Chapter 86
Cara's POV
“Please, leave.”
That is all I manage to say.
My cheeks feel wet, and I realize they are my tears. They roll down one after another, but I refuse to look weak.
…Not like before. Not like the fragile person I used to be.
I need to stay strong.
I wipe the tears away, turn quickly, and pull open my wardrobe. I grab an oversized sweater and put it on. The way it wraps around me calms me slightly, but I still keep my back to Alaric.
“You need to go. Right now,” I say, doing my best to keep my voice steady.
“About last night… It was a mistake. I was drunk and it didn’t mean anything.” I feel my voice steadying further as I speak, my resolve growing. “We have no relationship, and we never will. Just like you’ve always wanted.”
“The partnership between DarkWood and BloodyMoon won’t change because of this. Don’t worry—I’m not petty.”
Just like he wants.
Just like I used to want.
“Wait, Cara…” he starts.
I feel calmer now, calm enough to turn and face him. I look directly at Alaric— at his shocked, handsome face.
Those piercing blue eyes, the dark, tousled curls… They are everything I once loved.
But I don’t love them anymore.
I am moving forward.
“So now, please leave my house.”
I say it slowly, firmly, making sure every word lands.
Alaric's POV
“Please leave now. You need to go,” Cara says, her voice firmly.
She pulls on a large sweater, wrapping herself up as if she can’t stand being exposed in front of me.
As if I haven’t seen all of her last night.
The shock she felt when I first entered her bedroom seems to be fading now. In its place, I see something far worse than anger or sadness.
What is left is a calm, cold indifference.
Cara doesn’t scream. She doesn’t cry. She doesn’t even look at me. Her beautiful green eyes avoid mine entirely, as if pulled away by some invisible force, refusing to stay where I stand.
At that moment, I feel every hope I have—the hope of fixing what we had—crack and fall apart.
I see it in her eyes.
A coldness.
A distance that cuts deeper than anger ever could.
She doesn’t love me anymore.
She doesn’t care anymore.
“Cara, what we did last night… what happened…” I try to say, desperately searching for the right words. I want to tell her how perfect everything felt when we were together again. When we…
“It was a mistake. Right?” she interrupts.
“It was just a moment of weakness between adults. You know how alcohol makes people act stupid. Whatever happened last night, just let it go. We were both enjoyed in last night, that's all.”
She means it. I can see it in the way her voice doesn’t waver.
But how can I just let it go?
After six years — six years — I finally realize my heart, and reconnect with the only woman I’ve ever loved. And now…
“Cara, that's not what I want to say.” I say, my voice is full of bitterness.
“Huh?” she continues. She wipes her tears away completely, looks at me with a strange mix of sadness and confusion. “You’ve said it before—you don’t love me. I’m not stupid enough to think otherwise.”
She tilts her head slightly, her voice soft yet firm. “Why are you upset? Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?”
Her words feel like a blade sliding into my chest.
Yes. I said that.
“You said it yourself. You don’t love me,” she says again, her voice quiet but steady.
She is right. Every word she says is true. She’s throwing my own words back at me, and I have nothing to say in return.
I clutch my head with both hands, overwhelmed by regret.
How could I be this stupid? Why did I have to be so proud back then? Why did I have to hurt and push away the person I love?
But I can’t let her end this, whatever this is between us, before we’ve even had a chance to get started. Surely, if she just listens to me… If she only lets me apologize…
“I know I was a bastard in the past. How I treated you… well, there’s no excuse for the things I’ve done—” I begin, letting the words flow through me freely, not stopping to think about what I’m saying.
Instead, I try to really speak from the heart. To finally give Cara a window into my mind… perhaps even into my soul.
“You really don’t have to do this. It was so long ago—” Cara says, her voice sounding detached and far away, like she’s simply calling out from another room of the house, even though she’s standing 10 feet away from me.
Suddenly I can’t stand how separated we are. She’s too far, she’s not hearing me. I need to bring her closer. I need to explain.
I reach out, letting my hands snake around Cara’s smooth arms, pulling her into me. “Cara, please, just give me a chance,” I whisper into her fiery red hair, hoping she hears me.
“You have had enough chances, Alaric.”
But she says it so softly.
“I—” My voice sounds almost like a plea for her forgiveness. “Just one more chance. I want to tell you how I truly feel.”
There is a long silence.
Maybe my silent prayers work, because I feel her give the faintest nod after the pause.
Carefully, gently, I release her. The distance between us is almost nonexistent, and my hands still rest on her shoulders. It forces us to look directly into each other’s eyes.
She is beautiful.
So utterly captivating.
I need to make my decision.
“Listen to me, Cara. I know I’ve done a lot of awful things in the past,” I say, fumbling over my words. Damn it, I hope I can say this properly — say everything I feel, everything I regret.
“But ever since Bedford proposed to you, I’ve been thinking about something…”
I try to continue, awkwardly grasping for the right words. “—Something about us. About our past. About right now. I… I can’t just stand by and watch you belong to another man!”
Her green eyes widen. Then she lets out a bitter, almost mocking laugh, her voice laced with anger.
“…So what? Because I was your ex-mate, you think you still have some twisted claim over me? That even if you don’t love me, you still can’t stand seeing someone else want me?”
“That’s not it! Or—maybe it is, but that’s not the most important thing!” I blurt out desperately.
My heightened senses pick up the faint sound of knocking at Cara’s front door. Outside, I hear the muffled voices of the Arbun brothers chatting.
“Hey, we’re definitely going to give her a big surprise. Like, a huge surprise party…”
“Keep your voice down. She’s been tired lately; she might still be sleeping.”
“Should someone check if she’s awake? Just—be quiet about it, alright?”
The soft creak of footsteps approaching the bedroom reaches my ears.
This may not be the perfect moment to confess, but I know it’s the only moment that truly matters. If I don’t say it now, I might never have another chance to fix this—to fix us.
Cara glares at me, still angry. “So what is it you’re trying to say, Alaric?”
I can’t hold back anymore. My emotions overwhelm me as I pull her tightly into my arms, locking her against my chest. She lets out a small gasp, startled.
Feeling the warmth of her body, the sensation of holding her again, grounds me. I take a deep breath and summon the courage to speak my truth.
“Hey, Cara, are you awake…?” Aidan’s voice drifts in as the bedroom door creaks open.
Then a loud, stunned shout: “Alaric?! Why the hell are you here?!”
But I don’t care.
“I love you, Cara.”
I say it softly, but with all the conviction in my heart, my words meant only for her ears.
Her green eyes go wide, staring into mine.
