Page 25 of Love, Lies, and Celtic Knots

She nods, leaning into my touch, her eyes closing as if my presence is the only thing grounding her. It feels good to be her anchor, to be the one standing between her and the storm.

I glance at the wine bottle lying shattered on the floor, a red stain pooling around it like blood. It’s a stark reminder of just how close we came to something so much worse tonight.

“I’m going to clean this up,” I tell her softly, pulling back just enough to see her face. “But you should sit down for a minute. You’ve been through enough tonight.”

She opens her mouth to argue, but I give her a look that leaves no room for debate. After a long pause, she nods again and moves to the couch, curling up in the corner with her knees to her chest. I grab a rag from the kitchen and start cleaning up the mess, the wine spreading across the tiles in sticky crimson streaks. As I work, my phone buzzes in my pocket.

It’s Ryan.

I take a deep breath before answering, knowing exactly how this conversation is going to go. Ryan’s not going to take this lightly.

“Ghost? What the fuck is going on there?” Ryan’s voice is sharp, all business, but I can hear the underlying concern in his tone. “I just heard from the police. They said Emma was involved in a break-in? And a gun was pulled on her? Is she okay?”

I rake a hand through my hair, glancing at Emma huddled on the couch. “Yeah. She’s okay now, but it was bad. The guy… it was Judge Stanley, Ryan. The one who’s been tied to Frank Morely.”

“Stanley?” Ryan’s voice drops, and I can hear him swearing under his breath. “That son of a bitch. What the hell was he thinking?”

“I don’t know,” I admit, my voice tight. “But we handled it. The cops took him away, and Emma’s safe. That’s what matters right now.”

There’s a pause on the other end of the line, and I know exactly what Ryan is thinking. He’s calculating, trying to figure out the best move, just like he always does. But I also know him well enough to know that the protective older brother in him is ready to drop everything and get on a plane back to Pelican Point.

“Ryan, listen,” I say, cutting him off before he can suggest it. “I’ve got this. Emma’s safe, and I’m here with her. She doesn’t need you to jump on a plane. You’d only complicate things.”

“Complicate things?” Ryan repeats, his voice rising. “My little sister just had a gun pulled on her in her own home, and you’re telling me I shouldn’t be there? That I’ll complicate things?”

“I’m telling you that if you show up right now, it’s only going to make things more stressful for her,” I argue, trying to keep my voice level. “She needs time to breathe, to process what happened. I’m watching out for her, Ryan. I promise.”

There’s a long silence on the other end of the line, and I can practically hear him grinding his teeth. I know he trusts me—he wouldn’t have asked me to come to Pelican Point to begin with if he didn’t—but he’s torn. Family is everything to Ryan, and the idea of not being here right now has to be killing him.

“All right, Miles,” he finally says, using my given name. His voice is tight. “But if anything else happens?—”

“You’ll be the first person I call,” I assure him. “But for now, just let me take care of her.”

Another pause, and then Ryan sighs heavily. “Fine. But keep me updated.”

“I will,” I promise, and we hang up.

I drop the rag into the sink, the broken glass in the trash can echoing through the room. My hands are still shaking slightly from the adrenaline, but I push it aside as I walk back over to Emma. She looks up at me with those wide, vulnerable eyes, and my heart aches at the thought of her going through this alone.

“Ryan?” she asks softly.

“Yeah,” I say, sitting down beside her, pulling her into my arms. “He’s worried, but I told him not to come. I’ve got you. We don’t need him flying in and making things more chaotic.”

She nods, resting her head against my chest, her body finally relaxing a little in my arms. “Thank you. I don’t think I could handle Ryan right now.”

I press a kiss to the top of her head, letting her know I’m here for her. I’d do anything to take away the fear, the pain she’s feeling. But right now, all I can do is hold her.

We sit there for a while, the silence between us heavy but comfortable. I feel her start to relax, her breathing evening out as the tension begins to melt away.

“We need to talk,” I say softly, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes. “About what happens next.”

Her brow furrows, and I can see the worry in her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I mean between us. I’m falling for you, Emma. After today, I want to make sure you know that. I know this is fast, and I thought that only happens in romance movies.” I reply, my voice firm, confident. I want to make sure she hears me loud and clear.

She nods slowly, her fingers gripping my shirt as if grounding herself in the reality of what I’m saying. “I’m falling for you, too, Miles. I didn’t expect this to happen, but I’m so happy that it is.”

I lean in, pressing my lips to hers in a kiss that’s both fierce and tender. It’s a promise, a vow that I’ll protect her no matter what and love her for as long as I live.

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