Page 56 of Daring Destiny
Cillian shakes his head. “You’re making excuses. If you’re serious about her—and it sounds like you are—take it from me, don’t lose her. Once you’ve met your person, being without them is agony.”
”She doesn’t know yet.” I hang my head. “I have no excuse, other than…”
“Hey.” He grabs my wrist. “Don’t. The worst thing you could do is keep important things from her. She’s probably already picked up on the fact your brain works differently. And you know I don’t mean that in a bad way.”
“So, you think she notices to the point of wondering about it?” I try to keep my voice casual. Like I’m unbothered.
“Eh—yeah. She probably does.” Cillian scrubs his beard with his hand, watching me. Making sure I’m okay.
I take another bite of steak, mulling over his words.
It’s a strange thing, keeping this part of myself hidden from the woman who, besides my family, is the person I trust most in this world. Truth be told, Astrid knows more about me than anyone. She’s privy to my obsessions. Embraces my quirks. Understands and accepts my routines. Fills in my gaps. She might tease me sometimes, but it’s never mean-spirited. It’s part of our normal banter.
Bottom line, she always encourages me to be myself.
Withholding my diagnosis has gone on too long. There can’t be any secrets between us as we plan our future. Astrid deserves to know everything. Even the parts I’m afraid she might not understand.
Then she’ll be able to make an informed choice if I’m the man for her.
“Speaking of Astrid.” Cillian’s eyes flick toward the door. “Looks like she’s here.”
Astrid walks toward us in an emerald-green dress cinched at the waist with a gold belt. Her hair is loosely swept up, a few tendrils framing her face, and her dark leather pumps add a polished touch. Even after a long day, she looks effortlessly elegant.
I stand to greet her, kissing her quickly before she slides into the booth next to me.
“Sorry I’m so late.” She turns to Cillian. “The showing ran longer than expected. It’s so nice to finally meet you. Brennan talks about you all the time.”
“All good, I hope—except for the alcoholic thing.” Cillian addresses his situation head on, flashing her a toothy smile. “You’ve been keeping my brother in check, I see.”
Astrid laughs. “I try. He’s not easy to wrangle, but I manage.”
I glance at him.Yeah. She’s aware.
Like magic, the steak salad I ordered for her arrives and as she eats, the conversation flows easily between the three of us.
Astrid is, as always, amazing. She’s so natural. So at ease. I love how she can connect with anyone, even my beloved brother. I’ve never seen her break a sweat, no matter what the situation. I do want my future to be with her.
Cillian’s dead-on. There’s no time to waste.
After dinner, the three of us wait for the valet to pull up our cars. When Astrid’s Bentley arrives, she says goodbye to my brother and climbs into the driver’s seat.
She and I are staying on her houseboat, so before I walk around to the passenger side, Cillian wraps me in a bear hug. Claps me on the back, hard. “Don’t wait, Bren. She loves you for you. That woman’s a keeper.”
“I won’t.” I squeeze his shoulder.
If I hadn’t been sure before, watching her charm my brother sealed the deal.
I’m gonna lock her down. Tell her the truth. Ask her to marry me.
Soon.
I’ve just gotta make sure everything else falls into place.
twenty-three
Astrid
Two Week Later