The Unexpected Journey-A Prince Harry Fan Fic

Chapter 145

Day 59

When Maddie finally woke on Day 59, she had slept well into the day. She had crawled into bed after that exhausting day and crashed. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought she had taken medication to help her sleep. But her body had needed this; her mind had needed this.

She pulled herself from bed, pulling on her robe and a pair of Harry's polo socks and without much thought to anything else, she stepped from their room, padded down the hallway and moved down the stairs. In all of the craziness of the day before, she had barely eaten anything and now she was starving. Making her way to the kitchen she started coffee and looked around.

It felt like she hadn't been in her own home in ages; even though it had been days. Bernard had been there they day before and it was impeccably clean, a few of her favorite dishes had been made and stored. She smiled softly as she found some muffins; eating the top off of one as she waited for her coffee to brew. As soon as it was finished she made herself a cup and took a sip.

As she began to wake up, perking up from the warm liquid, the events from the day before settled over her. She took a deep breath and looked out over their large kitchen wondering if it had all really happened? Was that truly her reality?

She took another sip and let her eyes close.

Yes it had. Yes it was.

Before she could sink into it, before she could sort it all out, she heard a loud heavy knock on the door. Her eyes snapped open and she took a deep breath. She debated over who it could be. William? Charles? Arthur or Sampson? Thomas? Libby? It could have been any of them. In truth, the knock was coming much later than she would have guessed.

"Here we go," she murmured to herself, moving towards the sound; her fingers wrapped around the mug. In pajamas, robe, crazy hair and all she tugged at the handle and pulled open the large door.

"Good morning," Kate smiled back at her; looking bright and beautiful as always. "You look lovely." Their eyes met and Maddie could see the friendship and sincerity that had always been offered from her sister-in-law—since long before she and Harry were even engaged. So she stood aside and opened the door wider.

"I've literally been awake for all of ten minutes," Maddie sighed with a small smile. "Want to come in?" Kate nodded and followed Maddie inside; the door shutting behind them. "Can I pour you some coffee?"

"No thank you," Kate shook her head, joining Maddie as she sat down on a stool at the large counter in the kitchen. A beat of comfortable quiet passed between them before Kate let out a breath and turned to her friend; her sister. "I'm really sorry about Harry."

Maddie felt her eyes tear up just a bit, her heart heavy in her chest as she smiled through the ache. "Thank you." She sipped at her coffee. "He's okay though, Will told you?"

"Yes," Kate nodded quickly. "I just meant...the part where he's staying."

"Ah." Her voice went short. "That."

"Yeah," Kate echoed. "That."

Maddie took a moment, a long deep breath as she still battled the internal urge to scream and then she shrugged and turned to Kate. "Well...what can I do about that?"

"I don't know," Kate shook her head; saddened by the look in the blonde's eyes—resolve and surrender. "But if you want me to sit in the bathroom with you for a few hours...I will."

"Ha!" Maddie laughed through the threat of tears, clapping her hands together in front of her. "You're a great friend Kate."

"You too," Kate smiled and reached out to rub her shoulder. "You know he's been trying to get ahold of you." Her voice was soft and timid as she spoke.

"Yeah?" Maddie lifted her eyebrows lazily. She couldn't deny the way her heart tore; desire and anger battling for control.

"He's called Will about seven times..." Kate sighed as she twisted her wedding ring around her finger. "He says he's called you twice that. He said he was going to send your detail in to make you answer the phone."

"Ha..." Maddie chuckled bitterly. "I would love to see that happen. Is that why you're here? To make me answer the phone?"

"Not at all," Kate shook her head fast. "If I were you I wouldn't speak to him either."

"Ugh..." Maddie groaned, leaning over so that her forehead rested on the counter before her. "It's not that I'm...not speaking to him. I just...I was sleeping. I'm exhausted. And he's...in a bed for another day before he goes back out. He's just..."

"An ass?" Kate offered with a small smile. "Sorry. I shouldn't put words in your mouth."

"It's okay," Maddie laughed lightly. "I've had that very same thought. Is that terrible? I spent most of the day worried out of my mind that my husband was..." She trailed off, the lump in her throat preventing her from continuing; her eyes dropping to the cup in her hands. "And I finally find out that he is okay and the very next minute...I'm just...pissed. Is that terrible?"

"No," Kate shook her head, her hand resting on Maddie's arm. "It makes sense. To me, it makes sense."

