26. Theo
26
THEO
T he drive back to the manor is quiet, and the countryside stretches out around us, dark fields and winding roads lit only by the headlights. I can see tension in her shoulders, a residual energy from the night.
Now that we’re away from the plane, the thoughts of her stalker are prevalent. I want nothing more than to cocoon her in the safety of the manor, away from prying eyes and snide remarks
As we pull into the gravel driveway, the familiar sight of the ivy-covered walls and warmly lit windows feels like home. Ernest is at the door, opening it with a quiet nod as we step inside.
“Welcome home, sir, Miss Grace,” he says, closing the door behind us.
“Thank you, Ernest,” she says, offering him a tired smile.
We walk up the grand staircase in comfortable silence. Once we reach our suite, she lets out a long exhale and kicks off her heels, sinking into the plush armchair by the window.
She pulls out her phone, scrolling through the notifications with a sigh. I catch her glancing at it nervously, almost as if she’s expecting something.
Then, just as I’m hanging up my jacket, I see her face turn white. Her hands tremble, and her phone slips from her grip, landing on the floor with a dull thud.
“Grace?” I rush to her side. “What’s wrong?”
She doesn’t look at me. Her eyes are fixed on her phone, still lying on the floor.
I pick it up, dreading whatever it is that could’ve caused that expression on her face.
"I'm not crazy, Grace. They let me out because they know you’re the one who lied. I’m free, and I’m coming for what’s mine."
My chest tightens, and a sharp wave of anger and protectiveness surges through me. I feel my jaw clench as I look back at Grace, who’s staring at me, her eyes wide and brimming with fear.
“He doesn’t know where we are.”
She nods slowly, her voice barely a whisper.
“They released him, Theo. They let him out, and he’s...he’s still fixated on this delusion that I’m the one who’s lying. He still…”
I pull her into my arms, feeling her tremble against me. I want to protect her, shield her from every trace of this nightmare. But I can’t pretend that the text didn’t unnerve me as well.
The thought of him lurking out there, waiting, watching, makes my stomach turn.
“No one knows where we are. No one else knows this place even exists, okay? He didn’t get released; he left. The police will find him and put him back in, okay?”
“Theo,” she sobs as she wraps her arms around me tightly.
“Grace,” I murmur against her hair, holding her tighter.
“You’re safe here.
I swear to you, nothing and no one will get to you while I’m here.
We can stay at the manor as long as you need, forever, if that’s what it takes.”
She pulls back slightly, looking up at me with a faint smile that’s more sad than reassured.
“I don’t want to live in fear of him, Theo. But knowing you’re here…it means everything.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe,” I say, cupping her face gently. “In fact, there’s something I want to show you.”
Leaving Grace in our room for a moment, I make my way downstairs to find Ernest. He’s in the study, reading by the fire, a sight that has always comforted me since I was a boy.
Ernest, with his calm, steadfast nature, has always been a grounding presence in this house.
“Ernest,” I say softly. He looks up from his book, arching an eyebrow in mild surprise.
“Everything alright, sir?”
I hesitate, choosing my words carefully.
“We’ve had a bit of a…disturbance tonight. I want to make sure Grace feels completely safe here. Would you…do you think you could help?”
He closes his book, the calm look on his face not shifting an inch.
“Of course, sir. Consider it done.
You know this house is impenetrable with the right precautions.”
He pauses, studying me.
“And if I may be so bold, sir... this young lady of yours is quite sweet.”
I can’t help but smile. “I know, Ernest. She means everything to me.”
When I return to the room, Grace is standing by the window, looking out into the night, her arms wrapped around herself.
I approach her slowly, slipping my arms around her waist, pulling her back against me.
“We’re safe here,” I murmur. “Ernest is taking extra precautions, and he’s one of the most dependable men I know.”
She leans into me, resting her head against my shoulder.
“I do feel safe.
I’ve never... never felt so safe anywhere.”
Her voice softens as she looks around.
“And it’s so beautiful here—like something out of a dream.
I almost wish we could stay forever.”
“Maybe we can,” I say, tightening my hold on her. “If that’s what it takes to make you feel safe.”
She turns in my arms, looking up at me, and I see a softness in her eyes that makes my chest ache.
“I don’t want you to put your life on hold for me, Theo. I don’t want this man to have that power.”
“Then let’s take it back,” I say, my voice firm.
“We can make this place ours, Grace. A sanctuary where no one can reach us.”
Just then, there’s a soft knock on the door. It’s Maggie, the housekeeper. Her expression is one of concern mixed with a faint smile.
“Excuse the interruption,” she says, glancing between us.
“Ernest wanted me to remind you, Miss Grace, that he used to be known as quite the... lethal weapon in his day.
Rest assured, he takes his job very seriously.”
I raise an eyebrow, shooting Grace a reassuring look. “You’re in good hands,” I tell her with a wink.
Maggie laughs softly. “They used to say he could handle a pistol and a blade better than most trained soldiers.”
She nods to Grace. “So, no need to worry about anything, Miss.”
Grace chuckles softly, a bit of the tension leaving her face as she gives Maggie a grateful smile.
“Thank you, Maggie. And thank Ernest for me, would you?”
“Of course, Miss,” Maggie replies with a warm smile before closing the door.
When we’re alone again, I turn back to Grace, taking her hands in mine.
