Chapter 26
Kori
I watch Kane step between Mark and me, his bare back tense with protective instinct. Part of me wants to let this play out, to hide behind Kane and avoid confrontation. But this is my battle, not his.
“Kane,” I say, touching his shoulder. “It’s okay. I need to handle this.”
He glances back at me, concern evident in his eyes. “You sure?”
“I’m sure.” I pull my sweater over my head, thankful for the small dignity it provides. “Could you give us a minute? Please?”
Kane hesitates, clearly reluctant to leave me alone with Mark. “I’ll be right outside,” he says finally, grabbing his shirt from the floor. As he passes Mark, he pauses. “She asked for a minute. Not an hour.”
The warning in his voice is unmistakable. Mark’s jaw tightens, but he steps aside to let Kane pass. When the front door closes, leaving Mark and me alone, the silence feels oppressive.
“So, this is why you ran,” Mark says, gesturing to where Kane and I had been moments before. “You had someone waiting.”
I almost laugh at the absurdity. “I met Kane on the plane. After I found out about you and Lana.”
“On the plane?!” Mark’s eyebrows rise. “And you’re already—”
“Don’t,” I cut him off. “You don’t get to judge me. Not anymore.”
“Kori, please.” His voice softens, taking on that reasonable tone I once found so comforting. “I came all this way to fix things. To explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain. You slept with my sister.”
“It was one time,” he insists. “A stupid mistake. I was drunk, she was upset about her breakup.”
“Stop.” I hold up my hand, surprised by how steady it is. “I don’t need the details. I saw the photos, Mark, and it was more than ‘one time’. I saw how you looked at her.”
He has the grace to look ashamed, at least. “I’m sorry. Sorrier than you can imagine. But we can work through this. Couples therapy, a fresh start—”
“Fuck you.” The words come out stronger than I expected. “We can’t work through this because I don’t want to.”
Mark stares at me as if seeing me for the first time. “Because of him? That tattooed—”
“This isn’t about Kane,” I interrupt, though the memory of his hands on my skin is still fresh. “This is about us. About how I’ve been shrinking myself to fit into your life for years. About how I gave up my career to follow yours. About how I stopped painting, stopped singing, stopped being me.”
“That’s not fair,” Mark protests. “I never asked you to give those things up.”
“You didn’t have to. You just made it very clear they weren’t important. That they were childish hobbies.”
He shakes his head, frustration evident. “So, you’re punishing me for not supporting your art enough? By sleeping with some random guy you just met?”
“I’m not punishing you at all,” I say, surprised by how calm I feel. “I’m freeing myself. From you, from our marriage, from the box I’ve been living in.”
Mark takes a step toward me, his expression shifting to something more calculated. “You’re not thinking clearly. You’re hurt, you’re angry—I get that. But running away to Ireland, hooking up with strangers... this isn’t you, Kori.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” I say, standing my ground. “This is me. Maybe the real me, the one I lost somewhere along the way.”
He studies me for a long moment, and I can see the exact moment when he realizes I’m serious. His shoulders slump slightly, the fight going out of him.
“What about our life together?” he asks. “Our home, our friends, our future?”
“Our life together ended when you chose to stick your dick in my sister,” I say simply.
“Have you spoken to her?”
The mention of my sister sends a fresh wave of pain through me. “No. And I don’t plan to anytime soon because I’m cutting toxic people out of my life.”
Mark runs a hand through his perfectly styled hair, messing it up in a way that would have bothered him before. “So that’s it? Five years, just... over?”
“Yes.” The word feels like freedom. “I’ve already contacted a divorce lawyer. They’ll be in touch.”
He looks around the cottage, taking in the cozy space that’s become my sanctuary. “And what happens now? You stay here forever with your new Irish boyfriend?”
“What I do next is none of your business,” I say firmly. “But no, I won’t stay here forever. I have a life to rebuild.”
“Without me.”
“Without you.”
The finality in my voice seems to hit him harder than any anger could have. He stares at me for a long moment, as if memorizing my face.
“I still love you,” he says quietly.
Once, those words would have melted me, sent me rushing back into his arms. Now they sound hollow.
“And I don’t care,” I reply. “Because clearly, I wasn’t enough for you.”
Mark glances toward the door where Kane waits outside. “Is he... are you two...?”
“That’s not your concern,” I say, though I’m not sure I could define what Kane and I are, even if I wanted to.
He nods, accepting this boundary even as pain flashes across his face. “I have a hotel room in the village. I’ll be there until tomorrow if you change your mind.”
