Page 262 of The Last Good Man

“I left it two blocks away from here. I couldn’t turn it around, so I jogged here.”

He shifts his eyes to Ellis,whogroans on the floor,andI press my hand to his chest, stopping him from killing him for real.

“Please don’t do it. I have the video. I’ll talk to the police.”

“Don’t worry,” he says. “I won’t be going anywhere. I’ll make this go away,” he continues. “Now pack your things. You’re going with me,” he says, not leaving room for debate. “I’ll make a few calls and have someone pick him up before talking to the landlord.”

“You don’t have to.”

He only looks at me. And I nod before he continues.

“You no longer spend another moment here. I don’t want something like this to happen to you again. Do you understand?’

“Yes. Yes, I do.”

He runs his fingers over my cheek.

“Did he really slap you?”

“Yes, he did.”

He clenches his teeth and kicks Ellis in the groin.

I touch his arm.

“No. Please, don’t do it. Find a different way. Okay?”

Our eyes stay connected for a second.

“Okay,” he says. “Let’s go now.”

He starts to move, but I keep him still.

“Thank you,” I say and press my lips against his. “I love you, baby.”

His answer comes right away.

Soft and warm.

“I love you, too.”

And then we leave my place, our eyes glistening with bittersweet emotions.

EPILOGUE

Two Years Later

Long Island

Thanksgiving Day

The house overlooks the water, and as I peer at the horizon, the sky resembles a potpourri of pinks and blues.

Birds fly across the sky while the trees outlining the property proudly display the fiery colors of the fall.

We’ve been blessed with a long summer and now a gorgeous fall.

“I love this place,” Alice says, moving closer to the windows. “It’s perfect to raise a family.”

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