Chapter 378: Make it work

Kaden’s POV

?Queen Eleanor turned toward me in surprise. "Oh, you haven’t heard?"

?"Heard what?" I asked, although I already had a terrible feeling about where the conversation was going.

?"Well, Alexander’s parents and we have been discussing an arranged marriage between him and Rola. Our families have known each other for many years, and we’ve always thought they would make a lovely couple."

?I stared at her. "An arranged marriage?"

?"Yes. Nothing has been decided yet, of course. We still need to discuss everything properly, and Rola must fully recover first. But we’re hoping the wedding can take place in a few months if they both agree."

?I turned toward Rola, who was staring down at her hands. "Does Rola want this?"

?Queen Eleanor looked at her daughter. "That’s something she’ll have to decide for herself. Her father and I would never force her to marry someone she doesn’t want."

?"Mother," Rola interrupted, "could you please give us a moment?"

?The queen looked between us before nodding. "Of course, sweetheart."

?She kissed Rola’s forehead before leaving the room.

?The moment the door closed, I turned toward Rola. "You’re really considering marrying him?"

?She sighed and leaned back against her pillows. "Kaden, please don’t start."

?"I’m only asking a question."

?"And I’m wondering why you’re suddenly so interested in my marriage plans after six months of silence." She folded her arms, although the movement made her wince slightly.

?I immediately noticed. "Are you in pain?"

?"I’m fine," she replied, adjusting herself against the pillows. "And you haven’t answered my question."

?I pulled the chair closer to her bed and sat down. "Because I didn’t expect to come here and discover that another man has been taking care of you."

?Rola raised an eyebrow. "Would you have preferred that nobody took care of me?"

?"Of course not." I sighed, realizing how ridiculous I sounded. "I’m grateful he was here for you. I just wish I’d known what was happening."

?"Well, you could have known, Kaden. My number hasn’t changed."

?That silenced me.

?Rola looked away, and for the first time since I’d entered the room, I noticed how tightly she was gripping the blanket.

?"Do you know something?" she asked after a moment. "When you first stopped calling, I thought you were busy. Then a week became two, and two weeks became a month. Eventually, I stopped checking my phone because I was tired of disappointing myself."

?I lowered my gaze. "Rola..."

?"No, let me finish." She turned toward me, her violet eyes glistening. "I wasn’t asking you to promise me forever, Kaden. I just wanted to know whether I still meant something to you."

?"You did," I answered immediately. "You still do."

?She gave a small, disbelieving laugh. "Then you have a very strange way of showing it."

?"I know." I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "And I’m sorry. I thought staying away was the right thing to do, but I was wrong."

?Rola watched me quietly, and I could tell she was trying to decide whether to believe me.

?"I missed you," I admitted.

?Her expression changed. For a moment, she simply stared at me before looking away. I noticed a faint blush spreading across her cheeks, although she quickly tried to hide it by adjusting her hair.

?"Well, you certainly took your time telling me that," she muttered.

?Despite everything, I couldn’t help smiling. "I know. And judging by the handsome prince I just met, I might have waited a little too long."

?Rola looked back at me, clearly surprised by my words. "Handsome?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow.

?"Don’t make me say it again."

?She laughed, and the sound made me smile even more. It was the first time she’d laughed with me since I’d arrived, and I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed hearing it.

?"Are you jealous, Alpha King?" she teased.

?I considered denying it, but there was no point. "A little," I admitted.

?"A little?"

?"Alright, more than a little. Are you happy now?"

?Rola laughed again, but her laughter quickly faded when she noticed how seriously I was looking at her.

?"Why are you telling me all this now, Kaden?" she asked softly.

?I reached for her hand, stopping just short of touching it. "Because seeing you again made me realize how much I’ve missed having you in my life. And hearing that I nearly lost you before I even got the chance to tell you that frightened me more than I expected."

?Rola stared at my hand for a moment before slowly placing hers in it. I smiled as I gently closed my fingers around hers, relieved that she hadn’t pulled away.

?"Rola, can I ask you something?" I asked after a moment.

?She looked at me curiously. "What is it?"

?I hesitated briefly before meeting her eyes. "Do you still have feelings for me?"

?The question seemed to catch her off guard. Her eyes widened slightly, and for several seconds, she simply stared at me without saying anything. Then she lowered her gaze to our joined hands, and I noticed the faint blush returning to her cheeks.

?I waited for an answer, but when she continued to remain silent, I couldn’t help smiling.

?"Well, I’ll take that as a yes," I said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

?Rola immediately looked up. "I didn’t say anything!"

?"I know." I chuckled at her reaction. "But you didn’t say no either."

?"Kaden!" she exclaimed, looking even more embarrassed.

?"What?" I asked innocently, although I was finding it increasingly difficult to hide my amusement.

?She shook her head, but I noticed the small smile she was trying to suppress. Seeing her like this reminded me of how things used to be between us before everything became complicated, and I suddenly found myself wishing I could turn back time and do things differently.

?My smile slowly faded as I looked into her eyes.

