Part Twenty-Three

I sat on the bed holding her ring and I felt the drowning sensation of loss. I listened to her footsteps go down the stairs, the front door open and shut again. I wanted to run after her, stop her, beg her to stay.

She had made her decision though. She wanted Declan and Ireland and I pushed my feelings to the back of my soul. I took the ring and put it in the drawer of my bedside table, not wanting to stare at it anymore.

I called James in response to his text that he was back in Fairbanks and I told him that Adara had chosen Declan and that she was going back to Ireland. I held my emotions in check because I wouldn’t break in front of any of them.

“Are you okay? Do you want me to come back?” I smiled sadly at James' question; he meant well.

“I’m fine, actually. You need to concentrate on your studies and work on making me godfather to your future child!” I joked with him instead and he laughed.

“Yeah, that can wait a while. Listen, don't do what you always do. Call me and I’ll come b