I wasn’t sure which was a worse fate.

“Have I told you the entire story of how Corbin and I got together?” she suddenly asked.

I was almost tempted to lie rather than invite her to share her happy love story, something which would be an unbearable recitation considering my own didn’t have a happy ending. But I reluctantly shook my head.

She took a long breath and began. “About a year before we got together, I shared my feelings with him. I’d noticed several encouraging signs that our friendship was deepening into something more, leaving me certain he’d reciprocate my feelings…only for him to reject them.”

I’d never heard about this part of her romance. “He did? But…you two are engaged. How did that happen if he initially rejected you?”

Her smile was wistful. “Our engagement is only the end of the story, not the journey it took to get to this point.”

I only continued to stare. “But…he must love you, so why would he reject your feelings?”

She sighed. “Because as dear as our men are, they suffer from an ailment known as manly pride. I later learned that Corbin had been terrified of accepting my feelings due to his circumstances. He comes from a poor background and grew up witnessing his father’s regret at being unable to adequately provide for his wife and family. Corbin absorbed these feelings and grew to fear marriage because he believed any woman he chose would be miserable in the life he had to offer.”

“What changed his mind?” I asked.

She smiled. “Love. In the end, it was an emotion stronger than his fears. Our feelings for one another made it too difficult to remain apart, so he finally discussed his reservations with his parents…only for them to assure him how happy they were together. Knowing his mother didn’t regret marrying his father finally gave Corbin the courage to pursue a relationship with me.” She leaned forward, her expression earnest. “Love initially kept my beau away from me, even if at the time I didn’t know that was the reason. I’m wondering if something similar is happening between you and Quinn.”

I ached to cling to the hope she offered, even as I fought to keep the emotion buried. “But…what reason would Quinn have for staying away?”

She shrugged. “It could be anything. But despite his distance, I recognize the way he looks at you. Nor are you the only one who’s been suffering this past week; your pain is hurting him…and not because he’s your guard. His care for you is deeper than honor and duty. Don’t give up hope. With time, I believe things will work out.”

She left me alone. For a long moment I simply sat there, allowing her words to seep over me.CouldQuinn possibly care and was choosing to stay away for a reason other than indifference? The hope I fought to suppress tugged on my heart once more, urging me to believe.

And part of me did. My handmaiden’s story hadn’t ended when she’d been rejected, even when she’d believed it had. It’d taken time along with many twists and turns for her to achieve her happy ending…but in the end it’d come. I wasn’t sure whether an engagement was part of my own tale, but in this moment I allowed myself to believe my own story hadn’t ended either.

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