Page 132 of The Last Ones Standing, Part Two

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Gio

“God, that was good,” I say and wipe my mouth.

“It was,” Ny hums as she takes her last bite. “So what do you guys have planned for the rest of the night?”

“You up for some journaling?”

“I’m game. I’ll clean up. One of you want to get them?”

“I’ve got the dishes. You go relax,” Jace says.

“I’ll get the journals,” I add.

“Okay.”

Getting up, I stretch before I turn and head for the bedroom where we keep the box with the three journals inside. Rubbing my well-fed stomach, I look around the room.

I shrug and start to undress to get comfortable. Heading into my closet, I put on a pair of sweats and opt for no shirt. With a smile on my face, I head back out into the bedroom and grab the box and the bag with the candles Jace placed in the accent chair.

When I get back out to the living room, Jace takes the box and hands me a lighter to light the candles. I note he has the glass fireplace already going, the blue-and-black glass casting a glow into the space.

“Thanks,” I say and begin to spread the candles out and light them.

I made sure to get her favorite scent and tipped the girl in the store to keep some on reserve for me. I want to remember to do more things like this for Ny. Jace’s call came right as I was thinking about doing something.

“Oh, this bottle is different from the one we had with dinner. I like it,” Ny sings as she holds up her wineglass and swirls it.

“I knew we should have gotten two of that one,” Jace says.

“I wasn’t sure we were going to like it. They tend to be too dry sometimes. It’s not my favorite brand.”

“It’s not too dry, but I can see what you mean. It’s close,” Ny says.

I grab the box and move to sit on the rug in front of the fireplace with the two of them. We sit in a little triangle. So many fond memories come to me. Back then, I never thought I’d be the man I am.

I take out my journal as I’m thinking and hand Jace and Ny theirs. Pulling the pen from the front of mine, I begin.

I think a lot about your fears. Both of you. I hate that you fear anything. I want you to have what your heart desires. I don’t know a life without you and wouldn’t want to.

You’ve kept all my secrets and called me on my shit throughout life. Ask anything of me and I’ll make it yours. All I ask in return is for you to trust me. I’ve got us.

I won’t lie to you. Sometimes I’m going to do things you don’t like. Trust that it’s coming from the right place.

Don’t be mad, I’ve been looking at houses. I think I found us one. We can go see it together.

We all stop writing at the same time. I hand my journal to the left toward Jace, and Ny passes me hers before taking Jace’s. I open it up to the page her pen is stuck in and begin to read.

I smile as I read. Ny gasps. “Jace let me see what he wrote.”

I take Jace’s journal from Ny as he hands mine over. I read Jace’s and we all burst into laughter.

“You owe me a thousand bucks, by the way,” Ny says to Jace. She looks to me, smiling. “We knew you would look for houses without us. We were waiting.”

“How could we all have written almost the same thing?” Jace says.

That’s exactly what we did. We’ve been so in tune, I’m not surprised at all.

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