The name tore across the lookout, carried by the wind.
She turned at the sound, eyes swollen, hair wild, cardigan clutched tight, and for a single heartbeat the world narrowed to just the two of them.
Then they ran.
Caroline sprinted towards him, gravel crunching under her shoes, tears streaking her cheeks. James was already moving, long strides eating up the distance, driven by something fierce and raw and completely undeniable.
They crashed together halfway, arms locking around each other, both shaking with the force of it.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, hands framing her face like it was the most precious thing he’d ever touched. “For everything I said. For not listening. For letting you walk out that door feeling alone when you never were. Not for a second.”
She drew a shaky breath. “When I woke everyone was asleep, so I slipped out through the side door. No one saw me. I walked to the main road, and a lovely older couple gave me a lift here.”
Her voice cracked. “I just couldn’t breathe in that house,” she said. “Everyone was making decisions for me. I felt like I was disappearing. And then you looked at me like I’d done something wrong. Like I’d betrayed you.” She wiped at her eyes. “I just… I couldn’t stay.”
“I know,” he said, forehead pressing to hers. “I made everything worse. I should’ve been your safe place. I will be again. If you’ll let me.”
Caroline’s breath shuddered out of her, and then she kissed him.
Not a polite, careful kiss. But one that was all wind and salt and desperation and relief. James kissed her back with the same urgency, pulling her closer, lifting her slightly off her feet as if he couldn’t get her close enough.
The ocean roared below them. The wind tugged at their clothes, their hair, the edges of their resolve.
But they didn’t move, didn’t break.
They just held on to each other like they’d finally found the air they’d both been gasping for.
Caroline pulled back finally, brushing tears from her cheeks.
Her gaze flicked to her best friend, still standing a few steps away with tear-shiny eyes and a guilty, hopeful expression.
“You knew,” she scolded. “About Ethan. This whole time.”
Emma nodded, tears spilling over again. “Yes. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to ruin anything. I didn’t want to make it messier.”
Caroline let out a trembling laugh. Some of the stiffness in her shoulders finally eased.
“I wasn’t angry that you knew,” she explained. “I was angry that I didn’t.”
Emma let out a tiny, broken laugh of relief, and that was all it took. Caroline crossed the space between them and pulled her into a tight, shaking hug. Emma clung back instantly, arms circling her with all the fierce protectiveness of someone who’d been terrified of losing her.
“I’m sorry,” Emma whispered into her hair. “I should have told you. I just wanted to protect you. I’ll never keep anything from you again.”
“I know,” Caroline murmured.
She squeezed her tighter.
“And you’d better bloody not.”
They held on for a long moment, crying and laughing until the worst of the day finally loosened its grip.
Finally when they broke apart, James wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her towards the car.
As they walked ahead of us, Emma let out a shaky sigh.
“Thank god,” she whispered.
Noah’s text buzzed through on my phone at that moment:
