Page 80 of Our Little Moments

Jay grins while Isabella rolls her eyes.

…

I’m settled in comfortably as the sky dims and stars begin to appear. We decided to switch up the cabins for tonight since I needed the hours to recover and stay in bed. I hate being a bother, but my sisters practically forced me to stay in, so I had no other choice.

As the pale glimmer from the stars lights up the cabin, I snap out of my thoughts and turn to Jay, who refuses to leave my sideand insists on sharing the cabin with me to make sure I am okay. He’s preparing for sleep as I look out the window.

Jay smiles as he passes by me again. “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

A light knock on our door echoes around us. Jay grins as he opens it, letting Stella come in with a warm smile. “Hi, Adrian.”

I grin. “Hi, Stella.”

Her eyes glimmer with worry and Jay leaves the cabin, closing the door gently behind him. Stella walks slowly to my side, sitting down on the other end of my bed as we stare at each other. “So, umm, are you feeling better?”

“Yeah, I am. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“Don’t apologize. I was worried like crazy because you mean so much to me. The thought of you being hurt makes me want to fight life right back for hurting you.”

I chuckle. “Please don’t do that. It would kill me for you to get hurt protecting me.”

Stella smiles tenderly. “It’s been a long time since I cared so much about someone else. Seeing you hurt today just brought back protective instincts I’d forgotten I even had inside me.”

“I haven’t ever cared about someone else so much that I want to look after myself so she can have the peace of mind she deserves to feel.”

Her eyes fill with tears as her smile turns sad. “Adrian, don’t say stuff like that to me right now because I will start crying and I came here to makeyoufeel better.”

I grin softly. “You didn’t have to check on me. I’m alright and I will be better tomorrow.”

She laughs. “Of course, I had to come here, you dumbass. I care about you too much not to. I’m not sure I could have slept tonight without knowing if you’re okay.”

“Well, now you know I’m perfectly well and you can get the rest you need.”

Stella’s bright eyes seem to see right through me as she scoots a little closer. “Adrian, I know what it’s like to take care of everyone, to look after their every need. Please don’t do that around me, okay? If you need my help, tell me. If you need someone to look after you, I’ll be there. I can’t bear the thought of you struggling alone when you keep helping me heal from everything without even trying. You just . . . You don’t have to be strong all the time around me, okay?”

My heart cracks, emotions spilling out fast. My vision gets blurry, despite my silent protests.

Stella’s eyes turn sad and she scoots closer and closer until she’s right by my side on the bed, her other shoulder touching the wall. She wraps an arm around me, giving me space to pull away if I need to. Not that I ever could.

Stella Brookstone has a healing warmth she spreads everywhere around her. She’s the sunshine parting the clouds on a miserable day, the comfortable fireplace on a cold winter night and the rainbow that shines through the rain. There’s no part of me that ever wants to pull away.

When I snuggle in closer, she holds me tight and says softly, “Let it out, I’m here. You’re safe.”

Her words reach a part of me I thought was long gone. When tears start welling in my eyes, there’s nothing I can do to stop the rush of emotions. I’ve had many breakdowns over grief in my life, many times where I let despair wash over me and pull me under.

But this time, the tears are silent. Because I’ve. Had. Enough.

Grief has haunted my life ever since it came in, and I can’t do it anymore. My relationship with my sisters can be fixed. I’ve seen the sparks of what it could be, but for it to happen, we needhealing.

With Stella’s arms wrapped around me, what once seemed impossible seems entirely within reach. Healing feels easier than grief.

Chapter 31

Stella

Meeting Adrian at our spot is etched into my muscle memory. My breath slows, my nerves quiet as soon as I see him there, looking out at the ocean, bathed in the first sparks of sunlight. A smile finds its way to my face as I walk toward him and sit beside him.

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