24. Odette
24
ODETTE
The room falls silent, the tension so thick it’s suffocating. Duncan stares at me, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I wonder if he’s going to explode, to lash out like he did in Vermont. But then he speaks, and I do a double-take.
“I’m sorry.” His words are tinged with regret. “I reacted badly, and I—” He exhales sharply. “I regret what I said.”
He seems sincere. Still, it could be an act. A ploy to get me to let my guard down.
I fold my arms over my chest, not bothering to hide my skepticism. “Do you?”
He nods and takes a step closer to me. “I do. I shouldn’t have said those things. I was angry, and I took it out on you. You didn’t deserve that.”
I stare at him, my heart pounding. I want to believe him. I really do. But trust doesn’t come easy, not after everything. “Why the sudden change of heart?”
A flicker of amusement crosses his face. “Chloe and Caleb came to see me.”
That would explain why Caleb left London abruptly, putting his own relationship in jeopardy.
I let out a sharp breath, still on edge. “I didn’t ask them to do that. I don’t need anyone to fight my battles, least of all with you. I’m perfectly capable of speaking for myself.”
He holds up both hands defensively, but his expression isn’t combative, it’s weary. “I know you are. Believe me, no one needs to tell me how capable you are. But, apparently, my kids think I need a good kick in the ass now and then, and they’re quite good at delivering it.”
I can’t help it, a small smile tugs at my lips. “Well, good for them, I guess. But if your goal is to sweet-talk me, it won’t work. My patience is thin, and my BS meter is pretty refined.”
He chuckles softly, and I hate that it does things to me. “I wouldn’t dare. I know better than to try.”
The tension between us eases just a little, enough for me to let my arms drop to my sides. I’m still wary, but he’s not the arrogant, domineering man I’m used to seeing. This version of Duncan is... different. Quieter. More thoughtful.
He glances around Aurora’s room again, his gaze lingering on the piano mural. “Azriel invited me here.”
“Tell me something I don’t already know,” I force out. “He brought you here , knowing full well all of your genetic offspring are under his roof. Why?”
“He wanted to show me what I couldn’t see before. What Aurora’s life is like. How much love she’s surrounded by, and how much she’s grown into who she is because of all of you. And how detrimental it would be to her to rip all this away.”
I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry, but I let him continue.
“But that’s not all he did,” Duncan continues, his gaze shifting back to me. “He also... put things into perspective for me. Chloe and Caleb did too. They told me about your relationship with Aurora. About everything you endured bringing her into this world. The sacrifices you make for her. All things I had no right to judge, things I didn’t even try to understand before I lashed out.”
I blink, stunned by the admission.
He exhales slowly, his hands dropping to his sides as if he’s surrendering to something he can’t fight anymore.
“I overreacted.”
“ Overreacted? That’s putting it mildly, don’t you think?”
“The things I said, they came from a place of ignorance and anger and fear. Mostly ignorance. I won’t make excuses for that. I was wrong to think them, much less say them. And I’m sorry. Truly. I can’t take back what I said, but I promise you it won’t happen again. I swear.”
This is... not what I expected. “I want all of that in writing.”
The sincerity in his voice feels real, and it means squat if we find ourselves in court in a few months. Or even weeks.
“Already done. Azriel had me sign the paperwork relinquishing all legal rights to Aurora. It was the only way he’d even let me through that door.”
“Smart man.”
“I would’ve done the same. After all, the best things in life are worth fighting for.” He takes a step closer to me, and I take an answering step back. “I wasn’t there for you when you needed me. I can’t undo that, but I can be here now. I just… I want to be part of her life. Part of your life. If you’ll let me.”
“Let you?” I take another step back. “Give me one good reason why I should.”
“I’m not here to take anything away from her or from you. I’m here to add to it, if I can.”
“By throwing your money around?”
“Not if I can help it. You have no reason to believe or trust me, I get that. But I want to earn that trust back. I’ll do whatever it takes, for however long it takes. And,” he adds, his gaze piercing mine, “if I wasn’t already so madly in love with you, after seeing all of this, seeing her, I would be now.”
His words catch me off guard. “ What? ”
“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.” As he speaks, he watches me, his expression fractured, as though each word costs him a piece of himself. “Funny thing is, I knew it back then, too.”
“You...” My voice falters, and I swallow around the lump that forms.
