allowed myself to fall as well. Into my brother. Into grief. And into the kind of despair that could only be caused by heartbreaking relief.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Tristin
With a final tug on the rope attached to Thea’s waist, I hauled her over the side of the cliff. On her hands and knees, she clung to the earth, her body convulsing from her violent sobs. In that moment, I would have given anything for the power to take away her terror and devastation and every other negative emotion inundating her.
Since I doubted that power was forthcoming, I dropped to the ground and pulled her into my lap. Holding her close, I willed some of my heat to seep into her. “Angel, speak to me,” I said, desperation clear in my voice. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head against my chest, and for the first time since reading the text she’d sent to Leo’s phone with only her location and the word help, I felt like I could breathe again. Still, I tightened my arms around her waist, craving the reassurance of her presence. Reassurance that she was alive and whole.
I didn’t even want to think about what might have happened if Leo and I hadn’t already been pulling up to our dad’s house when the text arrived. While Leo scoured the garage for rope and other emergency supplies, I’d grabbed only a flashlight before running for the shoreline leading to the cliff that jutted out in front of Lily’s cottage. I’d almost had a heart attack when I’d found Hayle standing stock-still, staring at the water in frozen shock.
It wasn’t until I’d heard Thea’s cries and spied her over the side of the cliff that I realized my brother was reacting to his mother’s fall instead of Thea’s. Not that I was making light of whatever had happened to Lily. I never would have wanted this kind of ending for her, especially for Hayle’s sake. Though I’d never had a relationship with my own mother, I’d witnessed his devotion to Lily, and I knew her death wasn’t something he would easily get over.
Sirens sounded in the distance, urging me to get moving. Thea didn’t need to be here when the search for Lily’s body began. And she needed to warm up. At this point, I couldn’t tell if her shaking was from crying or the cold or shock. Maybe a combination of all three.
“Let’s get you inside,” I said as I lifted us both off the ground. “Do you want me to carry you?”
“No, I can walk.” She peered over my shoulder, and fresh tears dotted her cheeks. “I need to go to Hayle.”
I understood that need, but someone had to put Thea first right now, and that person was me. Holding her head in my hands, I lowered my mouth to place a soft kiss on her forehead. “He’s going to need you a lot in the coming months, but right now, let Leo take care of him.”
She hesitated for a few moments before finally nodding. “Okay. Let’s go before I get stuck out here talking to the police.”
Without another word, I found the flashlight I’d dropped on the ground at some point and wrapped an arm around Thea’s waist to keep her steady. Though I had questions for her, I stayed quiet on the walk, giving her time and mental space, if not physical. When she wanted to talk, I was here. Until then, I would take care of her body and hopefully soothe her soul.
Inside, I led her up two flights of stairs and down the hall to my bedroom. Shutting the bathroom door behind us, I started the water and helped her out of her clothes. She stepped into the large walk-in shower, and I headed for my bedroom to find something for her to wear.
“Tristin.”
I stopped and turned back to her. She was standing under the water, unmoving. “What is it? What do you need?”
“Stay,” she said simply, and that was all I needed. I stripped out of my clothes in record time and joined her in the shower.
Her body was still trembling, so I pulled her against me while I reached for my shampoo and gently massaged it into her hair. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
Thea lifted her hands to reveal several large gashes with small rocks embedded in them as well as numerous other scrapes and cuts. “Just these.”
My stomach lurched. “Holy shit. What happened?”
“I, uh, used my hands to steady myself when I slid