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“You’re taking the piss,” Beckham said, looking from the sign to me to the limo and back to the sign.
“Come on, everyone should be inside by now.” I grabbed the goofy-looking Beckham by the hand and pulled him down the path, the lights guiding our way toward the silver door. Big colorful pools bounced against each other, tied down to the door handles.
“This is crazy.” Beckham laughed as I opened the door. The reception area had been transformed as well. Holly’s desk was covered with a silky black tablecloth, a sign pointing us to the courtyard. I could hear music playing from down the hall.
“Who else is—” Beckham’s question was answered when we opened the door and stepped out into the courtyard. I had texted everyone to get ready and yell surprise.
And they didn’t disappoint. “Surprise!” the gang yelled.
“I know it’s not your birthday or anything, but still, I like surprises,” I said, looking at a stunned Beckham. He laughed as I grabbed his face in his hands and planted a big kiss.
“It’s your first prom! And a new Stonewall tradition.”
The first to come and greet us were Jonah and Fox, both handing us ice-cool bottles of Corona.
“I can’t believe you planned this all, Olly,” Jonah said, looking around at the gathered crowd. The courtyard had been turned into a party zone, with a small dance floor and a DJ booth next to a bar stand. There were disco balls and smoke machines and even a photo station with all kinds of crazy props.
“I’m so happy you did plan this!” It was Andrew. He came up behind me and hugged me. “I missed out on prom, too, so now I can get really drunk, throw up into a red Solo cup, and dance the night away with the love of my life.” He turned to Declan and gave him a kiss. “Sound good?”
“A Solo cup?” Declan asked.
We all laughed, Beckham pulling me into his side, a wave of comfort washing over me. Ever since I’d faced death the night Derrick died, I’d stupidly assumed I’d been immune to that kind of fear again.
I wasn’t immune to it. The fear violently haunted me for weeks after our harrowing escape. I’d woken up almost every night, sweating and crying about the walls being on fire.
But Beckham would always be there to hold me. A comfort that I needed more than anything else. He anchored me and helped me pull myself out of the fear. He helped me, and in turn, I went and found help for myself. After many excellent therapy sessions, I was able to have a full night’s rest again.
Losing Will was also a savage blow. Not losing the Will who had done all those terrible things, but the Will who I had known as a little boy. The one who would always trade his best Pokemon with me just because he felt I needed them. The boy who’d save all his allowance so that he could buy a big shareable bag of Skittles, even though he hated them and would have preferred chocolate any day of the week. But he bought that bag because he knew I loved them, and then I’d surprise him with a box of Hershey’s and we’d stay up way past our bedtimes watching dumb TV and silly informercials.
That was the Will I so dearly missed. I had to reconcile with the fact that the Will I knew died many years ago.
Soon, I began feeling more and more like myself. By the time I had to take my certifications so I could graduate vet school, I felt like I was back at 100 percent.
Or at least as close to a hundred as I’d get. After everything I’d been through, I didn’t expect miracles.
“Rocky!” Andrew called.
Rocky Hudson pushed off the wall and walked over to us. He was the newest detective to join Stonewall. He was tall and chiseled, with dark hair and striking blue eyes, and his hair was always so perfectly styled.
Speaking of style, the guy had it in spades. He wore a designer sports jacket over a plain white shirt, the first few buttons left open. A silver-and-blue Rolex glinted on his wrist.
Honestly… I wasn’t a huge fan of the guy. I didn’t even think he’d show up. Beckham had told me that none of the other detectives were able to really get to know him, but that all of them couldn’t deny how good he was at his job.
He offered an unimpressed smile as he shook our hands. “Great party.”
It’s actually a full-on prom. An event. But yeah, okay, it’s a “party.”
“Thanks for coming,” I said, smiling as best I could even though my inner Petty Patty was screeching at the top of her lungs to be heard.
“Of course.”
“Rocky was just telling me about a trip he took overseas. Where was it?” I could tell Andrew was trying hard to break the ice, but with Rocky, that wasn’t ice—that was permafrost.
