Chapter 642

"Yeah,” Jesse says, his stomach turning over with dread as he looks out over the landscape before them. “All of that is...no good."

“Are you...worried about it?" Daphne asks. Jesse turns back to towards her, curious to see her peering at him a bit through her lashes, a little frown on her lips.

He takes a minute to consider his reply.

"I'm worried about losing the people I love," Jesse says softly, heaving a tiny shrug like he doesn't even want to concede that much. "I know I play it... glib a lot, pretending I don't care, but there are many people in this world who I love so deeply that to lose them would just...crush me."

Jesse looks off towards the darkening sky, the corners of his mouth turning drastically down - an expression that makes Daphne's heart twist to see it on the face which she rarely sees without a smile.noveldrama

Still, it's not like she didn't know about his depths. Jesse - he's not that good at keeping them a secret, at least to her. "You can't fool all of us, Jess," she says quietly, bringing his eyes back to her. "We know your still waters run deep." His mouth quirks into an embarrassed smile as he looks down into his lap. "All my pretense has failed me." "You've got a big heart, Jess," she says, nearly a whisper. "You should let more people see it. It's lovely. You're lovely."

He clenches his jaw against the words, his eyes fluttering shut. Jesse swallows hard and Daphne fights her own smile in return. He clears his throat. "What about you?" Jesse asks, lifting his eyes again to hers. "Are you worried about it? The war and stuff?"

"Nope."

His face bursts again into the smile. "No worries? Not a single one?"

"Nope," she says again, smiling back and shaking her head at him, delighting a bit in his surprise.

“Okay, girl," he says, laughing a little. "Reveal your secret to me. How can you be so sure it'll all work out?"

"Ruthless optimism," she says,

giving a little shrug and holding his gaze, almost unblinking. Then she bites her tip, clearly deciding how much more to disclose. But Jesse looks steadily back at her and sees the moment when her dam breaks. "The... the day my dad died was the worst day of my life," Daphne whispers quietly. "And I was really little."

Jesse's heart sinks all the way down, all smiles wiped from his face in an instant when he sees the pain of losing her father clear on her face, even all these years later.

"But," she continues, "I decided, right then and there, that it was going to be the worst day. That it couldn't get any worse than that, and that every single day after that was going to be better - even if I had to wrench the better out of it with my bare hands."

She holds her hands out to him then, almost as if she can show him her determination. He looks down at her perfect white palms, fascinated by the strength in her, strength he's not sure he can match.

"How do you manage it?" he whispers. "Living every day with such...hope? Aren't you exhausted?"

"Sure," she says, giving a shrug and

dropping her hands. "But it's worked for me so far Just...keep going, keep pushing, keep trying and the

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universe turns with good things. mean, look what I got," she says, her smile deepening. "I have a job that pays well and lets me do what I love. I make enough money to help my mom. I'm designing clothes for a duchess. I have wonderful friends. I met you."

Jesse's heart rises again to see her list her blessings, to be counted among them.

But shame rises with it. Because Daphne, who started life with so little and with such tragedy, who has so much less than him...lives life free of the fear he carries around every day, so heavy in his chest. His wolf gives a heavy shake then, climbing to his feet, determined to be better.

“It's okay,” Daphne says, bringing his attention back to her. "I can be...hopeful for both of us, if you're not there yet."

"I'll take you up on that," Jesse says, impulsively holding out a hand to her in the dark. Quietly, she slips her palm against his and gives his hand a

squeeze when his fingers wrap light around hers. "Even as I try to be better, it might take me a minute to get there."

"Oh, I think you can do it, Jess," Daphne whispers, beaming at him. "I see great things happening for you."

He squeezes her hand back, his heart rising still, hoping to hell that he can live up to her expectations. Inwardly, his wolf sets himself to the task.