Chapter Ten

Leo

The cold bites at my skin as I stand under the towering Christmas tree in the town square, waiting, the nerves twisting my stomach tighter with every passing second. Lights glitter all around me, casting their warm glow over the bustling crowd, but all I can think about is her. Willa. The woman who’s unknowingly come to mean more to me than I ever imagined possible.

I’m scanning the crowd, hoping, searching, and then —I see her. She steps into view, wrapped in a long coat and scarf, cheeks pink from the cold. Her gaze meets mine, and for one brief, shining moment, all my doubts and fears melt away.

She’s here.

“Willa,” I breathe, feeling a mix of relief and hope fill my chest as she walks toward me. “Thank you for meeting me.”

She nods, looking up at me with those warm, curious eyes that always seem to see right through me. “Of course, Leo. I’m still trying to understand everything. I just…I need to know why you kept this from me.”

Her voice is steady, but there’s hurt there too —a hurt I put there. Guilt tightens in my chest as I reach for the right words. I’ve spent the last twenty-four hours rehearsing what I’d say to her, but none of it seems enough now that she’s standing in front of me, looking at me with equal parts pain and hope.

“I wanted to tell you,” I say softly, hoping she hears the sincerity in my voice. “More than anything, I wanted to. I planned to last night. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was afraid, Willa. Meeting you was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I wanted you to know me without all the weight of my title. I didn’t want to be a prince to you. I just wanted to be Leo.”

My gaze holds her, silently pleading with her to understand, to feel even a fraction of what I’ve felt for her.

“But you could’ve told me the truth,” she says quietly, and the hurt in her voice is like a knife to the heart. “You didn’t have to keep it a secret.”

“I know,” I murmur, my voice barely audible as I step closer. “And I’m so sorry for that. I kept telling myself that there would be a moment when I’d find the right words. But the more time we spent together, the harder it became. Because, Willa, I was falling in love with you. I am in love with you.”

Her lips part slightly, her eyes widening as she processes my words. And for a split second, I think she might turn and leave. But she doesn’t. Instead, she takes a small, shuddering breath, meeting my gaze with equal parts longing and uncertainty.

“Leo, I need to know something,” she says, her voice trembling just enough to make me ache. “What am I to you? What is this to you?”

She couldn’t know, not really, but she will. “You’re my everything,” I say, my voice tight with emotion. “You’re the one person I can be myself with, the one who made me feel like more than a title, more than an obligation.” I pause, swallowing back the nervous lump in my throat. I didn’t plan on this, didn’t expect it. But I’m in love with you. That’s the truth, every part of it.”

She blinks, her expression softening, and I can see the walls she’s built up starting to crumble. She’s still holding back, still guarded, and I know I have to be patient and give her time.

“Leo…I love you too,” she says, her voice barely more than a whisper. My heart leaps, soaring with hope I haven’t let myself feel before now. “I think that’s why this hurt so much. I thought I’d given my heart to someone who wasn’t being honest with me.”

The relief, the sheer, overwhelming relief of hearing her say those words is like a weight lifting off my chest. I reach for her hands, holding them in mine, needing contact, needing to feel that she’s real, that we’re real.

“I’ll spend every day making this right if you’ll let me,” I say, my voice thick. “And I want you to know everything, Willa. All of it. I want you to see my world, my life, as it is. Come with me to Lanos. Meet my family. See where I come from, what my life is like.”

Her eyes go wide, and I hold my breath, waiting, hoping she’ll say yes, that she’ll understand how much this means to me.

“Yes,” she whispers, and it’s the sweetest word I’ve ever heard. “Yes, Leo, I’ll go with you.”

Joy floods my chest, and I close the distance between us, pulling her into my arms, feeling the warmth of her body pressed against mine. She fits perfectly, and at this moment, I feel whole in a way I never have before.

I pull back slightly, looking down at her, and she meets my gaze with a soft, tentative smile. “Thank you,” I whisper, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “Thank you for giving me this chance. I promise I won’t let you down.”

Her hand reaches up, resting gently against my chest. “Just keep being honest with me, Leo. That’s all I ask.”

I nod and then lean down, pressing my lips to hers. The kiss is soft, hesitant at first, but when she responds, her arms wrapping around my neck, I pull her closer, deepening the kiss. All the tension, the fear, the longing, it all dissolves in that moment. It’s replaced by a certainty that feels like coming home.

When we finally pull apart, her cheeks are flushed, her eyes shining with happiness. She laughs softly, the sound like music, and I can’t help but grin, feeling lighter than I have in years.

“So…Lanos?” she says, a playful gleam in her eye.

“Yes, Lanos,” I reply, taking her hand in mine. “But first, maybe back to my cottage.”

Holding her hand, we turn and walk through the bustling town square together, my heart full of hope, and the promise of something beautiful just beginning.