Page 86 of Ravaged From Fate

I’ve confessed to her that I should’ve been more open with her sooner with the information, but she understands why I would want to lead a second, quiet life away from the craziness of LA and the music industry.

But she has come to trust me, in more ways than words. She holds me tight at night in a way that you only do when you love someone deeply. The way her body fits against mine. The way she looks at me.

She really does love me.

Things are starting to look better since my discharge from the hospital. I’ve been invited into the Barlowe family home with open arms. Even the good doctor himself maintains a friendliness towards me. I feel like I’ve found a new family.

Maybe I have even found a second chance at life…

“Do you miss that life?” Elsa asked me last night while we cuddled, my arms around her.

“I miss my friends,” I replied. “I miss my Ravaged boys. We started off as just some teenagers making music in a garage. All the rest that came later was just a byproduct of a deep friendship doing something we loved.”

“Will you ever reach out to them if you miss them so much?”

I didn’t answer for a while. “I don’t think I’m ready yet.”

“Why?”

“I feel like I’ve betrayed them. Disappearing like that. It was for good intentions, but they must think I ran away. Well, I sort of did.”

“If they’re as close as you say they are, then they will welcome you back with open arms.”

“I’ll know when it’s the right time to contact them again. I mean, the whole paparazzi shit is still ongoing. Going back would only ruin things…”

Cyrus keeps pulling his punches.

“Can you not?” I ask him. “Fight back. Properly.”

The big man stands back from me in the ring and crosses his arms. “Sorry, bro, but healing takes time. You need to take your time.”

I raise my boxing gloves, ready for another round. That’s my answer.

Cyrus shrugs and charges back at me. I duck his initial swing and I deliver one of my famous right hooks, the same one that was put to devastating use in the barn. I land it square on Cyrus’ head guard. He staggers back.

“Fuck,” he exclaims. “That was a good one.”

I know he isn’t merely humoring me but has been actually taken aback by the blow. That makes me smile.

I’ve still got it, baby.

“That was good, Caspian.” Juniper has sauntered over from the punching bag to watch us two spar. “Soon you’ll be properly back to whooping Cyrus’ ass in no time.”

“Whatever you say, Juniper,” Cyrus replies with an eye roll before he fist bumps me. “Great job, Caspian.”

The doors to the gym fly open and in rushes Elsa. All of us turn to face her as she runs up to the ring, her phone in her hand. She looks distressed. I immediately leap out of the ring and sprint to her, worried that something has gone wrong.

“What is it?” I ask her.

“It’s breaking,” Elsa says.

“What is?”

“The news. Look.” She lifts up her phone screen for me to read the headline in capital letters.

I freeze.

I don’t need to read the full news article to know what’s going on.