Everlasting Love

by M. S. Brannon

  We all share glances and watch as Reggie raises his whiskey.

  “To family.”

  “To family,” the three of us say in unison then down our drinks.

  “Are you dying, Reggie?” Jake asks. His face is indifferent to the words he spoke, but his eyes are panicked with concern.

  “Ha! No, I had my last appointment today, and I’m good.”

  We all breathe a sigh of relief and expel the worry from our bodies. Reggie simply smiles a sad smile as he sets his glass down on the side table.

  “Jesus, dude. You could have just said that, fucker.” Jake flops on the couch and pours himself another glass of whiskey. Drake and I follow his actions, except I don’t partake in the drink. Jake takes a big gulp from his glass and snaps back. “The sappy toast didn’t help matters any, you know? You’re talking like you’re going away for good or something.”

  Reggie immediately freezes then clears his throat. I pick up on his demeanor instantly. I cock my head to the side and think about what he’s going through. Maybe his past finally caught up with him. Maybe the police know what he did to Robert, and now he will be going to jail. Something life changing is brewing in his head, and I can’t take the waiting any longer.

  Finally, I blurt out, “What the hell is going on?” I get up off the couch and begin to pace.

  My nerves are falling to pieces as my mind wanders aimlessly, trying to determine what our fate, as a family will be. I can’t think of any other reason for why this conversation would be occurring. Reggie is not a sentimental man. He doesn’t just randomly get us together to praise our accomplishments, and he sure as hell wouldn’t do it without Darcie. She would be celebrating with us if it were something to be excited about.

  I can feel the anger start to surface. It’s always going to be an internal struggle with me. At times like this, I really need to be aware of my state. I can’t allow myself to live in that mania ever again.

  Reggie blocks me from constant pacing and directs me to the chair. “Look, guys, this isn’t going to be easy for me to tell you, but I need you to hear it from me.” Reggie walks to the kitchen and pulls a chair from the table. Just like he did when we were little, Reggie sets the chair in front of us and braces himself for telling us bad news. The last conversation we had like this was when Darcie moved in about the adjustment we would have to make. Or the time he told us our mother died. Reggie sat just like this, trying to find the right words. And just like then, he’s searching for the words now.

  “Reggie, just spit it out.” Drake looks to Jake and I. “I’m sure they will agree with me that you’re driving us crazy right now.”

  “Darcie and I have been doing some talking about our life here, and we’ve both agreed some changes need to be made. The timing may not be right, but timing is never right for major life altering decisions.”

  “What the fuck, dude? Are you splitting up?” Jake’s voice is full of worry, like when a little kid finds out his parents are getting divorced.

  “No, we are not splitting up, but we’re not staying here, either.” While Reggie looks to all of us, we only stare back.

  “I’m going to need a little more detail than that, brother.” Jake’s sarcastic tone oozes into the conversation as the look of worry melts to anger.

  “Very well. Since the shooting, Darcie has been struggling with life here in Sulfur Heights. She’s been putting on a good front, but she can no longer stand to be here anymore. So we decided to do what’s best for us, and we’re going to move.” Reggie sits with his elbows on top of his knees, his hands folded together, as he takes the time to look at each one of us.

  My thoughts of leaving are for more selfish reasons, but I get it. However, I don’t think this is going to be the best move for Reggie and Darcie. His life is here. It’s always been here.

  “The hell you are,” Jake says, not seeming to take the news seriously. “Quit fucking dicking around and tell us what the hell is going on.”

  “I’m serious, Jake. In two months, Gavin and Big Mike will take possession of The Slab, and then we will be gone.” Reggie leans back, piercing us with his blue glare. His jaw is clenched, arms folded across his chest, and his body is tight. Reggie couldn’t be more serious.

  “Bullshit!” Jake shouts, standing. “This is fucking bullshit. Where the hell are you going to go?”

