I smile thankfully. Kira is the only silver lining that came out of this whole nightmarish ordeal.
I hug her goodbye harder than I mean to. She has been my unexpected rock this past week.
I leave the hospital and head straight for the airport.
I’m going to do exactly what Damon told me to.
I’m going to go back to my life.
The one before him.
And I’m going to be happy.
I’m going to hang out with my sisters and all my artsy friends and never give him another thought.
Ever.
The End
Just kidding! }:D
Epilogue
Damon
It'sthe first time I’ve left the house in a week.
I’m looking forward to getting out, despite the stylish eyepatch I have to wear. I’ve been slowly adjusting to only using one eye. When I first got home from the hospital, I would get terrible migraines, but I was told that was normal.
They’ve finally tapered off, and I feel halfway normal again. My stomach still hurts, but the black-and-blues on my face have faded to a light yellow. So, there’s a plus. I’m slowly but surely healing.
The worst wound, though, is the tear in my chest. I regret kicking Liv out of my hospital room, but sometimes I think it was for the best. I have to start my life from scratch. Build it up, figure out what I want to do. Now that I have nothing holding me back or holding me down, I can think clearly. And clarity is telling me I have to figure out what I want first, before I move in any one direction. And is it really fair for her to have to travel that path with me? Does she deserve it? I didn’t really give her a choice in the matter. I decided for her. Was it the right decision? Only time will tell.
She has her whole life in order, and I’m a fucking mess. Nearly dying in the desert really changes your perspective on things. On life. On what you thought you wanted, or really, what you’re capable of giving. My heart. That’s all I have to give Liv, and right now, it’s worthless. I’m defective. Ugly. A freak. Is that really who she wants to spend her life with? A one-eyed biker with nothing to offer?
The Bowman would say fuck no.
I walk into the Lion’s Den and feel right at home. I missed this rickety old place. I missed the smell of the alcohol stuck to the floor and the sound of the rowdy crowd on Saturday night. Fender is bringing down the house with some upbeat country song, Hawk is attempting to talk to a girl — poor guy — and Tempest, Vet, and Bone are doing shots at the bar.
That’s my intended destination. Bloody fucking drunk.
I’m met with hellos and head nods, and before I can even order a drink, Vanessa places an amber shot right in front of me.
“The prodigal son returns, and with a new look,” the black-haired vixen flirts with me right off the bat. This is new. Usually I’m the one coming on to her.
“Careful, Harley.” I shoot the shot and immediately think of Liv.Tequila.“You’re gonna make me think you actually missed me.”
“Maybe I did.” She flips her bar rag over her shoulder flirtatiously, then parades behind the bar in her short-ass jean cutoffs.
“You’re not back five minutes, and you’re already going to get laid.” Bone pounds a shot, slamming the glass upside down on the bar top.
“What can I say?” I steal Vet’s shot.Bourbon,much better. “The ladies love me.”
All except one.
All three of them hem and haw, giving me a hard time.
“You look like Popeye, next gen,” Vet jokes.
