29
Logan
“Go right!” I shout as I nod to Ellis.
It’s a perfect Saturday night and by some miracle of God—and perhaps Dudley, we’ve put together a scrimmage with our old rivals from East. We’re back on the field, right here at West Paragon High, in our old uniforms, looking a little meaner, a little heavier, a little slower, but just as fierce and determined.
Behind us, painted onto the wall of the boys’ gym, Cerberus watches over our every move with his snarling three heads. The lights up above flood the field as the ground fog licks at our heels threatening to fill the vicinity at any moment, and it feels glorious.
But the best part? Those girls who once cheered for us all those years ago are still on the sidelines doing their thing, screaming for us with just as much zest and enthusiasm as they’ve ever mustered. Skyla had her uniform adjusted and honestly she looks far more stunning than she ever did. And the stands—they’re filled with family, with friends, with pretty much every single person who has ever graced one of Ellis Harrison’s parties. Even Principal Rice bothered to show in order to witness the spectacle.
Of course, we’ve let Brody, Wes, Liam, Rev, and Gabe onto the team to fill the spots of those that moved away.
We play long and hard, no mercy, all rage and determination until hours drift by.
The West Paragon Dawgs do our thing, bringing home the big V at twenty-eight to twenty-one.
Gage runs over and pulls me in with a whoop.
“We did it,” he thunders as the rest of the team gathers, and we slap each other five.
The girls swoop over, and Chloe leads the charge as she heads to Liam.
Chloe lands a heated kiss over his lips. “You boys are lucky this man wasn’t around back in the day or Logan and Gage wouldn’t have been such a big deal.”
Ellis laughs the loudest and the longest as Giselle falls into his arms.
“Party at my house,” Ellis shouts. “Liam is bringing the booze.” He shoots him with his fingers. “That should make you feel like a pretty big deal.”
Lexy pulls out her camera and begins to chronicle the scene.
“Over here!” Skyla calls to her as she pulls Gage and me to the side. “Quick—one of you, take off your helmet. And Lexy make sure you get Cerberus in the background!”
Gage is quick to oblige as he lands his helmet to the ground.
Skyla hops onto it and we recreate that pose from all those years ago, with Skyla standing between Gage and me—and it feels as if we’ve come full circle.
We have.
Lizbeth and Tad take the kids home, much to Tad’s horror while we head over to Ellis Harrison’s house for a little while.
Everyone shows, everyone enjoys the hell out of themselves, too.
Some things hold eternal, and this feels like one of them.
I’m damn glad about it, too.
Late that night, in the dark, while holding Skyla in my arms, long after we’ve exhausted ourselves with one another, after the moon has already routed its way out of our bedroom, I pull her in close.
She touches her lips to mine before whispering, “All those years ago in the butterfly room when we gave that battle cry to take down the Counts—who would have thought we would have taken down so much more, achieved more than our wildest dreams could have anticipated.”
I nod. “What the enemy meant to harm us with, the Lord made work for our good, the good of all mankind and ultimately His glory.
“You did it,” I whisper.
“We did it.”
“No”—I shake my head—“that victory was brought through you. I was simply your faithful assistant.”
