Page 74 of No Broken Promises

Parker sobs, her tears returning in force. “Can we see him?”

“Yes, of course.”

I turn around to see Linc, Rose, Emma, and Robert all standing there with scared expressions on their faces. More than fear, there is real, unbridled dread written clearly in the harsh lines of their eyes and the pull at the corners of their lips.

“He’s alive,” I tell them a little louder than I need to, my voice echoing in the silent room. “He’s going to be okay.”

Rose clutches her husband’s arm, and then Mom is there on her other side. Kennedy and Casper appear at Linc and Emma’s sides, and they move away.

“Linc.” My voice breaks on his name. “Can you go to the house to get us and Nox some clothes, please? I don’t think we’re going to leave for a while.”

He nods, and then Kennedy grabs his arm. She leads him away with the strangest expression on his face that I’ve ever seen.

“He’s in for it,” I mutter. “I don’t know what’s going on there, but I think shit’s about to hit the fan.”

When we’re sitting in Nox’s hospital room, freshly cleaned up in the attached bathroom, I watch them both. Parker doesn’t take her eyes off Nox, and I can’t blame her. Together we watch him sleep, monitors reassuring both of us that he is breathing and alive. There, safe, I finally feel a little bit of peace. Just a sliver, barely enough to keep the panic at bay, but it’s there all the same.

“Mom? Remy?” Nox’s sleepy voice is the only thing that could make it better.

We are at his side immediately. “There was a crazy lady. She took my medal. Did you get my medal?”

“I got it, buddy.” I take Danny’s Purple Heart from my pocket and hand it to him, laying it in his palm when he can’t quite lift his hand to take it.

“I poked her with it.” He yawns. “See you in the morning.”

He closes his eyes again and the last weight on my chest is gone, just like that. While I watch him sleep, I fiddle with the faded bracelet on my wrist. The one Parker gave me as a kid, that I’d given her back so she’d know that I lied, and the one that I truly thought brought us back together. I look down at Parker’s wrist to see that she is wearing hers, too.

Parker looks up at me with shining eyes. For a moment I think she is sad, but not my girl. No. She smiles, and the entire world shifts on its axis.

“Thank you, Remy. For saving him.”

I shake my head and shrug slightly, kissing her forehead.

“I love you. It might have taken us forever to get here, but we’re here now. It’s all or nothing with you, it has to be, and I’m all in. I’ll destroy anything that tries to take you and Nox away.”

29

PARKER

“You know, in twenty years, you’re gonna be an urban legend, right?” A dark-haired boy who introduced himself as Lucas earlier in the day is sitting with me and Nox on the back porch. “People are going to talk about how you were buried alive. That’s gonna be amazing.”

Nox is hanging on his every word, completely ignoring my presence as he stuffs his face with a hot dog and whatever other junk food he grabbed while my back was turned a few minutes ago. “Awesome! But I don’t know what an urban legend is.”

With a laugh, I glance away as the two are joined by more kids and I can’t help the smile on my face.

“You look happy.” Avery, Lucas’s adopted mom and a teacher at Birch Harbor Elementary, says as she joins me. “It’s crazy how that happens, right?”

“Yep.” I don’t take my eyes off the kids as Nox gives the only girl in the group a big smile. “Who’s the girl?”

“That’s Ciara.” Avery sips the drink in her hand and her voice drops down to a whisper. “Lucas is in love with her but he doesn’t realize it yet. I’m betting she’s gonna break his heart before he grows into the man he’s going to be. Carter, however, thinks that Lucas won’t mess it up.” She nods toward the man in question, one of the officers who works with Remy at Birch Harbor PD.

Remy has yet to stray too far from the grill or the food table. He’s surrounded by our friends and some of our family, laughing at whatever’s going on, and my heart almost skips a beat at the scene.

After the drama and chaos in my life the last few months, it should feel weird to talk about two kids who look like they can’t be older than twelve or thirteen, but honestly, the break and ease of conversation with Avery is like a breath of fresh air. Sitting here, finally free from the nightmares, I feel like I can finally catch up.

“I’m sorry,” she says when I don’t answer her. “I like thinking about the love story possibilities all around us.”

“No. No,” I rush to correct her. “I was just thinking that it’s nice that you’re not asking about…” I trail off, not wanting to bring it up.

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