  “We are moving northeast, to Minnesota. We found a small, quiet town located near the Canadian border. With the money we’ve saved, we found a nice piece of land, with a small house right on a lake. The nearby city is the kind of place that’s big enough to blend in, but not too big to get lost.” The happiest smile stretches across his face for a mere second before he returns to his serious demeanor.

  “Yeah, right. Darcie hates winter. Quit fucking with us.” Jake waves Reggie off as he pours himself another glass of whiskey. Then he runs his hand over his short brown hair, appearing to be lost in thought.

  “You’re right, Jake. Darcie hates the cold, but I love the four seasons, so we compromised and found this place. And, in all honesty, Darcie didn’t care where we went, as long as it was far away from Sulfur Heights.”

  “Really, Reggie? What the fuck are you going to do? Play golf, square dance, and go ice fishing, what?” Jake is clearly pissed yet trying like hell to understand. We all are.

  “There’s a small pub for sale on the main strip. We’ve already agreed on an offer, and the owners have accepted it. With the sale of The Slab, Darcie and I will be able to own it outright. The owner passed away, and his family said the regulars hate to see it close down because there was nowhere else they’d play cards and sip on their whiskey. The bar and the town are quaint and quiet, and that’s all we want.”

  “Well, I guess congratulations, Reg,” Drake says as he holds out his hand for Reggie to shake. “Let us know if you need any help. Zoe and I will be happy to help you out. Although, I don’t want to be in your shoes when it’s time to say good-bye to your niece. She practically decapitated you when she found out you were hurt.”

  Reggie and Drake laugh, remembering how upset Mia was when she first saw him after he got home from the hospital.

  “You’re going to leave? Just like that?” Jake stops his pacing rant and faces all of us. His tone is low and angry, much angrier than I have seen in a while. “You’d abandon your family all because your wife is scared? Doesn’t she realize bad shit like that can happen anywhere? You are an Evans; bad shit will always be knocking on your doorstep. I thought she got that by now.”

  “Abandon my family?” Reggie’s voice elevates, any trace of happiness vanishing. He stands to his feet and steps around the chair. “You’ve got a lot of nerve saying I’m abandoning my family. I’ve given up everything for all of you! I made sure you were all cared for and loved. It was me who had to deal with all your baggage and shit. If I’ve done anything, it’s sacrificing myself to make sure all of you had a good life. Don’t you dare say I’m abandoning you when I’m simply moving on with my life, a life I rightfully deserve.”

  Although I don’t feel like we are being abandoned, I do think Reggie leaving is a mistake, a big mistake.

  “Do you realize who you are in our family, Reggie?” I say, trying to make sense of the situation and selfishly trying to keep him in Sulfur Heights. Granted, I have daydreams of leaving, but in reality, I know it’s not what we should do. “You’re the one person who can hold it all together. Through all the shit in the past, it was you who held it all together. If you leave, what will be left of us?”

  “You’re grown men. Isn’t it time you figure that out?” Reggie snaps back, pissing Jake off even more and me, for that matter. “I can’t be here to hold your hands for the rest of your life. You have your own families, and I’m doing what’s best for mine.”

  “So what you’re telling me is you’d allow yourself to be manipulated into leaving because Darcie is scared of living in Sulfur Heights. You’d leave your entire family behind for one person.” Jake s
lams his glass on the side table and angrily places his hands on his hips.

  “Darcie is my family, too. She’s my wife! And it’s me who’s responsible for protecting her. If she doesn’t feel safe here, I need to figure out how to make her feel safe. It’s plain and simple, Jake. And if you had the balls to make Delilah your wife, you’d fucking understand that. Until then, you don’t have an opinion.”

  “Bullshit! Ever since the two of you got together, you’ve allowed her to control your every move. She runs the bar, your money, and everything in-between. I’d say, the moment you got married, you lost your balls. Can you still call yourself a man, Reg?” Jake steps to Reggie and Reggie to Jake.

