The clouds congregate thickly overhead, all hint of blue faded once again. While my brain mulls through my dire current situation, my legs manage to transport me five kilometres from where I abandoned Angela’s car. I should probably turn back and face the music. Literally.
Though I think I’ve pretty much made my mind up. This country is my home and I’m staying. Whether that’s to build a life with Sasha or not, is entirely up to her. I want to stay close enough to visit Dad. Whatever he’s done, he’ll always be my father.
The sky darkens ominously with every passing second. I pull my North Face jacket tighter round me, burying my chin into its collar, grateful for the less-than-fashionable beanie. Multi-coloured lights twinkle across the horizon, so very different from the Christmas lights of the castle. It’s a sharp reminder that Sasha hates multi-coloured lights. All because of me. I literally stripped the colour from her life.
I think it’s safe enough to say I might be staying in Ireland, but any future with Sasha is utterly unrealistic. It’s an impossible situation. She got what she wanted regarding justice, yet still there’s no victory for any of us. There are no winners.
A furious flurry of snow cascades from the sky. Perfect fluffy circles settle on my coat, my face and my tongue as I stick it out in a childish gesture, my upturned palms catching flakes a fraction of a second before they melt on the heat of my skin. It’s the story of my life. I seem to have a knack of chasing away anything beautiful.
The beach is practically deserted bar a few dog walkers. Most people have better things to do this close to Christmas, or more perhaps simply more sense than to brave the elements.
The approaching silhouette of a woman in the distance looks oddly familiar. Dark unruly hair blows in the breeze, snowflakes blur my vision, but I could swear it’s Sasha. Clearly, I must be borderline hypothermic. There’s no way she’d be out here.
Apart from all the things that have to be done for the ball, she doesn’t know I’m here and if she did, she’d probably run a mile the other way.
Yep. Definitely delusional.
Though that scarlet coat looks like the one she had on in London. And those mahogany locks look exactly like the hair I’ve run my hands through a thousand times.
Upping my pace to a jog, I close the distance between us, trying to beat down the mounting hope growing in my heart.
She’ll never forgive me, or my family, for any of it. Maybe something’s wrong at the castle?
‘Ryan!’ The wind carries her voice towards me.
Another thirty seconds and I’ll be in touching distance. That’s assuming she’ll let me.
‘Sasha? Is everything ok?’ Scanning her from head to toe, my gaze returns to hers. Sparkling jade eyes glitter with a magnitude of emotion.
Dragging her hands from her pockets, she flings them round me before thrusting a crinkled envelope under my nose.
‘You didn’t abandon me!’
Of all the things I thought she might say, it wasn’t that. Squinting at the paper she clutches, I instinctively know what it is. I don’t know where she found it, but it’s the best Christmas present ever.
Clinging on like she might run at any second, I nuzzle into her neck as the snow flutters around us. ‘I never would. Where did you get that?’
‘Jayden gave it to me. Your father gave it to him. He took my parents and he took you. I’ll never be able to get them back, but I can get you back… I hope…’ With her lips millimetres from mine, she gazes up at me shyly from those elongated eyelashes, her cheeks a rosy pink from the wind or emotion, I don’t know which.
‘Sweetheart, you can’t get back something you never lost. I told you, and the entire world in Vegas, it’s always been you.’
‘I should have listened. I never believed I was enough for you. When I lost everyone, I kind of got this idea that I was jinxed or something. Destined to go it alone in this world. Then when I got your note, ten years later, that dispelled that theory.’
I hate bringing it up, but if we’re going to get any further forward, there’s no point avoiding the elephant on the beach.
‘And about my father…?’
She swallows hard and squeezes me. ‘It’s far from ideal, this whole tragic mess, but I’m beginning to accept that’s what it is. He was reckless, but it wasn’t intentional. And from what you said, you lost as much as I did that night. In time, we’ll heal. Build a united family, I hope…’ A small smile plays on her cherry-red lips.
‘There’s nothing in this world I’d like more.’ Something unspoken passes between us, a binding agreement to work through whatever life throws our way.
My mouth fastens against hers, locking her into a kiss that tingles through my spine like a lit fuse. Her breath chills and heats me simultaneously.
She breaks away all too soon.
‘We better move. We have a ball to get to. And I look worse than Cinderella before her fairy godmother arrives.’ She motions at her sopping-wet hair before linking her arm through mine and half drags me back down the beach.
‘Plus, I want to make a pit stop on the way.’
