Page 79 of Quiet Rage
I love him. I love how unsure he is. I love how much he wants to make this right for me. Touching my fingers to his lips, I shake my head. “You don’t have to worry. I want more of this. I want more of you.”
“You mean that? Really? You’re sure?” He traces my jaw with his fingers, his touch light as a feather. Like he’s stroking something rare, precious, something worth protecting. “Because I don’t know what I would do if you changed your mind. I’ve already told you what you mean to me. You know I don’t want to live without you.”
“I know that.” I’m touching something precious, too, placing a hand on his chest. His heart pounds wildly under my palm. “And I don’t want to live without you, either. I’ve tried it. I don’t recommend it.”
His laughter is so sweet, like my favorite music. “I love you, Tamson.” No, that’s my favorite music, the sound of him saying those four words.
“I love you, too,” I whisper. There’s no helping the sudden rush of emotion that brings tears to my eyes. But unlike the tears I’ve shed over the years, these come from a place of happiness. Connection. Love.
“This is it? It’s us, all the way?”
The hope in his voice cements what I already knew. “All the way,” I agree, and now there’s nothing left but to bask in the happiness we’ve built together. The two of us, in our own little world again.
And this time, there’s nobody to come along and destroy it.
Epilogue
Kellen
I must bethe luckiest son of a bitch who ever lived.
“All I’m saying is…” Easton tosses a balled-up napkin at me when he realizes I wasn’t paying attention to his latest bitch session. “If you have the biggest house out of all of us, and you’re not going to downsize the way you were thinking, there’s no reason not to throw a school-wide rager.”
“Does anybody even call them ragers anymore?” Maya asks Tucker, who snickers.
“Whatever you call it. A party. Many people. Much drinking.” The whole table cracks up when Easton mimes double fisting drinks.
“We’re never going to repeat the sort of parties Carter used to throw,” Briggs points out.
“Yeah. The good old days.” When Elliana elbows him in the ribs, Easton holds his hands up in surrender. “Just kidding. Damn.”
Briggs is right. It’s never going to be that way again. Life has changed for all of us. I’m not the odd one out anymore, for onething. There’s a girl on my lap, and my arms are around her, and I’m perfectly fucking happy to let her feed me French fries. I’m happy to let her do anything.
I’m happy.
“It’s not a good time to sell the house,” I explain while chewing. “Between school and the business, I don’t have the time to think about that, too.”
“And they say selling a house is one of the most stressful things you can ever do.” Tamson feeds me another fry before taking one for herself.
“I’ll get around to it,” I conclude, and I will. I want a home that only belongs to Tamson and me. There are too many ugly memories around every corner in this house.
“Until then…” Preston exchanges a look with his twin. “We could throw something epic at your house. Respectfully, of course.”
“Oh, totally respectful.” Easton nods slowly. They’re both fighting off grins.
Tamson giggles. “Come on,” she murmurs with her mouth close to my ear. “You know you want to let loose. But don’t think I won’t force you to sneak off with me during.”
She knows exactly what to say. My dick starts twitching like it just got good news. “Like I’d let you walk around a party where any asshole could put their hands on you. I’ll tie you to the bed,” I decide, making her shove a few fries into my mouth.
A handful of people walk past the table and eye it curiously, lingering on Tamson. The questions in their expressions are clear, but I can be clear, too.Keep walking, fuckers. I’ve madesure everybody at school knows Tamson is with me now. The days of making her life hell are over.
Especially now that Tiana and her girls were kicked out. It’s not my fault they were stupid enough to brag about the shit they did to her. How they created those memes, how they attacked her. Word spread to the wrong people. It’s not like this was Tiana’s first offense, either. Last I heard, her parents sent her to another school out of state. Good riddance.
Life has quieted down around Wicked Falls, but I’m not sorry. It’s gotten better in so many ways. Most of that is thanks to the girl sitting in my lap, trying and failing to keep a straight face while the guys make huge plans for the party they think they’re throwing at my house.
Oh, fuck it. They can have it.
“We could fit a whole band in the backyard.” Out of everybody, Carter is the most experienced party planner. “You have enough land around you to make pissed-off neighbors less of an issue. It’s not like you’re on top of anybody.”
