Page 113 of Sinners Retreat

Ezra plops his pumpkin next to Maverick’s and we share a good belly laugh. It’s kind of sad looking when you don’t know the story behind it.

Bennett enters the kitchen as I prepare to spin my pumpkin around. It’s only fitting that he’s here. He’s part of this.

I didn’t carve something scary. It also isn’t very artistic. But it’s from my heart, and for the Heartbreak Killer, that’s saying something. For nearly an hour, I scratched and scrawled our story into this pumpkin, with a stick figure to represent each of us.

There’s Cat, with her big tits and perfect hair, as she struts on the beach. Bennett stands beside her with a flail in his hand and a scowl on his face. I thought about adding a pineapple, but I didn’t in the end.

Stick figure Ezra clings to a rope with a smile on his face and a meat hook in his hand. Those metal hooks don’t bother me anymore. Ezra made the right decision, and I know that now.

“You put me on there too,” Maverick says. “I feel so honored.”

Yes, he’s there too. Our story wouldn’t have had a happy ending without him. His little stick figure holds a phone. The truth set us free.

“But what is your stick figure holding?” Ezra asks me. “What’s that in your hand?”

“It’s my heart,” I say.

Bennett groans. “Fuck, here we go,” he mutters.

I won’t let him deter me from what I need to say. Feelings are hard for some people. I should know. They were once impossible for me.

“This trip gave me so much. A best friend. The love of my life. Some really good banter. And answers.” I look at each of the faces in my kitchen. This wouldn’t have been remotely possible before the trip, and now I don’t know how I would live without each of them. Even Bennett. “Thank you all for showing me that it’s okay to open up a bit.”

“Aw, come here, you!” Cat pulls me in for a hug, and I let her. I let them all as I’m surrounded by smiling faces and warm embraces—sans Bennett. Affection isn’t his thing.

I get it.

“If this concludes our business, I think it’s time for me to get the fuck out of here,” Bennett says. “I’ve got a sibling to find.”

Maverick looks at his watch. “And I have a plane to catch. You’ll send the details for the winter retreat, right?”

Ezra puts his arm around the younger man’s shoulders. “You’ll be the first to know, since Bennett won’t be joining us.”

“I’ll be there too,” Cat says. “Maybe I can finally get my first kill.”

As Ezra and I walk everyone to the door, it almost feels like the last page of a really good book. In reality, our story is still being written.

And I can’t wait to see what happens next.

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