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I was seated in my living room on another rainy afternoon. It was the day of the funeral and while I’d wanted to go, Connor hadn’t thought it a good idea.
“Power vacuums and criminal empires don’t mix well,” he’d said. “If something goes down, I want you far away from it.”
I hated the idea of not being by his side, but I understood. The week had been busy and almost certainly stressful for him, every waking moment spent sorting out the handover of the organization to his brother.
But once it was all done and Connor was out of the life, that meant he and I could be together. The idea of us finally becoming something was almost too much to take; just the thought was enough to get me buzzing with excitement.
I didn’t want to linger on the idea for too long. So much could go wrong, and at that point in time I was focused on nothing more than making sure Connor was safe and sound.
Some Netflix show played on the TV in front of me, but I couldn’t summon up the will to pay attention. I sipped tea nervously, counting down the moments until Connor was in touch. Thankfully, he’d gone out of his way to keep me posted on how his week was going.
The phone lit up on the coffee table, my hand shooting out and snatching it up to see that it was a text from Connor.
Getting ready to head to the funeral now. All good with you?
Yeah, for the most part. How are you?
The three-period text bubble appeared on the screen, then vanished. I could sense that he was trying to figure out just how to express what was on his mind. There was no doubt that he was grieving with the passing of Eddie. All the same, as close as Connor and I were becoming, he was the sort of man who liked to keep his feelings to himself.
That was fine. He’d process how he needed to, and I’d be there for him if he wanted to talk.
Just trying to balance everything. Kellan’s all set for the transfer of power tonight. Once that’s done and settled, we can see one another again.
The idea thrilled and scared me all at the same time. Connor was saying everything as if it were so simple, but so much could go wrong in the meantime. All the same, if it did go off without a hitch, then the future was wide open for us.
I wish I could be there with you, I replied.
I wish you could, too. But you know this is for the best. We’ll see each other soon, OK? And I’ll stay in touch as best I can.
I heart reacted his words, so much emotion rushing through me that I didn’t know what else to say.
See you soon,he replied.
I set the phone down, taking another quick, nervous sip of my tea. Part of me wished I could just fall asleep and wake up in a day, and all of this was behind us, Connor free and clear of his old life, ready to start his new one.
Before I had too much time to dwell on my feelings, the apartment door opened, Kat hurrying inside. She looked great. Now that she was out of the stripper world and had begun the process of recovering from her traumatic experience, she was starting to look like the girl I’d always known. She wore a pair of dark jeans and a cream-colored sweater, a recent trip to the hair salon having resulted in a short, stylish cut. She looked like a woman ready to take on the world.
“Guess what?” she asked.
“What?”
“Just got back from the admissions office at UMass Boston. Everything’s in order, and as soon as financial aid goes through, I’m in!”
I hopped up and let out a squeal, running over and throwing my arms around her.
“This is amazing!” I said.
She hugged me right back, a huge smile on her face.
“I can’t believe this is actually happening. Truth be told, I don’t know if I could’ve done it without Trevor.” As she spoke, she stepped over to the fridge and pulled it open, taking out a bottle of white wine. “I’ve been thinking about going back, but all the forms and paperwork and bureaucracy were always just so daunting, you know?”
She opened the bottle and poured two glasses.
“But Trevor’s great at all that stuff. He helped me work through it, and now I’m actually going back to school!”
She handed one glass over to me.
“This is so freaking awesome,” I said. “Any idea what you’re going to major in?”
