Chapter 187\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone in this group of misfits we\u2019ve formed has to be,\u201d he said, glancing toward Rae.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rae laughed softly. \u201cWell, I suppose it couldn\u2019t be Lance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen did this all happen between you two? Seems like just the other day I was teasing Rae about having a crush on my brother, now you\u2019re all domestic.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rae gave a little shrug. \u201cWe really hit it off. Things just sort of fell into place.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian looked at her fondly and nodded his agreement. \u201cIt took a lot of dancing around each other to give it a chance, but once we did, it just worked.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI blame your charm,\u201d Rae teased, turning back to the stove top.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I blame your wit,\u201d Cassian replied smoothly. Rae responded with a laugh and a blush.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their banter drew a reluctant smile from me. For a moment, I let myself enjoy it, the smell of breakfast, the soft light spilling across the table, the way Rae leaned against Cassian\u2019s shoulder without even realizing it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was the kind of gentleness that I kept thinking about. Watching my brother and my best friend just enjoy existing in the same space together was bittersweet. I was so happy for them, but there was something else too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beneath the warmth, something sharp twisted inside me. Not envy exactly something quieter. Longing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the ease of it. The closeness. The way Cassian\u2019s gaze softened when he looked at Rae, unguarded and sure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wanted that kind of love, steady and patient, without the constant ache of uncertainty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But every time she tried to imagine it for myself, she saw Nolan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The way he used to watch me when he thought I wasn\u2019t looking. The warmth in his eyes when he\u2019d looked at the boys. The pain in his eyes the last time I\u2019d seen him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The goddess doesn\u2019t make mistakes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned those words over in my mind like a stone in my hand. Maybe my mother had been right. Maybe everything, even the heartbreak, had been meant to bring me here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Being with Nolan was difficult. We\u2019d gone through more than our fair share of pain. But we were fated. So was all of that really a mistake?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could spend all day dwelling on the ways that he\u2019d wronged me, on the reasons that I shouldn\u2019t feel anything for him, let alone guilt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, the ache of missing him hadn\u2019t faded. It clung to me, gentle and persistent, like the residual heat of a hearth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian\u2019s voice pulled me back. \u201cYou working today?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded. \u201cLong shift at the hospital.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rae perked up. \u201cDo you want me to stay with the boys? I\u2019m off today.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWould you? Claire was going to come, but she\u2019s watched them so much lately. I\u2019m sure she\u2019d appreciate having an afternoon to herself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course,\u201d Rae said. \u201cIt\u2019s my favorite job.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 187\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled gratefully. \u201cThank you. They\u2019ll probably nap after lunch.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian leaned over to kiss Rae\u2019s temple before heading toward the door. \u201cI\u2019ll stop by later,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll hold you to that,\u201d Rae called after him, her voice light.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the door closed, I turned back to Rae with a soft smile. \u201cYou two are\u2026 good together.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rae\u2019s cheeks flushed slightly. \u201cYeah. I didn\u2019t expect it, but he makes me feel safe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart tightened again, but I forced a smile. \u201cHe\u2019s always been good at that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rae tilted her head. \u201cYou okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hesitated, then nodded. \u201cJust thinking.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout Nolan?\u201d Rae asked gently.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked down at her coffee. \u201cAlways. He\u2019s the only thing that I can think about lately.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rae reached across the table, her fingers brushing my wrist. \u201cFor what it\u2019s worth, I think he\u2019s trying. And you know that I am no fan of Nolan Silver Fang. I wouldn\u2019t say this if I didn\u2019t think it was true.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled faintly. \u201cCassian said the same thing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen maybe it\u2019s time you let him show you,\u201d Rae said softly. \u201cIf the goddess doesn\u2019t make mistakes, maybe this is her way of giving you both another chance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words lingered after Rae stood to clear the plates.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another chance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t sure I was ready. But I also wasn\u2019t sure I wanted to keep pretending I didn\u2019t want one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I left for work later that morning, I paused at the door to look back at the twins cooing in Rae\u2019s arms, the sunlight spilling through the windows, the quiet peace of my home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was all beautiful. But it wasn\u2019t complete.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
COIN BUNDLE: get more free bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 187 Chapter 187\u00a0 \u201cSomeone in this group of misfits we\u2019ve formed has to be,\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-unremembered-mate-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23756"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23756\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}