Chapter 36

It was Sunday, which meant the maids were off duty. The entire Sinclair estate was quiet, eerily so. His parents, Diana and Caspian, had flown to Toronto to visit his maternal grandparents and wouldn't be back until Tuesday.

So technically… Casadin was supposed to be alone.

But not anymore.

Not today.

Not with her here.

Evadne was currently in his kitchen. And Casadin? Casadin was having a mild crisis inside his walk-in closet.

He had no idea what to wear.

"Come on, Casadin Sinclair. Keep your act together," he muttered, slapping both cheeks lightly to snap himself back to reality. "It's not like this is the first time you're hanging out with Princess."

He began rummaging through his shirts.

"But it is the first time after she found out you like her."

His heart thumped just a little harder.

"So what? Be cool, man."

Still, his hand hovered over a few options. Collared shirt? Casual sweater? Plain tee?

"Should I try to impress her more?"

"No, dumbass, not too much. Don't make it obvious. She might get turned off."

Just then, Evadne's voice rang from outside the closet, snapping him out of his internal monologue.

"Cas?! Are you done? Lunch is ready."

Casadin jumped, startled. "Princess! I'm, uh, I'm getting dressed!"

"Well, make it quick or the food'll go cold!"

"Five minutes!" he called back, his voice cracking slightly.

"Alright," came her calm reply.

"Keep it cool, Casadin Sinclair," he mumbled again, finally grabbing a plain grey shirt and pairing it with cream lounge shorts. Clean. Comfortable. Casual crush mode activated.

When he emerged from his room, the scent of warm, savory pasta greeted him.

And then he saw her.

Evadne stood at the kitchen island, arranging plates like she belonged there. Her long hair was tied back loosely, her lips pressed together in quiet concentration. The sunlight filtering through the kitchen windows kissed her skin softly.

Casadin paused in the doorway, eyes lingering.

She looks so at home… Damn, this would be perfect if you were just in an apron, Princess.

"Whatever perverted fantasy is running through your head, stop it," Evadne said suddenly, spinning around with narrowed eyes.

Casadin choked. "Wha--- What are you talking about?!"

"Don't play dumb," she said, stepping closer, clearly enjoying his flustered expression. "You were standing there staring like you were imagining something naughty."

"I was just wondering if you cooked all this, or if you just reheated takeout and wanted credit," he shot back smoothly, recovering enough to walk over and plop onto one of the bar stools beside her.

On the island were two servings of Fettuccine Alfredo, chilled gelato in delicate glass cups, and bruschetta that looked far too pretty to be anything but handmade.

"Excuse me, mister," she sniffed, placing a hand on her hip. "I can cook. Why would I claim credit for something I didn't do?"

Before he could reply, she leaned over and pinched his nose, hard.

"Princess, ow!" Casadin winced, rubbing his poor nose. "My head already hurts from the hangover, and now you're attacking my best feature. What if I end up with a crooked nose? What will happen to my market value?"

Still grinning, Evadne leaned in, amused by his dramatic sulking. Casadin, ever the flirt, took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

Evadne rolled her eyes but didn't pull away.

"Does your head still hurt?" she asked in a mock-sweet tone, though her fingers grazed his hair softly as she sat down beside him.

Casadin gave her a pout and nodded like a scolded puppy.

"Good!" she said with a laugh, sticking out her tongue. "That's what you get for drinking like an idiot."

Casadin groaned. "You really came here just to bully me, didn't you?"

"Nope," Evadne replied with a little shrug, though her voice had that familiar mix of mischief and meaning. "I came here because some drunk idiot confessed his feelings to me last night, but said he wanted to confess again when he's sober. So here I am… before he chickens out again."

The teasing in her tone was soft, but her eyes held something deeper, something raw.

Casadin swallowed hard, suddenly unable to breathe right.

His mouth opened to say something, anything, but nothing came out.

Evadne tilted her head slightly, then spoke again, her voice calm. "Eat first," she said gently. "Let's talk about it later, after you've eaten, and your headache's gone."

He nodded wordlessly, and they both started eating in silence.

The food was good, amazing, really, but Casadin could barely taste it. Every bite felt like he was trying to swallow a rock. His hands trembled slightly. His thoughts were a hurricane. His heart? He was surprised it hadn't leapt out of his chest yet to start breakdancing on the damn kitchen counter.

Every time he looked at Evadne, seated beside him so casually like it was just any other Sunday, he felt like he might combust.

He couldn't take it anymore.

"Princess…" he said softly, his voice almost cracking.

Evadne turned to him slowly, their eyes locking.

But the words? They got stuck in his throat.

She smiled faintly. Of course she knew. It wasn't fair, she could hear his thoughts, always had. She knew his fears. She knew the storm brewing inside him even when he tried to hide it behind that cocky grin.

And now… she was ready to speak the truth.

Evadne sighed quietly and set down her fork. Her fingers brushed his hand, steadying it. Then she looked into his eyes with unflinching honesty.

"I like you too," she said softly. "The same way you like me."

