“Vanessa,” I try.
“Don’t, Kolt.”
“I’m sorry, really I am.”
“The fucking fucked up thing is,” She growls, cursing like she’s only just learned how to cuss. “Is that I don’t fucking think it was a mistake. That I don’t want to run away when clearly I should!”
“You should.” I agree.
“But I can’t.” Her voice lowers to a whisper that the wind wants to snatch away from me, “I can’t fucking leave. Because you’re leaving now. You’re leaving before we agreed.”
“I didn’t realize we had an agreement,” I tell her, “Just friends.”
“Of course, we had an agreement. We were both going to leave. But it wasn’t supposed to be yet.”
“What did you want from me, Ness?” I ask her softly, “I can’t give you what someone else can. There is no happily ever after for us, and there certainly isn’t going to be one now. I’m no good, trouble.”
“I don’t know what I wanted,” She tells me, “But I didn’t expect it to hurt this bad.”
“Go home,” I say gently. “Don’t think about me again.”
She suddenly lunges forward, her arms coming around my neck as her mouth lands on mine. I hold her and kiss her back, pushing everything I do have to give her into the kiss. But too soon it’s over and there’s a space between us that will never close.
“Goodbye Kolt.” She says.
I reach into my pocket, fingers running over the rough wooden trinket I have in there. Something I had made for her but hadn’t yet given to her. I couldn’t now. She didn’t need the sour reminder of me.
“Goodbye, trouble.”
The sun is cresting the horizon when I climb onto the boat, the sky a beautiful dusty blue that just serves as a reminder of her. I’m not entirely sure I’ll ever enjoy the night sky again or watch a sunrise without being haunted by her memory.
I’ve always preferred the night but now it felt like my nights and the love for them will stay here, even when I’m not.
I didn’t say goodbye to my brothers. They wouldn’t allow me to go and it’s best this way. To save Torin, like the Avery family saved me, I would do this.
I turn back to the island before we travel past the cliff’s edge which gives this town its name, shaped like a raven, it overlooks the small little town like a mighty god, and I swear I can see a figure waiting on the dock. One with long hair that flows in the wind.
“This is why we don’t get attached,” Sebastian says to me, eyes on the figure too. Not a figment of my imagination after all, “It makes us weak. Makes us do stupid things.”
“Shut the fuck up, Sebastian.” I grumble.
He chuckles, settling back in the chair while one of the men drives, “It might be for nought yet,” He continues, “Farrow might not favor your bargain. You know how the Farrow’s are, they hate people leaving the game, and I’m not even sure your deal will be enough to save them.”
“We’ll see,” I grumble.
If he didn’t accept, I’d have to go down swinging. I’d lose but at least I’d take some of them with me before they raised hell on my family.
Chapter Eleven
Eighteen months later…
“Yes!” I grumble, rolling over in bed, “I’m coming! You’re not going to starve!”
The angry meows coming from the side of the bed suggest otherwise. I often question my decision-making skills, right now being one of those times. But in my defense the cat kept coming back. Every day he was there. On my doorstep.
I’d somehow found the cat distribution system because this one, the orange and black tabby currently weaving between my legs as I place my feet on the floor, has chosen me.
But god, he is loud. If I was even a minute past the feeding schedule, he’ll scream.
