The Finish Line (The Ravenhood, #3)

by Kate Stewart

“we left willingly and gave her up temporarily because of the sacrifices you made for us, Tobias. For the years you spent doing everything for us, risking your life, for us, because that’s the type of man you taught us to be.” His voice shakes as he speaks, his eyes darting down at the gravel between us. “And we started missing your love and loyalty the minute we lost it.” He exhales a plume of smoke and lifts watery eyes back to mine. “The second worst day of our lives was the day you broke our hearts,” he clears his throat and cups the back of his neck as the burn in my own throat intensifies.

“But that very same day you broke our hearts, you showed us what true love looks like, and you gained it by sacrificing everything, including us, and our cause, for her.” He glances toward Cecelia and then back to me. “Something we both failed to do. And in turn, you earned her, and you do deserve her for it.” He swallows audibly. “When you tried to defend yourself, we knew you were right, but we were cut so deep we didn’t want to fucking hear it. Because losing her completely was a good enough reason to resent you, and our hands weren’t as dirty if you were equally as guilty.”

“I just want my fucking brother back.”

“Always brothers,”

“We all made horrible mistakes, Tobias, but just look at where we are now, and it’s largely because of you. Take some fucking credit and let those mistakes fall to the wayside. It’s time to forgive yourself.”

“But you’ve got to let him go. He wouldn’t want you condemning yourself like this. We all deserve to see how the rest of this plays out, especially you. You’ve got to let him go, man.”

“And I didn’t have to lift a finger because I’m just a pawn, who managed to find a queen and make her

fall in love with me. But what good is a pawn, who can check, without a mate?”

“We loved with a love that was more than love.”—Edgar Allen Poe

we set out on a thousand dream adventure—mostly mine—and not once has she complained.

“As I will follow you. And from this day on, I never want to take a single fucking step without you beside me. I love you, Cecelia, so much.”

“No man on earth has ever loved a woman more than I love you. I’ll prove this every day for the rest of our lives. I love you more than any cause, any ambition. The sight of your face over any other on earth.” I choke on every other word, frustrated by my inability to carry out my plan but too emotional to give a fuck. I’d humiliate myself a million times over because she’s shown me, repeatedly, the beauty in a bare, stripped heart. “You own me. You make me so fucking happy. You are my purpose now, and forever.”

You will teach our baby to love like you do.

“You love just as fiercely, Tobias.”

“I know what I’m holding. I know her worth.” It’s an echo, this part of my heartbeat that thrums in my chest, an echo of a life I lived long ago and a man I loved whom I spent my rainy days with. My love for him is still so distinguishable, and for that I’m grateful. Tobias told me years ago in Virginia, that he was happy I was the woman to love him, and I can’t help but to feel privileged because of it, as selfish as it may be. Running a finger over the hood, I reminisce about the star-filled nights we spent exchanging whispers and refusing to acknowledge the guilt those memories evoked. I can’t forget my second love, and I never want to. I still carry him with me—through time.

Change the rules.

I still don’t know what I believe about the afterlife. I hope, and mostly for those I love, that there is a place where nothing is ever left unsaid. That all we suffer to say to those we lose, there’s a place to confess—because I have so much to say.

As selfish as it is, I would trade everything we’ve done, just to get you back.”

“I g-guess…I guess if you can hear me, save me a place in the passenger seat.”

“I hope you’re with them. I hope you’re…”

“I’m tired, Dom, so help me watch over us, okay?”

“We did it, brother.”