Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 121460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
I took them. “Thank you again. Tell Arro I’ll call her.”
“I will do.” He nodded at me, turned, and patted Brodan on the shoulder before walking out of the cottage.
As soon as the cottage door closed gently behind him, Brodan stepped toward me.
I tensed warily.
A flash of pain crossed his expression, but he halted. “If you’re not too tired, I wondered if we could talk? There are some things that happened all those years ago that I want you to know.”
To be honest, I wasn’t sure my heart could take much more, but I’d spewed all my hurt at him on the beach, only to learn he had tried to reach out to me. Only my mother stood in my way. Again. I hadn’t had time to fully process the wounds my mum had inflicted, but it eased me somewhat to know that Brodan hadn’t just walked away.
So maybe, even if it changed little between us, it was only right I give him a chance to tell his side of the story.
“All right.”
He was surprised by my capitulation but nodded grimly. “Shall we sit?”
I glanced down at the comfortable sofas. A place I could sit with the TV on, marking the kids’ work in comfort. A place I could take a nap on lazy Saturday afternoons while the wood burner crackled warmly in the corner.
It reminded me of a little cottage I had when I worked in the Lowlands. I could have that again and be able to afford it myself almost anywhere but Ardnoch. So it mattered little what Brodan confessed tonight. I’d still be leaving next year.
Why did I need to remind myself of that?
A warning bell rang in the back of my mind, but I shut it off. “I could check to see if there’s coffee or tea in the kitchen.”
He nodded, nervously. “A cup of tea would be great.”
Worried that Brodan seemed anxious when I didn’t think he ever got nervous, I shot him a wary look and wandered into the kitchen. What I hadn’t noticed before was that Arro had left me a hamper filled with tea and coffee, biscuits, crackers, cheese, and all different snacks. Warmth filled me. She was a good ’un, that Arrochar Galbraith.
A few minutes later, I returned to the living room to find Brodan had shrugged out of his jacket and was sitting on one of the sofas. I set down the tray of tea and snacks, took hold of my cup, and sat on the opposite sofa.
“Help yourself to some snacks. Arro left me a hamper.”
Brodan smiled. “She’s very mothering under that no-nonsense facade.”
“She’s been lovely to me.” I met Brodan’s gaze. Before, I hadn’t thought him entitled to know, but after hearing about his letter, I decided to put the information out there. “I don’t remember most of that night with Arran. I was so drunk … all I really remember is you showing up. And I got so drunk because Arran confirmed you were serious about Vanessa.”
He studied me with such a neutral expression I didn’t know what to think. Then Brodan sighed heavily. “I told you the truth—I’m not angry about that night anymore. Arran and I got over it. Besides, as Arran has reminded me many times, you weren’t my girlfriend. I made sure of that.”
I wanted to ask why, but I was afraid he’d misinterpret my need to know the truth as evidence I could be won over again.
Brodan settled back against the sofa, the shadows of sadness in the back of his eyes pushing to the forefront. I didn’t want to feel sympathy for him, but my love for the boy he’d once been still existed. Still made me feel things I didn’t want to.
“I loved you so much, Roe,” he confessed hoarsely.
Every muscle in my body tensed as my heart leapt in my chest.
I saw the ghosts in his eyes haunting him. And I realized I was one of those ghosts. All this time … I had mattered to him once.
“I was terrified. I am terrified.”
“Of what?”
“Losing you.” He shrugged wearily. “We lost Mum and then my aunt. Watching Dad become this half person without Mum, I never wanted to let loving someone do that to me. When we were kids, it was fine. I feared losing you as I would be of losing anyone I loved, but as we got older and I realized I was in love with you, I tried to bury the feelings.”
Compassion and hurt mingled. “Did you know I was in love with you?”
“I suspected it. Then you told me when you were drunk.”
My cheeks heated, remembering it. “It was mortifying.”
Brodan shook his head. “Never be mortified. It made me so happy, but it scared me shitless more. So I lied to you. I told you I had a girlfriend.”