Page 88 of Into the Shadows

“I meant it before, and I mean it now. Yes, I will marry you.” She throws her arms around my neck, and I pour every ounce of love I have for her into this hug.

When she pulls away, I slip the ring onto her finger. Holy fuck, it fits. “I can’t believe it fits.”

Lottie giggles. “You didn’t get my ring size from my mom?”

“No, because I hadn’t planned on buying a ring when I found this one. Remember my very first case? The guy who was buying a ring for his girlfriend? That’s when I found it.”

“That was like a month ago.”

“I know. It’s been a bitch holding on to it for so long. I’ve wanted to give it to you since I bought it. Do you know how hard it is to get your Mom and Dad alone without anyone asking questions?”

Lottie giggles at my plight. “You asked my parents?”

“Of course I did. Your mom squealed when I showed her the ring, and your dad hugged me. I almost cried.”

After Lottie’s kidnapping, Jackson helped me find a great therapist who specializes in PTSD in veterans. I meet with them every week, and it’s as if they’ve cracked open my tough outer shell. My emotions always seem to be hovering underthe surface, coming out of me at the drop of a hat. For someone who isn’t used to feeling so many things on a regular basis, it’s been hard to adjust.

Lottie leans in to kiss me. Her soft lips are still a little swollen from the earlier abuse. “I love you so much, Teddy Kavanagh.”

“You’re my everything, Charlotte Jackson. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Epilogue

Carson

I should’ve put vodka in this water bottle.

Maybe if I was drunk, I could make it through this day without breaking down.

I sound pathetic. I’m aware. And normally, I don’t resort to alcohol to numb my pain, but today isn’t a normal day.

Today, I have to watch my best friend and the love of my life marry another man.

Like I said, fucking pathetic.

I’m also a coward. Before Ginny left to become a major country music star, we drove to the lookout, just the two of us, to watch the stars. We were lying on a blanket with our pinkies intertwined like we’ve done since we were five, and I almost kissed her. I was pretty sure she wanted me to, but I chickened out. She was about to leave our hometown on this huge adventure. Maintaining a relationship with me while doing her thing would’ve been disastrous. We both knew I wasn’t cut out for the big, wide world. I like my small-town life. I love being close to my family and friends. Living in Hollywood—or fuck, even Nashville—isn’t my scene.

I knew that if I’d kissed Ginny that day, I’d have only held her back from her dreams.

Now I’m standing in the hallway of some fancy-ass building with a gothic vibe that’s creepy as hell, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Our whole family flew out to LA for Ginny’s big day. They’re all ecstatic to be here, even if we’re a bit overwhelmed by the opulence. Not a single one of us fits the mold of the high society attendants who surround us. It’s one of the reasons I’ve kept my distance. My big brother, Noah, has made it clear that my face is expressing every disdainful thought I’ve been having.

This whole thing is opulence to the extreme. I don’t know how Ginny has survived this life for as long as she has. She’s pure sunshine. It radiates from her when she’s around the people she loves. We’ve all noticed her light dimming over the last few months. None of the family is sure if it’s been the wedding planning stressing her out or something worse.

We’re hoping once this circus is over, she’ll be able to settle into her new life and be happy.

It’s all I’ve ever wanted for her.

Her happiness means more to me than my own. If Weasel—sorry, Wesley—is the guy she wants to spend the rest of her life with, I’ll support her, even if I don’t see the appeal. The guy’s about as slimy as a snail. He makes these snide remarks about Ginny I’ve never understood. Most have something to do with her “little singing career.” Except she’s more famous than he is, and the only reason he gets recognized is because he’s been dating Ginny.

He’s the worst kind of user.

But maybe things are different behind closed doors. I try not to think about it. Jealousy doesn’t suit me. Especially when all I want to do is support my best friend.

“You okay?” Michael comes to stand by my side. His wavydark hair has been styled off his forehead, and his dark brown eyes are intense. He’s not asking me to respond with some one-off comment.

“Not really.” I shrug. “But I’m hanging in there.” At this point, my best friends know how I feel about Ginny. It was easy to keep it from them for a long time. Ginny wasn’t around as much since she was touring all the time, so it wasn’t difficult to hide how I felt. When Ginny announced her engagement, the walls around my emotions crumbled into dust. I couldn’t hide it anymore. They rallied around me like good friends do, but there was nothing they could say to make it better. Ginny was marrying someone else. Who was I to get in the way of that?

---