Page 131 of Love Me Again

Sam and I laugh.

“Patience bro. Your time is coming.” Sam assures him, and he sighs with a roll of his eyes. “I still can’t believe you both got the girls pregnant at the same time. Did you guys plan it or something?” Josh and I chuckle, shaking our heads.

“Not at all. Shay was on the pill. We were planning to wait till Alaia was two to have another baby, but my boy just couldn’t wait another year. An overachiever like his father.” I state with a smug grin, and the boys laugh.

“Aimee wanted to wait at least a year before we started to try, but one night of passion changed that plan real quick,” Josh utters with a proud smirk, looking down at Trey, who wiggles in his arms. “When are you planning to make an honest woman of JoJo then?” He asks, looking at Sam, who smiles.

“We’re planning to have a wedding in December. Jo wants a Christmas wedding.” He explains, sipping his beer.

“Anything you need, bro, we’re here for you,” I tell him, and he nods with a thankful smile. “Here’s to married life with kid’s boys.” I toast, and we all raise our bottles, grinning before taking a long chug of our drinks. It sure was a good life. Once the cleaning crew and the parents left, Shayla finally joined us and collapsed on the sofa beside me with an exhausted sigh.

“Wow, I didn’t realise how tired I was until right now.” She huffs, closing her eyes, resting her head on my shoulder.

I smile and kiss her head.

“Shay, the party was amazing.” Jo praises while she feeds the baby in the love seat, a blanket thrown over him. Shayla smiles tiredly and shifts when I wrap my arm around her shoulder, pulling her against me.

“Thanks, it was worth all the stress to see her little face light up.” Shayla sighs happily while I play with her hair.

“This cake is fucking insane.” Aimee groans, shoving a forkful in her mouth and moaning in delight. Shayla giggles when Josh tries to eat some, and she slaps his hand away and growls at him. “Mine. I’ll kill you.”

“Baby, how many slices have you had?” Josh asks her, amused, and she shrugs, cutting into the slice of cake and eating it.

“I don’t know, like three pieces.” She moans, licking her lips, and looks at Josh, who was watching her with a smile. “Blame your daughter. She’s making me hungry.” She grumbles, and when Josh gives her a pointed look, she rolls her eyes. “Okay fine, more than usual.” We laugh, and he kisses her temple tenderly while she smiles happily and goes back to eating her cake.

We were chatting idly while I flick through the TV channels and stop when I see the news. I sit upright, and Shayla looks up at me confused, and her gaze follows mine, and she stares at the tv.

The room falls silent as we all listen to the news.

The headline read,

‘Former Fashion Designer & Socialite—Sophie Turner found hung in her cell.’

I look at Shayla, who was staring at the tv unblinking while the news reporter tells the story of how Sophie had taken her own life by hanging herself in her cell after struggling to adjust to life behind bars. They found a suicide note on her bed with her final words scribbled on a piece of paper clearly directed at Shayla. “I’ll see you in hell, bitch!”

“Shay, you okay?” Jo asks, concerned, and Shayla gets up without a word and walks out of the living room. I look over at Josh, who was scowling. I get up and go after Shayla as she pushes the doors open to the garden and rushes outside. She lifts her eyes to the sky and exhales slowly.

I walk up behind her and wrap my arm around her waist, pressing my lips to her temple. “It’s over,” I whisper, and she chokes on a sob and cries. I turn her and pull her against me, wrapping my arms around her tight. “It’s over now, baby. She can’t hurt you ever again.” I press my lips to her head, and she nods, crying tears of what I’m hoping was relief into my chest. Josh, Aimee, and Sam come out looking concerned, and I look over at them, nodding my head, assuring them silently that she was okay. As strong as she’s been through all of this, I know she was still on edge after the threats Sophie made. These tears were ones full of relief, her way of letting go of the last bit of apprehension she’d been holding onto. That little voice deep down nagging her, wondering, waiting if another attack would follow. Thankfully, it’s over now. Sophie will burn in the deepest core of hell for all of eternity for everything she did to her.

Shayla pulls back and looks up at me, tears flowing from her beautiful eyes. “Did you...” She trails silently, asking me if I had something to do with her killing herself off, and I shake my head.

“No, I had nothing to do with that. She obviously couldn’t handle being locked up. The warden did say girls like her are like fresh meat to a hungry lion.” I explain, brushing her tears away.

“I did.” I turn and look at Sam, and Shayla frowns. “I may have visited the prison. A guard there is a friend of mine, and when he found out you were my sister, he did me a favour.” He explains with a shrug, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his jeans. “It wasn’t enough that she was locked away, I wanted her to suffer, so I had my artist friend paint a photo of you and Cole kissing on the wall opposite her cell, she’d be forced to stare at it, be reminded every second, of every day that she didn’t break you,” Sam tells her. Shayla pulls away from me and runs into her brother's arms. Sam wraps his strong arm around her neck and kisses her temple while she sobs into his shoulder. “I'll destroy anyone that hurts my baby sister. I told her I would make her disappear, and I did.”

Shayla pulls back and looks up at her big brother. “Thank you.” She whispers, and he smiles playfully knocks his fist on her chin.

“Always got your back, kiddo.” He declares earnestly, and she smiles with a nod.

“I know, and I love you for it.” Sam kisses her forehead.

“And I love you, Sis.” Shayla sighs, and Aimee slings an arm around her shoulder, and they walk inside.

“Hallelujah, the witch is dead!” Aimee chirps, making Shayla laugh. Sam and Josh turn to me, and I smile, watching her.

“Are you going to tell her you went to see Sophie?” Josh questions, and I shake my head.

“Nah,” I smile and look at him. “Sam was right. The painting of us slowly drove Sophie crazy enough to take her own life, which is all I wanted. If she knew there was another threat to her life, she’d be living each day on edge.” I explain, rubbing the back of my neck tiredly. “It’s finally over, and she doesn’t need to know what went on behind the scenes to make it happen. Thanks to both of you, we can finally put this shit to bed and enjoy the rest of our lives.” I sigh, relieved, and they nod. We exchange hugs and all head back inside to our wives and kids.

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