Page 79 of The Edge of Never

“Get.”

Their back and forth amused me. It was clear as day how close the two of them were. I would have known it without Thane telling me that Callan saved him after Jenna died.

I tucked myself under Thane’s arm again. The anxiety at being separated from him made me do it.

Thane squeezed me, almost as if he recognised I was feeling a certain type of way. No matter the reason was, I was grateful for his support.

Callan eyed us with a raised brow. Whatever he saw made him smile.

“We going?” Thane asked.

“Aye, I’ll bring the car around so ye dinnae have tae walk far.”

Callan gave us both a nod before walking away to the doors that led outside. I turned to Thane. He stared at Callan’s retreating back.

“It doesn’t feel real.”

“What doesnae?”

“That we’re here and not stuck in the tent.”

“Aye. I didnae think they were coming.”

Thane kept his eyes averted from mine as if he didn’t want me to know the extent of his loss of hope that we’d get out of there alive.

“Maybe it was a miracle.”

“Feels that way.”

There were so many things I wanted to ask him, but I couldn’t find the words. They got stuck in my throat. The thought of walking away from him after everything we’d been through left my chest hollow.

It wasn’t enough time. I hadn’t had enough time with Thane. There were so many conversations left to be had. So much I had to say. To do. I was desperate not to have to go home yet. To face Sienna again because I wasn’t ready for any of it. And most of all, I wanted to stay close to Thane.

What happens now?

Twenty Six

Thane

Everything about our rescue had happened so fast that I barely had time to process it all. One minute we were stuck in the snow, the next we had the coastguard rescue team taking us up in a helicopter and we were arriving at the hospital in Inverness. It was only when I was waiting to be seen by the doctors that I could take a minute to breathe.

I didn’t want to dwell on the dark thoughts I’d had last night about dying out there. Not when I was back in civilisation. It didn’t feel real. That someone had come for us. I hadn’t wanted to tell Kit that the chances of rescue via helicopter had been slim because of the low cloud in the area. The fact they were able to find us was quite something. And I begrudgingly had to admit Kit’s idea to tie their scarf on the guy rope had turned the tide. One of the rescuers told me that’s what caught their attention.

Kit saved you.

A part of me thought it should have been the other way around. I couldn’t bring myself to give that any credence. The overwhelming feeling I had was one of gratitude. And I could never repay them for that. They ensured I got my wish to live. To keep going.

How can I ever thank you adequately enough?

Kit stood under my arm, looking up at me, but I couldn’t meet their eyes. There were too many emotions in them. Ones I was afraid of. Fuck knows why. Kit had given me so much of their trust. They had mine in return. And now, we would go our separate ways.

That’s what you’re scared of.

I shoved the thought away. What happened out there didn’t automatically translate into the real world. Just because we had connected on an intimate level didn’t make it mean something more.

That idea messed with me. I gave into my desire for them, knowing it might be the last chance I had to explore such a thing. I didn’t do it lightly. I wasn’t the impulsive sort, but Kit had opened up a whole new fucking world for me. A whole new part of me I never knew existed. And, honestly, being back in reality made that a terrifying prospect. To be alone with the newfound knowledge and not have Kit by my side to go through it with me.

You have to let them go, you know. You both have lives to get back to.

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