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I leave the truck, my girl's hand in mine, as I come to stand near a tree. I wish I could lean against it, but the bark will hurt like a motherfucker. Mia leans into me, keeping my swaying to a minimum.
I haven't come for him.
I've come for Matt.
And for the young boy that had once sought approval from a dad that would never have given it.
My whole crew and Mia's friends all stand behind me in companionable silence. I can't thank them enough. We watch my remaining family take a handful of dirt and throw it onto the coffin. Saying their goodbyes.
I say mine.
There's no sadness inside of me. There's appreciation for my crew, a deep love for my girl, and worry for my sister. I don't think she knows her place now, and if she wants help finding it, she only has to ask. Mom will suck the life out of her if she lets it, but I can’t save her. She has to save herself with this one. "I came, and now I want to go home."
"I need food," Lucas complains, even though he’d demolished Momma’s before coming here.
"I can bake my lasagna when we get back," Avery promises.
Lucas grins.
I smile. He doesn't know it yet, but he's done for. We all load back into the truck and set off.
"What happened to Zac?" Kit asks, looking both ways before exiting the cemetery.
"He was kept in. Broken ribs. It was onOff Topic. The cops are investigating, I know he’s been charged."
"Why did you save him?" Avery murmurs, disbelief and anger is laced through her question.
That's a question I've asked myself hundreds of times. He's admitted to raping the woman I love. He’s changed the course of my life because of his attack. He's hounded us for the best part of this year. It would have been easy, but it wouldn’t sit with me. I don't hold the power over someone else's time on earth, but I do believe in karma, and his is coming. "The man has to live to face the consequences of his actions," I grunt.
"And how are we going to prove it?" Avery asks.
She has a point, but I'm not going to allow a man to die because I hate him. That’s not how the world works.
"The dude comes away clean every time."
"It won't always roll that way," I tell them. "We wait. We gather. We report. He will fuck up and then life will throw the shit he’s due at him."
"I don't remember it... it was months ago... I don't have evidence..." Mia's body tenses next to mine.
"M.I.A.," I murmur, brushing her hair from her face and behind her ear. "It's never too late to tell someone. Someone needs to hear your truth, I’ll be with you every step of the way."
"We believe you." Avery takes her hand.
"We're family. Two crews united. We've got your back." Lucas winks.
Mia sniffs. I rub my hand along her arm before taking her chin and forcing her eyes to meet mine.
Green shimmers in the water. "We've got this."
"What isthis?" she asks.
I take a deep breath, my thumb resting in the dent of her chin. I love this spot. "I thought I was living my best life, I had goals, plans, I knew exactly what my life would look like, until the day I met you. Now I know that I was merely existing."
"Austin," she whispers.
"You stagger me, your strength is unmatched, and I feel so fucking lucky that you haven’t kicked my ass to the curb. I'm in love with every single bit of you, especially this dent, and your eyes. They captivated me the second they latched onto me, and I’ve been yours ever since."
"Awww," I hear Avery murmur.
