Page 98 of Bleeding Hearts
Grinning, I nod at them. “Thank you!” I yell, dashing from the office before they can change their minds. I descend the stairs swiftly and rush to the front doors, sliding on the polished floors.
I race out of the doors, and they slam behind me. My family whirls on the steps where they were waiting, Alice covering her mouth.
“I get to stay, motherfuckers!” I shout, and their cheers echo mine as they surge toward me.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Four months later . . .
Reaching up, I smear blue paint in the circles I’m creating and then I lean back on the scaffolding in Level Up. I never expected them to accept my application or offer me such a huge opportunity, but they gave me the entire upstairs wall of their gaming club to paint, which is insane for someone who’s never done a mural before. I don’t want to let them down, so I spent weeks obsessing over the design before I even started here.
Lally has been a huge support through it all, and I know she’s so proud of me for stepping out of my comfort zone and trying it. After all, it’s a legacy I’ll leave behind and a future I’m striving for.
Her laughter fills the air as she speaks with one of the players. I put down my paint and turn, crouching on the edge as she appears below me.
“I have a break before my next class, so I brought dinner.” She holds up a bag, smiling so brightly it eases the worry in my chest for the final time. There are no more ghosts in her eyes.
Her smile is back to what it used to be, and it only grows as I watch her. “It’s looking incredible, baby!” She whistles as she eyes the unfinished design. “Incredible, just like I knew it would be.”
I climb down the steps, and she helps me descend the last one, capturing my hand and interlacing our fingers. “I’m so proud of you,” she whispers as she tugs me into her arms.
“It’s not finished yet. They might not like it,” I grumble, but she covers my mouth, her eyes softening as she watches me.
“They are going to love it. The entire world will see it on their live streams, and every time I’m going to brag that my girl painted it—my fucking girl.” Turning me, she forces me to look at it. I only see the missing parts and what needs to be changed or improved, but she makes me look at it until I see the beauty and potential, not just the flaws. “You have come so far, Alice. In just two years, you have become this. I can’t wait to see what you do in the next five years, ten, twenty . . .”
Turning once more, I meet her gaze. “Are you planning to stick around that long?”
She makes a noise as she leans back, smiling. “Depends on if you treat me well.”
Laughing, I smack her side, and she wraps her arms around me. “I plan on staying forever,” she says as she takes my hand. “Now let’s eat.” I let her lead me downstairs to the bar, where she grabs us a table and spreads out the food she brought.
“Here, a beer on the house,” Greg, the owner, says. “The boys said you haven’t stopped working yet, Alice.”
I freeze, looking at Lally, but she simply smiles and pushes the glass back to him. “No thanks, I don’t drink.” She takes a bite of her food and swallows. “She probably needs it though. She’s a hard worker.”
“I heard that. I can’t wait to see it when it’s done, neither can the players.” Greg takes the beer away, but I watch Lally, and she frowns.
“What? Is something on my face?” She wipes her mouth, but I lean over and kiss her lips.
“I’m proud of you,” I tell her. I know quitting drinking wasn’t easy. She struggled with her grief, and alcohol was a crutch for her for so long, but now it’s like second nature for her to refuse.
“I don’t need it anymore,” is all she says, knowing my thoughts. “Besides, I don’t want to be numb now. I want to remember every second of my time with you.”
“Me too,” I reply as I grab my sandwich and tuck in.
It’s been a crazy few months. The college was haunted yet again by what happened. The city itself closed down for the funerals and a parade in their memory. They even tried to give Lally an award, but she refused. She didn’t want recognition, she just wanted justice, and that’s the type of person she is. She’s gone back to school and is taking her classes more seriously than I’ve ever seen her, and she’s doing great in them. Lally is finding her passion again, her purpose, and her future. I can’t wait to see what she does.
She was worried she didn’t have it all figured out, but we are both still so young, and we don’t need to solve everything just yet.
It’s our time to make mistakes, to live fully and regret nothing, and that’s exactly what we plan to do.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
One month later . . .
“I’ll grab the last box,” Alice calls, and I nod as I stand amongst our boxes and belongings spread across our new apartment. It took us a while to decide to do this, but ultimately my dorm was too small for both of us. Alice never went home, not that I’d let her, and we needed more room. It made sense to find somewhere else to live together.
Although I loved my old dorm and what it symbolized for us, I’m excited for this next step in our lives and to make this place a home and create new memories together. It’s an added bonus that this place has good memories of Tommy. I never thought I’d get over living somewhere he hadn’t been, and I told Alice that, so when she found this, I couldn’t believe it.
