“You said he was hurt, what’s his injury?”

“He slipped and swung into the rock face-first.”

“Oh, my God.” She closed her eyes. I love you, Lily … She’d let him tell her his feelings, she’d let them wash over her and heal her and make her happy. And what had she done in return? She’d held back, hoarded her feelings, keeping them to herself.

She’d always thought of herself as so brave. She’d gone out on her own at age eighteen, dependent on no one but herself, and she’d survived.

But it turned out she wasn’t brave at all. She’d locked her heart up tight when it had gotten hurt, and she’d kept it isolated and alone ever since.

Which made her the opposite of brave.

But not Aidan. He didn’t have any walls. Everything he felt or thought was all over him for the world to see.

This made him the bravest person she’d ever known.

And he loved her.

You love him too … She closed her eyes. “I need him,” she whispered.

“We all do,” Hudson said.

Gray grabbed the radio. “Aidan, you copy? It’s Gray. Need verification that you’re breathing. Over.”

The radio crackled and then Aidan’s voice filled the cab. “Last I checked,” he said. “Does someone have eyes on Lily? Is she safe? Over.”

As his unbearably familiar voice washed over her, Lily slapped a hand over her mouth to keep in the relieved sob. He was on the edge, literally a tiny, narrow edge, hanging by nothing but a rope in a thunderstorm that had been deemed so dangerous the other rescuers had retreated, and he wanted to know if she was okay. “I need to talk to him.”

Gray shook his head no.

But she was a woman on a mission and she snatched the radio from his hand. “Aidan,” she said into it, her voice not nearly as calm as his or his brothers’. She blamed the estrogen. “I’m here, I’m fine.” She paused. “Over,” she said awkwardly.

Gray smiled at her like she was cute.

“Define here,” Aidan said, not sounding like he found her cute at all, his voice tight now. “On the mountain? Over.”

“I’m safe. I’m in Gray’s truck.” Needing to get it all out before she choked on it, she sucked in some air. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry I’ve been too scared to do this right. I was afraid of what might happen, how I could get hurt, how you could get hurt. But that’s not the way to live. Things happen. I can’t control everything and I can’t live a half life.”

“Lily—”

“No, listen. I’m not going to hold back anymore.” She gulped in a breath, needing to hear him say it was all going to be okay.

Radio silence.