Epilogue
TY
Four Months Later
I passedthe orange cones that marked the opponents’ goal before tossing the football to the ground. Spinning around, I threw my arms in the air and did a little dance to celebrate my touchdown. My flag-football team, including Jesse and Eric, went wild with excitement, shouting their praise. It was the final play of the game, the winning score, and I’d fucking nailed it. The team clustered together, cheering as we took turns high-fiving.
It was nice having Eric and Jesse there to enjoy the moment with me. Initially, Eric had only come to watch the games, but after a while was willing to fill in whenever we needed another player. And it was fun watching my old man running up and down the park field—admittedly kicking some serious ass compared to guys half his age.
So much had changed over the past few years, as I’d gotten a chance to get closer to my father. Really get closer. And he got to know the real me, or what I felt like I was starting to come to know as the real me.
I turned toward the sidelines, where Liam and Mom sat in lawn chairs, watching the final display. Liam grinned ear to ear as he waved to me. I could tell by the expression on his face how impressed he was.
And I did love impressing him, something I’d had plenty of opportunities to do in the months we’d been together. Certainly he and Mom didn’t need to be there, but it meant a lot to me that they were.
I said my goodbyes to my teammates and buddies, and we all headed across the field to the parking lot.
Eric set his hand on Liam’s shoulder. “You’re gonna have to step out there and show these kids how you kick ass.”
I’d been worried at first that somehow us being together would affect my relationship with Eric, which we’d worked so hard to build. Or just as bad, that it would change the way Liam and Eric interacted, but if anything, it seemed it had improved. Eric and Liam were hanging out more frequently, and we all could do things as couples, which made me feel less like the odd man out when I was running around with Jesse and Eric. Not that it was so bad when it was just the three of us, but really, life was always better when Liam was around.
“Yeah, I don’t know that you kids need me making you all look like amateurs,” Liam joked, his kid comment clearly directed at Eric, and we all enjoyed a laugh.
Suddenly I heard beside me, “Hey, wait up!”
I spun around quickly, alert as ever, pulling a fist.
Ty kill-mode.
Sam was hurrying up behind us, Kelly on his heels. I must’ve looked somewhat intimidating because Sam halted in place, his eyes wide and his mouth agape as he threw his hands up in surrender. “Whoa, just me, buddy.”
Kelly hurried to him, his jaw clenched, his fist tightening, looking ready to battle me off Sam.
I lowered my hand, my fist still clenched.
Kelly reached Sam, rested his hand on his back, and asked me, “You cool, man?”
“Yeah, of course,” I said, chuckling as I forced a smile, even though Sam had managed to activate all my defenses—heart pounding, cold sweat racing. “Guess those Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes got me on edge a little bit.”
Kelly and Sam relaxed at my excuse. They knew I’d started the classes, but couldn’t have known my reason why. Just like they couldn’t have understood what Sam surprising me had triggered within me. How in a moment, it took me back to that night with Himeros. I knew I’d never be the same after it. Nothing about my lifecouldbe the same.
I glanced at my family and Liam, and noticed everyone eyeing me with concern. Throughout the months and all that had transpired since Liam and I had been abducted by that psycho doctor, they’d all seen me lose it like that. In Jesse’s, Eric’s, and Mom’s expressions, there was worry, but in Liam’s I saw guilt, as though he felt responsible for my new heightened state of anxiety. I didn’t blame him for anything that happened since we met, but I knew that didn’t change how he felt about those moments.
“Jesse, I have a quick question I forgot to ask you before we left work,” Sam said. “About the Kennard account.”
“Yeah, sure, of course.” Jesse pulled away from our group, but side-eyed me as though he knew better.
I would have to play cool when he texted me later to check in on me.
Not that I minded having a good friend who was considerate like that.
“One sec, guys,” Jesse said, and went to chat with Sam.
Mom offered to leave ahead of us and grab the Chinese food. Liam and I were meeting her at her place for dinner. Jesse and Eric would have come, but they’d already made plans before we’d agreed on the evening, and I thought it was nice whenever Liam and I got to meet with Mom, just the three of us. We’d done that a few times since he’d started staying with me, and then living with me.
“Since everyone’s leaving, I guess I might take a quick piss,” Liam said before dashing away to the nearby restrooms. I’d seen how he’d been looking at Eric before he said that. They communicated as we did, without words, just knowing expressions.
Eric didn’t wait long before he said, “You cool? You seem a little on edge tonight.”
