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“Think you can make it down the stairs?” Peter asked, holding a still-shaking Angel.
I nodded, standing up on wobbly but working legs. I could feel the blood on my back now.
“I can do it. Let’s get off this thing.”
“Are you sure?” Sam asked, still holding my arm. It seemed like he didn’t want to let me out of his sights either. He put another hand on my head, moving aside the hair that matted to my forehead with sweat.
“There’s only two ways off of this.” I looked toward the edge. “And I’m not planning on taking Nick’s shortcut.”
The four of us, mangled up, bruised, and bleeding, made it down the fifty-five flights of stairs, making it to the ground floor just as the cops were arriving. From there, I was taken to the hospital, where my shoulder had to be stitched up. Thankfully, no major muscles were damaged in the hit, so the little loss of motion I had would resolve itself with time.
Through it all, Sam had been there by my side. From the moment I’d been wheeled into the ambulance, to the moment I walked out of the hospital doors, Sam was there, holding my hand, giving me kisses, reassuring me that it was all going to be okay now.
And it truly was.
Finally, I could genuinely say that things really did seem brighter than bright.
Epilogue
Two Years Later
SAM CLARK
The yard had been completely transformed. The rolling hill behind my house served as a backdrop to a white gazebo, gold and navy blue trim set around the banisters and inside delicate flower carvings. In front of the gazebo, a section of golden-backed chairs had been set up with an aisle running down the middle, a trail of navy blue rose petals leading up toward the gazebo. There was music playing and kids laughing, chasing each other around the emerald-green grass, their parents chattering excitedly as they looked for their seats, everyone dressed in sharp-looking shirts and silky dresses. It was a breezy spring in Miami, but still not cold enough to justify wearing a suit or jacket.
It made the tailored jacket I slipped on feel a little stuffy, but I really didn’t even think twice about it. My brain couldn’t focus on any one particular thing. It kept bouncing around from “holy shit I’m about to get married” to “holy balls I’m about to get hitched” to “holy crap I better not trip down the aisle.”
There was a lot going on in my head.
Inside my house, we had the downstairs guest bedroom set up so I could get ready while Rocky got dressed upstairs.
I grabbed a full flute of champagne and downed it in one breath. Hazel looked at me with an impressed smile.
“Nervous? Scared?” she asked. She looked spectacular in a dark blue dress that looked like a swirling ocean whenever the light hit her just right. When she turned, golden straps popped against her tan skin, matching the golden Tiffany bracelet and necklace I had bought her for the big day.
Ever since I was able to cash my first huge streaming check, I made sure to spend most of it spoiling everyone around me. Hazel wasn’t the only beneficiary of my found success. I had also purchased a sprawling home for my parents, moving them out of the dingy apartment building we had called home for years. I bought my grandmother a new sewing machine, and I bought my cousins a ton of video games for their birthdays. It felt good being able to give, and I made sure to give whenever I possibly could.
“I think I’m a mix of all the things,” I said. Hazel straightened out my navy blue bow tie before realigning the golden pocket square. “Mainly dazed, though. I think that’s the biggest emotion.”
“I can’t believe the big day is here.” Hazel smiled wide, the sunlight streaming in from the huge window casting a spotlight on her, making her eyes glow as gold as her jewelry.
“Is everyone ready?” I asked, looking out the window but unable to see the yard. I could hear the music through the cracked open window.
“I think so. The big question is, are you?”
“More than ready.” I took a deep breath and made sure my shirt was tucked in nice and my suit sat on me right. “I can’t believe I’m marrying the man of my dreams today.”
A knock on the door made us both jump. My mom peeked her head into the room. “Five-minute warning,” she said in a bubbly voice. She had been almost as giddy as me since this morning.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Wait, let me get in here. I need to see my son.”
She came in, looking stunning in a silver dress that shimmered and glittered as she moved.
“Oh my dear baby Jesus, you look so handsome.”
She grabbed my face in her hands and kissed both cheeks. Hazel rubbed off the leftover lipstick. Both women looked me over with pride and love in their eyes. Behind Hazel, another knock came.
