When Love Finds Its Way Back (Cassienne and Dreston) novel Chapter 244

hapter Two Hundred And Forty–Four: You’re Unbelievable.

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Cassienne stood under the steady stream of the shower, letting the warmth soak into her skin in a desperate attempt to quiet her mind. The heat helped her muscles relax, but her thoughts remained a chaotic loop, returning constantly to the same person: Tina.

The woman had walked into their home without a shred of hesitation, carrying an air of absolute belonging. There was a dangerous confidence in her voice and a look in her eyes when she spoke to Dreston–a look that suggested they shared a history or a secret that Cassienne was not privy to. What stung most, however, was Dreston’s reaction. He had not denied whatever unspoken claim Tina was making, nor had he offered a word of explanation once she left.

Cassienne closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting the water wash over her face. Deep down, she knew she could trust him. She was certain of his character; he was not a man who betrayed his vows. His love for her had never wavered, even in their darkest hours, and that certainty was exactly what made this silence so difficult to bear. If it was not a romantic betrayal, then the truth had to be something far more serious.

She exhaled a long, shaky breath and turned off the faucet. The sudden silence of the bathroom felt heavy. As she wrapped herself in a plush robe and tied the belt securely at her waist, a realization settled over her. Whatever Tina wanted, it involved her. Dreston wasn’t hiding a secret to protect himself; he was hiding it to protect her.

“I am not that fragile,” she whispered to her reflection. Even with the baby growing inside her, she knew her own strength. She did not fear Tina, and she resented the idea of being kept in the dark for her own

sake.

She stepped out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel, but stopped short when she entered the

bedroom.

Dreston was there, waiting for her. He was down on one knee, his silhouette sharp against the morning light. In his hand was a small velvet box, and inside it sat a diamond ring that captured the light with a brilliant, quiet fire.

Cassienne froze, her heart hammering against her ribs. “What are you doing?” she asked. Her voice was remarkably steady, devoid of the shock she felt.

Dreston looked up at her, his expression a mask of solemn intensity. “There is only one woman for me, Cass,” he said, his voice low and raspy. “There has only ever been you.”

He rose slowly to his feet, closing the distance between them but keeping the ring displayed. “Marry me,” he urged. “Say yes, and we can go to the registry this morning. We can have a grand celebration later, with family and music and everything you deserve, but I don’t want to wait another day to make you mine legally.”

Cassienne searched his face. She had always intended to marry him, but the timing felt frantic. It felt like a man trying to build a wall around his home before a storm hit. He wasn’t just proposing; he was claiming her, marking her as his in a way that the world–and Tina–could not ignore.

Four: You re Unbelievable

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Before she could find the words to question him, Dreston took her hand. His touch was warm and slightly trembling, a rare sign of vulnerability that melted her resolve. He slid the ring onto her finger, and it fit as if it had been forged specifically for her hand.

“It was always meant for you,” he murmured, his eyes searching hers for a reaction.

Cassienne looked down at the diamond, then back up at him with a faint, teasing spark in her eyes. “I didn’t actually say yes yet.”

Dreston didn’t back away. Instead, he stepped into her personal space, his hands sliding firmly around her waist to pull her flush against him. The heat radiating from his body was intoxicating. “You were going to,” he countered, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

Cassienne’s breath hitched. Since his recovery, they had lived in a state of careful glass–fragility, treating each other with a gentle, almost platonic restraint. But now, with the silk of her robe the only thing between them, the air turned electric. She dropped her towel and reached up, her fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck. She pulled him closer, breathing in the scent of his skin–cedar and rain. Whatever storm Tina was bringing, Cassienne decided she would meet it at his side.

Dreston leaned down, his lips brushing against hers in a tentative question before he claimed them fully. The kiss was deep and hungry, a silent communication of all the things they couldn’t say out loud. He held her as if she were the only anchor in a shifting world, and Cassienne leaned into him, her heart thudding in sync with his.

His hand moved slowly down her back, his touch heavy with a possessive heat that made her knees weak. He had missed this intimacy, the raw connection of being one with her. As the kiss intensified, the atmosphere in the room shifted from romantic to primal. Cassienne felt the change in him–the way his grip tightened and the urgency in his movements.

As much as she wanted him, she knew his mind. He was trying to lose himself in her to avoid the reality waiting outside their door. She pulled back gently, breaking the contact.

Dreston let out a low groan of frustration, his forehead resting against hers as he tried to catch his breath. “Why?” he asked softly, his eyes dark with desire.

Cassienne caught his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. “You asked me to marry you,” she said, her voice filled with a calm, unshakable certainty. “And my answer is yes. I will marry you, Dreston. I am ready.”

He stilled, the tension in his shoulders dropping just an inch. He studied her, searching for any sign of hesitation or fear, but he found only strength. He realized then that she wasn’t just accepting a ring; she was accepting the fight that came with it.

“You are unbelievable,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Cassienne smiled, a genuine, radiant expression that lit up her face. “If being in love with you makes me unbelievable, then I suppose I am.”

Dreston’s gaze darkened again, his hands moving to the belt of her robe, but Cassienne caught his

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