Page 116 of Anywhere

I looked at Gregory. His eyes were sad as he watched a van move out of the way for another to take its place. “I had no clue,” I murmured.

“Aye. Well, no point in makin’ me feelin’s known when it be unlikely.” He gripped my shoulder. “‘Tis a shame, tho, when ya already took her worth from her,” he said, his voice dropping low enough that no one else would hear. “I do hope dat dis move doesn’t ‘ave anythin’ ta do with da punishment?”

I swallowed hard as I stared into his stern expression. “Dere be a lot more worth than their first time to any woman, Gregory. Mari’s worth be more than da value da Faction puts on her,” I said, conviction giving weight to my words.

How he found out about my night with Mari was anyone’s guess. The walls in these old castles had ears, and news travelled faster than water. My gaze flicked to Mari, standing as far away as she could from Belle and her da. I wondered if she knew that Gregory knew when a thought began to form in my mind.

“Aye, maybe dere is,” Gregory said.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What punishment do you speak of?” My mind was reeling, and I wondered what threat those words held. Was it something he planned to do?

“It be none of yer concern now I guess. Well, I hope ya ‘ave a safe move. I ‘ave tings dat need tendin’.”

With that, he walked away. It was the strangest conversation we ever shared and the coldest he ever treated me.

Clamping down on the worry and ache in my chest, I watched Elewyen and Mari hug like childhood friends. There was comfort in knowing that Mari accepted Elewyen. It may not have mattered if she didn’t, but it made me feel better that she did. It was a purely selfish reason. As soon as Elewyen went to stand with Rook by the car, I walked over to Mari. It felt awkward and not at all like before.

“So this is it,” Mari said, her face passive even though her eyes held the same emotion I held in my chest.

“Aye, it looks dat way.” My eyes searched her face, and I knew that no matter how many days or years we were apart, I would remember every detail and be able to paint her from memory. “I’ma feelin’ strange leavin’. It feels like I’ma runnin’ off and leavin’ ya alone here.”

“Are you saying that I cannot function without you?” She smirked, and I knew she was teasing.

“Wha’? Naw, of course no’. I…” I sighed. “Mari, did yer Da say or do somethin’ to ya fir what we did?”

Mari’s eyes gave nothing away as I searched them.

“Rhys, I’m no longer your responsibility. I never was, and you need to stop worrying about me because I need to stop worrying about you. The time has officially come.”

“I dinnie know if I’ma gonna be able ta do dat in da way ya be meanin’. Yer always gonna be me friend. Dat comes wit worry,” I said honestly. How did you just throw away years of connection with someone?

Mari squared her shoulders, her chin rising, and her long dark hair fanned out around her as she gave me a hard stare. “I was born a woman, but no less a warrior. The moment we had when Rook first came to town was just that, a moment. We let ourselves get caught up in something that never should’ve happened.”

“Ya sayin’ ya regret what we did?”

She shook her head no. “I could never regret anything with you, but that doesn’t make it any less wrong. I’m no longer the girl with pigtails with bullies and who thought monsters were under my bed, Rhys. I no longer need you to worry about me. I’m a woman who has endured the harsh reality of this world we live in, but I’ll not be drowned by it. My path is my own to shape, and it is a path I need to take without you glancing over your shoulder at me.”

I smiled widely, my heart full of pride. “Aye, ya’ve always been a warrior, but ya deserve ta be a queen. So, dis be goodbye then?”

She looked down at her feet, and I was tempted to wrap her up in a hug. It was something we would’ve done as friends. One night of wild passion seemed to have ruined our beautiful friendship, and I had no idea how to get it back.

“Tis far from a goodbye. Dis island be too small fir dat. It means dat we can no longer use one anotha as a crutch when we tink da monsters are too big. Yer journey be a new adventure, and I know dat yer gonna make da McGregor family great again.” It made me smile to hear the sweet poetic accent I knew her to have when we were children.

“Aye, and what be yer next adventure?”

Mari looked around and then shrugged. “It be what it will be, but it will be wholly mine fir da fist time.”

“Ya’ve always been so much stronger than I ‘ave, Mari. Thank ya fir always bein’ me rock and rose petals when I was needin’ it most.”

There was nothing left to say. I jogged down the stairs to the car, and Rook captured my stare. He seemed as torn as I felt, and once more, I wasn’t sure being so tightly tied was a good thing. There were many moments I loved the idea of this joined connection, but he would feel everything I did, from the cut on my finger to the bruise I endured in training or the sadness of losing my best friend.

Looking over my shoulder, only Mari remained outside, standing still as a statue. She gave me a slight nod and then turned and walked inside the castle.

The solid wood door closing behind her felt like an end to a childhood home and the wishful hopes of a boy and a girl. For the past twenty years, I called this place home and those in it family. I couldn’t explain why, but it felt like I’d just lost both.

“I’za neva been in a car ting. They be safe?” Elewyen asked as I got behind the wheel.

I gave her a reassuring smile over my shoulder and watched as Barry tucked himself into the crook of her neck.