Tears from my eyes dripped onto his fingers as I spoke. “I was never the one who said anything different.”
He kissed me and pulled me into his arms as months of heartache at missing him melted away. In that moment, I realized I had lied to myself over and over to cope. Dreams, hopes, wishes—they couldn’t be killed by will alone. They simply retreated beneath the surface of my heart, waiting for Adwen to return. Part of me—the part I pushed away—must have always known that he would.
I didn’t care where he’d been or why it had taken him so long to come for me. I knew we wouldn’t be parted again as his arms wrapped around me.
I turned my face up to kiss him, wiping the lone tear that crept from the corner of his eye. I hugged him and heard a loud sniffle from the back of the room. I pulled away but kept hold of his hand as I turned to see Isobel crying and Cooper clapping gleefully in the doorway.
CHAPTER 45
Cagair Castle
One Month Later
We put our wedding together in the matter of a day, both of us far more interested in the honeymoon than the ceremony. We left immediately after saying our vows and took off on a month-long journey around Scotland, where I had the endless pleasure of acquainting myself with the man Adwen had become.
He had changed over the course of three months. Not in the way I had, but in a way that was far less changeable. He found that piece of himself Orick had always known he was missing—an unwavering inner strength. He was a better man, lover, and partner for it. And someday, when we were both ready and the right children crossed our path, he would be able to open his heart to a home full of children without the constant fear he would have always had before.
He was free from chains he didn’t even know he carried, and our marriage, our life together, would be so much happier for it.
After weeks of laughter, conversations, and a fair amount of lovemaking, we chose to make the last day of our honeymoon a somber one—a day of reflection at Cagair Castle to properly say goodbye to the friend we lost before starting our new life together.
Cagair Castle would not be our home. Callum was happy as laird, and we both wanted to be closer to Cooper. Upon our return, we would find a home base on McMillan territory and, while I knew we would travel often, we could be close to those we loved.
Adwen would not allow me to climb down the rocky hillside, not so much for my safety as his need to be alone. I didn’t mind as I stood near the edge and watched him. I needed the solitude, as well. This day was so different from the one that claimed Orick’s life—the rocks held sturdy and the sea remained calm.
I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer for my friend. I could feel him here, among the rocks and the water.
I watched as Adwen reached the platform on which Orick had landed and then been pushed off of by the falling rocks. Looking at it now, filled with clarity rather than grief, it surprised me that they hadn’t found his body. The rocks should have crushed him, not pushed him off the edge.
A breeze from the ocean swept across me. It was oddly warm, and I found comfort in it as my last conversation with Orick swept through my mind. I’m a verra good swimmer—even in waves such as this, I could do well enough.
I could almost hear his voice say the words in the breeze, and I had to shake my head to push away the thought. Hope was different from delusion, and it had been months since Orick’s passing.
Still, truly seeing the rocks for the first time since the tragedy, I could see Orick’s death in a way I couldn’t before. It had been awful for us, but for him, I imagined it was something like he would have wanted.
He had joined the sea. I would always think of him swimming in the ocean that he loved so much.
I said nothing to Adwen as he climbed upward and joined me. He took my hand and kissed it before we turned toward the castle to join Callum.
We would always miss Orick and the sadness would never truly leave, but coming back here provided a cleansing we both deeply needed. And now we could breathe easily, free of guilt or regret as we started our new life together.
A life filled with love, travels, friends, family, and until we found children to adopt, I intended for us to enjoy at least several romps in the hay each day.
EPILOGUE
He dreamed endlessly, always of the same nameless people who danced through his mind and spoke to him without voices. He could hear nothing but the sound of water, of waves crashing against the rocks as he slept.
When he did wake, he couldn’t lift himself, couldn’t move from the warm coverings wrapped around him. How long had he been here—amongst the water and the candlelight and the woman that stayed with him in the cave?