I gaped at him. “In love?”
He gestured to my hand, the one that was rubbing the area over my sternum once again, trying to ease the ache.
“Does your heart hurt?” he asked.
I nodded.
“It might not be love, but I’d say that’s a pretty darn good indicator.”
“It’s only been a few days, Bernie,” I argued.
He shrugged. “I knew the moment I set my eyes on your great aunt that she was the woman for me. The only one on this earth meant to be with me.” He leaned back in the swing, setting it swaying. “Vampires and shifters aren’t the only ones who have soulmates, you know. Witches and even humans do, too.”
I couldn’t stand to look into his wise brown eyes any longer. He saw far, far too much.
“I don’t know what to do,” I admitted, looking away.
I had to sip my coffee, which was magically still hot, to wash away the lump in my throat.
Bernie’s hand landed on my leg, and he squeezed my knee gently. “Your heart knows. And so does your soul. Listen to them.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Carina Shelton,” he said, his voice stern.
I looked up at him. He never spoke to me in that tone before.
“I am grieving the loss of my soulmate now. A pain so deep that I wasn’t sure I could survive it at first.” He leaned toward me. “But you know what I realized this week?”
He waited as though he really did want an answer.
I shook my head.
“I had many wonderful years with my Bethany. Joys and sorrows. Hardships and victories. And, even if I’d known that my time with her would be as brief as it had been, I would have chosen her anyway. I would have faced this heartache willingly for the years I had her. It was worth it all. Every. Single. Second.”
Tears filled my eyes. God, this man loved my great aunt so much. I yearned for that. I wanted someone to love me that much. So much that they didn’t want to live without me. But that they would never, ever regret loving me like that.
Bernie rose to his feet, moving slower than he had before. I realized that the last two weeks had aged him.
I rose to my feet as well.
“Come inside so I can make you some breakfast,” I said.
He opened his mouth like he wanted to argue but shut it as soon as he saw my face. He seemed to understand he wasn’t leaving until he’d eaten something.
“I want French toast,” he finally stated.
“I can do that.”
We went into the cottage my great aunt left me as the sun fully broke free of the horizon.
* * *
Once Bernie and I ate,I washed the dishes, drank more coffee, and finally took a shower.
As I did all of this, I tried to listen to my heart. And to my soul.
But my brain was still blaring warning sirens loud and clear that Daniel had kidnapped us, lied to us, and might still erase our memory of him. My heart and soul just ached.
