Chapter Fifty-Two – Torin
“Dylan, think,” I say, keeping my eyes on the road. “Did Fawn ever mention where she might go? Anywhere at all?”
Instead of responding, all he does is continue looking out the window, watching the trees race by.
I can sense the turmoil brewing in that head of his, searching through his memories, his conversations.
Fuck, even I’m trying to remember whether she had mentioned some safe place, maybe a hotel or a friend in another area. Nothing comes to mind.
The roads we’ve driven a hundred times now feel different, suffocating. The air is humid, heavy rain waiting to fall. Each mile without her weighs heavier than the last.
Abruptly, Dylan lets out a shrill cry and slams his hand against the dashboard. “Motels! She told me she stayed at some when she first moved here.” His eyes go enormous. “Fuck! Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Well, there are a few on the outskirts of Ivywood. Let’s hope she’s at one of them,” I say, already turning the wheel and taking the road out of town.
After a bit of silence, Dylan looks at me, lashes heavy with tears. “What if we find her, and she doesn’t want us?” he whispers, his voice cracking. “How do we go back to being . . . anything after this?”
The truth is, I don’t have an answer.
“I . . . I don’t know,” I confess. “But we won’t solve it without her. First, we find out where she is. Then, we go from there.”
I have no idea what to do if she doesn’t want us. It wounds me to even think about it. All I know is this: we love her and need her. Dylan has never needed anyone the way he needs her now.
Ivywood is growing darker by the second. The sky is a deep gray, the clouds full of rain that hasn’t yet fallen. Dylan continues to pray, bargaining with something that isn’t there.
I’m barely scanning the road when a flicker of something snags my attention.
A small figure bursts out from between the trees and starts sprinting along the edge of the road.
My brain is trying to tell me I’m imagining things, that I’m tired and desperate.
No, my eyes aren’t betraying me. I see a woman with brown, frizzy curls. Those curves — I’d recognize them anywhere.
I blink. Once. Twice.
My heartbeat matches the thunder.
“Oh my—” I say, nearly out of breath. My hands begin to shake on the wheel. “Dylan.” I reach over and grab his shoulder.
His head snaps up, eyes locking on the road ahead. “Is that . . . ?” he whispers in disbelief.
I don’t think twice as I jerk the truck to the side of the road and put it in park, engine still roaring. Dylan is out the door before it’s even fully open.
“Fawn!” he bawls from the top of his lungs, like it’s the last word that will ever come out of his mouth.
The figure freezes then slowly turns around.
It’s her. It’s Fawn. It’s our girl.
Goosebumps form over my arms as a shiver snakes down my spine. I suck in a shaky breath, just taking her in. Her amber eyes slice through everything; she stands there like a deer in headlights, so scared and fragile. It’s like she can’t believe we’re real.
Overhead, a thunderclap cracks, making the ground tremble. Then, the heavens open, flooding the road in no time, soaking everything.
“Dylan!” she screams, her voice breaking. “Torin!”
In the downpour, she stands there, her chest heaving, her hair plastered to her cheeks. Water drips down every part of her body, making her white T-shirt see-through, mixing with dirt, blood, and sheer desperation.
But none of that matters, because she’s here, and she’s running toward us.
****
Fawn
A whimper bursts from my throat, and I’m on the verge of fainting.
With every bit of strength I can muster, I sprint toward them.
The rain, thunder, and the pain all fade.
Dylan meets me halfway, his arms clamping around me as I lock my legs around his waist. He pulls me hard against his chest, like he’s scared I’ll disappear again.
Our mouths clash in a desperate, soaked kiss.
He lowers us to the ground, kneeling with me in his arms. We pull away just enough to lock eyes, our foreheads still resting together.
“I’m here, Dylan,” I sob, the words pouring out of me in broken pieces. “I’m sorry, so, so sorry.”
Even in this downpour, I can see the tears streaming down his face, his eyes red, still fixed on me like I am everything holy. “I’ve got you,” I whisper, pulling him closer, my hands tangled in his wet hair.