"But..." Maddie took in a long, deep breath and blew it out, seeking calm and serenity. "But somewhere in London there's a family receiving terrible news, getting the phone call that could have been mine..." It was catching up with her. Despite the coffee and the muffin—the gravity of it all was catching up with her.

"I'm sorry for that too," Kate met her eyes and Maddie could see that meant it. "Will said that Harry's pilot broke his collarbone, that they'll be flying him back to London soon. The two men in the water whose rescue they were providing cover for...one of them died in the attack and one of them is there with him; recovering in a few days and heading back out."

"Yeah," Maddie nodded, her mind kicking into gear. "I need to call Thomas and see if he can get me some phone numbers. I should go see Harry's Pilot when he returns to London and..." She swallowed. "I could call the family of the man who died and..." She sighed; shaky and unsure. "I wouldn't want to be an imposition but..." Her eyes welled up as her words fell down.

"Hey..." Kate's voice was so soothing as her hand reached out to cover Maddie's. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No," Maddie shook her head. "But thank you very much for asking."

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Thomas had answered her call immediately; jumping right to her request, happy to help. And by the time Maddie had showered and pulled on some semblance of an outfit, he had arrived at Kensington and was waiting patiently for her in Harry's office. When she stepped into the office—wet hair and barefoot—Thomas stood and offered a bow of his head and Maddie smiled. Even in their home, he was brimming with propriety.

"Your Royal Highness."

"Good afternoon Mr. Smith," Maddie smiled at him, nodding towards the couches where he had been sitting. "What do you have for me?"

"Lance Corporal Jeffrey Peters," he laid a piece of paper down in front of her. Her eyes swung down to look at the picture and back up to Thomas.

"He's the soldier who passed?"

"Yes Ma'am," his face was solemn as he continued. "His body is going to be returned to his family tomorrow morning. I spoke with his brother...Adrian Peters right after you called. He lives just outside of London. The Army did inform him of the details surrounding his brother's death and he said it would be okay for you to stop by tomorrow afternoon. His parents were in Spain on Holiday and will be returning tonight; they will both be there."

"Okay," her voice was soft and small and heavy with the emotional weight of this conversation, with the plans to speak to people who had just lost a brother, a son. Her eyes welled up as she looked back down at the picture. "It was really okay?" She wanted to be sure. "You didn't...pressure them to receive me or..."

"Of course not ma'am," he was quick to reassure her. "Mr. Peters thought his parents might find some sort of solace in the condolences of the Royal Family."

"Okay," Maddie nodded, sniffing at the tears in her eyes. "Would you please arrange it at their convenience?"

"Yes Ma'am," he nodded and made a quick note before pulling out another sheet of paper. "This is Captain Mark Dennon."

"Harry's Pilot?" Maddie's eyebrows lifted as her attention shifted.

"Yes Ma'am," Thomas nodded. "He has a variety of injuries, the most severe of which is a fractured clavicle."

"Ouch." Maddie grimaced at the thought.

"Yes Ma'am. He should be returning to London in about three days. I would be happy to check with his family as well...if you were wanting to schedule a visit."

"I would love that," she was quick to nod. "Thank you."

"Yes Ma'am," he made another note and reached for the sheets he had laid on the table in front of her.

"Can I keep these?" Her fingers rested on the pages; wanting to keep their information with her before she met them.

"Of course," he nodded and brought his hands together in front of him. "Would now be an appropriate time to discuss the upcoming press release?"

"About the accident?" Maddie's eyebrows lifted in surprise. She wasn't sure if the family, if the military would be reporting out any information involving the accident.

"Yes Ma'am," he nodded and cleared his throat. "Because they are bringing home Lance Corporal Peters tomorrow and Captain Dennon in a few days, The Palace wanted to come out in front of any leaks."

"Sure," Maddie swallowed at the lump in her throat, the idea of it being public knowledge making it more real, more upsetting for some reason. "When?"

"Tomorrow morning," he tried to offer her a smile but it was a weak one; too twisted up in the tragedy that had occurred—the loss of life that continued to build, the near loss of Harry. Maddie could see the upset in his eyes as he thought it over. "There will be a press release tomorrow morning and a follow up story in the afternoon. You should be prepared for an onslaught of concern and questions."

"Okay," she let out a breath and let it sit for a minute. "Do you by any chance know what the rest of my week looks like?"

