And two blond men.
They’re embracing.
Oh my God…
I run toward them.
My mind is spinning, but my body acts on instinct alone. Ireach them in the blink of an eye, standing only feet away from them, my breaths coming in harsh gasps.
“Jake!” My voice is a hoarse whisper.
I stumble forward, my heart pounding with each step. The world seems both incredibly large and incredibly small in this moment, as if time itself is warped.
The two men break apart.
Brett’s eyes are glazed over. His face is drained of color.
River is trembling visibly, his hands clenched into tight fists.
And the third…
He’s taller than I remember, broad-shouldered and tanned, his once-boyish features now etched with the wisdom and weariness of a man who’s seen too much. His hair is still blonder than Brett’s, though it’s darkened since we last saw him.
But it’s Jake.
Same blue eyes, same unruly hair, same slim build.
And God…hedoeslook like Misty. How did I not see it before?
I simply stare at him. Gape at him, my heart still pounding.
“Jake?” I finally choke out.
Jake’s face goes through a series of emotions—shock, disbelief, and finally, an understanding so profound it nearly knocks me off my feet.
“Sebastian,” he says, his voice hoarse and filled with a mixture of pain and longing.
The sound of my name in his voice is like a punch to the gut, a ghost from the past springing back to life.
I try to say something, anything, but no words come out. I just gawk at him, trying to reconcile the man standing infront of me with the boy who died—or who we thought had died—all those years ago.
Finally, I speak, my voice as shaky and raw as I feel inside. “You’re alive.”
He nods slowly. “I am. Still standing. I’m so sorry, Seb.”
Sorry?He’ssorry?
I grab him into a bear hug. “Damn, Jake. God damn.”
“We have to tell Alex,” I hear River tell Brett.
“Yeah,” Brett agrees, “and you two have a fucking lot of explaining to do.”
EPISODE 197
LONELY GIRL
Misty