  The night has taken a turn for the tragic. If Drake and I let this continue, our family will be destroyed, regardless of what happens.

  Drake stands between Reggie and Jake, making his body the barrier. It’s a dangerous place to be, yet he takes the challenge because we both know, if they start to fight—really start to fight—this house and everything in it will be destroyed.

  “Jake, Reggie is right,” Drake says. Jake starts to brush his torso against Drake’s, gearing himself up for a fight. “Hear me out before you go fucking crazy. You’re a family man. You have children and Delilah. You’d do anything for them, right?”

  Jake connects his eyes with Drake’s; glaring at him likes he just asked the stupidest question in the world.

  “Exactly. Reggie isn’t doing anything any different. He’s doing what’s best for his family, just like you’d do. All of you should consider yourselves lucky. At least you have nothing truly keeping you here.”

  “Really? I have a business, which is his livelihood.” Jake points to me and makes me start to think about where Drake is going with his point. “I can’t just up and leave it behind because my woman is tired of living here.” Jake connects his eyes with Reggie’s. “And I wouldn’t.”

  “It’s a business, Jake. If you truly wanted to, you could sell it, pack your family up, and go anywhere in the world. And, once he’s off parole, he can do the same. I’m the only one who’s forever tied to this place.”

  “Where are you going, Drake?” I say, completely confused.

  “Presley.”

  Then it dawns on me. Of course he can’t pack up and move and take Presley’s grave with him. Her murder was years ago, and he’s moved on from the agony to find love again, but her headstone will always keep him in Sulfur Heights.

  “Whatever, man.” Jake steps away from us and starts putting on his coat. “If y’all want to break up this family, go ahead. But, when you realize I’m right and the two of you are wrong, don’t come crawling back to me. I’m going home. I’ve got to get up early.” The back door slams. Soon after, Jake is pealing out of the driveway, his car sounding quieter as it tears down the street.

  “God, this is not how this was supposed to go. He’s trying to make me feel bad for leaving, but it’s not all Darcie. I can’t stand this place anymore, either. Maybe I’m too fucking old, but I’m ready to start a new chapter in my life, and it has to be away from this place.” Reggie takes another sip from his glass.

  I look to my brother, my mentor, and the one person who taught me how to be a man and survive in this world. He deserves whatever he wants in life. If this is what he wants, what he needs, then so be it. Who am I to stop him? I don’t know how Reggie will survive without all of us, though. We’ve been his life for so long, can he just give that up for the easy life?

  “Look, I get it, man. No one wanted to be as far away from this place as much as me, but like Jake said, we have a family here, and without you and Darcie, it will be like we’ve lost someone all over again. Our strong unit will be broken. Do you understand what I mean?”

  “I do, Jeremy.” Reggie walks to me and puts his large hands on my shoulders. His eyes are filled with worry and sadness, yet I know his decision has been made. “Darcie is my wife, and I love her more than life itself. I know you’d do just that if Cami asked you to.” I nod; knowing I would move Heaven and earth to make sure she is happy, and Cami would do the same for me. “I just want to live the remaining years of my life in peace and quiet. I’m tired of the noise, fights, and violence. I just want to be …” Without finishing his thought, Reggie turns away and walks down the hallway then closes his bedroom door behind him.

  With the conversation over, Drake and I follow suit. We both get in our cars and head to our homes.

  The snow has picked up since I arrived at my old childhood home, and I slide down the street as I turn the corner to my home. When I pull in the drive, I can see the light above the kitchen sink on.

  Reggie is absolutely right. He needs to do what’s best for his family, and I need to do what’s best for mine. Whether that’s staying in Sulfur Heights or not, I will always do what I need to in order to keep them from harm. I don’t have to agree with Reggie’s decision to move, but I do have to respect it. Like the rest of us, he’s doing what’s best for the one he can’t live without.

