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Back For Ever Save as PDF
Chapters (63)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Map of the Willowhaven
  4. Map of Rosehill City
  5. Foreword
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. Epilogue
  62. Map of Rosehill City
  63. Also by Jenny Hickman

Nia chokes on her tea. She sets the cup down so hard, it rattles the others. When she shoots to her feet and stomps for the winding staircase, I excuse myself and drift along after her. If she cannot keep her emotions under control, our family is going to grow suspicious.

She comes to a halt in my bedroom. Birdsong drifts through the window, but the joyful song falls flat.

“Nia, please don’t be like this.” Life is difficult enough right now. I need my best friend by my side if I am to make it through.

She whirls on me, her eyes blazing and fist clenched, ready for a fight. “Don’t you dare tell me you love Ronan. We both know that’s a load of bollocks.”

What can I say? She’s right.

“I cannot help you if I do not know what’s going on.”

That’s the problem. “No one can help me.”

She takes me by the hand, her expression softening. “What has he done?”

It’s all too much, keeping these secrets. Am I to take them to my grave? I can trust Nia—she’s been with me from the beginning of this downward spiral. Perhaps I’m being foolish not enlisting her help. Even if we cannot find a way out, at least I’ll have a shoulder to cry on. “Ronan found my dress at Trevor’s. He threatened to blame me for Trevor’s death.”

Sinking onto the end of my bed, Nia presses a hand to her forehead, her face milky pale. “Oh, Kerris… What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to marry him.”

“You can’t.”

I can and I will because: “I don’t have a choice.”

50

Everett

“Home is wherever she is.”

Everett Gathin, An Observation

Time passes in a blur—I am not even sure what day it is. All I know is that it is another day wasted without her. I have tried to keep myself busy. Having the lads here helps, but the nights stretch on forever, empty and lonely, and there is no hope of it ever getting better.

That is why I have made a very important decision.

Maddox crests the hill, his boots slipping on his way down to where a rare patch of sunlight breaks through the trees. He comes to a stuttering stop, his nose wrinkling as he takes in the state of my trousers. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I am doing?” Sometimes Maddox asks the most idiotic questions.

I am kneeling in muck, there is a dagger in my hand, and a dead stag by his boots. Not the kill I had hoped to make this day, but at least we will not starve while I try to collect as many furs as possible.