She smiled. “It kind of feels that way. Cooper is such a sweet kid, guys. If I were able to have kids I’d want one just like him. He’s so well behaved, and we spoil him every chance he gets.”
Tara clapped happily and Ezra reached out and exchanged one of those manly handshakes with Nate.
“Congrats, man,” Ezra said, putting his arm over my shoulder.
“How much do you have him?” Tara asked.
“Right now he comes over every other weekend, but he may come over more often,” Blair explained, her eyes bright with excitement.
Nate chuckled at Blair’s giddiness. “His mom wants to go on an extended trip the Los Angeles for a possible career move, but she doesn’t want to bring Cooper with her. Really, it’s the reason she reached out to me, but I’m fine with it. It’s time I was the father that little boy needs.”
My heart may have melted a little.
“And I get to be a mom,” Blair whispered, turning and wrapping her arms around Nate’s stomach.
He kissed the top of her head. “Cooper is lucky to have you in his life, B.”
I groaned playfully. “Stop being so adorable.”
Blair laughed into Nate’s chest.
“We’re not the only ones with baby news,” Nate said, nudging Blair.
“Oh!” she chirped, turning to face us again. “Aaron and Katie are expecting!”
“Your brother with a kid?” I laughed. “I sincerely hope it’s a girl so he can drive her mad instead of you.”
She rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t really have much reason to be all protective of me like before. I got my man. I have my forever.”
Tara was blubbering next to me, waving her hands in front of her eyes. “That was too sweet. Stop before I make a fool of myself.”
I said, “So does forever come with a ring, or…?”
Blair blushed. “We haven’t really discussed it.”
From behind Blair, Nate shot me a grin and nodded. I grinned back, knowing damn well that he probably already had one picked out and that she had no idea. Which meant that, eventually, we’d be having another dinner with the announcement of their engagement.
And I was totally psyched for that.
Blair looked behind her, confused as to what I was grinning about. Nate had his poker face on. He just gave her his best boyish grin, and she melted, totally forgetting her curiosity.
Ezra chuckled and kissed the side of my head. He saw what just happened, and he knew exactly what was going on.
“Come on, let’s eat dinner while it’s still hot,” Ezra said, waving us over to the counter. We had chairs pulled around it so there was room for everybody.
I raised my glass of wine. “To Blair and Nate,” I said, giving them both a warm smile. “You guys are relationship goals.”
Ezra snorted. “I think we can top them.”
Nate laughed. “Is that a challenge, bro?”
“Oh, God,” I groaned. “You guys really do have a bromance don’t you?”
Blair giggled. “Nate is glad there’s another guy around. He was always complaining about the lack of testosterone in the room before.”
“Josh hung out with us all the time before he went on that trip with that super-hot guy he met,” Tara pointed out.
Nate chuckled. “I’m fairly certain that Josh has more estrogen than all you ladies combined.”
I laughed. “I think you’re probably right.”
Blair clinked her glass against mine. “I miss that boy. He had really good fashion sense.”
“What am I to you then?” I quipped, pretending to be offended. “My fashion sense is amazeballs.”
“Like that time you made Blair look like a hooker?” Nate asked, rolling his eyes.
Blair groaned. “I told you I looked like a damn street walker!”
“I didn’t mind,” Nate informed her.
Ezra laughed then. “I’m sure you didn’t.”
I swatted his arm. “Hush! I made her look hot. Hell, maybe it was that outfit that got you guys all hot and heavy that night. Ever think of that?”
Tara shook her head. “I’m pretty sure it was the fact they actually had feelings for each other. The outfit was probably just a bonus on Nate’s part.”
Blair took a sip of her wine. “Well regardless, that night is over. No more hooker clothes.”
“Are you saying I dress like a hooker?”
She eyed me. “You dress hot. If I were to compare you to a hooker I’d think of a classy one. Think Pretty Woman. You’re totally Vivian.”
I rolled my eyes. “I am so not Vivian.”
Ezra snorted. “I wouldn’t be okay if you dressed like that, by the way.”
“See?” Nate said. “We don’t like our women dressing like that. It gives other men a chance to check out the goods. Our goods.”
“We’re not property,” Blair and I said simultaneously.
Tara laughed. “That was awesome.”
“You know what I mean,” Nate said, flicking a tomato at her.
She giggled and threw one back at him.
“Hey, now,” Ezra warned. “If you start a food fight I am not responsible for cleaning it up. Plus, I don’t think tomato stains will come out of the carpet.”
Blair and Nate settled down, and we joked around about Blair pining for Nate and all the embarrassing things that happened between them. Their love story had its ups and downs just like any love story should, because reality wasn’t about living a perfect fairytale. Reality was about living in the moments when we want to quit, but don’t because of the things we have to fight for.
Because of the people we have to fight for.
Nate gushed about Cooper, who apparently had Nate’s crazy gorgeous gray eyes and charming personality. Something told me he would be a heartbreaker when he grew up, just like his dad.
