EPILOGUE

"Keeva?"

Rian was right in front of me. His white shirt had the top buttons undone. His beard seemed more prominent. The hair was perfect as always and I finally, after such a long time, felt that indescribable tingling sensation that I had missed so much.

"Rian," I said his name, too, my voice shaking, and got up from the sand to catch my breath, looking into his beautiful eyes.

But his shocked look changed and suddenly only anger remained in his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he asked coldly, avoiding my gaze to look down at Nero, who was still sniffing at me in utter excitement.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to just leave. I just wanted to do the right thing!" I tried to explain, taking a step towards him, but he backed away.

"And the right thing was to leave me? Just like that? Overnight?"

His voice was without emotion and a very uncomfortable feeling spread inside me. Maybe I had given myself false hopes of luck.

"It was a mistake," I said quietly, feeling my hands shaking as I stood in front of him, and yet he felt unreachable.

"And now you think you could just come here after months and pretend none of this happened? Please, Keeva. How am I ever going to trust you again?"

"I'm not saying that! It might take a while, but we'll get there, Rian," I breathed anxiously and approached him again. He didn't flinch this time, and it gave me goosebumps to stand so close to him, his breath hitting my skin. "I would never leave you alone again. I've learned life without you and I know now that I can live without you, but I don't want to! I knew it before, but I felt a commitment to my father, yes Now I know I owe no one but myself."

He looked at me thoughtfully, seemed caught up in his thoughts and when I wanted to grab his hand, he pulled it back with a jerk.

"You broke my heart. Just like that," he whispered, turning away from me to take a few steps towards the sea.

"I broke mine too!" I began to pull at the last straw of hope, ignoring how miserable I was at the moment. "Please give me one more chance," I begged, but he didn't even turn to face me, which was probably answer enough that he wouldn't give me another chance to prove my love to him.

I wanted to turn away in tears, just run away as quickly as possible, but suddenly I felt his hand on mine and looked up into his eyes, crying.

"If you leave me again, it will be your downfall, Keeva," he said with a seriousness that made me freeze for a moment.

"Because then I can decide whether you shoot me straight in the head or in my cold heart," I whispered, half smiling, and despite these absurd words, I knew very well that he wanted to tell me that he wanted me still wanted in his life.

"I'm so sorry!" I sobbed, throwing myself into his strong arms to be pulled tight into him.

"Don't ever do that to me again," he whispered, placing his lips on mine lustfully.

"I promise," I breathed between our passionate kisses, rejoicing in that magical moment that all the butterflies seemed to have returned.

I enjoyed the feeling of his touch, let myself fall completely into the kiss and would have liked to never stop until he broke away from me and scrutinized me very carefully.

"You really are my downfall," he explained with a wry smile, then pulled me by the hand back to the mansion.

"Where are we going?" I asked uncertainly and kept looking back at Nero, who followed us happily.

"I want to go to bed with you right away," Rian said and my face blushed, while my middle heated up just from this thought.

"Maybe we should go to the doctor first!"

He stopped abruptly and brushed a strand of hair out of my face while looking deep into my eyes.

"Doctor?" he asked, frowning, and I couldn't help but crack a grin on my lips.

"I'm quite possibly pregnant."

He gaped at me, apparently trying to find the right words, but nothing came out of his mouth.

"Are you serious?" he stuttered awkwardly and kept looking from my eyes straight to my stomach.

"I'm not sure, but a witch told me that," I explained and he immediately looked at me as if I didn't have all the cups in the closet anymore. "A sometimes really believable witch," I added and suddenly noticed how he started to smile slightly.

"Pregnant or not, I love you Keeva Gallagher."

I happily wrapped my arms around his neck and enjoyed the feeling of his closeness.

"Me too, but for the last name I think we'd have to get married again first."

He pulled away from me slightly and looked deep into my eyes, almost knocking the rug out from under my feet.

"Do you honestly think I would have even considered handing in the papers?"

Now I was the one staring at him open-mouthed and overjoyed I pulled him close to place my lips eagerly on his as he gently lifted me into his arms. He carried me up the stairs and hardly arrived in the living room when I saw Senan and Odran playing cards together as they often do.

"It's all a matter of time," Senan tweeted amusedly and just as Rian wanted to go out the front door with me, it jumped open and a really angry looking blonde stood in the entrance, whose hateful look met me exactly.

"Get your fingers off my man!" she shrieked, and as Odran jumped up to hold the lunatic back, I raised an eyebrow at Rian.

"I'm only a man, too," he defended himself and I rolled my eyes in stress. "Apparently everything is starting all over again now," I smiled and without paying any further attention to the others, he ran out the door with me in his arms to drop me right in front of his BMW.

"I was lonely without you and-"

"You don't have to justify yourself. I would have to do this. After all, I made the biggest mistake of my life and not you," I replied and when he looked at me apologetically, he suddenly got on his knees in front of me and took something out out of his shirt, which took my breath away.

"Rian," I breathed in shock, covering my mouth with my hands as tears filled my eyes.

"It was my mom's and I've had it with me every night since our night in the pool. I want everyone to see who you belong to and I wouldn't want to be away from you a day of my life."

He took my trembling hand and tenderly slipped the ring onto my finger while I felt so hot I almost fainted. But that wouldn't happen. Never again, because I now had a man by my side who would always catch me, no matter how much the abyss threatened to swallow me.

And I would never let him go again!

"Until hate do us part."

END