Page 49 of Duke of Storme (Braving the Elements #4)
“I looked at you that way,” Diana corrected quietly, “because I thought love was something to be earned. That if I was good enough, patient enough, perfect enough, you might eventually care for me in return.”
“Diana–”
“But I understand now,” she continued, her voice growing stronger with each word. “Love isn’t earned, Finn. It’s freely given. And I gave mine to you completely, without reservation, without conditions. You didn’t want it then. Why should I believe you want it now?”
Shewas right – she had loved him without conditions, without demands, without expecting anything in return. And he had thrown that precious gift back in her face because he was too afraid to accept it.
“Oh, Finn…” Diana breathed, her good hand coming up to cover his where it still cupped her cheek.
“I know I’ve no right to ask,” he said, pressing his forehead gently against hers.
“I know I’ve hurt ye badly, pushed ye away when I should have pulled ye closer.
But if there’s any part of ye that still cares, any chance ye might forgive a fool who was too scared to see what was right in front of him–”
“I never stopped caring,” Diana whispered, her voice breaking. “Even when you were cruel, even when you pushed me away, even when you made me feel like my love was a burden you didn’t want to bear. I never stopped loving you, and that’s what terrifies me most of all.”
“Why does it terrify ye?”
“Because loving someone who doesn’t love you back is the loneliest feeling in the world,” she said simply. “And I can’t live that way anymore. I won’t.”
Finn nodded solemnly, waiting for her to continue.
“I love you too, you stubborn Scotsman,” Diana whispered. “Despite everything, despite the walls and the coldness and the way you tried to convince me I was imagining what I felt. I love you, Finn Hurriton. And I’m tired of pretending I don’t.”
Relief crashed over him with the force of a Highland storm. Finn closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her hair, feeling the warmth of her skin under his palm. She was here. She was alive. And somehow, impossibly, she still loved him.
“But loving each other isn’t enough,” Diana continued, her voice steady despite the tears still flowing.
“Not if you’re going to keep running every time things get too real, too frightening.
I need to know that you’re willing to fight for us, Finn.
Really fight. Not just in moments of crisis, but every day.
Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard. ”
The challenge in her voice, the strength behind her vulnerability, reminded him of why he’d fallen in love with her in the first place. Even wounded, even heartbroken, Diana Brandon Hurriton was still the bravest person he’d ever known.
“We’re goin’ to do this right,” he said fiercely, pulling back to meet her eyes. “No more walls, no more fear. I’m goin’ to love ye openly, treasure ye daily, and spend the rest of my live provin’ to ye that what we have was worth every moment it took us to find it.”
“And when the fear comes back?” Diana asked quietly. “Because it will, Finn. Fear doesn’t just disappear because we want it to. What happens when you’re scared of losing me again?”
“Then I’ll remember this moment,” Finn said with quiet intensity.
“I’ll remember how close I came to losin’ ye forever because I was too much of a coward to fight for what mattered most. I’ll remember that the pain of possibly losin’ ye someday is nothin’ compared to the agony of pushin’ ye away with my own hands. ”
Diana’s smile was radiant despite the tears still glistening on her cheeks. “Is that a promise, Your Grace?”
“‘Tis more than that, ‘tis a vow I make to ye today,” Finn replied, his voice steady with newfound certainty. “From a man who finally understands that the greatest risk isn’t lovin’ someone – it’s not lovin’ them at all.”
For a long moment, they simply looked at each other, both of them finally seeing clearly for the first time in months. Then, slowly, deliberately, Diana extended her uninjured hand toward him.
“Take me home, Finn,” she said softly. “Take me home to Storme Castle. But this time... this time I want to go as your wife. Really and truly. In every way that matters.”
Finn stared at her outstretched hand for a heartbeat, understanding the enormity of what she was offering him. Not just forgiveness, not just another chance, but a true beginning. A choice made with open eyes and a full heart.
He took her hand in both of his, bringing it to his lips to press a gentle kiss to her palm.
“Aye,” he whispered against her skin. “Let’s go home, my love. Let’s go home and start our real marriage.”
Diana stared at him in wonder, as though seeing him clearly for the first time. Not the controlled Duke who’d taught her to waltz, not the distant husband who’d pushed her away, but simply the man who knelt beside her bed with his heart laid bare.
A man who had finally learned that some things were worth the risk of breaking.
And as Diana’s fingers tightened around his, as she chose love over fear and trust over safety, Finn understood that this wasn’t the end of their story.
It was the true beginning of their marriage.