Blair told us not long before she officially moved in with Nate at his apartment how hesitant Nate was about even having a kid. She felt bad that Cooper wasn’t allowed in his life, and that even though he seemed kind of relieved, there was something that held him back. He had been afraid of becoming the type of dad that his father was to him, and from what he told me about him, I didn’t blame him.
Even though I didn’t know Nate well, I knew he would never be the type of guy his father was. He cared too much, he proved that with Blair. He was going to prove that with Cooper too.
It was sweet, really, to think of the three of them as a family. Deep down, I knew Blair wanted one. No matter what happened in her past with her crazy ass ex-boyfriend, she was always going to want something to hold onto and love for the rest of her life. She would always have Nate, but Blair was born to be a mother.
And I could tell by the way her eyes lit up when she talked about Cooper that she already thought of him as one of her own. It made my heart happy, truly happy, for them. Blair had gone through some heavy stuff too, and I knew she deserved to be the happiest girl there. Nate knew it too, and he made sure that she got everything she deserved.
I don’t think he knew just how much adding Cooper into their life is giving her exactly that.
Ezra held my hand and we watched the two of them be their adorable selves. Tara was talking to them about plans after graduation, which was less than a month away. She still hadn’t heard back from the school she had an interview with, but she was optimistic. I knew if there was one person who was going to have a job right out of college, it would be her.
My editor called me in for an informal meeting about my job at The Daily Star. As soon as I graduated, I’d have a small little office at their building and a place writing for the features.
“I know you’ll do great things here,” my boss had told me before I left. “My husband says you’re quite the writer.”
“Your husband?” I repeated.
“David White,” she explained with a smile on her face. “He’s a professor at the college. As soon as he found out I was hiring you, he said I wouldn’t be sorry.”
<
br /> The meeting had me grinning from ear to ear as I left to visit my family. Professor White had seemed like a hard ass in school, but I knew he was just trying to push me. He knew what I was capable of accomplishing.
After that interview I had gone home and helped my parent’s clean out Bryn’s room. We had garbage bags full of clothes that we planned on donating. Dad had trouble stepping inside, and it was difficult to move her things like she didn’t belong there anymore. But the truth was, we needed this.
We needed the closure.
By the time we had packed everything, her room seemed spotless. It was almost as though only a part of her lingered here, rather than her entire essence. And I knew it was going to be easier for mom and dad to deal with.
And that left us here, with me surrounded by my friends, laughing about the ridiculous things we’d done in the past. It was crazy to think that Tara and I were graduating from college. That I had a job as a journalist. That Tara was going to be a teacher. It was insane to know that Blair and Nate were practically parents, and soon enough would be engaged. Even Ezra was getting back on track, taking extra classes and trying to graduate on time.
We were all growing up, making something out of our lives.
And it was in that moment that I realized there was no hard place to breathe for me anymore, because I knew that I had the support from everybody that truly mattered to get me past the hard times.
Epilogue
The graduation ceremony had been better than I anticipated, but I was glad when it was over. Being out in front of the huge crowd was so not my thing. Not like it would have been Bryn’s. But those days were behind me, because I wasn’t her and I never would be. Having closure and saying goodbye to her was all I needed in order to really move on with my life.
It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.
And it wasn’t until I officially said goodbye and parted ways with the girl I tried being for Bryn that I was able to find everything I really wanted out of life. And as cheesy as it was, that was Ezra.
I knew that if Bryn was still around, she would be happy for me. Even if she teased me and picked apart the choices I made to sit behind a desk as a journalist and settle down with one of the greatest guys I knew. Maybe mom was right and she was just envious. Maybe there would have come a day when we could just be sisters rather than rivals, and she would have been purely happy for what I had.
Because I had everything I could ever want.
I truly believed that my future would have ended with Ezra in it regardless of Bryn’s death. After all, he was animate on letting me know just how into me he was even as a total nerd. I guess that was the thing about true love; when you’re meant to be with somebody, fate always found a way.
Our journey just wouldn’t have been as rocky, and where was the fun in that? I believed that the hardest paths to go down made the best stories later on, because if you’re willing to get past the obstacles then it shows how truly invested you are in something.
Or in this case, someone.
Tara and I had packed everything up last month from our apartment since our time in the student rental was over. She was already moved back in with her parents until she found a new place, while I was across the hall with Ezra. Since he was still in college, he stayed. Although our search for a place of our own that wasn’t student rented was a goal.
But that wasn’t even the best part of my new future. That had to be when I got back to our apartment from the celebration my parents threw me in my hometown for my graduation, where a black and white short-haired cat greeted me. Her collar was bright red with a giant bow on it, and as soon as I met her yellowish-green eyes, almost hazel, my heart was stolen.
And I knew from the moment I held her in my arms and she started purring happily that her name was going to be Bryn. I may never be able to see my sister again, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have something as important as her in my life.
I was pretty sure Ezra regretted getting me a cat though, because it seemed like every time we went to the store I bought a new toy for her. Not to mention I signed up to get a mystery cat box every month that had toys and treats inside. Yeah, Bryn was spoiled, but shouldn’t all pets be?