?"I’m serious, Rola," I said, my voice becoming gentler. "I want us to start again. I know I’ve made mistakes, and I know I hurt you, but I want another chance to make things right between us."

?Rola’s expression softened, although she didn’t say anything.

?"I’m not asking you to give me an answer right now," I continued. "And I don’t want you to feel pressured into anything. I just want us to start over, get to know each other again, and see where things go. But only if you’ll allow it."

?She looked down at our hands, gently running her thumb over my fingers as she considered my words. I could tell she was struggling with her emotions, and I didn’t want to make things harder for her by demanding an immediate answer.

?After a while, she finally looked up at me.

?"I don’t know, Kaden," she admitted quietly. "A part of me wants to believe you, but I’m scared of getting hurt again."

?"I understand," I replied. "And I don’t expect you to trust me immediately. Take all the time you need."

?Rola studied my face for another moment before giving a small nod.

?"Alright," she whispered. "I’ll think about it."

?I smiled, feeling relieved. It wasn’t exactly the answer I’d been hoping for, but it was better than a rejection.

?"That’s all I’m asking for," I assured her.

?She returned my smile, and for a few seconds, we simply looked at each other. There was so much more I wanted to tell her, but I could see that she was beginning to look tired, and the last thing I wanted was to exhaust her.

?"You should get some rest," I said, reluctantly releasing her hand as I stood up. "I’ll let you sleep."

?Rola nodded, although I noticed her smile fading slightly as I turned toward the door.

?I had barely taken two steps when I heard her voice.

?"Kaden?"

?I immediately stopped and looked back at her. "Yes?"

?She hesitated, her fingers playing nervously with the edge of her blanket. For a moment, I thought she was going to change her mind about everything we’d just discussed.

?But then she looked up at me, her violet eyes meeting mine.

?"Stay."

?I stared at her for a moment, wondering if I’d heard correctly. But when she gave me a small, almost shy smile, I couldn’t help smiling back.

?"Are you sure?" I asked, already making my way toward her bed.

?Rola nodded. "Yes. Just stay with me for a while."

?"Well, if you want me to stay, then I’m afraid I’ll have to get into bed with you," I said with a teasing smile.

?Her cheeks immediately turned pink. "Kaden!"

?"What?" I chuckled. "That chair is terribly uncomfortable, and I’ve had a very long journey. Surely you wouldn’t make your guest suffer like that."

?Rola rolled her eyes, but I noticed the smile she was trying to hide. "You’re unbelievable."

?"I’ll take that as permission, then."

?She shook her head in amusement before shifting to one side of the bed, making enough room for me. I took off my shoes and climbed in beside her, careful not to disturb her too much. She was still recovering, and although she seemed much better than I’d expected, I didn’t want to do anything that might make her uncomfortable.

?Once I was settled, I slipped an arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her closer. Rola hesitated for a brief moment before relaxing against me. She let out a soft sigh and wrapped both arms around my waist, resting her head against my chest.

?I smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before closing my eyes.

?For the first time since Logan had told me about her illness, I finally felt relieved. She was here, alive and breathing, and I could hold her in my arms. I hadn’t realized just how frightened I’d been until that moment.

?As I held her, my thoughts briefly drifted to Rebecca.

?I knew what it felt like to love someone so deeply that everything else seemed unimportant. With Rebecca, my feelings had always been intense and complicated. There had been moments when simply being near her was enough to make my heart race, but there had also been so much pain between us.

?What I felt for Rola was different.

?I didn’t experience the same overwhelming rush of emotions or the butterflies I’d once felt with Rebecca. But whenever I was with Rola, I felt something I hadn’t experienced in a very long time.

?Peace.

?I didn’t have to worry about what she was thinking or whether she genuinely cared about me. Rola had never made a secret of her feelings. She loved me, and even when I had given her every reason to walk away, she’d tried to understand me.

?Of course, that didn’t mean I expected her to forgive me simply because I’d finally realized what I wanted. I’d hurt her, and I knew it would take more than a few sweet words to earn back her trust.

?But I was willing to try.

?I looked down at her and noticed that her eyes were already closed. Her breathing had become slow and steady, and I wondered if she’d fallen asleep.

?"Are you comfortable?" I whispered.

?She nodded against my chest. "Mm-hmm."

?I smiled and gently stroked her hair. "Good. Get some sleep."

?Instead of answering, she tightened her arms around my waist, making me chuckle softly.

?I kissed her forehead once more and settled back against the pillows, holding her close.

?Perhaps what I felt for Rola wasn’t the same kind of love I’d experienced with Rebecca, but that didn’t make it any less meaningful. Rola made me happy in a different way, and for once, I wanted to stop comparing the present to my past.

?Rebecca and I had our chance, and things hadn’t worked out between us. I had finally accepted that.

?Now, I had another chance at happiness with someone who genuinely loved me, and I wasn’t going to take it for granted.

?And this time, if Rola allowed me back into her heart, I was going to do everything I could to make our relationship work.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Hi, guys! Just a quick heads-up: There will be an eight-month time jump in the next Chapter. Get ready for what’s coming!