Chapter 79

Ihid in Killian’s old room, drowning in one of his black shirts. Thank goodness it was long enough to cover my panties because my packing skills were subpar at best. I blamed it on the panic to get out of town, but in my haste, I’d only packed sweaters and underwear. I didn’t have socks or pants. What a hopeless mess I was.

I did manage to pack all my piercing jewelry. While it hurt to put back in, I was happy to have my barbell back in place. I clicked the ball to my teeth as I stared around Killian’s room and waited for him to finish showering. Admittedly, I’d never spent any time in here other than the day I’d kissed him on the roof. What happened to the wild force of nature I’d been back then?

When had my father managed to crush me?

“Can I get you anything?” The sound of Maeve’s voice in the door made me jump. I pressed a hand to my chest as I let out a nervous laugh. She offered a small smile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you, dear.”

“It’s okay. Really,” I told her. “I just… got stuck in my head.”

“It’s okay.” Maeve let herself in the room and closed the door for privacy. The rest of the Byrnes were downstairs. There’d been no skirting around them or the many rounds of wet hugs they’d given me. “You’ve had a long day.”

“Yeah,” I whispered. I wrapped my arms right around my middle. “Thank you for letting me stay.

“You never have to thank me for you being here, Ginny. You’re always welcome. And… Killian told us,” she said. My heart sank. I knew it’d happen—I knew he couldn’t bear that weight alone—but it still stung. My eyes burned as I blinked back tears rapidly.

“Everything?”

“Yes, everything.”

“Oh…”

“There are very few times I’ve been speechless in my life,” Maeve began softly. She tucked strands of hair behind my ears.

“I’m sorry,” I replied.

“Don’t you ever apologize. Not to me. Not to our family. You’ve been through more pain in a lifetime than anyone should have to go through.” She wrapped me up in her arms and held me impossibly tight. I sank into her warmth and the comfort she offered as I broke down all over again. “I’m so happy you’re home, my sweet girl.”

Killian was silent as he shut the door behind him and sat down on the edge of the bed. I remained in my spot, leaning against the dresser as I hugged myself. I didn’t know what to do with myself. Where did we go from here? I settled for studying him in the soft glow of the nightstand lamp. He looked different—sadder somehow. So much of that was my fault.

“We need to talk. A real, honest-to-God talk where we don’t yell and scream at each other. Or throw things,” he told me quietly, and I nodded. Fair enough. I shouldn’t have thrown the mugs at him. “But I’m so fucking tired, Genevieve, and I’d like to sleep. This room is yours. My brothers won’t bother you. Mom’s room is the one at the end of the hall if you need her. And I’ll be right downstairs on the couch. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you need something.”

“You’re not staying in here with me ?”

“I figured you’d be more comfortable—”

“You figured wrong!” I exclaimed, my voice rising a notch with panic. I didn’t want to be alone. Even though I’d planned to drive out of town on my own, I was still afraid to be alone. “Please, don’t go.”

“Okay. May I?” He held out a hand, and I took it, letting him pull me closer. His arms circled my waist while his forehead settled against my sternum. A heavy sigh moved through his whole body, and he held me impossibly tight. I leaned into him, tangling my fingers in his hair and resting my cheek on the crown of his head. Inhale. Exhale. The scent of vanilla shampoo filled my lungs. I enjoyed the way it lingered. He mumbled, “Fuck, I’ve missed this.”

Me too. The words caught in my chest, making it impossible to speak them.

“I’ve missed you,” Killian whispered. His arms tightened until my back bowed from the intensity of his embrace. Years of pent-up emotion seeped out of his very skin, and I absorbed every ounce of it. I felt it in my very core. My eyes blurred while my breath caught in my chest.

“I’ve missed you too,” I managed to get out. For the first time in a very long time, my heart felt… full. Together. Not exactly whole but as close as it had been in a long time. It was funny how something as simple as a connection could do that.

The truth was, I needed Killian, and he needed me. We were two halves meant for one another. No matter what we did, we’d always come back to one another—in war or peace. But I didn’t want to fight with him anymore. I wanted a life—our life. I wanted to redefine what we’d had and find a way to move forward.

This man in my arms… this broken, beautiful man was never the root of my problems. He was my salvation. He was my heart and soul. He was my everything.

And I was done letting the world win—done letting my father win. As I pressed my lips to Killian’s hair, I made a silent vow to always put him first and to make sure he always understood what he meant to me.