"I do," he smiled across the space between them. "You're clear for the remainder of the week; through the weekend—with the exception of these two visits of course."

"Of course," Maddie nodded, her eyes flashing up to him. "I don't want these to be...official or public or...anything like that. Just a personal visit."

"Absolutely," he nodded, in complete agreement with her; no cameras, no press. He wanted to respect the privacy of the soldiers just as much as she did.

"Okay," Maddie sighed and looked up to him. "Is there anything else that you need or..."

"No," he shook his head. "And I should be asking you that question. Is there anything you need from any of us?"

"No," she smiled softly. "Thank you very much Mr. Smith. You should know that Libby was amazing; the entire time. She went above and beyond her duties....though I'm sure she would disagree."

"I am sure she would too," he nodded and rose to his feet. "I will contact you later today about these meeting times?"

"That would be great thank you."

"And if there's anything else that you need..." He paused and softened; his gaze, his voice, his stance. "Ma'am, if there is anything else that you need, please don't hesitate to call. At any time."

"Thank you," she was touched by his words, even more so by the soft, fatherly smile he offered. "I appreciate that very much Mr. Smith."

"Are there any phone calls you would like for me to make? Anyone you would like me to notify...before the release in the morning?"

And then it hit her. She had to tell people. She had to bring people into this story she had been living out for the last twenty-four hours; her mother, Bishop.

"No," she shook her head slowly, swallowing back tears. "I'll make the phone calls. Thank you though...for offering."

"Of course," he nodded and then, with a courteous nod and a warm smile, he slipped from the office; leaving Maddie alone in the house.

She sat there for a long time on that couch; staring at his desk with a blank look in her eyes. There were things to be done; she knew that. She needed to call her mother before the news dropped about Harry's accident. She needed her to know that he was okay before a wave of worry ripped through her family. And she needed to call Bishop. He would be a mess if he heard about this from anyone else but her. She needed to get up from the couch and do things.

But she was finding it ridiculously difficult to do anything. But sit. And stare. And fume.

She wished that it was Harry who had to make the calls. She wished that he would have to be the one to shoulder the responsibility for the way her mother's voice was going to crack when she told her. She wished that he would have to be the one to see the look on Bishop's face when she explained it all. She wished that it was Harry who would have to tell them that yes...the unthinkable had happened and that yes...he had survived and that Yes. He would be staying, going out again, flying into fire again. She wished it could be him to bring this news into their lives.

But it wouldn't be him. It would be her. With a deep breath and a heavy heart, Maddie rose to her feet. Moving over to his desk, she let her hands run along the soft, dark top and she sank into his chair.

It was time to call her mother.

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The phone call with her mother had gone better than she expected. Hannah was infinitely more understanding than Maddie felt and she was quick to offer sympathies to her daughter. She offered to fly out but settled for telling the family as Maddie had asked. Though she was drained when the phone call ended, she still had one more person to tell and she had to do that in person. With a quick call to Ella, she pulled forth her most casual voice and she invited them both over to the house.

After they agreed, she ended the call and plugged her phone back into the charger and she looked around their room with a yawn. She was tired; still. It had been such a long few days and everything about her was exhausted.

But she couldn't pass out quite yet.

So instead she did something she had never in her life sought out to do on her own free will; she went for a run.

She tied her hair up and back, she changed into her running gear and she strapped on her ipod, put the buds in her ears and she stepped out her door; nodding to Williams as he followed behind her. Though he kept up with her pace, he gave her some room, and together they ran out of the gates and across to the park.

She ran for a long time; she had no idea how far though she guessed that ever since she ran all the way to Bishop and Ella's a few weeks back, her detail was a little leery anytime she jogged past those gates. But Williams kept up; seemed to be just fine as they ran back home.

It was then that she realized just how long she had been gone; Bishop and Ella were waiting for her just outside the door. As she ran up the short walk, she pulled the ear buds from her ears and came to a stop.

"I'm so sorry..." She panted, her hands resting on her hips as she looked from Bishop to Ella. "I had no idea what time it was and..."

"We just got here," Bishop waved his hand dismissively. "It's quite alright. Are you okay?" He looked her over.

"Yes," she nodded, sucking in a breath and turning a smile to Ella. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry to leave you standing."

"It's fine," Ella shook her head, watching as Maddie moved past them to open the door. "I'm fine standing just...Jesus Maddie..." She snickered as they followed her in the house. "Were you running again?"

