Page 82 of Magic or Madness

I have a different relationship with each guy, but Oliver has a special place in my heart, like an annoying brother you can’t help but love, no matter how stupid they are.

I thought Ozzy would be jealous, laying claim to me and keeping me all to himself, but he’s the one who encouraged me to get close to them all. His brothers are the most important thing to him – besides me – and it was essential to him that I became a seamless part of the family.

I fit right in like this is where I was meant to be all along, and I’ve never regretted this chosen family for a split second.

I slip back under the covers, sliding under his arm and he reacts to me, pulling me closer and kissing my forehead.

“I love you, Bambi.”

“I love you too, Ozzy.” And I do. I love him with my whole heart. I never knew it was possible to feel so much in my soul for one person, but I fell lucky in love.

My twenty-first birthday is coming up in a few weeks, and when I reflect on the last year of my life, I can’t believe this is where I ended up.

One look, one moment, and one chance landed me exactly where I want to be for the rest of my life.

OZZY

The climb isthe most difficult, but damn, reaching the top is the most rewarding feeling.

Masha loved hiking.

Any chance she could, she’d run to these trails, finding new paths and ways to connect with nature, sitting on top of the mountains for hours.

None of us liked being her escort, as it was exhausting, but seeing her face as she looked out toward the horizon was truly the most enjoyable part of the hike.

Now, on this chilly morning, all eight of us are sitting on the edge of the cliff, waiting for the sun to rise.

Fallon is snuggling under my arm, and I couldn’t be more proud of her for setting all of this up. If it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t be here, back home doing something that is so long overdue.

Our day is full of things to honor Masha, and I keep replaying the events of her last day in my head, but surprisingly, the guilt eats at me less this year.

The day started like any other, a morning planning session with Doc, who swore the only way this job would be done was if we ran in pairs.

We all pushed back, but Masha was excited to work in the field and wanted to run it with me.

I worried about her judgment, but had confidence in the plan, so we spent the day going over everything, and I forced her to always stay in front of me.

I felt that I couldn’t protect her if she was behind me, but I now know how wrong I was.

I remember the sound of her bones crushing against the metal of the car, and her screams once her body landed on the ground.

I’d never seen so much blood, or felt a person so broken in my arms.

She was delicate as it was, but this car was no match, turning her body limp, and forcing the final breath out of her way too soon.

I’ll never forget the fear in her eyes, staring up at me as she lay in my lap in the backseat and the slow tears that rolled down her cheeks while she spoke her last words aloud.

“Mio Fratello.”

It’s the phase that’s mixed into the tattoo on my back, so subtle that nobody would notice it was there, unless they were looking hard enough.

Now, as we face this day, standing strong together for the first time, I feel the best I have since the morning we embarked on that job all those years ago.

“Here it comes!” Pepper yells, and we all watch as the sun slowly starts to rise over the horizon.

It’s gradual, the sun taking her time gracing us with her presence, but when she does, the colors she chooses to light upthe sky with are astonishing. Almost as if it was a private show, just for the eight of us, and Masha was part of the display.

I saw hints of her in so many of the sweeping clouds, and all I could do was sit atop this mountain, watching in awe as a perfect portrait was painted for the people who loved Masha the most.

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