“I just wanted you to feel special, Eas. But all this? You’re my hero. My faith in you has always been miles high, but somehow you still end up blowing me away. On my worst days, I’m just pretending to be as strong as you. How much courage it takes to keep fighting even when it’s hard. I’m so in awe of you. You deserved today being perfect, and I’m just glad we all got to be a part of it.”
His chest shakes as he swallows a sob, but it doesn’t slow him down from launching himself at his brother. As proud as I am of Easton’s accomplishments, despite absolutely awful circumstances, I’m just as proud that he and Brady have healed the fractures in their relationship. Those two weren’t functional without each other. Brady was half alive at most when Easton was gone and shattered while he was mad at him. Easton tried really hard to pretend otherwise, but he was just as bad off. They need each other, and it’s damn good seeing them embrace that.
As my best friend makes eye contact with me over his little brother’s shoulder, I have a feeling he’s thinking the same thing. I can see why he’s being cautious about future partners when this is what’s at stake.
CHAPTER 36
EASTON
As much as I try to convince myself that it’s not really goodbye, my throat is closed up tight, standing on the sidewalk in front of the house I haven’t stayed in since before everything went wrong. It’s not even the memories that might linger behind that black front door that scare me. Chase and I have become experts at shoving all the extra stuff to the side and filling the empty spaces with happiness and love so the bad things don’t appear as large.
It’s this… no more cutesy books to hash out while my cheeks burn or playing mermaids. It’s losing the familiarity and comfort of just knowing she’s in the other room while I paint. Who’s going to make me watch movies and shows that I’m too embarrassed to admit I want to?
“I’m just going to miss you. So much,” I force out between cries against her shoulder.
Just when I think this embrace couldn’t get any tighter, it does. “Oh, my lovebug. I swear I’ll come back so much that you’ll be sick of me.” My hoodie is just as wet from tears as hers is. For what should be a happy occasion, we’re sure not acting like it is.
I’m so scared to let go. Scared that maybe the bond we’ve formed isn’t as strong as I thought it was. More proximity andneed than the deep friendship I want it to be. “Stop that, you little shit. I can hear what you’re thinking, and I hate it.” Blake pulls back, but only enough to grab my upper arms and look me directly in the eye. “I will miss you just as much as you’ll miss me. If not more. But we’re going to be okay. We’ll text and call and you guys can come to L.A. or I’ll come back here. I’m not done with you, and I never will be. Give me a little faith, okay? I’ve put up with Chase’s grumpy ass for this long, and you’re way better, anyway.”
I laugh, more hiccupy and wet than I’d like, but Chase, who was trying to give us some privacy, pipes up. “Uncalled for.” Blake and I share a look, ignoring him because we all know that she adores Chase—even him.
“I promise, babe. This isn’t it. I know it’s scary, but you’ve never had people like us before. We stay together. Our family grows but never shrinks. I’m only crying because I’ve absolutely loved spending so much time with you and it’s going to suck to not see you all the time. But that doesn’t mean we won’t stay close, okay?”
I wipe my face with my sleeve and nod. “Okay. You’re right. I’m sorr—” She covers my mouth with her hand and gives me a stern look.
“Don’t you dare. You have nothing to apologize for. I’m just telling you that things will be different than what you worry it will be. Not that you’ve done something wrong by feeling a little unsettled.”
She hugs me one more time before moving on to Brady then Chase. She must say something to him that I can’t hear because his dark hair fans over his forehead as he nods and squeezes a little tighter. He’s having a bit of a rough time with this too, so I guess it’s not just my insecurities acting up. Eventually, there’s nothing left to do except let her leave. She’ll be on a flight to LosAngeles soon to go back to her NBA wife duties like none of this ever happened at all.
My vision blurs as the car pulls away, but I’m determined to not look away until she’s out of sight. That girl went from a practical stranger to my best friend in such a short time. I’m not sure what I’ll do without her, but I want her to go back to her normal life. She’s given up enough since I got out of the hospital.
Chase’s arm slides around my waist before he leans down to press a kiss in my hair. “Blake meant what she told you, sweetheart. She loves you and she’s pretty good at managing long distance friends at this point. It’s not new to her.”
“I know. It’s just a bittersweet day. I’m glad we can all go back to our lives. It just sucks that she’s so far away. She’s… my best friend.”
He exhales a heavy sigh. “You two needed each other, sweetheart. There’s a lot of value in that. I never would have found you if Brady and I weren’t the same when we met.”
That gives me some much-needed hope, as pathetic as that may be.
“Come on, honey. Let’s help Brady get his stuff in and then we can go home.” Home is an alluring promise after so much time away. The first place I felt safe again. I swing a backpack on my shoulder, but Chase and my brother insist on carrying the rest. We lug it all inside and dump it unceremoniously on the floor of his living room.
Brady rubs his arms, grumbling about needing to turn the heat on. Despite the chill and stale air, his house is no worse for wear after being unoccupied. Like life was frozen here and now all we have to do is thaw it and continue on.
“What thefuck?” Brady shouts. Chase and I are sprinting before the sentence has even ended, preparing for the worst. Who even knows what that could be? A body in the backyard?
I really hope not.
We come to a skidding stop on either side of him, looking around for whatever caused his alarm.
Chase sees it first, whispering a softoh.
Then I look out the kitchen window and see what has them rendered speechless. Outside, in an entirely gray and cold Washington day, sits an unmistakable reminder of something much brighter. The deck that Chase and Brady were forced to leave unfinished as life yanked them in another direction is sitting perfectly complete.
Brady’s voice is thick with emotion. “Who…?”
“Dad and the boys. It has to be.”
My brother shakes his head. “No. We just saw them. They would have said something.”