“I won’t,” I tell him gently.
He moves toward the door, pausing with his hand on the knob. “For what it’s worth, I am sorry. For all of it.”
“I know,” I say again. “But sorry doesn’t fix what’s broken between us.”
When the door closes behind him, I sink onto the sofa, emotions crashing over me like waves. Relief, sadness, anger, liberation—all mixed in a confusing storm. I don’t regret a single word I said to Mark, but facing him was harder than I expected.
A soft knock pulls me from my thoughts. “Kori?” Kane’s voice calls through the door. “Is everything okay?”
“Come in,” I called back.
He enters cautiously, his shirt now buttoned but still untucked. His eyes search my face. “You alright?”
“Yes,” I say, and mean it. “I am.”
“He’s gone?”
I nod. “Back to his hotel in the village. He leaves tomorrow.”
Kane sits beside me, not touching but close enough that I can feel his warmth. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really,” I admit. “But I will say this—seeing him made me sure. About the divorce, about moving forward. About not going back.”
“And us?” Kane asks, his voice carefully neutral. “What we were... doing before he interrupted?”
I feel heat rise to my cheeks at the memory. “I don’t regret that either,” I tell him honestly. “But maybe we should slow down a bit. A lot is happening right now—for both of us.”
He nods, though I can see disappointment flicker in his eyes. “Of course. Whatever you need.”
I reach for his hand, lacing our fingers together. “I’m not saying no, Kane. I’m saying not yet. Not until I’ve had time to process everything. Not until you’ve found your sister and gotten some answers.”
His thumb traces circles on my palm, sending little shivers up my arm. “I can work with that,” he says, a small smile playing around his lips. “I’m not going anywhere A stór."
The Gaelic endearment warms me from the inside. “Good,” I say. “Because neither am I.”
We sit in comfortable silence for a few moments, just holding hands and breathing together.
“The others will be back soon,” Kane finally says. “Should we tell them about Mark?”
I consider this. “They’ll find out anyway, I suppose. Small village, big gossip.”
“True. Though I doubt they’ll be surprised. Declan’s been expecting something like this since you mentioned your husband might come looking for you.”
“Declan doesn’t miss much, does he?”
Kane snorts. “No. It’s one of his more annoying qualities.”
As if on cue, we hear cars pulling up outside, doors slamming, voices approaching. Our moment of privacy is over.
“Ready to face the inquisition?” Kane asks, squeezing my hand.
I take a deep breath, centering myself. “Absolutely.”
The door opens, and the others file in, arms laden with grocery bags. They stop short when they see us sitting close together on the sofa, hands intertwined.
“Did we interrupt something?” Kat asks, a knowing smile on her lips.
“Yes,” Kane says bluntly. “But not what you’re thinking. Kori’s husband showed up.”
“What?” Wren exclaims, setting down her bags with a thump as she grabs a knife. “When? Is he still here?”
“About twenty minutes ago,” I explained. “And no, he’s gone back to his hotel in the village. He’s leaving tomorrow.”
“Put the knife down, goose.” Declan’s eyes narrow as he assesses the situation. “Everything okay?”
The genuine concern in his voice touches me. For all his brusqueness, Declan has shown unexpected kindness these past few days.
“Everything’s fine,” I assure him. “Better than fine. I needed that confrontation to be sure about my decision.”
“And are you?” Wren asks gently. “Sure?”
I nod, feeling the truth of it in my bones. “Absolutely. That chapter of my life is closed.”
The others exchange glances, and I can see they want to ask more questions but are restraining themselves—all except Kat, who has never been one for restraint.
“So,” she says, dropping onto the armchair across from us, “what’s the plan now? Back to our regularly scheduled treasure hunt?”
Kane looks at me, and I can see the question in his eyes—are you still in this with me? I squeeze his hand in silent answer.
“I think it’s time we found Kane’s sister,” I say, turning to the group. “We’ve done our research. We have the map. Let’s go to Wicklow.”
Declan studies me for a moment, then nods. “Tomorrow,” he decides. “We leave at first light.”
As the others bustle around, unpacking groceries and discussing logistics for our excursion, I lean against Kane’s shoulder, suddenly exhausted but strangely at peace. Confronting Mark has freed something inside me—a weight I didn’t even realize I was carrying.
“Thank you,” I murmured to Kane.
“For what?” he asks, his breath warm against my hair.
“For being here. For seeing me when I couldn’t see myself.”
He presses a gentle kiss to the top of my head. “Anytime, a stór. Anytime.”