Page 106 of The Fate of Us

I used to hate summer.But the memories that used to drown me have long faded. Anna’s carefree spirit has made this one of the best summers of my life.

She quit both of her jobs at the bars and only teaches yoga now so we have more free time for each other. Of course, it’s hard to pull her away from her music some days. The days when the melody is flowing through her as she sits in the sunroom writing songs.

I don’t hate it though. I like to watch her. Watch how she creates music. I always said it was magic and it remains true. It’s incredible to watch her as she puts together words to piano keys to guitar strings.

After everything that happened with Claire and the day that Becca almost took Anna’s life, we both feel like we have finally let go of all the ghosts of our past. We are only looking forward now. To the life we are supposed to have.

Together.

Anna still likes to pick fights with me. And I don’t mind because the make-up sex seems to get better each time. Yesterday, she put pickles on my sandwich just so I would yell at her. She knows I hate them. She turned it into a huge fight about nothing. It ended with the jar of pickles crashing to the floor as I fucked her on the kitchen table.

I look over at her now as I drive my International Harvester for the first time in years. Her red hair blowing in the breeze, the sun hitting the freckles on her nose, as she sings along to a song on the radio.

This woman is everything to me. And I plan on letting her know that soon.

I reach across her and grab her hand. She glances over at me and smiles. It still makes my heart speed up. No matter how many times she gives me that look. It will never grow old.

Brutus is in the back seat enjoying the taste of salt water in the air and everything seems perfect.

“This is a new song from superstar Hailey Lane. It’s called ‘The Fate of Us.’ Call in and let us know what you think,” the radio DJ says.

“Holy shit!” Anna screams, reaching for the knob on the radio to crank the volume. “Oh my god, oh my god!”

Anna sold the song two months ago. She wrote it the week after Claire left, the day Becca shot her. She told me it was ironic that she would write a song called “The Fate of Us”on a day where both of our fates could have changed. But I think it just proves that we are meant to be.

When her mentor from Nashville called her to let her know someone was interested in her song, she thought it would be some no-name singer and played off the whole thing. But when Austin told her it was country superstar Hailey Lane, Anna about lost it. She went to Nashville a month ago to sing background vocals on the track, per Hailey’s request.

I watch her as she freaks out over hearing her song on the radio for the first time. I am freaking out too. I couldn’t be happier for her. All her dreams that she put on hold, that she thought she would never live, are coming true.

I hum along to the lyrics, lyrics that describe us perfectly.

I thought I lost you.

I pulled away.

I couldn’t stay.

But now that I am back in your arms

I know I never should have fought

The fate of us

By the time the final chorus comes on I sing along with Anna. She smiles at me as I sing off key and her entrancing voice carries on the wind.

“Oh my god,” she shouts again as the song finishes. “I want to hear it again! But please don’t sing this time,” she jokes. “My ears are bleeding.”

I laugh as we drive along the coastline, Anna flipping through stations hoping to hear her song on the radio again.

31

Anna

I scratch the back of Brutus’ears as the three of us lay on a blanket on the beach watching the sunrise.

Noah’s arms are wrapped around me as I sit between his legs. I feel more at peace than I have in my entire life. Not just from being at this cottage that brought me so many memories but that I can finally enjoy my time with the man I love.

After everything we went through a few months ago I didn’t think we would ever be here. I thought for sure our fate was sealed with the ghosts of our past. But I was wrong. We fought through hell to get here and I would do it again if it meant that I would get to spend my life with this man.

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