“It’s like a dream. Did that all really happen?” I pulled back and looked around as the heroes who were there for us walked over. Selene scowled at me, but I knew she’d get over it. Gwen sat on the ground with her metal dragon curled on her lap. Her boyfriend Arthur gave us a wave with the hand that wasn’t holding hers.
“I’m so fucking sorry.” Leon stepped into view with a big frown, and I shook my head.
“You were amazing. Everything worked out the way it was supposed to. I’m so glad you saved Gwen.” I walked over and gave him a hug. I hoped he didn’t take on the what-if in this scenario. We were ok, and that was all that mattered. He did his job and did it so well.
“I’m so proud of you.” Selene waited her turn, and as soon as I let go of Leon, her arms found me. It was her hug that finally broke me. Tears sprang free, and I sobbed as the reality of today finally hit me.
My friend, my best friend, came with me too so I wouldn’t face death alone. Not only did I make it out alive, but I’d risen from the flames.
“I can’t believe you pushed us away. I’m gonna send a ghost to haunt your apartment for a month or something.” She cried against my shoulder, and I laughed a full-body shaking type of laugh.
“As long as it doesn’t breathe on me, I’ll be ok.”
Man, it was good to be alive.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Vincent
“Great job, everyone.” Phillip walked into the restaurant as the servers brought over pizza. It was Emily’s idea to celebrate with pizza after saving Seahill. It reminded me of pizza nights after winning a game with my middle school baseball team.
“Futures look ok?” someone asked, and I’d been wondering the same. Emily lived, and Terratrex would continue work. I’d been afraid to look ahead in case things were worse than before.
“Everything is as it was always meant to be.” He sat across the table from me and winked.
“I’ll be back.” I leaned over to Emily and called my power. The restaurant was empty, and the kitchen staff knew what we were. They were paid to keep quiet. I had to see, to know what that wink was about. I jumped back to my hero apartment first. The bed was made, and the costumes that lined one side of the room were gone. The place looked empty.
“Right on time.” Phillip opened the door and strolled in with a smile.
“It’s weird when you do that sometimes.” I glanced while looking around for any trace of my old life.
Past-Phillip winked so I’d come here to meet future-Phillip.
“I knew you wouldn’t relax until you saw the effects of that day.” He shrugged and waved me on.
“We’ve got a few stops before you head back for pizza. Come on.” I left the room and followed. We took the elevator to the restaurant floor, then left for the city in a black SUV. Everything looked ok. The same actually. The buildings, the way people dressed, the sun shining.
“First stop,” he announced as we pulled up to a hotel. Alright. Phillip handed the valet his keys as we walked inside.
“We’ll be back in five,” he told the man in a tan uniform.
“Don’t think I’ve been here.” The lobby of the Florence Hotel looked like an old-time fancy hotel from a Hollywood movie. Marble-looking floors glistening under bright chandeliers. High back red velvet chairs with people smoking cigars like they were the most important people in the room.
We stopped to the side of the concierge desk, and I nodded a hello at the desk woman.
“Why are we here?” I looked around and noticed it before Phillip answered. Still, he pointed his finger at the painting anyways.
A life-size painting rested on the wall to our right. Two people dressed in luxurious clothes stood together. An older gentleman with salt-and-pepper hair and a mustache. Very mafia-looking to me. And a young woman with brown hair and blue eyes. I knew that face. Above the artwork was a gold engraved sign.
Frank and Chasity Florence
Chasity… holy shit.
As if she heard my voice in her head, the real-life version screeched as a smaller female trailed behind her, writing things down in a notebook. She looked the same. Pin straight brown hair, blue eyes, and a body most men would die for. Her clothing looked different, but only in a more expensive way. It was the shiny and massive diamond on her ring finger that caught my attention the most. I’d given her a ring for our anniversary since I didn’t remember our actual wedding. It was a modest size and what I’d been able to do at the time.
“Not green cashmere, Linda. Sage green. Sage,” Chasity scoffed before hiking her designer bag over her shoulder. She glanced my way once as she walked by and rolled her eyes before ignoring me. What else could I do but stand with my mouth gaped.
“Without you around to slum with, so to speak, she found the sugar daddy she always wanted. She owns a fashion line and spends daddy’s money. She has the life she always wanted. She fucks her husband every Tuesday, as long as his health is ok, then a parade of other guys on the other days.” Phillip added the rest of Chasity Florence’s story, and I laughed.
