Page 116 of Ashes of the Past
“Jack,” she whispers, her voice shaking. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know if he’s going to be okay, and I—I can’t—”
I step forward, closing the distance between us, and before she can say another word, I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close. She stiffens at first, then melts against me, her body shuddering with the weight of everything she’s holding back.
“I’m here,” I say quietly into her hair. “You don’t have to carry this alone.”
I feel her breath catch, and then she lets out a shaky exhale, her body relaxing into mine. For a moment, I just stand there with her, holding her, letting the quiet of the moment settle over us. The world feels like it’s spinning out of control, but in this moment, with her in my arms, it’s the only thing that feels right.
“I’m scared, Jack,” she says, her voice muffled against my chest. “There’s just so much… drama. And I don’t want to losesight of Olivia. I can’t—I can’t let her see me like this, like I’m falling apart. I have to be strong for her.”
I pull back just enough to look at her, but I don’t let go. Her eyes are filled with worry, her expression drawn tight with the weight of everything. She’s scared. She’s trying to hold it together, but I can see how much she’s unraveling inside.
“Brynn,” I say softly, cupping her face in my hands, my thumbs gently brushing the tears that are starting to streak down her cheeks. “I get it. I know it’s scary, and I know you’re trying to be strong. But you don’t have to do this alone. I’m not going anywhere. Not ever. I’m here, and I’m not leaving until we get through this.”
Her lips tremble, and she looks like she’s going to say something, but she stops herself, biting her bottom lip as if she’s trying to hold back the floodgates.
“Jack,” she says, her voice trembling. “I can’t keep doing this. There’s so much… so much going on. And I don’t know if I can handle any more. I don’t know if I can let myself—let anyone—get that close. It’s just too much. It’s not just me anymore. It’s Olivia. It’s my dad. It’s everything. I can’t just let go.”
I can feel her pulling away, her words like a slow retreat into the distance. She’s still scared. Still fighting me. But I can’t let her go.
“You don’t have to do it all by yourself. And you don’t have to make all the decisions right now. All I want is to be with you. To be here with you through this and whatever else comes next. I’m not asking you to be perfect. I’m not asking you to have all the answers. I’m just asking you to trust me. To trust us.”
Her eyes flicker with something between fear and hope, something she’s trying so hard not to acknowledge. She pulls away from me slightly, but only enough to look me in the eyes.
“I don’t know if I can trust anyone anymore,” she whispers, her voice raw. “I’m scared. I’m so scared, Jack. But I can’t—”
“You can,” I interrupt, my voice firm, but not harsh. “You can. And you don’t have to figure it out all at once. But I’m here, darlin’. I’m not going anywhere.”
Her eyes search mine, and for a long moment, I feel like she’s trying to decide whether to push me away. But then she glances over her shoulder as the sound of engines fills the air. The others are starting to come back, and she stiffens, like she doesn’t want Olivia to see us together or to see her emotion. She doesn’t want to let anyone see her fall apart.
“Jack,” she starts, her voice barely a whisper, “I have to—I have to take care of things. I have to make sure Olivia’s okay. I can’t just—”
“I don’t care about anyone else right now,” I say, my voice low and intense. “I care about you. And I care about Olivia. But right now, Brynn, I care about you. And I need you to hear me when I say this.”
I drop to one knee.
Her eyes widen, and she takes a step back, shaking her head as if she can’t quite process what’s happening.
“I don’t care what happens, or how long it takes, or what anyone else thinks,” I say, my voice steady despite the emotions swirling inside me. “I love you. I’ve loved you since the first time I ever laid eyes on you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. No matter what. I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait for as long as it takes, but I need you to let me in. I need you to take this step with me.”
I pull out a ring, the one I’ve been carrying around for the last few days, unsure of when the right time would be. And I can feel my heart pounding as I hold it up to her. “Brynn, will you marry me?”
She stands there, frozen for a moment, her eyes locked on the ring, and I can see the conflict in her eyes. I can see the hesitation, the fear, the doubt. But just as she opens hermouth, like she’s about to say something—something that might hurt, something that might send her running away from me—it happens.
There’s a whoosh around us. And then a cold, heavy rain starts to pour down from the sky, soaking us both in an instant. The world around us seems to disappear, the sound of the rain filling the space between us.
It hasn’t rained in weeks, and it chooses now to do so? That’s poetic.
Brynn gasps, her face going from shock to something else—something I can’t quite place. But before I can say anything, she drops her head and looks up at me, her eyes glistening, her face softened by the rain.
The water is running down her face now, mixing with the tears, and in that moment, I realize that everything is changing. She’s not going to pull away. She’s not going to run.
“I’m not going anywhere, Brynn,” I say, my voice filled with certainty. “You don’t have to have all the answers right now. But I’m here. I’ll be here. I’ll wait for you. Always.”
She looks at me, and I see the hesitation fade. The rain falls harder, but the storm inside her starts to quiet.
“Jack,” she says, her voice trembling. And then she takes a deep breath, her eyes locking with mine, her hands trembling as she reaches down to take the ring.
“Yes,” she whispers, a smile breaking through her tears. “Yes.”
