Today's Promises (Promises #2)(55)

Peering down at the screen, I murmur, “It’s Detective Silver.”

“Answer it,” she says excitedly. “Hurry, Flynn, before it goes to voice mail.”

I do as Jaynie asks, and Detective Silver starts speaking right away. I listen, expecting the worst—that he found no evidence at the Lowry place and that it’s all over.

But then, as he goes on and on, his words paint a picture of a different outcome, one that’s making me smile like a lunatic.

“What is it?” Jaynie grabs my arm. “What’s he saying that’s making you so ridiculously happy, Flynn?”

Mandy chimes in, “Yeah, what’s going on?”

“Good news,” I mouth to the girls.

And it is. It’s the kind of news that leaves me feeling that, for the first time in a long time, the world just might be on our side.





Jaynie



Allison Lowry remains in prison.

Detective Silver’s call, informing us that Debbie Canfield’s skeleton was found in the work barn, right where Flynn and I planted evidence, makes sure of that.

Wow, it was there all along, everything we needed. We just hadn’t dug deeply enough.

No matter, the case is solved.

The coroner determines that Debbie was strangled, and the early clues point to Allison. And then, to everyone’s surprise, some very damning evidence is discovered.

A diary was apparently buried with Debbie, far below where her bones were. The book doesn’t belong to the missing girl, however. It belongs to Allison, and it contains her own detailed account of how she planned to get rid of Debbie.

The find is as good as a confession, and our former tormentor is charged with murder. A trial date is set, but by the end of the summer Allison confesses, eliminating the need for a trial. She’s sentenced to life in prison, with no possibility for parole.

A few weeks later, the Lowry house and both barns are condemned. The property itself is slated to become a nature preserve and park. Flynn and I are happy with those developments, especially the idea of a park. From that point on, we closely monitor all progress to make sure it really happens.

And it does. The barns are torn down immediately, just not the house.

“It’s supposed to be demolished by October first,” Flynn informs me.

Curious as to how things look up there now, I suggest we drive over to Forsaken to see for ourselves.

We’re in a good mood on the way over, both of us happy that soon all the reminders of our suffering will be gone.

“This feels good,” I say to Flynn after we arrive at the Lowry property.

“It does,” he agrees with a smile.

We walk up the driveway and stop once we reach the house where we were once held captive.

“Knowing everything up here is about to be obliterated feels so right,” I murmur.

He hands me a rock. “Let’s make it feel even better.”

We proceed to throw rocks at the house, just like Jenny did in the movie Forrest Gump. And also like in the movie, sometimes there are just not enough rocks.

Afterward, we hike up to the cliffs and our secret place in the woods. They’re the only good places on the property, and we’re both thrilled they’ll remain untouched, both designated as parts of the preserve.

“After all, this is the place where we fell in love,” I say to Flynn under the ever-watchful ancient pines.

“And this is the place where I first kissed you,” he adds.

He steps in front of me and takes my face in his hands.

“Kiss me now,” I whisper.

He does. He kisses me now, today, in this moment.

“I love you, Jaynie-bird,” he murmurs against my lips.

“I love you too, Flynn O’Neill.”

We spend the next several minutes kissing, just kissing. We’re better at it than we were back then, because we know—we just know each other so incredibly well.

When we break apart, I declare, “This is like the end of an era and the start of a whole new beginning.”

Chuckling, he remarks, “Seems like we’ve had a lot of those, both endings and beginnings.”

“Maybe more than our fair share,” I agree. “But”—I rise to my tiptoes and kiss him on his cheek—“I have a feeling this new beginning is going to be the absolute best.”

“I think so too,” he agrees.

“Let’s seal it with another kiss,” I murmur, my soul humming with renewed hope.

“Let’s,” Flynn says.

We then do exactly that, because in every ending there is a chance for a new beginning.

And this one is ours.





Flynn



It’s been a while since that day on the cliffs—six years, to be exact. And the declaration we made that our new beginning that day was going to be the best… Well, that declaration has come to fruition. Our new life together—the life we started living after we truly put the past behind us—is the very best.

It’s so good these days, this life. No, wait—it’s great.

Jaynie and I now live up in Morgantown. We rent a three-bedroom apartment that feels like a mansion, and we’re saving to buy a house. Nothing fancy, just a place to call our own.

We moved up from Lawrence a few years ago so Jaynie could finish her studies at WVU. Oh, and so I could get started on mine.