"Yes," she held onto the table next to the door as she pulled off her running shoes and reached for her water bottle sitting there. "I was running..."

"And listening to..." Bishop pointed to the steady beat coming from her ear buds; eyebrows raised in question.

"A little Tupac," Maddie smiled as she shut the door behind them, taking a long drink. "Come on in..." She waved them towards the living room; turning off her ipod and dropping it and the earbuds on the table as she moved through the door way.

"Tupac?" Bishop's lips twisted into a smirk; his hand on Ella's back as they followed along.

"Don't worry, I have some Biggie on there to even out the rap wars," Maddie shrugged, laughing at her own little joke. "I'm sorry I look like this..." She waved her hand over her outfit. "I had every intention of being home and showered before you arrived. I just...lost track of the time.

"While you were running?" Bishop shared a look of amusement with his wife as they settled onto the couches.

"Yes," Maddie rolled her eyes and moved over to the bar; abandoning her bottle of water and reaching for the scotch. "Bishop? Can I pour you a drink?"

"No thank you," he watched, his eyes growing wide as he watched her pour herself a glass and take a sip.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" He leaned forward on the couch, his hand resting easily on Ella's knee.

"Sorry?" Maddie sank into her favorite chair.

"You invited us over and you lost track of time running. And now you're drinking scotch?!" He laughed and shook his head. "What exactly is going on at the Sussex household tonight?"

In her chest Maddie felt the flinch that came with Bishop's question, the turn of her stomach as she thought of why she had invited them over. With a deep breath in, she leaned forward and sat her drink on the table between them; her eyes shifting to avoid both of them.

And they knew in that moment that something was really wrong.

"Maddie?" Ella watched her friend closely, her hand stretching out over her stomach.

"Yeah..." Maddie sighed and brought her hands together in front of her, pulling together her courage before her eyes lifted to meet Bishop's now sober gaze. "I need to tell you something." He blinked but stayed silent. "A story is going to run tomorrow in the papers and it's going to be huge and I just wanted you both to hear it from me and not them."

"What is it?" He leaned in more, his hand squeezing Ella's knee.

"What I need you to know, what I need you to hear first is..." She sucked in a breath and tried in vain to keep the tears at bay. Bishop saw it and prepared himself for a blow. "What you need to know is that he's okay." Nobody in the room needed clarification as to who 'he' was.

"Oh my God," Ella whispered, her fingers flying to her lips.

"What happened?" Bishop's entire face washed with concern.

"Bishop," Maddie moved in, her hands reaching out to his arm, forcing her eyes to hold his. "He's okay."

"Fine," Bishop shook his head, not satisfied with just that. "What happened?"

"He was providing cover for a rescue helicopter going in after two soldiers who had gone down over the water," Maddie's voice was calm and quick; wanting to give him the details as fast as she could. "They took on enemy fire and something malfunctioned on board. They went down in the water."

"Oh my God." Bishop's hand moved to his mouth.

"He and his pilot and the two men in the water managed to swim to some land not far from the crash site."

"Maddie..." Bishop groaned into his own palm.

"He's okay," she blinked back the tears in her eyes. "He has some cuts and scrapes and a few small burns..."

"Jesus Christ." He shook his head.

"And he took a hit to the head that they were monitoring for a concussion but...he's okay."

"I..." Bishop's eyes were wide and swimming with concern and upset. He bit nervously at his lip and pulled his hands together in front of him.

"His pilot is coming home in a few days with a fractured clavicle," she wanted him to have as much information as she did; as the world would in the next twenty-four hours. "One of the soldiers in the water died and..." She choked on her own emotion as his picture flashed into her mind. "And the other is still there with Harry."

"You're sure he's..."

"Yes," Maddie nodded, her lips pulling into a small smile as she looked from Bishop to Ella and back again. "I heard his voice yesterday or...last night. He called us at Will's. He's...he's okay Bishop. I promise. He's okay."

Bishop nodded then, a slow pained movement that took him time, just like it was taking his brain time to let it all register. Reaching for Ella's hand, he pulled her fingers into his and he sucked in a breath. "When is he..." He cleared his throat. "When is he coming home? With his pilot in a few days or..."

"No," Maddie shook her head, sitting back into her chair as she seemed to disconnect from the moment, from her feelings; from everything. She reached for her glass and in a move that surprised everyone in the room, she drained its contents; sitting it back onto the table with a clang. "He's not."

