Chapter 24: A Quiet Kind of Bravery

The rain hadn't stopped by morning. It had softened, though, turning into a steady drizzle that coated the earth in a thin shimmer. The sky was still gray, the kind of dull, endless color that made everything feel suspended in time.

Eleanor hadn't slept.

She had spent most of the night sitting by the window, watching the water trail down the glass, listening to the soft, rhythmic patter against the roof. Somewhere in the distance, she had heard the river swell, its currents growing restless, much like the thoughts in her mind.

Callum had left hours ago, but his words lingered.

"I want you to stop running."

It was ridiculous, really, how four simple words could unravel something inside her. How they could pull at threads she had worked so hard to keep intact.

And now, as the morning light struggled to break through the clouds, she knew she had a choice.

She could keep hiding. Or she could face what scared her.

Eleanor let out a shaky breath, wrapping her shawl tighter around her shoulders. The cottage felt too small, too stifling, so she stepped outside, letting the damp air cling to her skin. The ground was muddy beneath her boots, the wind cool against her cheeks.

Braemar was quiet. Most people were still inside, waiting for the storm to pass completely. But Eleanor didn't have time to wait.

She found Callum at the edge of the village, standing by the stone wall overlooking the hills. His coat was damp from the mist, hands shoved deep into his pockets. He must have heard her footsteps because he turned before she could say anything, his gaze unreadable.

For a moment, they just stood there, neither of them speaking.

Then Eleanor inhaled deeply. "I don't want to run anymore."

Callum blinked, like he hadn't expected her to say it out loud. Like maybe, a part of him had been preparing for her to disappear instead.

She stepped closer, gripping the edges of her shawl to keep her hands from shaking. "I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know how to—how to stop being this way overnight."

Callum exhaled, nodding slowly. "You don't have to do it overnight."

Eleanor swallowed. "Then how?"

He studied her for a long moment before tilting his head toward the hills. "Walk with me."

She hesitated. Not because she didn't want to, but because it felt too easy. Too simple.

But maybe that was the point.

So she nodded, falling into step beside him.

The path was slick from the rain, the grass glistening under the pale morning light. They didn't speak at first, letting the quiet settle between them. It wasn't uncomfortable—it was something else. Something unspoken but understood.

Finally, Callum broke the silence. "You think too much."

Eleanor huffed out a small laugh. "You've said that before."

"Because it's true." He glanced at her. "You let your thoughts control you, Eleanor. You get so caught up in what might happen that you forget to live in what's happening."

She didn't argue. Because, for once, she knew he was right.

They walked for a while longer, the landscape stretching wide around them. The sky was beginning to clear, just a little, patches of blue peeking through the gray.

"I don't know if I can change," Eleanor admitted after a while.

Callum smiled, just slightly. "You already are."

She looked at him then, really looked at him. And for the first time, she let herself believe it.

Maybe change didn't have to be this grand, overwhelming thing.

Maybe it started with something as simple as a walk in the rain.