“Is that you, Fawn? Or am I dreaming?”
“It’s me, Dylan. I’m here. I’m really here.”
Torin kneels, wrapping his arms around both of us. We huddle together in the storm, our clothes drenched. Dylan’s lips move along my jaw like he’s trying to imprint me in his memory. His kisses are warm, even in the rain. Torin’s lips trail along my shoulder, his forehead pressing there.
I’m heaving around the sobs pouring from my throat. “I love you,” I confess, my voice breaking. This means so much. “I love both of you.”
Finally, I said the words that have been on the tip of my tongue for a while, that I’ve been too frightened to say out loud.
“I love you too, princess,” Dylan whimpers. “Don’t leave me.” He sobs and presses his face into my neck, squeezing hard enough to hurt — but I don’t care, because my heart drops at his words. I take his face, forcing him to look at me.
“I promise,” I repeat, my whole body shaking. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. I love you so much.”
Those three words, it’s like I can’t get enough of them now. I want to say I love you until the words make my mouth run dry.
Torin’s breath trembles against my shoulder. He leans in and presses a kiss to my temple.
“I love you, Fawn, but you scared the crap out of us.” His roughened voice trembles even as he tries to keep it steady. “You’re ours, baby, and we’re not letting you vanish again. Not ever.”
For the first time in days, the ache in my chest doesn’t feel quite so unbearable. I’m not alone anymore. I’m back with my men.
Looking back, I’m a fool; I should have never walked away so easily. No, I should’ve stayed and fought for us.
A bolt of lightning illuminates everything, and that’s when I notice the blood. Dylan’s arms are all torn up, red stripes latticing his skin, some of which are still leaking blood. Torin’s nose looks no different.
“Wait! You’re both bleeding!” I gasp, panic clawing up my throat. “Oh my God.”
Dylan’s hands run over me as if checking for damage. “You’re bleeding too. Did someone hurt you?”
“No, no, no. I-I fell,” I admit. “I caught my cheek on some branches, and my boots came off. My car battery died at the nursing home, and when I found out about your mother, I knew I had to be with you.”
“Oh, princess.” Dylan tightens his grip. “You ran all that way, barefoot, for me?”
“Of course I did, and I’d do it again. I know without a shadow of a doubt you would do the same for me.”
There’s silence for a moment as we hold each other.
“My heart felt so empty without you two. I thought I didn’t deserve your love.”
“Baby, of course you deserve us. We love you more than you will ever know,” Torin says as rain drips from his hair. “Come on. Let’s get out of the rain, go home, and we’ll talk.”
I swallow hard, knowing I’ll have to tell them about the coach, about everything. I’m petrified, but I can’t keep it inside anymore.
Dylan stands up straight and immediately picks me up bridal style. I melt into his chest, clinging to him as though my world might rip apart if he ever puts me down.
“So why are you all cut up? Dylan?”
A sour chuckle escapes him. “Uhh, I kinda fucked up my room and then might have accidentally elbowed Torin.”
“Oh God, because of me, right?” I stare at the sky as shame presses heavily on my chest.
“It was everything, Fawn,” he says honestly. “Losing you. Losing my mom.” He swallows hard, jaw trembling. “All of it broke me.”
My heart splinters. I never wanted to be the cause of his suffering.
“But you saved me when I didn’t think I could survive another second.” He brushes his thumb on my arm, despite his injuries. “You always said you wanted to save us, and you finally have, princess.”
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t around when your mother passed. I should have been there for you, and I wasn’t.”
“Shhh, you’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”
Tears spill freely, my chest aching as I cling to him. “I never stopped loving you, not for a second.”
“Neither did we,” he murmurs. “Torin always said we’d get you back.”
My heart beats against my ribcage. I love them.
I choose them.
I’ll forever be intertwined with them.
I know I will never be able to walk away from them again.