moved behind me, wrapping his arms around my body.
“I’d give anything just to hear her have a go at you, Elliot,” I said, my lower lip wobbling. “She could always give as could as she got. I swear she defined the term ‘firecracker’.”
Elliot and his parents chuckled.
We stood in silence for a while, just being in the moment and thinking of Bailey. I was very aware that I was in a different stage of grieving compared to them – this was so fresh for me. I was still having trouble believing it was real and not some sick and twisted joke that the fates were playing on me. I looked from Bailey’s grave to Mr and Mrs McKenna. For a moment I stared at them, then I realised they were holding on to each other intimately.
“They never got divorced,” Elliot whispered in my ear, startling me. “They planned to and were separated for years, but at the start of this year, they got close again. Da asked Ma on a date, and they’ve been together ever since.”
Wide-eyed, I looked at Elliot.
“I know.” He smiled. “They caught us off guard again.”
“They’re still married.” I blinked. “Wow.”
“I told you I didn’t want to get married because what happened to them scared me, but I’m not scared any more, Noah. Even if they did get divorced, I wouldn’t be scared. I was comparing our love to theirs when I shouldn’t have, because our love is ours and no one else’s can ever touch it.”
I swallowed and didn’t reply as his words sank in.
“I want it all with you,” he murmured. “I’ve lived without ye, sasanach, and they were the bleakest years of me life. You’re my happiness.”
My heart pounded, but I couldn’t think too much about what he’d just told me. I had too much to think about as it was.
“We’ll talk about everything, just me and you later, but right now . . . will you bring me to him?”
“Yes,” he replied gruffly. “I will.”
We said goodbye to his parents, and Elliot let me have a moment where I simply bathed in Bailey’s presence.
“I’ll find out what happened,” I whispered to her. “I promise, Bails.”
I hoped it wouldn’t become a promise I had to break, for everyone’s sakes.
I righted my crutches and Elliot and I walked away, leaving Mr and Mrs McKenna to spend time with their daughter in private. Elliot hovered close to me – I could feel his eyes on me and I knew he knew that I was physically hurting, but because I didn’t mention it, neither did he. We came to the end of the pathway that led to the car park and I blinked when I saw Elliot’s car parked up on the kerb at an odd angle. I looked at him.
“I was in a hurry to get to you,” he explained with a shrug. “I didn’t have time to park properly.”
There was a warden or security guard of some kind who Elliot spoke to and he explained our situation. I got into the front of the car with a murmur of apology, and not a few minutes later he joined me.
“Are you in trouble?”
“No.” He shook his head. “He saw you when ye arrived; he saw your face and knew somethin’ was wrong. I didn’t tell him everythin’, just that ye learned of me sister’s passin’ and were distraught.”
“Well, you didn’t lie.”
“No,” Elliot answered solemnly. “I didn’t.”
We drove out of the cemetery, and before I could blink we were on the road. It was a few minutes before I realised that I’d never told Elliot Anderson’s address. I glanced at him.
“You know where he lives, don’t you?”
“Ye lived with him, Noah,” came the response. “Of course I know.”
A feeling of warmth filled me.
“I love you,” I told him. “I was with another man and you still looked out for me, didn’t you?”
“I tried,” he admitted. “There was little I could do. I barely caught a glimpse of you . . . but a few times I drove by and parked out front just so I could be close to ye.”
“Elliot,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he replied, glancing at me. “You’re mine again.”
“I am,” I said. “I am yours.”
We pulled into the car park of a block of flats, and came to a stop. I breathed deeply as I gathered my crutches, grabbed my bag and climbed out. Elliot got out too and came around to my side, and before I could say a word