Chapter 10 #2
Shyness crept over me as he walked toward me, my heart pounding in my chest in anticipation, but he didn’t leave one second for awkwardness.
The moment he reached me, he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me.
Soundly. His bare hands were warm despite the chill of the night, and his lips were even warmer as they moved against mine.
I opened my senses all the way and let the smell and feel and taste of him wash over me.
I’d imagined this, imagined kissing Ernesto Garcia many times before I met him in real life.
I’d imagined kissing Neto all the time since meeting him, but my imagination paled in comparison to the reality of it.
He pulled back. “Anne, I’m so sorry for not kissing you in front of my family.
I would never want you to feel like I was ashamed of you.
And it’s not that I didn’t want them to know how I feel about you, I’ve been telling them since I first saw you at that rehearsal.
I just didn’t want to share this moment. ”
I stilled. Before today, I hadn’t dared hope that this could be anything more than a temporary diversion. But now? I didn’t know what I wanted my life to look like going forward, only that I wanted him in it.
I leaned forward and brought my lips to his again. I probably would have kept kissing him forever but with my senses turned up I heard the approach of footsteps.
“Somebody’s coming,” I said against his lips.
He groaned softly. “Does that mean I have to stop kissing you?”
I considered just ignoring whoever had the audacity to interrupt my wildest dreams coming true, but then—
“Elizabeth, wait!” Darcy called.
A sharp inhale, then faltering footsteps followed his shout.
Elizabeth Bennet had come again?
I peeked around the gazebo and glimpsed Darcy pacing in front of Elizabeth, one hand holding tight to an old baseball cap he sometimes used when he was out in disguise.
A brief but awkward pause followed, and Neto raised an eyebrow at me. I held a finger to my lips and shook my head slightly.
“How are you?” Darcy asked Elizabeth.
“I’m fine,” she said. Even if her cool tone and lack of reciprocating didn’t give it away, in the language of women, that meant Elizabeth was definitely not fine.
Darcy paced again, and his own nerves transferred to me as I realized just how much my cousin cared for her. But before he had any chance of winning her heart, he’d have to figure out why she was so upset and—
“These last few months have been torture, Elizabeth,” he said. “Ever since I met you at Club Meryton, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
Her sharp inhale was all I could hear before Darcy forged ahead. My brave, stupid cousin.
“Our families are so different that any relationship between us is almost laughable. I know that, but knowing it doesn’t seem to have any effect on how I feel.
I’ve fought against my better judgment, my family’s expectations as the crown prince, your family’s wild impropriety, and even against your status as a half-witch, half-fae, but none of that matters.
Please put me out of my misery and say you’ll be mine. ”
If I’d thought the last silence was awkward, it was nothing compared to the one that settled between them now.
Neto leaned closer and whispered in my ear, “Is your cousin always so terrible with women?”
I held back a sigh and nodded. Seriously, what was Darcy thinking? What sort of idiot insults the girl he’s trying to woo?
Finally, Lizzy spoke. “In situations like this I’m probably supposed to say thank you, even if I don’t feel the same way about you.
But I can’t. I’ve never asked for you to care about me, and it’s clear you don’t even want to, so I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you.
It definitely wasn’t on purpose, but I’m sure that the reasons you gave for not wanting to like me will soon help you get over your feelings. ”
I frowned and had to resist the urge to go to Darcy’s defense. Yes, he was terrible with women, but didn’t she remember what I’d told her about how once he was loyal to someone, nothing could shake Darcy’s friendship?
“That’s all you’re going to say?” Darcy’s tone grew sharp. “Should I even bother asking why you’ve turned me down so rudely?”
“Only if you want me to ask why you thought it was a good idea to tell me that you liked me against your will, against your reason, and even against your better judgement. How else was I supposed to take that except as an insult?” Lizzy’s tone matched his, her heavy breathing evident from where I stood.
“But if that wasn’t enough of a reason for me to be rude, I’ve got plenty of other reasons. ”
“Do tell?” His voice dropped.
I chewed on my lip. We really shouldn’t be listening to this, but there was no way to escape without drawing their attention.
“Do you really think I could ever care for the person who destroyed Jane’s chance at happiness?”
For a moment, the only noise was the sound of their frustrated breathing and the pouring rain, but Neto’s comforting hand on my back helped ease the ice spreading through me at Lizzy’s words. Oh no, did she mean…
“Do you deny it?” Lizzy asked.
“Why should I?” Darcy crossed his arms over his chest. “I did everything in my power to keep Charles away from Jane, and I don’t regret it. No matter how it makes me look, protecting him comes first. I’ve been kinder to him on that point than I have to myself.”
I shivered as the realization hit me fully. Lizzy’s sister was the one Darcy had warned Charles away from, and I’d told Lizzy about it. Without even meaning to, I’d ruined Darcy’s chance with the girl he seemed to be in love with.
Neto wrapped his arms around me, warming me.
“That’s not my only reason for not liking you,” Lizzy continued.
Darcy winced but quickly covered it up with his political mask.
“I heard about what you did to Wickham all those years ago. How could you have done something so cruel to him?”
Darcy’s eyes flared, and he took a single step closer to her. “Why are you so interested in Wickham?”
“Who wouldn’t be interested in a terrible story like his? He’s been through so much.”
Darcy snorted. “Whatever he’s been through, it was his fault.”
“How could you say that when you’re the one who severed ties with him, basically cutting him off from the only family he knew? And now you’re mocking him. I can’t believe you.”
“So that’s how you see me? No wonder you don’t like me.
” Darcy leaned forward until they were close enough that they could’ve kissed.
There were enough sparks flying between them, but these seemed more likely to start a fire that would burn them both.
“Maybe you could have overlooked my shortcomings if I hadn’t revealed my hesitations about our relationship.
Yes, I could’ve hidden it or flattered you instead, but I thought you were a woman who appreciated the truth.
I should’ve known that it would be too much for your pride to handle—”
I inhaled sharply, but there was nothing to be done but let the trainwreck play out in front of us.
“My pride? That’s rich coming from you after you called out my family for being so far beneath you.” Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. “But it doesn’t matter. At least your terrible confession means I don’t have to feel guilty about refusing you.”
Darcy blinked, paling slightly as if struck into silence.
“But even if you had said all the right things in all the right ways,” Lizzy continued, her voice heated with rage, “you are the last male on earth I’d ever want to marry.”
The two stood together, locked in a battle of wills for a long moment while the rain poured around them. I held my breath, afraid to somehow breathe wrong and affect the situation any more than I already had.
“I understand your feelings perfectly,” Darcy’s voice was closer to a whisper now and he leaned forward as if he was fighting the urge to kiss Elizabeth even now.
“Forgive me for wasting your time.” He spun on his heel and walked off, leaving Elizabeth standing there in the cold for a few more long moments.
She eventually left, and I turned back to Neto, heart pounding.
“That was painful to witness,” he said.
“It was.”
He took my hand and we walked together back to his car. “I didn’t know about Wickham’s history with the prince,” Neto said. “He never talks about it.”
I felt guilty for disclosing Darcy’s part in making sure Jane and Charles’s relationship never really took off, yet it was probably better for Elizabeth to know.
When Darcy had told me he’d prevented his friend from making a terrible mistake, I’d trusted that he’d done what was best. But hearing Elizabeth’s perspective…
I wasn’t so sure my cousin had done the right thing.
Would he advise me to stay away from Neto?
I shoved the question away as we reached his car.
He kissed me again, slowly and thoroughly, like we had all the time in the world.
As I watched him drive away, I wondered how much time we would have.
And for the first time, I let myself hope it would last.