"Sorry?" Bishop's eyes squinted; confused.

Maddie met his eyes with great sadness and surrender and she shrugged. "They were going to send him home and he convinced them...to let him stay." She watched the surprise flash over the two of them. "He'll be finishing out his deployment as originally scheduled."

And then she watched as Bishop sat back; as her words sank into him. And she watched as the sadness took him over.

And she felt terrible.

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He had called her twenty-three times that day; twenty-three times since she had walked out of William's office and returned to their home, to their bed. He had been trying to reach her all day and she had been avoiding him; avoiding the call. She knew it was childish, knew it wasn't the right thing to do, but she had done it anyway.

But that night, long after Ella and Bishop had finally left, when she was getting ready to head up the stairs to bed, the phone in her hand rang out and as she sank down to sit on the stairs, she looked at the numbers on the screen and she decided it was time to face it; to face him.

It took everything she had inside of her to answer his call. She had hated the way his unilateral decision had made her feel...insignificant. She had hated the way it made her feel unnecessary and unneeded. But she knew that if she didn't speak to him, she would regret it. She could hear the voice in the back of her head reminding her what it was like to spend hours willing to trade anything just to hear his voice again.

So she answered; with a sharp intake of air and a swipe of her finger, she answered.

"Hi." It was small and quiet and barely there; but it was something.

"Maddie..." He let out breath of relief; a breath that seemed to trip over a lump in his throat. "Oh Thank God..." He whispered in slight disbelief as Maddie fought back the inevitable tears. But it was a battle that was lost and she began to cry. And though she couldn't see his face, though she would never really know, Harry was overcome with emotion as well. "I thought you would never answer."

"I'm sorry..." She wiped at her eyes. "I know I should have answered sooner. I just..." She shook her head as her eyes welled over.

"You're mad at me," he answered for her; resolve and sadness in his voice. "I know you are."

"I..." Her voice cracked and she took in a deep breath; calming herself as she sniffed. "I'm trying really hard not to be." She admitted honestly.

"I know that too," he agreed. A moment of silence passed between them while Maddie tried to curb her tears, while Harry tried to prevent his. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and soft but full of conviction. "Can I try to explain it to you? Why I'm staying."

"You can try..." She waved her hand with a small, bitter laugh.

"The other soldier, Lance Corporal Benning. He was in the water with the man who died..."

"Jeffrey Peters," Maddie could see his face when she closed her eyes.

"Yes," Harry swallowed the lump in his throat. "His injuries are worse than mine Maddie and they are keeping him here. He lost his friend, a brother and they are keeping him here. I can't in good faith leave and come home when he has to stay here..."

Maddie nodded in the dark, her vision blurring with tears. She had known he would have reasons—good ones in fact. But it didn't stop the way her heart ached, the way her stomach turned. It didn't stop the way her mind spiraled or the way all she wanted to do was scream. It took her a moment to pull it together, to find her voice, and when she did, she wavered as she spoke. "After the bookstore...after the shooting...after Ella and I came out of the pile of rubble in Bendal..." She took in a breath. "The first thing I did, the next thing I did was get home to you. I left Collins and...Khenda in Bendal in the devastation and I came to London and I..." She wiped at her eyes. "And I put myself in your arms, Harry. I put myself in your arms."

"I'm sorry," he whispered. And he was. He was sorry that he couldn't be there to ease her fears, sorry that it would be months before he could; sorry he was putting her in this impossible situation. "I know you probably hate me right now and..."

"I love you," she cut him off. "I don't hate you, I love you. It's just...God, Harry...you're standing way too close to danger for me right now. Way too close."

"I know," he hung his own head as it washed back over him, twisting his stomach and his heart. "I'm sorry." He whispered again.

A full minute clicked by between them; both doing what they could on their ends of the line to pull themselves together, to bring it all back to center. Harry taking deep breaths as he searched his mind for some way he could make this better, some way he could ease her concerns. Maddie sniffing and wiping at her eyes while she commanded her heart to stop clenching, while she ordered the tears to stop. There was nothing she could do to bring him home—she knew that. All she had was her love for him, her desire to be near him, to have him safe.

And that wasn't enough. It hadn't been when he had received his orders and it wasn't now—even after the accident.

So she tried to suck it all back in, tried to find a place in her mind and in her heart where she could be okay with that—where she could accept that. But it was a struggle. Twenty-four hours after she had been swallowed up in the images of him shot down over the ocean, it was a struggle to try to move past that.