Casadin went still, so still that he accidentally dropped the silverware in his hand. The sound of the utensils clattering against the plate echoed in the kitchen, but he barely heard it.

"I'm going to be honest with you," she continued, her voice low but clear. "I think I like you more than just… like. I'm not completely sure if it's love yet, but I think I'm heading there."

She paused.

"But I can't choose you."

"Princess…" he whispered, voice cracking.

"Let me finish first."

He nodded silently. She turned to face him fully and gently took his hand in hers.

"If I choose you, I know it's the right decision. I know I'll be happy. You make me happy. But like I told you before… my happiness isn't my priority right now. My parents and godparents, the people who raised me, the people who lost so much, their happiness matters more to me than my own."

Her grip on his hand tightened.

"They're still hoping Hades and I will end up together. I know they'd understand if I walked away from that future. They'd support me. But it would still hurt them. Because deep down, they're still chasing the future they lost with Ceres and Zeus."

Casadin clenched his jaw, his throat burning.

"You're important to me," Evadne said. "So important. You ground me. You make me smile without trying. You give me peace in ways I didn't know I needed. You add color to my world. But you deserve more than this. You deserve to be someone's first choice, Casadin. And right now… I can't even choose myself. So I came here today to tell you that you should..."

"Don't," Casadin said.

Then he leaned in and kissed her.

He didn't think. Didn't weigh the consequences.

He just moved, 

And pressed his lips to hers before she could finish her goodbye.

Evadne's eyes widened in shock. But she didn't push him away.

She couldn't.

Because something about the desperation in that kiss, the way his fingers trembled when they found her cheek, the silent ache he poured into her, it made something inside her break and bloom at the same time.

She kissed him back.

And when she did, Casadin deepened the kiss instantly, hands tangling in her hair as if afraid she'd change her mind.

It was a messy, breathless collision of two people falling for each other at the wrong time, but feeling like the only thing in the world that made sense.

Their foreheads stayed pressed together, breath mingling in the stillness that followed their kiss. That kiss, tender and deep, had stripped away all hesitation, all doubt, leaving only raw emotion between them.

"Princess," Casadin whispered, voice husky with emotion, "you like me, right?"

Evadne nodded, her eyes shining. He reached up and gently wiped away the tear that had slipped down her cheek.

"And it's more than just like now, isn't it?" he asked, a confident smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

She nodded again, more firmly this time.

"If you can't choose me right now…" Casadin's voice softened, but his eyes were clear and full of quiet fire, "then let me be the one to choose you."

"Cas…" Evadne's voice wavered, heavy with guilt. "That's going to be unfair to you."

"It's not," he said without hesitation, kissing away the trail of her tears. "As long as I know you like me more than that asshole Hades, I'm okay. He doesn't deserve you. But I understand why you're in the position you're in. So… let me love you freely."

Evadne cupped his face, her thumb stroking his cheek as she whispered, "You'll only end up hurt, Cas. Maybe it feels okay now, but when the time comes, when I have to stand next to Hades, when I have to be intimate with him, what then? You'll hate me. And there are so many girls out there who would choose you in a heartbeat."

"But none of them is you," Casadin shot back, his voice low but fierce. "I'm not asking you to choose me over your parents or your godparents. I'm not asking you to break your promises or betray anyone. Just… let yourself keep liking me. Let yourself fall for me. Because I already love you."

He leaned in, his hands tender on her face. "So you don't have to choose me, Princess. I've already chosen you. And I won't demand anything more than that."

Evadne looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of doubt, but found none. "Are you sure?" she asked quietly.

He nodded and leaned forward to kiss her again, not as desperate this time, but steady. Warm. Certain. There was no hesitation in that kiss, only a quiet vow.

When he pulled back, he whispered, "I've never been this sure of anything in my entire life, Princess."

Evadne's lips curved into a smile, and she bit down gently on her bottom lip, trying to hide the flutter in her chest.

"Then… if you're that sure, as long as it's not between you and my parents or godparents… I'll always choose you against anyone else."

And this time, she was the one who kissed him.

It was slow. Soft. A seal, of understanding, of feeling, of the quiet start of something dangerous but real.

"I love you, Evadne Persephone Monteverde," Casadin murmured against her lips.

Evadne rolled her eyes playfully, pulling back just enough to grin.

"I know. You're ridiculously obvious."

They both laughed, light and breathless, the weight between them lifting in the moment.

"And I'm on my way to loving you too, Casadin Sinclair," she added, sincerity glowing beneath her teasing tone.

That Sunday blurred into a slow, golden haze. They spent it alternating between deep kisses and playful banter, Evadne teasing Casadin for blushing too easily, Casadin daring her to stop holding back when she kissed him.

They didn't put a label on what they were now, there was no need. Not yet.

Not when the world couldn't hear their truth.

Not when the pressure of legacy, expectations, and old ghosts still hovered.

But even if the world didn't know…

They knew.

And for now, they were just friends.

Very, very special friends.

Friends who kissed.

Friends who loved in secret.

Friends who held each other a little too long, smiled a little too wide, and never needed to explain why.

And neither had any intention of denying what they felt, at least not to themselves.