Page 122 of Aftermath
“Lenny,” Stone said, using a hand to tilt my chin up toward him. “Go live your life. There’s nothing weighing on you here anymore.”
I nodded, trying to hold back more tears.
The weight of everything hit me at once. Having to let go of Stone again. Mallory trying to kill me and killing herself. The truth that I wasn’t strong enough to stay and face it all.
“I just can’t be here,” I said. “It’s too much.”
“Admitting that takes more strength than most people have,“ Stone said.
I nuzzled my head back into his chest as his strong hands gently stroked the back of my head.
“What if it’s too late when I come back? What if you’ve moved on?” I dared to ask.
“It will never be too late,” he started. “I would wait a million lifetimes for you.”
EPILOGUE: STONE
I stood to the side of the stage, waiting for them to call my name. The award was not my first during my time with the FBI, but somehow, this one meant so much more.
This award was not just mine. It belonged to Blythe, who had pushed me to be the type of agent who didn’t let up. It also belonged to the woman I still could not get out of my head.
She wanted to travel the world, to see beyond Briarport, and who was I to stop her?
After everything she’d gone through, the pain she’d suffered, I couldn’t ask her to stay, to tie her down further.
Everything inside me had wanted to ask her to come to Virginia with me, to choose a quiet life, living in my trailer on the plot of land I’d bought, until some day, we could build a house together.
One Len designed herself to be everything she ever dreamed.
But that was my dream, not hers, and I had to let her go.
Maybe in another life, it would have worked, but not this one.
I almost didn’t hear when they called my name, distracted by my thoughts.
I walked onto the stage, oblivious to the crowd cheering me on. There were several agents and their family members in the crowd, watching the FBI’s most prestigious award ceremony.
I built myself back up from scratch, dragged myself from a pit of despair to solve a cold case, but my heart ached a bit knowing I couldn’t have done it myself. Not only did Agent Grey, who stood before me now to present the award, help, but so did the kind hearted woman I left behind in Briarport. It had been months since I’d seen her.
We exchanged letters like a couple out of one of the romance classics, but that wasn’t enough for my heart.
The last update I received was that Len was visiting the west coast. I’d sent her recommendations for places she had to try. I even made sure to mention Don’s in there, in case she found herself in my hometown.
I forced myself to walk forward, holding out my hand to shake Grey’s. He handed over the plaque and whispered his congratulations.
Grey pointed me toward a photographer right beneath the stage. We turned and stood side-by-side, smiling for the photo. Every single person who’d gone up before me had done the same.
A waving behind the camera caught my attention, and I saw my little sister frantically tossing her arms in the air.
My heart almost stopped in my chest when I saw the person sitting beside her. On her left was my mother, smiling ear-to-ear, proud of the son she raised. On her other side was a woman, her dark brown curls perfectly rippling over her shoulders, her warm, light brown skin complimenting the dark blue sundress she wore.
I felt myself grinning like a madman. I had to get off stage, fast.
I hurried through the photo op and quickly walked down the steps of the stage.
I looked at the seats but saw my family and Len missing from where they sat only moments before.
Before I could glance around, arms wrapped around me, almost knocking me over. I turned and quickly embraced whoever it was who had hugged me. I found Len’s head already buried in my chest and rested my head on top of her curls.
