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But he’d let her go anyway, instead of confessing his feelings, baring all for her, everything--and de the same from her

He supposed that ht be too late

He stopped breathing abruptly The slow, easy cadence he’d established forgotten as his ears strained, listening And there it was again A sound Faint Far away--as if froan!

His name If he could hear the the need to save his air He opened hisBeyond exhaustion The only thing driving her was sheer faith that Logan lived

She’d know if he was dead She’d feel it Practical or not, this is what she told herself as she duon and tro stone They’d find hinoring how her legs trean’s na loudly even as it cracked from overuse

She’d just tossed another rock into her bucket and was bending down for another one when she heard so her head to the side It caan digging furiously, flinging stones aside It didn’t take very long for her to reach so that wasn’t stony rubble--a small smooth patch of wood, no more than an inch in diameter, peeked out from where she’d cleared away rocks She tapped the surface with her fingers

An answering cry greeted the sound

She shot up, nearly losing her balance "Over here!" she shouted, waving an arm wildly for the others "I heard so all around her, clearing the stones away, revealing --it was the scaffolding, she realized with burgeoning excitement

Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulders andthe aze ached as she watched more and more of the plank become exposed

Suddenly there was a hand--a filthy, dirt-covered hand shooting out froed forward

Jack pulled her back "Wait Let them clear the area and see"

His words faded and she knew the rest of what he was saying: let them see if he was fit to view

She didn’t care She’d seen that hand reaching for help He was alive and she had to let him know she was here for him That she’d be here for him no matter what

She broke free and stuht herself on her hands and clian

"Cleo!"

Sirabbed her hand and pulled her the rest of the way One aran to freedom

Her throat constricted She’d called his na Could only stare at his face, dirty and streaked with blood Alive Her heart squeezed so tightly within her chest she feared it ht burst

And then he saw her He blinked, shook his head as if he couldn’t believe his eyes As if he were suffering a e

He hobbled toward her, one arm around Niall for support, his eyes fastened on her--feral and alert Not the eyes of astone

He winced as he took a jarring step and she realized he couldn’t put his weight on his right foot She hastened forward, slipping her ar blink at the solid sensation of hiood in trousers," hethere loosely

She snorted Of all the things she’d i them

"I shall wear them every day for you then" She sround

He turned to look at her, his face co promises?" he asked, bewilderainst the sudden lump in her throat Was he si more to his reaction? Did he not want her here?

Eh her and her body tre up with her

Hope filled her, eclipsing everything else She wanted to hold his that desperately needed to be said But Mrs Willis was suddenly there, all efficiency as she took charge, sweeping Logan into the foyer, brushing Cleo aside so that she ht assist him up the stairs Just as well, she supposed She was so shaky, her legs possessing all the consistency of pudding She wouldn’t want to risk losing her grip on Logan as they ascended the steps