Page 155 of The Oath We Give

"I have a plane to catch tomorrow, if you end up in jail, you're on your fucking own."

I smirk at Alistair, silently agreeing but also knowing we'd break him out the moment they sealed him inside.

"I'm sick of funerals," Rook mutters, dark sunglasses hiding his eyes, "It's going to be nice waking up tomorrow not worried about one of you being killed."

"Did you just say something I actually agree with?"

"Can we fucking please get rid of American Psycho now?”

Thatcher slides into the pew behind him, leaning forward, "You wish, Van Doren."

It's silent for a moment. Just us existing in the finality that this part of our lives if over. The last enemy chess piece is off the board, and we have total control of the game.

Well, almost all of them, but honestly? My least concern in life is Easton Sinclair. I'm all out of revenge and he gave me an opportunity no one else had.

A chance to say goodbye to Rosemary. A chance to apologize. A chance to let go of my guilt.

So even though he shot me, if I ever see him again? I'll thank him for that and hope Rook isn't close by because he's not as forgiving with Easton as I am.

"Do you guys remember when we were kids and snuck into The Caldwell library at Hollow Heights to set off bottle rockets?" Rook says, making me recall a time when we were much smaller and even more reckless.

"I remember Thatcher throwing you under the bus," Alistair snorts, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he grins, "Even though it was his idea."

"First of all, it wasyouridea, Ali." Thatcher argues, "You were angry at your father, I simply gave you a solution. Don't blame your temper on me."

"I think we've had this argument before." I mutter, "When we were like thirteen in the back of my dads car."

My father had been the one to pick us up from the dean's office after we'd been caught on camera footage. It was after that I was dedicated to learning how to hack security camera's. No video, no crime.

“I’m not saying I’m going to miss Ponderosa Springs but,” Rook pauses, look around at each of us, “This place holds us together, what do we have without it?”

The question echoes with no answer. None of us sure how to respond, because I don't think any of us know. We've just found out we can be different people than this place expected us to be.

"We could buy this place you know." I say abruptly, not sure if I mean it, but I know I don't want to lose them.

Maybe it was my near death experience and the shock to the heart that brought me back, but I’d keep Ponderosa Springs forever, pain and all, if it meant I got to keep the boys.

"What the fuck would we do with a church?"

"I mean Ponderosa Springs." I motion towards them, "Alistair is about to inherit most of the land anyway. We each own a portion of this place, we could buy the rest and split it. We could make it ours."

Could we turn a town of horrors into a home? Or was there to much fucking damage?

"Or we could sell it," Alistair says forcefully, already set in his decision before we take it to a vote, "This town doesn't make us.Wemake us."

Do we keep the place that made us or sell the place that damned us?

The sanctuary doors open once again but this time it's our better halves. Coraline grins when she see's me, letting go of Sage's hand to make her way down the middle aisle towards me.

I'll never get tired of waiting at the end of the aisle for her. No matter how many times we get married, I'll wait here for her every single time.

I stand up, when she reaches the bottom step, walking down to stand in front of her. My fingers brush her hair behind her ears, thumb tracing her bottom lip.

"Hey, hex."

"Hi, baby." She breathes, wrapping both arms around my waist before leaning up on her tippy toes to peck my lips softly. It's quick, short, my favorite habit of hers.

Everything is my favorite when it comes to Coraline.

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