Gavin laughs. “I lost the desire to be vindictive years ago, but I don’t mind keeping her away. She’s relentless, and I can be weak.”
“That’s not a word I would associate with you.”
He shakes his head softly, but his eyes don’t leave mine. “You didn’t see me at my lowest, lass.”
“Your measurement for strength might be broken. It’s not how low life brings you, but how you respond to it. How many times have you picked yourself up and kept trying? How many hard days do you stick on that cheery smile even when things have felt heavy?”
“Not all of them. I let the darkness swallow me whole for almost a year. It was unrelenting. Granny near moved in, she was that worried about what would happen if I was left on my own.”
There’s something about the way Gavin says this that strikes a chord within me, humming through the room like a deep cello. He’s saying these things and watching me so closely, like he expects me to react—to cringe, maybe? To run for the snowy hills?
I rise, crossing the small room to sit on the brown sofa beside him. He needs to be able to see the individual flecks in my eyes when I tell him this. It’s important Gavin senses my honesty. “You won’t scare me away, you know. I’m familiar with the chokehold depression can have on a person. I’ve watched my best friend struggle with it on and off over the years. It doesn’t diminish your worth. Depression wasn’t who you were—orare,for that matter. It’s something you deal with. Just like I deal with an intolerance to fish.”
Gavin laughs. “Quite the same thing.”
I shrug. “Mine smells worse, but they’re both things we have no control over. I can’t help how strongly I despise seafood. I didn’t choose this. It was thrust upon me.”
He nods slowly, his gaze raking over my face. “You’re a tolerant person, aren’t you, Callie Winter?”
“Is that a nice way of saying that I put up with a lot? It’s not tolerance to love someone who suffers. That’s just love.”
Gavin’s entire body grows still.
Lest he misunderstand me and kicks me out for fear I’ll become a stalker and try to maul him again, I continue. “Bekah, my best friend, is a lot like you, you know. She’s a ball of sunshine when she’s not down in a funk. I take her as she is every day, and our relationship isn’t transactional. She doesn’t have to do anything to earn my friendship. When she’s struggling, I’m there for her however I can be, and I give her space when she needs it.”
“She’s lucky to have you.”
“Sounds like Glenbruar is lucky to have you,” I counter.
He nods. “I have a handful of Callies here, too.” Gavin looks like he wants to say more, but he doesn’t. I hold still, keeping quiet to leave room for him to speak. I’ll sacrifice more essay-writing time if it means hearing from him, but he just lets out a long, weary sigh. “Fancy a cuppa, then? I’ll stick the kettle on while you get started. Password’s johnnieboy, all lowercase.”
“That would be great.”
I’m still trying to catch my breath when he leaves, but he’s right. It’s time to get to work.
CHAPTER TWENTY
GAVIN
Callie fellasleep in my office. I didn’t want to risk waking her, so I moved her to the sofa and covered her with a blanket. She was still logged in on my computer, so I made sure the email was sent first. I’m not a total eejit.
Luna’s the first to find me in the kitchen the following morning while I start breakfast, Oliver wriggling to be set down. “Morning. This smells amazing. Rhys will be down soon, and he’d love to help.”
“Grab a plate and help yourself.”
She does, taking enough food for her and Oliver. “Have you seen Callie this morning?”
“She was up late working on a school thing. I doubt we’ll see her soon.”
“Seriously?”
I flip the bacon and turn to find Luna looking nearly incredulous. “What’s wrong?”
“Callie brought school with her? This is supposed to be a break from all that.”
“No, she didn’t mean to. It was only this internship thing?—”
“She works too much,” Luna says, sweeping Oliver off thefloor and carrying him to the table, then plopping him on a chair. He immediately redirects his attention to the plate of bacon, toast, eggs, and beans. “She really needs a break so she doesn’t burn out. I was hoping Scotland would provide that for her. Has she been working this whole week?”
