As soon as Evangeline squeaked out her yes, the trumpeters above released a brassy cheer, the entire ballroom exploded in clapping, and Apollo gallantly scooped her up into his arms.
His grin was pure joy. He might have kissed her then. His eyelids were lowering, and his mouth was descending. And—
Evangeline tried to lean into it.
She was in the midst of a fairytale, floating in the middle of an enchanted castle, held by a prince who’d just chosen her over every other girl there.
But the way he was leaning in to kiss her made her think of another kiss. Of their last kiss, a kiss Jacks had orchestrated for reasons she still didn’t understand. But what if this was why he’d wanted it? Evangeline didn’t want to think this proposal was Jacks’s doing. He couldn’t have known one kiss would do this—and she didn’t understand why he’d even want this engagement. It was much easier and more pleasant to imagine this wasn’t what Jacks wanted at all.
Weren’t Fates supposed to be jealous?
“Are you all right?” Apollo’s warm hand climbed her spine, rubbing softly as if coaxing her back from a bad dream. “You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”
Evangeline took a timorous breath.
She still didn’t see Jacks among the crowd, but it felt as if the entire kingdom were watching. The whole ballroom had gathered, surrounding
them with looks that ranged from awe to envy.
“You’re overwhelmed.” Apollo’s fingers found her chin and tilted her face toward his. “I’m sorry, my heart. I wish I could have made this private for us. But there will be plenty of secluded moments for us in the future.” He dipped his head, preparing once more to lean in for his kiss.
Evangeline just needed to close her eyes and kiss him back. This was her chance at a happy ending. And when she pushed aside her doubts, Evangeline did feel happy. This was what she’d been hoping for, the entire reason that she’d come to the North. She’d wanted a love story like her parents’. She’d wished for love at first, and a chance with the prince, and now it was hers.
She lifted her head toward his.
Apollo’s mouth met hers before she could close her eyes. Last night, he’d hesitated at first, but tonight, he took with the confidence of a prince who’d never been denied. His lips were soft, but the kiss was flowers falling off her gown and shocked sighs from the crowd as he picked her up and spun her around and kissed and kissed and kissed her. It was the sort of kiss fever dreams were made of, a blur of dizzying heat and touch, and this time Jacks didn’t end it. Evangeline didn’t feel his cold hand on her shoulder or hear his voice in her head, telling her she’d made a mistake. All she heard were Apollo’s murmurs promising her everything she could ever want was about to be hers.
