And this time, I’m ready to tell the whole fucking world that I love her, come hell or high water.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Silas
The pickup roars into the Hammond driveway, cranking to a shuddering halt as I turn off the engine.
And suddenly, here I am; right back at the house I haven’t been to in years. The place I grew up - my other family until I let them all down.
My steps slow as I approach the big white farmhouse, and I take a deep breath as my feet follow the familiar path up through Irene’s manicured lavender bushes and honeysuckle plants.
I used to live here, really.
This used to be my home, and I know that now that it’s been gone from my life all these years, more than I ever did before.
The front door slams open suddenly.
Rowan.
He narrows his eyes at me as he steps out onto the front porch. His face looks furious as a he jabs a finger at me.
“You.”
I swallow, stepping towards him. “Row,” I hold my hands up.
“You got a lot of fucking balls coming here, you fucking prick.”
Tell me about it.
I shake my head. “Hang on, buddy.”
“Don’t!” He growls, scowling at me as he steps to the top step of the porch, glowering down at me.
“Don’t fucking buddy me, man.” His nostrils flare as he shakes his head at me. “All these years, I fuckin stuck up for you and kept in touch as best I could, and I even forgave you for walking away like that.”
“Rowan-”
“You fucking married her?”
Aww, shit.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Silas! You didn’t just walk away from my sister, you fucking abandoned her!”
He jabs a finger at me again as he takes another step down towards me.
“What kind of fucking man does-”
“Rowan!” My voice booms from my lips, stopping him short as I step right up to him.
“You know what?” I’m shouting now, right there on the front porch, but I’m not even nearly done.
“I was every bit the fucking coward you want to think I was,” I growl. “I was young, and stupid, and scared.”
I take a deep breath, meeting his eye and hoping to God the friend I once knew remembers it too.
“And I’ve paid for that. I’ve changed, Row, you know I’ve changed.”
He says nothing.
But he also doesn’t punch me in the face, which I’m going to count as a win.
“Rowan,” I take a breath. “You’re my best friend, man.”
“Best friends don’t walk away and flee the country, you prick.”
I smirk. “I deserve that. You get why I left, right?”
He looks away, running his hand through his hair. He nods.
“But I came back.”
“Yeah,” he mutters, turning and grinning a small grin at me. “I guess you did.”
“And I’m not leaving, Rowan,” I reach out and put a hand on his shoulder. “Not this time. I’m not leaving you, or this family.”
He nods and my jaw tenses.
“And I’m not leaving Ivy, not now and not ever.”
He glares at me, our eyes meeting as we stand there in brimming silence for a full ten seconds. But then suddenly, he’s nodding. He gives me a grim smile and clapping me on the back as he hugs me tight like the brothers we once were.
“Good enough for me. Let’s go.”
I frown. “Go where?”
He growls, almost to himself as he fishes a set of keys out of his back pocket.
“To the pier.”
He pushes past me and moves towards his motorcycle parked in the driveway against the garage.
“Rowan, where the fuck are you-”
“Look!” He whirls and jabs a finger in my face.
“You want to make good with my sister? You want to do the right thing to the girl you fuckin’ married?”
I frown, and I start to open my mouth when he cuts me off by chucking a helmet into my hands.
“She’s taking off, Silas. She’s leaving Shelter Harbor. They’re dropping her off at the ferry now.”
Oh fuck.
Rowan jumps on the bike and revs the engine. “Get on.”
I eye the bike dubiously and he rolls his eyes.
“Get on the bike, pussy.”
I yank the helmet on and swing on behind him.
“Hey,” he turns, grinning at me as we start to pull out of the driveway. “How poetically fucked up would it be if I crashed us this time and broke your leg?”