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“Abigail—” God, it’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her I love her. But she’s so comfortable. She knows I care about her. I’m showing her how I feel. She feels it. She has to. So I don’t have to say it. I can do this her way. “I’ll be home tonight.”
“You will?”
I fucking love how excited she sounds about that. “Yes.”
“But…you have more to do there, right?”
“Nothing that’s more important than seeing you.”
“Oh.” She sounds…surprised by that.
That’s not okay. She shouldn’t be surprised that I’m putting her first.
“You know I want to be with you, right? More than all of this stuff here?” I ask.
“That ‘stuff’ is incredibly important, Torin. You need to be there. Not only because as prince you have a lot of priorities that are often going to come in front of my need…for hugs, but because you need to prove to your grandfather that you’re here to stay. You’ve been reluctant to step up. But now you can show him your heart is truly in this.”
Dammit. I know she’s sincere and I appreciate her support, but…no. Of course, my position is important. It will be even more so as time goes on. And no, it’s not a regular job. I get all of that. But I need this woman to know she is important. The most important thing.
And…
Fuck.
I want to know I’m the most important thing to her.
So much of my frustration is about where we stand with one another. When we were together twenty-four-seven, alone for the most part, on the ranch, with a singular focus, it was easy. I knew she was happy. I knew she wanted me.
But we were there, just us, for two months.
Jonah had said it would only take her one month—maybe two—to fall in love with me.
Well, it’s been all of that and she hasn’t said those words to me yet.
Then she let me go, to come back to the palace, easily.
She’s been fine with texting and calling. She has been the least clingy woman I’ve ever met from the very beginning, and it seems none of that has changed.
So, yes, Jonah’s voice is back in my head reminding me that she married me for practical reasons. Not because she’s in love with me.
As I’ve been falling deeper and deeper in love with her.
The farms are her prerogative. That’s what gets her attention, her time, and her passion.
I know that. I’ve known it all along.
How I’m feeling is my own fault.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t hate it.
“I will see you tonight, Princess,” I tell her. I keep it simple. But firm.
There’s a long pause on her end. Then she says, “Okay.”
Also simple.
Well, there will be time for more words.
Eventually.
