Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 320: Forgiveness Astrid's

POV

Killian shook his head, his tears falling freely now as he rested his forehead against mine.

"Don't be sorry," he whispered. "You had every reason to believe what you did. I didn't fight hard enough either. I should have told you the truth sooner, but I was too ashamed. Too afraid."

A sob broke from my chest as I leaned into his touch, my heart aching for him, for everything we had lost.

"I blamed you for everything," I whispered. "But you never blamed me. You carried all of this guilt alone. I should have known."

He held me tighter, his arms wrapping around me as though he could shield me from the pain that had been festering between us for so long.

"We were both innocent," he whispered, his voice cracking. "It was all lies. None of this should have happened.'

I pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, my heart still heavy but lighter than it had been in years. "Can we start over?" I asked, my voice small but hopeful. "Can we forget everything and build something new?"

Killian smiled softly, his thumb brushing away the last of my tears. "Yes," he whispered. "We can start over. We can build something better. Together."

I nodded, taking a deep breath as the weight of the past finally began to lift from my shoulders.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt free. I felt hope.

And as I looked into Killian's eyes, filled with love and sincerity, I knew that we could make this work. We had always belonged to each other.

"I love you, Astrid," Killian whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I've always loved you. I never stopped."

my lips as I whispered back, "I

him, I thought it was the

was

for love is because the space was already occupied by Killian. And in that moment, as we stood there holding each other, we finally shared the kiss we

at first, a tentative connection, but as

pain, of love that had been waiting

pulled apart, our foreheads still resting together, I knew that this time, we

again, and

we could

hand gently cupped the back of my neck,

but there was an edge to it, a determination that sent a

deal with Giselle," he

As long as she is alive, I

en

back to reality, reminding me that while we had found

slightly, his eyes searching mine for confirmation, for some

as she's breathing, Astrid, we'll always be looking over our

nodded, the resolution in his words echoing in my own heart.

wanted to move on, to live the life we should have had from the beginning -

had already stolen so much from us; she couldn't

whispered, my voice trembling slightly. "She has to be punished. But

would you

stilled, the words catching in my throat. I think Giselle knows that something is wrong with me. I think she knows