Caden watches the expressions play across his brother's face, and he nods when he hears the answer. It rings with truth, not that Caden had any doubt, and in that moment, he knows what he must do.
He already met the one he loves like Joel loves Spencer, and it didn't work. There was no fairytale happy ending for them, not with how she turned him away. Caden remembers how it felt to sit on that beach after she walked away from him, how he stared at her retreating form and wished with everything he had that she would just turn around, look at him once more.
She never did, and Caden has never loved again. He doesn't think he ever will, not the way he loved her. So it's no real hardship, when he considers it. And when he realizes that he could help his brother have his very own happy ending, he knows that he would go to the ends of the earth to do it.
"I will take a bride at the ball," Caden says after a quiet moment, reaching over to rest a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'll talk to mother and father, and let them know my decision. I'm sure I can choose someone lovely from who they've picked out, and I can provide the heir that they want so badly."
Caden is sure that none of the women lined up and offering their hands are in it for love, not really. He'll meet with them, and he'll pick one who he can get along with. He'll pick one that can be his friend, and who understands that she can never truly have Caden's heart, because it belongs to another. It'll be a nice life, if not the one he would have chosen.
"I want you to be happy, Joel." He smiles warmly, and his eyes are a bit glassy as he squeezes his shoulder. "I want you to be able to follow your heart, and it's clear that Spencer already holds it in his hands."
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He already met the one he loves like Joel loves Spencer, and it didn't work. There was no fairytale happy ending for them, not with how she turned him away. Caden remembers how it felt to sit on that beach after she walked away from him, how he stared at her retreating form and wished with everything he had that she would just turn around, look at him once more.
She never did, and Caden has never loved again. He doesn't think he ever will, not the way he loved her. So it's no real hardship, when he considers it. And when he realizes that he could help his brother have his very own happy ending, he knows that he would go to the ends of the earth to do it.
"I will take a bride at the ball," Caden says after a quiet moment, reaching over to rest a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'll talk to mother and father, and let them know my decision. I'm sure I can choose someone lovely from who they've picked out, and I can provide the heir that they want so badly."
Caden is sure that none of the women lined up and offering their hands are in it for love, not really. He'll meet with them, and he'll pick one who he can get along with. He'll pick one that can be his friend, and who understands that she can never truly have Caden's heart, because it belongs to another. It'll be a nice life, if not the one he would have chosen.
"I want you to be happy, Joel." He smiles warmly, and his eyes are a bit glassy as he squeezes his shoulder. "I want you to be able to follow your heart, and it's clear that Spencer already holds it in his hands."