Chapter Forty-Two ▏The Reunion

I don’t hesitate for one second. With shaking hands I fumble for the lock of the window and push the panes open, letting in the cold wind and the promise of being close to Alistair.

A part of me expected his image to vanish, but as I poke my head through the window frame, I still see him below, standing by the gardens, wearing his usual black linen clothes and a smile on his face.

That smile . . . oh, how I love it. Especially the way it’s not only a movement of the lips. You can see the joy in his eyes, in the slight scrunch of his nose, in the dimples on his cheeks. My heart immediately gets flooded with longing, so extreme that I can almost feel it physically. My eyes begin to water, and I find myself opening my mouth to shout his name.

But thankfully, I remember where I am at the last minute. I stop myself, pursing my lips and finding myself cracking the biggest smile I ever had in a while. My cheeks are stinging, but I don’t mind. I start