Chapter 19

Just before nine o'clock the following morning, Evelyn stepped out of Claire's guesthouse, a hint of a smile playing on her lips as a light rain fell. The air was filled with the fresh scent of rain and the gentle chirping of birds, but Evelyn barely noticed, her mind still lost in the memories of the previous night.

As she walked along the path towards the main house, she felt lighter than she had in years. The events of the past forty-eight hours had been nothing short of life-changing, and Evelyn could hardly believe that it was real.

She could still feel the ghost of Claire's lips on her skin, the tender caress of her fingers as they explored every inch of her body. The two hours they had shared before dinner were unlike anything Evelyn had experienced before, but it had only been the start. Sharing a meal and a glass of wine with Claire had felt so natural, but when they'd fallen back into bed together a few hours later? It had been electrifying. Evelyn hadn't even known that kind of passion, that raw desire was even possible.

As she walked, Evelyn's mind replayed every touch, every whisper, every moment of ecstasy that she had shared with Claire. The hunger in Claire's eyes, the gentleness of her touch, the way their bodies had fit together so perfectly… It was all etched in Evelyn's mind, and she was too happy to even think about the fact that this was only temporary. That she would have to say goodbye to Claire at some point.

She pulled out her phone when she got back to the house, waiting for her coffee to brew. She hadn't paid any attention to it since yesterday afternoon, and she'd missed Arianna's text hours ago.

Just booked my flights. See you Monday!

Evelyn typed a quick response as she leaned against the counter, wondering if she would tell Arianna. It was actually incredibly sad that Evelyn hadn't confided in her at some point over the years, but that's how guarded she'd been. She'd really been that afraid that she couldn't even tell someone as close to her as Arianna had always been.

She set her phone down, taking a deep breath as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Outside, the rain fell harder, and there was a rumble of thunder in the distance as she carried her mug over to the back door, watching the rain bounce off the patio.

Evelyn bit her lip, remembering how she'd woken up this morning, with Claire trailing soft kisses along her shoulder and neck from behind, her arm draped over Evelyn's stomach as she whispered in her ear that she had to go, that she was already late.

Evelyn exhaled, her head all over the place this morning. She was happy. She was on a high. But there was also this feeling of dread creeping in, because she knew that this wouldn't last, and she didn't trust herself to return to Los Angeles with some newfound bravery. While she was thinking about telling Arianna that she was gay, she couldn't see herself telling anyone else, never mind coming out. That wasn't even a possibility.

Was this all she'd ever have? These next few months?

She couldn't help but think about the future, about what would happen when her time here in Ireland came to an end. The thought of leaving Claire, of returning to her old life and hiding who she truly was made her heart ache.

As she stood there, taking a sip of coffee, watching the rain fall, Evelyn made a promise to herself. That she would cherish every single moment she got to spend with Claire, because she wasn't sure that she would ever feel anything like this again.