“The night we met, I knew.” His voice is low, hoarse. “Even though I didn’t fully understand it at the time, I felt it. A powerful, primal pull toward you. In here.” He places a palm over his chest, directly over his heart. “It never went away, it only got stronger with time. I’ve made so mistakes in life, but leaving you that morning? It’s one of my biggest regrets; right up there with fucking things up with Chloe and Caleb. And if I could go back, if I could do it all over again, I would. I’d make different choices. I’d stay.”
“No, no. You don’t get to play that card, Duncan.” I shake my head, forcing the tears back as they threaten to fall, my mind screaming at me to run before it’s too late. “You don’t get to waltz here, apologize, and then say... that , not after everything.”
“It’s not a trick, Odette.” He looks at me with such intensity it feels like he’s staring straight into my soul. “It’s the truth.”
“It’s cruel,” I snap, my voice breaking. “Dropping something like that on me, after threatening to destroy the life I built here for her, for us, it’s cruel.”
His face twists, hurt flashing in his eyes. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. Had I had known you were this close all along, I would’ve done things differently. I should have done things differently... but I didn’t, and I can’t change that. I can’t change the past, or undo the years I wasted, or the way I handled things with Aurora, or the pain I’ve caused. What I can do is promise you that I will do better. I’ll get it right this time. I don’t know if I deserve the chance, but I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. To Aurora. In whatever way you, Peyton, and Azriel will allow. Because I…”
His voice falters for a beat, and that’s what breaks me — this quiet, unrelenting truth in his voice. The air feels too thin as I stand there, taking in the storm of emotions cycling through him.
“I know exactly what I’m asking for here,” he continues, his voice quieter now. “I know what’s at stake. If I fuck this up, I lose you. Again. And I lose Chloe and Caleb, for good this time. But even with all of that, I know I’ll regret it even more if I don’t at least try. I’d rather risk it all than live the rest of my life knowing I didn’t try. Because you...” His throat shifts as he steps forward, this time my feet remain heavy-leaded. “You’re it for me, Odette. You always have been. You are my other half, the piece I’ve been missing all my life. You complete me.”
Tears blur my vision, spilling freely down my cheeks. His words are too much, too raw, and yet exactly what I’ve longed to hear without ever admitting it. My legs feel unsteady as I take a tentative step toward him, and then another, closing the distance between us until we’re inches apart.
“You complete me too,” I tell him, my voice trembling. “But I meant what I said in Vermont. I’m not good at romantic relationships. The few times I tried, things didn’t work out because... well, I’m a hard person to love, among other things.”
His expression twists painfully, as if the idea of me being unlovable physically hurts him. The tears keep coming, but I don’t care. He needs to hear this, to know the truth — my truth — stripped bare.
“I will never put you first, Duncan. Not in my life and my heart. You will never be my top priority, because Aurora owns that spot. She’s my life. She’s everything. As far as relationships go, the words Aurora and compromise do not go together in the same sentence. They don’t even exist on the same planet. It’s not up for debate or negotiation. Not now, not ever. Not many guys understand it. I’m not even sure you do. But if Peyton and Azriel are okay with it...” I draw a shaky breath, letting it out slowly. “Then I’m okay with it too.”
Duncan’s shoulders relax, albeit slightly, but I’m not done.
“You have a lot of work to do, though,” I tell him, my voice firmer now. “You need to apologize to Aurora. You need to win her trust back. Right now, she’s afraid of you and nobody wants that.”
His face falls at my words, a flicker of pain flashing in his eyes, but he nods. “That was never my intention. And you’re right, I have to fix it. I’ll start today. Right now, if I can. Whatever it takes, I’ll make it right. I’ll win her trust. I’ll prove to her and to you that I’m not the man I was.”
The fierce determination in his voice shakes something loose in me, and before I can second-guess myself, I close the final gap between us and fall into his arms. His arms envelope me, warm and solid, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel safe.
The world fades away, and all that’s left is us. Just two broken people clinging to each other in the wreckage of what might have been, and a promise of what could be. There are no words, just the quiet, shared understanding of two people who’ve been through hell and found their way back to each other.
“I love you,” he murmurs into my hair. “God, I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” I whisper back, clutching him tighter, my voice muffled against his chest. “But this is going to take time, Duncan. You have to be patient. With me. With Aurora.”
“I will.” His lips brush the crown of my head. “I’ll wait as long as it takes.”
His arms tighten around me, as though letting go isn’t an option. I let myself believe him, let myself hope that we’ll find a way to piece ourselves back together.