But she took a deep breath and she pressed her eyes closed and she tried; for him, for them.

"I'm going to see Jeffrey Peters' family tomorrow," her voice wavered as she let him in on her plans; hoping the conversation could move away from her heart break. "They are bringing him home in the morning and I'm going to his brother's house tomorrow afternoon."

"You are?" He pressed his hand to his pounding heart. This was news to him; news that hit home.

"I'm going to meet his brother and his parents and..." She let out a breath. "I don't know why. I don't know that it's going to..." She shook her head. "I just felt like I should and they told Thomas it would be fine. So I'm going to go."

Harry had to take a moment, a breath before he could speak. "Madeline...that's an amazing thing to do. Truly. I don't know what to say. I'm so...touched that you would think to do that."

"Yeah, well..." She shrugged. "They got the phone call I managed to avoid this time."

"Yeah..." Harry nodded, feeling her words as though she had slapped him with them. "It's a wonderful thing to do."

"I just don't know what to...I don't know what to say. You know?"

Harry cleared his throat and nodded. "You tell them you spoke to me. You tell them that I told you how brave he was; how strong and fearless he was. You tell them that I told you he was a great man and a hell of a soldier and that they should be very proud of him...and then you tell them that you're sorry for their loss and that he, and they, have the respect of a thankful nation..."

"Harry..." She whispered, needing him to stop. She appreciated his words, appreciated the suggestions but it all seemed to be hitting too close to home for her. Those were the very things they would have told her had this gone the other way.

She was struggling.

"I know," he stopped; his own heart thudding in his chest. "I know."

He was struggling too.

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It had been half an hour since Harry's call had ended; half an hour she had been sitting on that bottom step in her dark home, her mind turning over and over and over the events of the last few days. She wanted to move; she was tired and her ass hurt and it was getting late. But she couldn't find it inside of herself to move from that step, from that spot where she just continued to sink.

It wasn't lost on her that this was where she had left him on Day One. His lips in half a smirk, his eyes dancing as he told her he would see her after the event; he'd be there, they would go for a run. It wasn't lost on her that this was the last place she had seen him smile, had heard his voice. Her phone sat next to her on the step and her eyes were trained forward as she played it all over in her head; the day he left, the first time he called, every day without him, the terror she had been hit with when she thought she had lost him, the excitement she had felt when she thought he was coming home and the deep dark disappointment when she had learned that he wasn't.

Even now, having just spoken to him; the confusion of emotions was making her crazy. She needed to get up.

Her ass hurt.

Her brain hurt.

Her heart...she wondered exactly when her heart would stop hurting. She wanted to take the good from the night, she wanted to be able to stand up and go to bed and relish in the fact that Harry was alive. She wanted to be able to focus on that and not all of the other. But she had always been the kind to let her mind spiral. That had always been a fault.

The knock at the door had come at a complete surprise; startling her from her descent. She looked quickly towards the sound, her brow knotted in confusion. It was late and she wasn't expecting anyone. But this was Kensington Palace—people couldn't just 'show up.'

The knock came again and she rose to her feet. Maybe it was Kate again. Or William. Or maybe Bishop had come back to check on her. She wasn't sure. But as she moved to the door and pulled it open, when her eyes swung up to look—she wasn't expecting the face that was there to greet her.

"Kyle?" Her eyes instantly welled up, her voice going hoarse. She shook her head as her tired mind tried to process it. "What are you..."

"I promised," he cleared his throat and offered a smile. "I promised him that if anything happened, I would be on the next flight to London."

"But..." She wiped at her eyes, still reeling in disbelief. "But I just called my mother tonight. How did you..."

"William," he shrugged lightly. "William called me this morning and told me and..." He chuckled softly. "I thought there was a chance you might need me. So I'm here. Now...are you going to let me inside or am I going to have to sleep in that immaculate garden and..."

Maddie launched herself into his arms. All of the jokes that had passed between them, the banter and the competition, all of those things faded for a moment. All that was left as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight was their deep familial bond and a love that had lasted a lifetime.

And there in her cousin's arms, on her doorstep in London, late on that cold, foggy night, Maddie let out her tears and her sobs and all of the emotions she had been holding back while she had tried to hold it together.

She was done holding it together and that was fine. Because that was exactly why Kyle had come—to hold her together. At least for a while.