Her Destiny (Reverie #2)(51)
“You’re going to be fine. It’ll be an awesome scar.” I bring our linked hands up to my mouth and press a kiss to his knuckles.
“Hell yeah, it will.” His eyes open again and he groans. “Your brother is going to kick my ass.”
I laugh, the sound watery, and I realize I’m crying as well, the tears flowing down my cheeks and dropping onto his chest. “No, he won’t. You saved my life.”
“I did, didn’t I?” His mouth curves into this little lopsided smile and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. “You saved my life too, Rev. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
His words break down the walls I’ve held up for so long as I tried my best to be strong. I bend over Nick and cry, my face pressed against his chest, my tears dampening his skin. I can feel his heartbeat, his body solid and strong, and I cry harder at the thought of losing him.
But I didn’t lose him. I won’t ever let go of him again.
He squeezes my hand, his fingers so strong and sure that I know he’ll be all right.
And so will we.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Six months later
“Oh my God, you look gorgeous.” I clasp my hands together to keep from reaching for him, my heart racing with pure pleasure at the sight of my boyfriend. “All the girls will be jealous of my prom date.”
Nick glances down at himself, his mouth scrunched as he tugs at his bow tie, appearing uncomfortable and completely out of his element. “I’m doing this for you, I hope you realize this.”
“I do. Trust me.” I go to him and wrap my arms around his waist, kissing his smooth cheek. He smells delicious. “You look good in a tux.”
“Yeah? Well, let me look at you.” He reaches for my hands and pulls me away from him, his gaze drinking me in slowly, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes, his eyes getting wider and wider. “Hell, Rev. What are you wearing?”
“A question I need to ask as well,” Evan says from behind me.
I turn to find my big brother scowling at me. I do a twirl, the skirt of my turquoise dress swirling around my legs. “You don’t like it?”
“Too much skin showing. You should wear a sweater,” he says, sounding like an old man. My brother, my protector. With the lawsuits and the possible jail time our parents are facing after what they did to The Flock of the Lambs, they haven’t called us in weeks. Maybe even a month. And when they do call, the conversations are all about them and how everyone has turned against them when they did no wrong.
They’re completely delusional.
We’re done with them, Evan and I. We’re making it on our own. It wasn’t our fault they stole. All sorts of reporters have tried to contact us to talk about what happened but we refuse to speak to them. Maybe someday, when it’s not so painful to think about the way our parents first manipulated us, tricked us and then completely abandoned us.
For now, it’s best we leave it alone and get on with our lives.
“A sweater?” I laugh and shake my head. “I don’t think so.”
“I love her dress. I think she looks beautiful,” Nick says, his arm going around my waist, his hand splayed across the exposed skin of my back.
“I’m sure you do. Exactly for the reason I hate it.” Evan shakes his head. “You two kids have fun at prom, okay?”
“Okay, Grandpa.” I go to my brother and kiss his cheek, giving him a hug before I pull away from him. My lipstick left a smudge on his skin and I wipe it off with my fingertips, which makes him slap my hand away.
“Get out of here. Be back by midnight,” he grumbles.
“Are you serious?” Nick and I got a hotel room for the night because you know…it’s prom. And you’re supposed to do that with your boyfriend on prom night.
“Nah, no curfew tonight.” Evan points his finger at Nick. “But you keep her safe, you got that?”
“Always.” Nick stands straighter, his back stiff. “I promise.”
We drive to the auditorium where my senior prom is being held in the old truck, Nick griping about it almost the entire way there. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. He wanted to spend money to rent a limo but I told him that was a waste. I didn’t need anything else to make this prom night perfect.
Just him.
Normalcy. That’s all I wanted since I first learned what my parents did and how their actions changed my life. I felt completely out of control. Lost. Deceived. But I finally have my life back, thanks to Evan and Nick and my friends—and it’s even better than it was before. I was sheltered and silly and naïve. Now I feel strong. Smart. Like I can deal with anything.
After David abducted me and shoved me into Krista’s room and the fight that ensued, things have changed dramatically. David is being held in jail without bail after recovering from his injuries at the hospital while under constant police and suicide watch. He’s been charged with the murder of Krista Benson and the assault and kidnapping of me.
Hal Benson was never charged with the shooting of David or Nick. It was ruled as an act of self-defense in the case of David and accidental with Nick. Last we heard, Hal is in rehab, working hard toward his recovery.
Nick healed from his gunshot injury quick, thanks to the loving care of…me. Evan insisted he move in with us so we could take care of him while he was recovering and he’s lived there ever since. Once I graduate school in less than three weeks, we’re going to look into finding an apartment together in Santa Cruz, where I’ll be going to college in the fall on a scholarship.