Chapter 36

Claire stood in the doorway of her home, her heart racing wildly as she watched Evelyn gracefully step out of the car. She blinked rapidly, wondering if her mind was playing a cruel trick on her, conjuring up such a vivid image of the woman she'd been trying so desperately to forget.

As Evelyn approached, the gravel crunching beneath her ankle boots, Claire's breath caught in her throat.

It was really her, looking as stunning as ever in simple white jeans that hugged her curves and a red silk blouse. Her long brown hair was down, falling in loose waves across her shoulders, and her shades rested casually on top of her head.

How was Evelyn here?

Claire's heart skipped a beat as Evelyn got closer, a lopsided smile on her lips. "Hey," Evelyn said softly. "Sorry for just showing up like this. I should have called."

"No," Claire replied, her own smile spreading across her face. "It's fine."

Evelyn's gaze met hers, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. "Are you busy?"

"No, not at all." Claire took a moment to take in Evelyn's appearance, still not believing this was real. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been staying at Ashford Castle the last few days," Evelyn explained. "I'm doing a genealogy show, and we've been filming that the last two days."

Claire's eyebrows raised in interest. "Tracing your roots?"

Evelyn nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing her features. "It was surprisingly emotional, but good. I'm glad that I did it." She paused, studying Claire for a moment before asking, "Can I show you something?" Her gaze drifted back towards her car.

"You rented a car?"

"Yeah," Evelyn confirmed with a smile. "I wanted the freedom to explore a bit while I was here."

Claire opened her mouth and closed it again. The Evelyn that she'd met two years ago had struggled to leave the grounds of this estate, too afraid of having her privacy invaded. Now, she was driving around Galway?

"Let me just lock up," Claire said as she went back inside and grabbed her keys, locking the door behind her. "So, where are we going?" Claire asked as she got in the passenger seat.

"I wanted to show you where my grandfather grew up," Evelyn said as she got in and started the car. "It's not far."

Claire's heart was still racing, and her palms were clammy. How was this even real? Only this morning, she'd caught herself thinking about Evelyn again and beat herself up for it. How was she still thinking about this woman two years later?

But now that Evelyn was here, that was the easiest question to answer.

How could she not be?

As Claire steppedout of the car, she took in the sight of the crumbling stone cottage, its walls nearly hidden beneath a thick blanket of ivy. The narrow driveway, with grass sprouting between the tire tracks, had been empty for a long time. She followed Evelyn as she led the way towards what was left of the house.

Claire turned to Evelyn, her brow furrowed in confusion as Evelyn showed her around the property. "Why didn't you come here when you were staying at the estate? It's so close."

Evelyn met her gaze, a hint of a smile on her lips. "I had no idea. All I knew was that he was from Galway."

Claire couldn't believe it. "That's just... wow. I don't know what to say. That's some coincidence."

Evelyn nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "It feels that way, doesn't it? Like everything that happened, me coming to Ireland, staying at the estate, meeting you..." She trailed off, her voice thick with emotion.

Claire's heart stalled at the mention of their time together. She'd tried so hard to move on, to convince herself that what they'd shared was just a fleeting moment in time, but seeing Evelyn now, standing here in front of her, it all came rushing back.

"I can't believe you're here," Claire whispered.

Evelyn visibly swallowed. "There's a reason I wanted to show you this." She looked away for a second. "Just as we were leaving here yesterday, the presenter said, jokingly I'm sure, that this property had just come up for sale and that I could buy it. So, I did. This morning."

Claire's breathing slowed, waiting for Evelyn to continue, her mind already jumping ahead to what this might mean.

"It's a twenty-two acre site," Evelyn said, "But the back of it runs up against this three bedroom bungalow that's been on the market for a few weeks now."

Claire felt like the ground mind be tilting beneath her.

"And I put in an offer for that this morning too. All cash and above asking, so there shouldn't be any problems," Evelyn said, her eyes searching Claire's.

"What are you saying?"

Evelyn took a deep breath, her voice steady but filled with emotion. "I tried to move on, Claire. I really did. Despite working on an amazing project, the kind of movie that I could only have dreamt about being a part of, and I was still miserable. I was so… I don't know. Just sick of the way I was living. I had no intention of coming out, but I just felt so… suffocated. I'd backed myself into a corner, and I just couldn't wait to get out. I knew I had to start making some changes."

Claire shook her head, struggling to process everything Evelyn was saying. The idea of Evelyn buying property here, so close to where she lived seemed almost too good to be true.

"I still can't believe you came out," Claire said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You've changed so much since the last time you were here."

Evelyn's lips curled into a soft smile. "I don't know about that. I'm still crazy about you."

Claire's heart skipped a beat at those words, and she felt a warmth spread through her chest. She felt like she was dreaming. Evelyn was here, standing in front of her, confessing her feelings and revealing the steps she'd taken to be closer to her. It was almost too much to process.

She reached out, her hand gently cupping Evelyn's cheek as she gazed into those captivating brown eyes that had haunted her dreams for the past two years. "I tried so hard to move on," Claire admitted, her voice wavering.

Evelyn leaned into her touch, a single tear sliding down her cheek. "I'm so sorry for leaving the way I did. You have no idea."

Claire swallowed down the lump in her throat. "You had to. It was just bad timing."

"Then I'm sorry for not staying in touch. For insisting that we didn't." Evelyn sighed. "I was just trying to protect myself."

"Are you really staying?"

"Yes." Evelyn inhaled a deep breath. "I haven't really thought too far ahead. I didn't know if you'd want to see me. Arianna has no idea I'm doing this. As for the properties? Either way, I'd like to own this and hold onto that bit of history, but if you think you'd be willing to give me a second chance? Then yes. I'm staying."

Claire pressed her lips together. "I never thought I'd see you again," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I know," Evelyn said. "I'm asking you to forgive me."

Claire shook her head. "It's not a matter of forgiving you. I just can't believe this is really happening. That you're here. That you haven't forgotten…"

"Never. I could never forget," Evelyn said, her hand warm against Claire's cheek. "Never." She leaned in, her lips brushing softly against Claire's in a tender kiss.