“See? We’re more than prepared here. You can let your guard down.”
She leans into me, her face softening. “Thank you. It’s all so frustrating, you know?”
“I do know,” I sigh. “I thought we were done with all of this. But now we have proof that he needs more than just a psych hospital. He’s only making our case better for us with his actions.
In the meantime, I’ll make sure Devon is up to date and we’ll involve whoever we need to. He’s not going to find you, and he’s certainly never going to get close to you again.”
I tilt her chin up, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“Everything about this place is so lovely, I could really see us living here forever. What if…what if he finds out that we’re staying by the village.”
“The people in town take privacy very seriously. They won’t tell him anything, especially when Ernest lets them all know that there’s danger.”
“It just feels like we might be running away from everything.”
I pull back slightly, enough to look at her face. There’s worry there, but it’s more than just surface-level concern.
It’s something more profound, a fear that I can see in the way she clenches her jaw, in the small crease between her brows.
I want to ask her what’s really going on in her head, but instead, I squeeze her hand, a silent gesture to let her know I’m here.
“I don’t understand,” I say gently. “We’re here because we want to be. This is our choice, Grace. We don’t have to explain it to anyone.”
She nods slowly, but I can see she’s still not convinced. “I just... I don’t want him to be able to change us. To change you. To change everything we’ve worked for, everything we’ve built.”
I let out a quiet breath. “It doesn’t have to change us. Not if we don’t let it.”
“But staying here... in this tiny village, in this little bubble...
It’s easy to lose sight of what’s real, you know? What’s important.
I don’t want us to wake up one day and realize we’ve drifted too far away from everything we used to be.”
I think about that for a second. There’s truth in her words. It’s easy to get lost in the simplicity of it all—the quiet, the slow pace, the way time seems to move differently here.
And maybe that’s part of what I love about it.
But I get where she’s coming from. She’s always been the practical one, the grounded one. I respect that about her, even if it doesn’t always make sense to me in the moment.
I run a hand through my hair and turn to face her completely.
“Grace, I get it. I do. You’re worried about the future. You’re worried that this is just a moment, a blip, and that we’re running away from something.
But... I don’t feel like we’re running away from anything. I feel like we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be.”
She opens her mouth to speak but hesitates, her gaze flicking to the floor. I know she wants to believe that, she really does.
But there’s a part of her that’s afraid, and I can see it in the way her fingers twitch, like she’s trying to hold herself together.
“You don’t get it,” she says quietly. “This is so different from anything I’ve known. And it’s so easy to get lost here. To just... settle in and forget about everything else. I don’t want us to lose ourselves.”
I place my hand gently on her cheek, lifting her face so she’s looking directly at me.
“Grace, the only thing I’m losing is the weight of all the bullshit that comes with living in the city.
The constant rush. The noise. The... distractions.”
I pause, letting the words sink in.
“But I’m not losing you. I’m not losing us.
We’re building something here.
Something real.
Something for us. ”
Her lips part slightly, as if she’s considering what I’m saying, but doubt still lingers in her eyes.
“I love this place,” I continue, my voice steady.
“I love being here with you.
And I’d love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you here—in this cottage, in this village.
I’m not running from anything.
I’m running toward the life I want.
With you.”
She exhales slowly like she’s been holding her breath the whole time, and then she closes her eyes, leaning into my touch.
For a moment, she doesn’t say anything, and I can feel her tension starting to fade.
“You mean that?” she whispers.
I nod, pressing my forehead against hers. “I do. More than anything.”
A small smile pulls at the corner of her mouth, but it’s hesitant, like she’s still not sure if she’s ready to believe me completely.
“But what about the future? The things we’ve worked for? What about our careers?”
I chuckle softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“What about them? We can still have those things. I’m not saying we’re throwing everything away. I’m saying we can have a future here, too.
A different kind of future. One that’s quieter, more peaceful. One where we don’t have to rush all the time, where we don’t have to answer to anyone but each other.”
Her eyes soften, and she looks up at me, that warmth I love so much returning to her gaze.
“You really think we can make it work?”
“I know we can. I’d do anything to make it work. With you. I’d follow you anywhere, Grace. And if that means we build something new here, then that’s exactly what I want to do.”
She stands there for a moment, her face unreadable, and then, slowly, she steps forward. Without warning, she wraps her arms around me, burying her face against my chest.
“I’m sorry,” she murmurs. “I didn’t mean to doubt you.”
I shake my head, resting my cheek against her hair. “You don’t have to apologize. I understand. But you don’t have to carry all that fear on your own. We’re in this together.”
She stays quiet for a few more moments, and then she lifts her head to look at me.
“You’re right,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t,” I promise. “You’re the best part of my life, Grace. Nothing’s going to change that.”
“Okay,” she says, her voice steady. “Let’s make this work. Here. Together.”
I grin, feeling like the weight of the world just lifted off my shoulders. “I love you,” I say, my words soft and full of meaning.
“I love you too,” she replies, her voice steady but filled with emotion.
I pull her close again, pressing my lips to her forehead, and for a moment, the world outside doesn’t matter.
It’s just us—here, together, in this cottage, in this village, and it’s everything I’ve ever wanted.
We stand there for a long time, just holding each other, and in that quiet, peaceful moment, I know that we’ve made the right choice. We’re home.