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Charlotte hung up the phone, lettingout a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world. She turned and leanedback against the desk, seeking support from its sturdy oak surface.
Simon's voice floated toward Charlottefrom the main room, pulling her from her introspection. "Everythingalright?" he called, concern threading his words.
"Just fine," she replied,trying to keep her tone even as she re-entered the room.
Liam watched the exchange, his gazeflitting between the two adults.
"Hey, sport," Simon said,noticing Liam's troubled expression. "You ready for another round?"
But Liam didn't respond. His handscurled into fists, and he stayed silent.
"Simon, can we speak for amoment?" Charlotte asked, gesturing toward the hallway as she noticedLiam's distress. "I think we need to consider our next stepscarefully."
"Of course," Simon agreed,following her with a quick reassuring smile to Liam.
As they stepped away, their voicesbecame hushed. The last thing she wanted was for Liam to become more concerned.Charlotte's mind was still a whirlwind of worry and potential solutions whenshe heard Liam's chair scrape against the wooden floor with sudden urgency.Startled, she spun around and looked into the parlor just in time to see theside door swing open and shut with a thud. A gust of sea air rushed in,carrying with it the unmistakable tang of brine and freedom.
"Simon!" Charlotte exclaimed,her voice laced with panic as realization dawned. "Liam!"
Without a word, Simon bolted toward thedoor, his sturdy fisherman's boots thumping across the inn's old, worn planks.Charlotte followed close behind, her heart pounding in rhythm with her hastenedsteps. As they burst into the twilight air, the fading light cast long shadowson the cobblestone path leading away from The Crown Inn.
"Liam!" Charlotte called out,her voice breaking through the silence that had begun to settle over CheshamCove. "Liam, where are you?"
The bluffs’ winding paths seemed like alabyrinth, hiding Liam from their view.
"Charlotte, he couldn't have gonefar," Simon said, trying to sound reassuring, though his own eyes scannedthe horizon with a fierce intensity.
"Let's split up. You check thebluffs, I'll take the beachfront," Charlotte suggested, already movingtoward the sound of waves caressing the shore.
"Be careful," Simon repliedbefore heading off in the opposite direction, his calls for Liam joining hersin a poignant chorus that echoed off the stone walls and into the evening sky.
"Please, Liam," she whisperedto herself, her footsteps quickening as she passed familiar storefronts andflower-adorned windowsills. The scent of salt and seaweed grew stronger,mingling with the fresh blooms that adorned the village in a bittersweetjuxtaposition.
Charlotte's thoughts turned inward,chastising herself for not recognizing Liam's silent pleas earlier. She shouldhave seen the signs, read the fear etched between the lines of his forcedsmiles.
"LIAM!" Her voice carriedover the cliffs, competing with the relentless crash of the waves below. Thesea's vast expanse mirrored her own feelings of uncertainty—a tumult ofemotions threatening to overwhelm her resolve. Roxie was one thing—her runningaway had led her to a five-star resort. Liam didn’t have the resources of acorporate investment strategist.
Charlotte's breaths came in shortbursts, her heart hammering against her ribcage. The cloak of night was inchingcloser, threatening to hide Liam even further from their desperate search. Herthoughts tumbled over one another, each one a prayer that when they found him,she could convey the depth of their care, that they were not just keepers, butwilling guardians of his fragile heart.
"LIAM!" Her voice broke thestillness again, this time with a tremor of maternal fear that she couldn'tdisguise.
The amber hues of dusk blanketed thebeach as Charlotte's eyes finally caught sight of a small, hunched figureperched near the water's edge. Liam sat motionless, his silhouette etchedagainst the backdrop of the ever-moving sea, waves crashing in a steady rhythmthat seemed to echo the tumult in her own heart.
"Thank God," she whispered,her voice barely audible above the symphony of the ocean. Her feet carried heracross the sand, each step quickening with an urgency fueled by maternalinstinct and protective warmth.
"Hey, Liam," Charlotte calledsoftly as she approached, not wanting to startle him. Her voice wasdeliberately gentle and laced with the love she felt for the brother she'd onlyjust met but already cared for so deeply.
Liam's head turned slowly, his eyesreflecting the fading light, and Charlotte could see the shimmer of unshedtears in them. It broke her heart just a little more, knowing the pain and fearthat must be swirling within him.
"Can I sit with you?" sheasked, respecting the space around him even as she ached to close it.
He nodded silently, and she loweredherself onto the cool sand beside him, giving him time to find his words if hewanted to. The quiet between them wasn't uncomfortable; it was filled insteadwith the unsaid promises and understanding that hung in the air like mist overthe cove.
Charlotte took a deep breath, inhalingthe salt-laden breeze, feeling its chill settle on her skin. "I'm so sorryyou heard that conversation, Liam," she began, her tone earnest andapologetic. "We were just worried about Henry not coming back... but thatdoesn’t mean we want to send you away."
Another wave rolled in, and Liamfollowed it with his eyes before looking back at Charlotte, searching her facefor sincerity. She offered him a small, reassuring smile, hoping to convey herhonesty without words.
"Sometimes, adults talk aboutthings because they're trying to make sense of the world, too," Charlottecontinued, choosing her words carefully. "But what Simon and I truly wantis what's best for you. Only you can decide what that is."
