Chapter 30 April 16, 2025 #2
She sank into one of the chairs at the table, champagne and celebration forgotten.
Her chest ached at the thought of never sipping tea and getting words of wisdom from Edie, never throwing another stick for Riley, never waking up in Corbyn’s arms again.
They hadn’t discussed the future, which meant he hadn’t asked her to stay.
A few days ago, she had a video call with Jess.
True to her word, her best friend had handled Nate, getting the legal department to send a cease and desist letter and arrange for a restraining order.
That should have made her happy, to know that she had someone in New York looking out for her safety, but it had just been another reminder that her time here was coming to an end.
The sound of nails on the hardwood floor drew her attention and she looked up to find Riley padding back into the kitchen.
The dog let out a low whine before going to her.
He sat, tall enough that his head came to rest against her chest. Wrapping her arms around him, she buried her fingers in his fur as the tears finally escaped.
“It’s over, handsome,” she whispered softly, wiping her cheeks with the sleeve of her sweater. “Tomorrow I’ll make arrangements to go back to New York.”
Riley let out a sigh, leaning his head more firmly against her, and the simple act of unconditional love broke something inside her.
Closing her eyes, she leaned her head down against his, letting the tears fall silently.
The hound, her furry sentinel, simply stood there, letting her draw comfort from his silent presence.
She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, just letting herself feel everything that had been building since the very first time she arrived at the manor.
When she heard familiar heavy footsteps coming down the hall, she sat up, wiping her face once more with her sweater.
Standing, she hurried to the refrigerator, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying.
“Did Edie catch you and throw you in the dungeon, Reed?” Corbyn asked, his teasing tone almost making her lose her composure.
“No, Riley conned me into belly rubs before I could look,” she answered, hoping he wouldn’t notice the way her voice was still thick with emotion, or the sound of her sniffles when she tried to inhale.
His footsteps stopped short though, and she swore internally. Unaware was not a word she would use to describe Corbyn, and she should have known she wouldn’t be able to fool him. Closing her eyes, she took a slow breath, trying to prepare herself for the conversation to come.
“Sadie…” he said softly, moving closer. “Look at me.”
Biting her lip, she straightened, closing the refrigerator door slowly. She allowed herself one more breath before she turned to face him, knowing what he would see. The redness of her eyes and the blotchy patches on her nose and cheeks gave her away every time.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, closing the distance. His hand came up, and he wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. She leaned into the touch, like it was the most natural thing in the world, because after the last few weeks, it was.
“I’m fine,” she replied softly. “It’s just the reality of the book being finished hitting me. After all the hard work, it’s strange that it’s over.”
He raised an eyebrow at her, his hand still resting against her cheek. She couldn’t meet his gaze, not sure what she would find there. Not sure if she would be able to keep herself from crying again if she did look up into his eyes.
“And of course there’s a lot to do over the next few days,” she continued, pulling away, and turning to look out the window. “Packing… travel arrangements.”
“Travel arrangements?”
There was surprise in his voice, and she felt him step closer again. The warmth radiating from his body and the familiar scent of his cologne wrapped around her. She closed her eyes.
“Yes,” she replied, trying to sound casual about the whole topic. “I mean… the book is done. The plan was always for me to go back to New York when that happened.”
She could feel the sudden tension radiating from him. He gently turned her toward him, and she didn’t resist. He was looking at her with that intensity she had come to know so well, his brow creased as he worked through her words.
“Indeed, it was,” he said, raising an eyebrow at her. “Is that what you want?”
“My job is there,” Sadie replied, matching his energy. “New York is my home.”
“Home isn’t a place, Reed. It’s a choice,” he told her.
She had noticed he reverted back to her last name when he was being playful or felt like he was on unstable ground.
This was definitely the latter. “It’s a choice to be with the people you love.
So, let me ask you again, is going back to New York what you want? ”
“I can’t stay here forever,” she responded, not answering the question. “My visa will expire eventually… plus I can’t just pretend like I don’t have a job.”
“Answer the question, Sadie,” he said, his tone telling her he was losing patience with her stubbornness. “Visas and work… we can figure all of that out. Do you want to go back to New York?”
“No.”
Her voice came out as a breathy whisper, and she saw his shoulders drop as some of the tension left his body.
She bit her lip to try to stop the fresh tears from falling, trying not to feel utterly ridiculous for being so emotional.
His hand came up to rest on her jaw, his thumb sweeping across her lower lip and causing her to release it.
“The people I love… they’re all right here,” she said, once she was sure she could speak. “It’s Maggie and the villagers, and Ellie, and Paul, and Edie… and you.”
His forehead came to rest against hers and she could see the smile tugging at his lips. She closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to soak in the comfort of his presence. She felt Riley bump her with his nose, and she pulled away just enough to look down at him with a chuckle.
“And you too, handsome.”
“Then you belong right here,” he said, drawing her attention back to him. “I watched you walk away once, Reed. I couldn’t bear to do that a second time.”
Corbyn pulled her in for a kiss, one to seal the promise of their future. It was a perfect ending to the story she was living, and for the first time in a very long time, she had no desire to edit a single line of it.