“If you’re… if you’re up for it,” I begin, the words tumbling out before I can second-guess them, “I’d like to look for a place with you.”
It feels like letting go of a weight I’ve carried for too long.
“I’m not trying to rush anything or put pressure on you,” I add quickly. “But I’ve realized something, I don’t want to go back to Paris. I want to stay. Here. In England. With you. With all of you… if you’ll have me.”
His eyes widen, stunned, but only for a second. Then he covers my face with kisses, laughing through the tears.
“Yes, love. A thousand times, yes! I wanted to ask you myself, but I didn’t want to make you feel like you had to choose something so big just for me.”
“This isn’t just about you,” I say gently, though I smile as I add, “Even if youarethe biggest reason.”
He laughs again, and my chest feels lighter than it has in years.
“Our friends matter to me too,” I continue, voice soft but steady. “And more than anything, I feel like this is where I want to rebuild my life. France gave me shelter. It helped me grow and become who I am, but I’m ready now. I feel stronger. I knowwhat I want. I’m no longer ashamed of who I am, and I want to live my life,allof it, with the people I love.”
Remi cups my face in his hands, his eyes shining.
“Then let’s do it,” he says. “Let’s build that life, together.”
We kiss sweetly, losing ourselves in each other, in the perfection of this moment.
“I’m so proud of you, Seb… I still can’t believe you’re mine,” Remi whispers, lifting my free hand to his lips. He kisses my palm, then presses it gently to his cheek. There’s a flicker of something uncertain in his eyes, something almost shy, as he adds, “There’s one thing we still need to talk about… if you feel up to it.”
I stroke his face and nod. “Okay. If you’re talking about the police report, Dr Warren already mentioned it. I haven’t made up my mind yet. I think… I just need a bit of time to process everything.”
“I understand, baby. I’ll stand by whatever decision you make. I just… I want to be honest about how I feel.”
“Of course. You know your opinion matters to me.”
He exhales slowly, his hand tightening slightly around mine. “As hard as it is to admit, I don’t think I ever really knew Maddie. That day… I saw something in her I’d never seen before. The way she looked at you, it wasn’t just anger, it was something darker. I never imagined she could carry that kind of hate.”
He pauses, his expression tight. “When she pushed you down the stairs… Seb, I swear, if I hadn’t been so focused on keeping you alive, on getting help, I’m sure I would’ve strangled her for even laying a finger on you. I’ve never felt anything like that before.”
His voice drops to a whisper. “What I’m trying to say is… I think youshouldreport her. She’s not the person I thought she was. And she needs help. Real help. But she also needs to be held accountable for what she did to you.”
“Remi, love… I understand how you feel, and I’m grateful for your honesty. IpromiseI’ll think carefully before I make any decision. But right now, let me thank you for saving my life. Dr Warren said that if you hadn’t acted so fast… if you’d tried to move me before the paramedics arrived… things could’ve been so much worse.”
Remi leans in, resting his forehead against mine, and I feel the weight he’s still carrying. The grief, the fear, it hasn’t left him yet.
“Don’t evensaythat, Seb,” he murmurs, voice cracking. “You don’t need to thank me. If I’d been more alert… if I’d seen what Maddie was capable of, none of this would’ve happened.”
“No.” The word bursts out louder than I meant. “Remi, don’t do that.Iwent after her. I saw she was furious. But the truth is, no one could’ve predicted what she did. Not you. Not me. And honestly… I don’t even know if she meant to hurt me. It might have been a terrible accident.”
“Do you know what happened to her?”
He shakes his head, sorrow clouding his eyes. “No. After you fell… she just ran. No one’s seen her since. Anne and Noah tried calling, but her phone is disconnected. If she’d at least checked in to ask how you were, or shown even the slightest bit of remorse, I might believe it wasn’t deliberate. But right now…”
He trails off, and I don’t have the strength to press him. A wave of exhaustion crashes over me, sudden and all-consuming.
“Please, Remi,” I whisper, “let’s not talk about Maddie. Not now. Tell me about the others… Are they really all here? At the hospital? I still can’t believe they came… forme.”
Remi lets out a soft chuckle, though his face is still etched with exhaustion. “Oh, believe it. Ask my mum, she’s had half the village camped out in our house for three days. Now that you’re finally awake, I’m sure she’s itching to reclaim her living room.”
I smile faintly, but the worry still lingers. “How did they take it?” I ask quietly, already bracing for the worst.
Remi catches my meaning instantly. He strokes my cheek, his touch warm and steady, and offers me a reassuring smile.
“Well, Ian and Francis already knew,” he says. “And Noah and Jamie admitted they’d figured it out on their own. Apparently, we weren’t nearly as discreet as we thought…”
