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I broke down in his driveway, hugging him so hard my body ached with it.

“I’d like that,” I said when I finally managed to pull myself together. “Very much. Thank you for taking me in.”

He waved the silver in his eyes away. “Anytime, Avery. Our door is always open to you.”

I gave him a grateful nod, heart in shreds.

He stood in the wan light from the doorway and watched me drive away. I sobbed the entire way back to Kilmorran. I was angry. Angry that he’d made me care, that he’d flayed me open, dug around inside. That he’d softened me. Falling in love with Wolfe exposed me to everything and right now, it hurt.

When it came time to leave, I packed the things Wolfe told me to take. I kept his picture in my purse. His ring on my finger. His pocket watch in my bag and his journals wrapped gingerly in my clothes. I hoped the family wouldn’t notice.

How would I be able to explain?

Your dead ancestor and I? We fell in love, and he gave them to me as a parting gift before he passed on…

I doubt they would have believed me.

I stood in the entryway for a long time, eyes burning. I tried to feel for him one last time, to sense any hum or buzz or weight.

There was nothing there.

Just me and the stones.

I went to his grave one final time, pressing a kiss to my fingers and dragging it across his name.

Leaving Ireland didn’t mean that I would leave him entirely.

He was with me all the time now.

I boarded my flight, limbs heavy. I slept the entire journey home, rousing myself long enough to grab my purse and head toward baggage claim. It was late, clock inching toward ten. I groaned at the thought of the cab line outside the airport knowing it was my only way home.

When I made it to baggage claim, I stopped dead.

Marissa was waiting for me, a pretty pink sign with my name scribbled over it with a handful of hearts.

“Welcome home!” she squealed, brown eyes dancing. “You made it!”

I took one look at her—at the light-brown skin, the long, dark hair and matching outfit—and broke down, head in my hands.

She discarded the sign and gobbled me up, holding me while I fell apart around her.

An odd thing to explain. I’d never lost anyone close to me and Wolfe… He was already gone. Had been gone. But it was like he’d died a second time, and now I was left with all the love and memories we hadn’t yet given to each other.

I couldn’t explain it. I shook her off when she asked, but there must have been something in my eyes, my expression, because she nodded solemnly. She held my hand on the drive home and made me promise to call her if I needed to. I assured her that I would and made the trek upstairs.

For as much as I hated my parent’s place, mine was not much better.

White walls, no pictures, a handful of dead plants, and…nothing.

There was nothing here.

I couldn’t look at it—not right now.

I unpacked his things and stacked them on my bare mantle. His smiling face stared out at me and I ran my thumb along the edge.

“Miss you,” I murmured into the silence. “I hope you’re happy.”

The street below was loud, full of blaring horns and screeching brakes.