Page 73 of Between Dusk and Dawn

Ember nodded, tears spilling down her face. "What happened to Walsh?"

So I told her about how I saw him on graduation and he’d sent me away, then the next time I saw him was when he pulled me from a horrible situation at a bar. I purposefully left out the stalking stuff. Then I told her about how I was drunk and the next thing I knew we were married.

"I am sorry…what?!" Ember screamed. "He married you and you have zero recollection of it all?"

"That’s correct." Fog was rolling in through the pines, and my hands were still intertwined with Ember's.

"Maddy—"

"I go by Madison now." It was an olive branch. A peace offering for her to get to know the real me, the person underneath all the layers I hid beneath.

"Madison," she repeated, a soft smile creeping on her face. Ember looked down her wrinkling nose at the lingering smell of what was likely horse shit.

"So, my brother bought you a horse?"

I nodded. "Seems like it." Picking the horse hair off my body was an impossible task.

"You know he’s allergic to horses, right?" She laughed. "He must really want to keep you around."

Wait…he’s allergic? He bought me a freaking animal that would live on his property forever, but he can’t even be around it because he is allergic to it?

"Uh, no." I giggled, the first real genuine emotion to come out of me in a while, because it sounded so unbelievable. "I had no idea." I was now laughing hysterically, and Ember stared at me, then broke out in laughter too.

"My brother is a lot of things," she said when we both calmed down and grabbed my hand again, "but at his very core, he was raised to be a leader."

I sat there quietly, encouraging her to go on. "He has always wanted to be a strong, powerful protector over the very few things and people he loves. When our mother died, I think he felt that role too strongly."

A tear rolled down her cheek. "I think I let him just take care of me, that I felt myself not able to become my own person. I was very stuck in my own life and in some sense I think Walsh became the same thing. He was very stuck in pursuing this role and he did everything possible to make sure it happened for him."

"Including letting him feel connected to someone." I meant to keep that as an inside thought. Ember squeezed my hand.

"Exactly." She paused. "And I think maybe when he met you he actually started to feel something, and it terrified him. He went about this whole situation in the weirdest way possible, but maybe there is something to all of this."

It was his undoing. I knew it was…I knew I was. Because we’d spent so many years doing this dance for others and somehow forgot about ourselves on the inside.

"I am really sorry about what happened, who I was all those years ago."

Ember stood up. "Like I said, it was many years ago. Time has passed and things have changed."

"Are you okay?" I stood to get eye level with her. "With…everything that happened to you?"

"With Ash?" I nodded. She was married to Rain Fortin, but I felt like after the good conversation we had, I needed to check in with her.

"Everyday is different. They said that time wouldn’t heal my wounds, but only make me appreciate his memories more."

"And did it?" I asked.

"Yeah…it did."

She shook her head, and I was about to be bold and ask if she wanted to stay for dinner when she interrupted me. "Anyway, I have to go back home for dinner. We are actually staying next door at our cabin."

"Oh, I didn’t realize you guys were neighbors." I suddenly felt uncomfortable in my skin again.

"Yeah, I like to think that I found this place first and then my brother got envious of the cool scenery."

"Yeah," I muttered, somewhat disappointed she wasn’t staying. I forgot how much I missed decent human conversation.

"Listen"—she walked toward me—"I’d invite you over, but it's Christmas Eve and as much as I am ready to forgive you, I am not sure my husband feels the same sentiment."

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