Page 81 (1/2)

Aidan

In spite of her initial hesitancy, she’d taken hied what he meant to her

Whatever that was

But it wasn’t a ht of how he looked at her, how he always see at her as if he couldn’t help himself Hoas there whenever she needed him

And then there’d been the "I love you" Hard to discount that Aidan never said so he didn’tits tender underside as it tended to do in all iddy and terrified at the saa, orto learn, or , that she feltclothes and, as she had every day since getting the package, added Ashley’s scarf Today there was a wind that lad for the added protection

Two hours later, she stopped at what had become her favorite place atop theand feel closest to Ashley And the fact that it was getting easier each tiood This was her haven now

Not the place she had to fear

She let out a deep breath and a lot of tension The wind kicked in and pushed at the trees high above her,the each other along with the chatter of the squirrels as they ran for cover was co because it sounded like …

Her childhood

There was only one thing , of course

Ashley

"Hey, sis," she whispered, fingering the scarf "I’h "Turns out I can’t stay away I feel you here, Ash"

She drew a deep breath and looked across the chasm at Dead Man’s Cliff "I’m so sorry I’m sorry I ever climbed that stupid cliff And I’m sorry you did too Most of all, I’m sorry you can’t be here now" Her breath hitched, constricted by tears "I e, she’d honestly believed that she needed to get to the mountain and stare down the face where Ashley died Actually, she’d thought that until this very second, but the truth was she didn’t need to If anything, what happened to Ashley there had taught her that there were sos that weren’t meant to be conquered at all

She knew the truth now In losing Ashley, she’d also lost too e to re here was a visceral reedy

But it was also ho her froathering Ashley’s scarf closer, she understood so else

It wasn’t supposed to

Ashley would always be a part of her, o She just had to be able to live the life she was supposed to live

"Thanks, Ash," she whispered