The ashes are gone, carried by the wind over the cliffs. The sea stretches endlessly before you, wild and untamed, just like the man you’re standing beside. Ghost hasn’t moved since Price and Gaz left. His eyes remain locked on the horizon but you can tell he’s not really seeing it.

You take a step closer, your voice soft. “Simon.”

For a moment, you think he won’t respond. Then, without looking at you, he speaks. “It was him today.”

The words hit like a punch to the gut.

Ghost’s voice is rough, barely above a whisper. “What if it’s you next?”

You blink, startled. “Simon-”

He cuts you off, turning to look at you for the first time. His dark eyes are stormy, filled with emotions he rarely lets show: grief, fear, anger. “What if I lose you, too?”

Your chest tightens at the rawness in his voice. “You won’t.”

“You don’t know that.” His gaze drops for a moment, his hands clenching at his sides. “The people I care about… they don’t make it. They never do.”

Your heart aches at the pain in his voice. You reach out, gently brushing your fingers against his gloved hand. “I’m still here.”

“For now.” He looks at your hand, then back at you. “But for how long?”

The wind howls around you, but neither of you moves. His words hang in the air, heavy with unspoken fears.

“Simon,” you say softly. “You can’t push people away just because you’re afraid of losing them.”

Ghost exhales slowly, the tension in his shoulders easing just slightly. “It’s not about pushing you away. It’s about keeping you safe.”

His eyes lock onto yours again, a war raging behind them. “You mean too much.”

The words linger, heavier than anything he’s ever said to you before.