“Ashley?” Ezra called from the kitchen, his voice strained and thick.
I walked out with Bryn following close behind.
“What’s wrong?”
His face was pale. His cell phone was clutched tightly in his hands and if he wasn’t careful his death grip on it was going to break the thing.
I peeled it from his hands and set it gently down on the counter. Bryn jumped on the countertop even though she wasn’t supposed to, but I let it go because the look on Ezra’s face was terrifying.
My hand grazed his arm. “What is it, Ezra?”
His eyes were foggy as they met mine. “That was Sarah.” His voice was grim. “Jayce was in an accident…”
My hand stilled on his bicep.
“He’s dead, Ashley.”
My eyes widened. “W-what?”
He didn’t even seem to comprehend. “Sarah said he was drinking and took our dad’s car. He wrapped it around a tree and died on impact.”
Oh, my God.
“Was there anyone else involved?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
He shook his head. “Just him.”
I was relieved, and I didn’t know what kind of person that made me. I didn’t want to be the type of person that was glad somebody was dead, but the fact he didn’t take anybody else out with him really did fill me with ease.
But that ease quickly went away.
“Oh, God, Ezra,” I gasped. “What about your dad?”
It was then I realized he didn’t look so sick because of his half-brother dying. Maybe that was part of it, but not the entirety of the situation. We both knew his dad went off the deep end when Jayce was arrested. Now that he was dead?
Even I felt sick.
“Sarah went to the police,” he told me dryly. His hands went through his already-messy hair. “She took the pictures to show them, and made a statement. They want me there in the morning to get mine.”
“Are they going to arrest him?”
“They already have him in custody.”
I blew out a breath of relief. “That’s good. That’s really good. There’s no way he can get out easily without being monitored. Not after those pictures.”
He didn’t look so sure.
I squeezed his hand. “Hey,” I said gently. “It’ll be okay. Are you worried about your mom and Sarah?”
He pressed his lips together and nodded.
“Well if he’s locked up he can’t hurt them,” I assured him. He was a lawyer, a damn good one from all the stories I heard. But an abuser was an abuser. There was no coming back from that.
His phone dinged on the counter and he quickly checked it. Whatever he read seemed to put him at ease. His eyes closed for a moment before he reopened them, this time he looked…peaceful.
“Sarah took my mom to the station. They’re putting a restraining order out on my dad to make sure he doesn’t go near either of them.”
I smiled. “That’s amazing!”
He gave me a small smile. “I mean it won’t stop the bastard if he really wants to do something, but I know him well enough to know he wouldn’t damage his reputation any more than he already has. This is going to end his career. For good.”
“So you think it’s over?’
He paused. “Maybe not over. But paused.”
“You should get an order too.”
He shrugged. “Nothing stopped him before when it came to me, Ash. If he’s willing, he’ll do it. But this time I won’t let him get away with it. I’ve got too much to lose.”
He intertwined our fingers.
“I’ve got you to come home to,” he said quietly, brushing his lips against my hand. “I’ve got you to protect, because he’ll try coming after you if he knows how much you mean to me. And you know how I feel ab
out you. If anything, you should try getting an order against him.”
I shook my head, feeling my heart flutter in my chest. “If I’m doing it, you have to as well. I know I haven’t said it before, but I do love you. I love how you care about me, how you want to protect me. I love how you want no harm to come to your mom and your sister. You love them so much—you’re capable of so much love in life. And that’s…that’s a beautiful thing considering what you’ve been through. So I want you protected too, because I really don’t think I could live without you Ezra Masters. Not after how much you’ve helped me realize how much life is worth living again.”
He didn’t say anything before kissing me, his lips soft against my own. My heart filled with so much love that I thought it might burst, but if it did I knew Ezra would fix it. He always knew how to fix things.
And I meant every single I word I said. I loved Ezra and everything about him. He could have seen the darkest pits of hell and still lived life like he never missed a day in the sun.
I didn’t just admire him. I treasured him.
My arms went around his neck and I deepened our kiss. It wasn’t long before Bryn got impatient and started head-butting my back though, making me break away from Ezra and giggle.
He rolled his eyes and petted Bryn’s head, causing her to purr even louder than she already was. I joined in, swiping my hand down her soft fur. She dropped to her side and soaked in the attention.
Just like my sister would have.
The thought made me want to laugh.
I looked at Ezra. “I’m sorry to hear about Jayce…”
He looked at me. “I’m not.”
I bit my lip. “I’m kind of not either.” I shrugged. “I just don’t know if that makes me a bad person or not. I never really thought I’d be happy over somebody’s death before, especially knowing there are going to be people who mourn it.”
“Are you talking about his mom?”
I nodded. “I think I want to get her flowers. You know what she did for me back then. I need to show her that I am sorry for her loss. Losing Bryn was horrible. Her losing a son? I can kind of relate to that feeling.”
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