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I cuffed him around the head, and he ducked, laughing, punching me in the side. Cassius and Weston glanced over at us, then each other, and then made a run, attempting to tackle Cade and me.
“This is war!” Caiden shouted, grabbing his brother in a headlock, while I dodged Cassius’ advance, making him stumble. With a wide grin, he spun around, aiming for me again.
I lifted my middle fingers in the air, my own grin still plastered to my face. “Come and get me, fuckers.”
Then I ran.
THIRTY-THREE
There was nothing left. Just the charred remains. A shell.
Removing my helmet, I climbed off the back of Zayde’s bike, adjusting the straps of the small backpack on my shoulders.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” My boyfriend took off his own helmet, revealing his gorgeous face, his brows pulled together in concern as his eyes met mine.
“I’m sure.” This was something that I felt strongly about, something I needed to do in my process of moving on. Everyone had different methods to gain closure, but for me, what seemed to work best was facing my past, and that’s why I was here at the site of the abandoned house today. It had been ten days since the Guy Fawkes celebrations, which was the first day I’d truly felt like I could put the past behind me, to be present in the moment. My dad was gone, and as for Joseph and my mum…I’d trusted Zayde to take care of it, and I knew that he would.
Zayde took my hand as we made our way up what was once the driveway. I was grateful for it, his palm warm against the chill of the November air. It was the early hours of the morning, still dark, but the sky was clear, with the moon brightly illuminating our surroundings in shades of silver and grey. The trees around us were almost bare of leaves, leaving the landscape stark and featureless. Memories washed over me as I took in the scene, but for once, they didn’t pull me under.
It had taken a lot of work to get to this point. Just over two years since Tim’s death. Two years in which to come to terms with what had happened, to work with my therapist, to get to this moment right now, where I could actually stand here and acknowledge everything that had happened. There wasn’t one recommended method for anyone, nor was there a set timeline, but for me personally? I was here.
And that was enough.
“Want to walk closer?” His fingers tightened around mine. “I want to show you something.”
Surely he knew by now that I’d follow him anywhere. I let him lead me forwards until we were standing where the front wall had once been. His posture was ramrod straight, and his gaze was determined as he stared at what was left of the building.
Lowering his head to mine, he pressed a soft kiss to my lips, and when he drew back, there was a smile on his face, so small but so sincere. I returned it, my heart full of love for this man.
“Come and look at this.” He led me along the line that marked the front wall of the house. When he came to a stop, he curled one arm around my waist, and the other pointed down at the cracked, blackened ground, ashes still remaining.
In the midst of the devastation, sheltered by a small, crumbling wall, tall spikes of flowers bloomed, a pinkish-purple shock of colour against the grey. The sun was just starting to set, the rays touching them with burnished gold, making it look as if they were alight.
“They’re wildflowers. Fireweed. It’s not the right time of year to see them properly, but when we come back next summer, this whole place will be covered.”
Next summer. He was already planning ahead. Something inside me warmed at the thought.
I sank to my knees, my fingers stretching out to touch the delicate petals. There was life here in this barren landscape. Beauty from ashes.
“They grow where nothing else can.” Zayde crouched down next to me, his hand covering mine. “After the war, they started appearing in London at sites that had been bombed. After the fires had gone.”
He never usually volunteered information like this, and it was clear to me that he’d spent a lot of time researching. A lump came into my throat as I imagined him taking the time to do this for me. I twisted my palm, threading my fingers between his. “It’s a sign. I…I think I’d like to take some for Tim’s grave.”
His smile was like the sun coming out. “Yeah. We can do that.”
Carefully, he used his knife to slice a few stems. When we had enough, I laid a hand on his arm. “Z. Thank you for this. I really needed this today.”
“I know.” Tugging me to my feet, he glanced up at the skyline, shading his eyes. “We should go if you want to get there before the sun sets. Are you ready, or do you want to stay longer?”
Shaking my head, I turned towards the place he’d parked his motorbike. “No. I’m ready to go.”
Hand in hand, we walked away.
EPILOGUE 1
ONE MONTH LATER
“Okay. Yellow team. We need to discuss strategy.” Lena beckoned us into a huddle. I couldn’t help smiling at her enthusiasm. “There’s no way I’m letting West beat me.”