  The bed sinks as my husband tucks his body next to mine. It’s late, and I can sense from the tightening of his muscles something didn’t go well at Reggie’s. I spent the evening wondering what the urgency was; simply lying here for hours, trying to figure out what Reggie wanted as well as if it was going to undo my husband and his happiness.

  Jeremy’s lips find the back of my neck as his arms hold me close to his body. “I love you, Cami,” he whispers in my ear, and my heart breaks for him. He is worried, and now I need to know what is going on.

  I roll to my side and look my husband in the eye. Unlike earlier when we were dancing in the kitchen, Jeremy’s eyes hide nothing. He looks distraught. The lines around his eyes seem to have deepened over the last few hours, and he looks distant and concerned.

  “What happened?”

  “Reggie and Darcie are moving.”

  I take a sigh of relief knowing no one was hurt again. However, I am shocked. Of all the people to leave, I never expected it to be Reggie. This town is a part of him. He has a successful business, and all of his family is here. Do I blame him for leaving? No. It shocks me, nonetheless.

  “They are leaving in the next couple of months.”

  When I run my hand down his spine then lean in to kiss his lips, Jeremy welcomes my touch as he deepens our kiss. His hand cups the back of my neck, pushing me closer to him, while his other hand moves to my slightly swollen stomach. My little man must have recognized Jeremy’s touch because he starts to move around.

  “Whoa! Did I wake him up?”

  “I think so.” I smile.

  After Jeremy leans down and pulls up my shirt, he runs his rough, mechanic hands across the tender skin just below my belly button then tips forward, kissing my stomach. My belly reacts again, and Jeremy lights up with happiness.

  Jeremy’s been a part of my life for a while now. Sometimes I forget he didn’t get to experience this with Hunter. He didn’t get to see my body changing, the movement of our little one, and in four months, the birth of our baby. I know he would have been just as attentive if he were around when I was pregnant with Hunter. He is an amazing man. He would have done what he needed to do to care for both of us, just like he is doing now.

  “Hey, little man,” Jeremy says to my stomach. “I can’t wait to meet you.” He kisses my belly again and cups it in his palm.

  Jeremy and I find each other’s lips again and start to kiss. The movements are tender, deliberate, and full of endless love for one another.

  Jeremy and my boys are my lifeline. I would never be able to go on in life without them. I will never be able to do anything or be anyone without my family.

  “I want to make love to you, baby,” my husband whispers as he breaks our kiss. I simply nod and remove my T-shirt and panties before climbing onto Jeremy’s lap and settling myself onto his manhood.

  The blissful sensation sends shivers down my spine, and Jeremy adds to the pleasure when he cups my breast and puts it in his m
outh. I slowly begin to rock my hips and fall into the heavenly feeling I get every time I am with my husband. Jeremy and I are holding each other, foreheads connected, our breaths mingling in the air as we both move in a single rocking motion. He holds me close when I grow closer to my peak.

  Jeremy keeps the movements deep and slow until I fall off the cliff into the overwhelming intensity of my orgasm. I call out his name, and with a few more passion-fueled movements, Jeremy reaches his climax.

  Afterward, we fall back on the mattress, utterly spent, utterly happy.

  After the night at Reggie’s house, Cami told me it’s their life, and if that’s how they choose to live it, all we can do is support them. My wife is right more often than I would like to admit. She says we cannot change their minds, so we might as well be happy for them.

  I went to the bar and apologized for my actions to Reggie. I told him I was angry, but it was for selfish reasons. I told him I would support him no matter what his decision is. He simply hugged me and said thank you. Drake felt the same as I did yet knew there wasn’t much he could do about it and was supporting their decision to move.

  It’s weird to see the house packed up and them preparing to leave. In one month, they will be heading north to a new life. Darcie showed me pictures of their new place and happened to share with me the city where they will be moving. She told me the school system is excellent, violent crime is nearly nonexistent, and the summer boasts a ton of family-friendly activities. I know what she’s trying to do.