Chapter 26

• The coastal cottage nestled amongst windswept dunes offered a stark contrast to the gritty warehouse where their lives had nearly ended. The salty air, thick with the scent of sea spray and wild thyme, washed over them, a balm to their battered souls. Gone were the shadows of the city, replaced by the endless expanse of the ocean, its rhythmic crashing a soothing counterpoint to the turmoil within. Cleo, wrapped in a thick wool blanket, watched the waves roll in, their ceaseless movement mirroring the ebb and flow of her own emotions. The violence, the killing, still felt unreal, a nightmare from which she couldn’t fully awaken.
• Rowan sat beside her, his hand gently covering hers. He’d found this secluded haven, a place far removed from the city's relentless pulse, a sanctuary where they could begin to heal. He understood the depth of her trauma, the way the memories could claw at her, even in the relative peace of their new surroundings. He knew silence was sometimes the best medicine, a space for her to process without pressure, without words.
• Days bled into weeks, each sunrise a tentative step forward. The initial numbness began to recede, replaced by a raw vulnerability. Cleo would spend hours staring out at the ocean, lost in thought, the memories surfacing in unexpected waves. Rowan was always there, a silent sentinel, his presence a comforting anchor in the storm of her emotions. He didn’t pry, didn’t push, but simply offered his unwavering support, his love a quiet force that gradually seeped into her fractured heart.