AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She could kiss him for hours because he tasted so perfect. She had thoroughly explored his mouth the night before, and she wished to bite his soft, pink lips once more. She knew that if it had just been a matter of passion, she could have easily dismissed him — but it was not.Every time she thought of him and the promise in his eyes, she couldn't help but remember his words. She wanted to get to know him better. She wanted to ask him where he had been for so long and if he missed his home. She wanted to ask him about his childhood, his life, and anything else that piqued his interest. His soul called to her, and all she wanted was to align her soul with his. There was an undeniable bond between them, and she was not about to let it go for any reason.
She suddenly sat up straight after hearing a knock on her door. She wondered who would come to visit her at this hour in the afternoon. It was Bryce.
“Bryce!” she said happily as she opened the door completely to allow him entrance. He entered her room and sat on her bed, as he had done countless times before. Edna had always felt at ease in his presence and thoroughly enjoyed his company.
“How are ye, Edna?”
“I am good. How are ye?”
“I am well. Freya told me ye were resting. Are ye feeling alright?” he asked; sounding slightly worried.
“I am fine,” she responded with a smile, “I just felt a little tired – I didn’t sleep much last night,” Edna answered simply; making sure he wouldn’t take it too seriously.
“Was it because of that lad?” Bryce asked.
“No,” she replied shortly; not in the mood to get into that conversation. She knew Bryce would only warn her to stay away from him once more. But she now knew more about Ronin than her cousin, and this made her smile inwardly.
As she looked at him, she wondered if a man like him understood what love was all about. He'd never mentioned loveor being in love with any woman. She'd never seen him court or try to woo anybody. It astounded her because she assumed that lads were always in search of ladies.
“Bryce, can I ask ye something?” she questioned tentatively; trying her best to pose her question in a way that didn’t seem suspicious.
“Of course.”
“Have ye ever fallen in love?” Edna observed how his expression changed in response to her question and his mouth formed a half-smile, but she was perplexed when he quickly seemed to close himself off, his utterance concealing what he was thinking. All she knew was that he was reminiscing about the past, implying that he had indeed fallen in love.
“I have. Once,” he finally answered. She leaned in closer, looking at him curiously willing for him to continue, but he remained adamantly silent.
“Well than, what happened?” She knew his love had not ended happily, or else the woman would be his wife right now.
“Ah, Edna. Nothing happened. She betrayed me by falling in love with someone else and left me. I begged her tae not break my heart that way, but ye cannot force someone tae love ye. It is a matter of luck,” Bryce answered; making her feel sorrowful. He had his flaws but he was a good man who didn’t deserve such treatment.
“Do ye regret it? Falling in love?” she asked again. Bryce looked up to stare at her and shook his head no.
“Falling in love is the most beautiful feelin’ in the world. It didnae work out in my favor, but I dinnae regret it. The memories I have are better than the whole world and I would not trade them for anything,” he said softly; making her feel a familiar pang of longing rush through her heart.
She recognized the sensation as the same as when she first saw Ronin today. Her cousin'sresponse had given her hope, and she now knew what she needed to do. She wouldn't run away from the love that had come knocking because she had finally realized that she deserved it.
It was true that very few people in their lifetimes could experience true and unchanged emotions for someone else, and she needed to prove to herself that she was one of them. Ronin had appeared out of nowhere, on an unexpected path, and she knew it wasn't a coincidence. The feelings they had for each other were new, but Edna could tell the roots were deep. She knew exactly what she had to do.
CHAPTERTWELVE
The sun descended just past the horizon as Ronin continued to watch its slow journey. He realized he shouldn't be here right now. He was in the midst of an investigation and had promised his mother that he would find the perpetrator. He was aware that the entire clan was in a state of terror, and he needed to act quickly.
But he couldn't have let Edna abandon him. He could see it in her eyes when they met earlier, after running into each other in the marketplace. She was clearly worried and would have agreed to never see him again if he had just said the word. He couldn't have let that happen. Ronin had only known her for a day, but he had never felt so strongly for anyone before.
The trust and adoration he saw in her eyes proved that her feelings mirrored his. Ronin knew and had learned that such emotions, the feeling of love, were a sacred and blessed feeling that should not be taken away from anyone. He knew that if he was fortunate enough to experience it in his lifetime, he couldn't turn it down. That would make life more difficult for them all.
“Where are you, Edna?” he questioned himself as he stood off from the road that led to the river waiting for her. All he could think about as he paced around the room was what had happened between them the night before. He knew she had thought about him. Her fair, pale skin had blushed so deeply that she couldn't conceal her emotions. He found her expression endearing, and it made him want her even more. As time passed and she didn't appear, he felt unsettled as to why she wasn't showing up.
He had promised her that he would wait for her today and every day until she arrived, but his heart sank with fear when he considered what would happen if she never arrived at all. This was a possibility he hadn't even considered, and it bothered him. A sudden crunching of the leaves reached his ears, and he turned around to see what was making the noise.
“Edna,” he whispered as he saw her walking slowly and carefully across the uneven pathway of the forest ground. As he noticed her beautiful, fragile form approaching him, his heart lurched. She was dressed in a frock that reached all the way down to her ankles. The blue flower pattern reminded himof the sky, and he felt as if she had completely stolen his heart. He'd never met anyone more breathtaking. She finally got within an arm's length of him, but she kept her distance and continued to stare at him.
“On my way here, all I could think of was what if ye never showed up, or what if ye had already left after being disappointed for waiting so long,” she whispered; her honeyed voice stirring his heart. He could listen to her speak all day. He didn't know what this hold she had on him was, but he knew it was strong.
"I promised you I wouldbe here, Edna — I do not turn my back on my promises," Ronin replied, taking a step towards her. "I was beginning to wonder whether you would comeor not, but I was willing to wait until it was completely darkand I had no choice but to return."
“I needed some time tae decide. It was nae easy for me to let everything go.”
