Page 41 of Isla

"Thank you," I whisper. "Is there anything–"

"No,” she says, cutting me off. “It's enough to know they're doing well." She squats down, her gaze intense. "Treasure them. You'll never find anything that feels the same again. Trust me."

"I will. I promise." I let my instincts guide me and pull her into ahug. She hesitates at first and then wraps her arms around me, squeezing hard before pulling back.

"Iamhappy, you know," she sniffles, her eyes shining. "I just have so many regrets about that time in my life. Not a day goes by that I don't nearly drown in guilt."

"Don't do that to yourself, Katie. They have a great relationship with each other, and they were thriving before Theo ran halfway around the world to do what he thought was the right thing."

"Sounds about right," she chuckles. "Your meal is on the house. Go find your men."

"Won't you get in trouble?" I ask, trying to hand her my card.

"My husband owns the place. I'll tell him I was a bad girl when I go back to the kitchen." She winks, her eyes sparkling.

"Thank you. So much."

"I'm the one that should be thanking you. Knowing they have you makes me feel a million times better. I'm one step closer to forgiving myself. Now go!"

Paper in hand, I jog back to the car, feeling hopeful for the first time in days. I plug the address into my GPS with trembling fingers. My heart lurches in my chest when I see it's only five minutes away. I concentrate on my breathing as I navigate the narrow streets, parking on the side of the road across from the mailbox at the address she gave me. Wiping my sweaty palms on my shirt, I get out of the car and close the door softly. This is it. My only clue to go on.

I scan the trees, my gaze snagging on a partially concealed opening, newly broken branches littering the ground. I run down the path, choking back a sob, my heart pounding in my chest. Branches rip at my hair and skin, but I don’t even feel them. I hold my breath as I pound over a rickety bridge, the river rushing below me, waiting for one misstep. I turn at the rock wall, dragging my fingers along it as I run. I stumble over a root, slamming into the wall, my shoulder and temple scraping along the rocks as I go down. Fuck. I pull up the hem of my shirt and dab at the blood, cursing under my breath.

I gingerly push myself up, brushing the dirt off my knees. I look up, and there it is. It's more of a shack than a cabin, but God, is itbeautiful. The honeyed logs glow like amber in the afternoon light. I call Theo's name as I walk closer. Nothing. I rap my knuckles against the door, trying the handle when there's no answer. His scent envelops me the second I step inside. I sag against the doorframe, my eyes watering in relief.

Now what do I do? Do I wait for him to come back? Do I write a note and let him make the call? All I know is I don’t want to be a sweaty, bloody mess when I see him, so I head back to the river to cool off and give myself time to think.

I clamber down the river bank, toe off my shoes and wade through ankle-deep water until I come to a pool deep enough to swim in. I peel off my tank top, tossing it onto a rock, and jump in. Crystal-clear water closes over my head, icy fingers sliding over my skin. It feels so fucking good. I stay in until my teeth chatter, draping myself over a sun-warmed rock on the river's edge, fanning my hair around my head. The sounds of bubbling water and chirping birds lulls me into a dream-like state.

"Isla?"

I startle, rolling off the rock into the water, spluttering as I stand and attempt to push my water-logged hair off my face. I hold my hand up to shield my eyes from the sun, the shadow in front of me taking the shape of a man–a man with full lips, chiseled abs, wearing nothing but swim trunks. I swallow hard. "Hi, Theo."

18

When Theo sees the blood dripping down my face, his knees give out, and he drags me down with him into the water. I don't even care that the river rock under my ass is the most uncomfortable thing I've ever experienced. He's here, right in front of me.

"Isla, what happened?" He reaches up with a shaking hand, wiping blood away from my eye.

"I tripped over a root. I'm fine. Are you okay?" I ask, alarmed by the color leeching from his face.

"You're not fine, you're bleeding." His jaw clenches, panic swirling in his eyes. "Come on, let's get back to the cabin. I'll find some antiseptic."

"Not until we talk."

"Isla."

"No. You left me, Theo.You left." My voice cracks.

He sighs. “You were up there at the top of that tower sobbing your heart out. Looking like you were going to fling yourself over the edge at any minute. Because of somethingIdid, Isla. The only solution I could think of was to leave, having peace in the knowledge that you'd be living out your dream."

"What about you? Your brothers? What aboutyourdreams, Theo?" I shiver as a cloud moves in front of the sun, the water instantly feeling colder.

"None of it matters if you aren't happy, Isla."

I shrug his hand off my shoulder, furious. "Do you hear yourself right now? Don't you think I care thatyou'rehappy? What did you think I was going to do when you left? Just go on with my life like I never met you guys?"

"Yes. No–I don't know, Isla. I didn't think that far ahead. I just knew I couldn't see you in pain like that again."

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