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“Wrong again, sho ive me, but she’ll thank s” I scratched un and stood up “But just in case, you’re right, I won’t kill you” I holstered h of relief

I turned around, knowing full as going to happen next I’d only taken two steps toward the door when I heard the sound of a single gunshot

“Jake will”

Doe/Ray

One Month Later

I spent time with Nikki’s parents as soon as I was able I needed for the a high, but as a friend, protecting her very best friend, until her very last breath

We laid Nadine to rest near Nikki, and just like at Preppy’s funeral, I gave the eulogy for the wo back at all the times Nadine defended my father, all the times she stood by him when his oife hadn’t, I couldn’t help but think that maybe the two of them had more than an employee/employer relationship

My mother hadn’t officially split, but when the word traveled to wherever she had secluded herself about Tanner and Nadine and what had happened that night, she’d just never come back

Nobody cared

And in the end, when it really counted, my father turned out to be a real father after all

We were standing in the bathrooes on my back over my burns Since it had to be done three ti research on tattooing over scars and visited the artist who had done some of the work for Jake’s wife, who had scars all over her body and tattoos covering a lot of them He had a sketch ready for me, but I wasn’t ready to look at it just yet I still had to shut e, not yet able to come to terms with my ruined skin But when I was healed, both physically andbeautiful over soly

I was in rough shape for a couple of weeks, but I was finally starting to feel like ain and just in time too, because in less than twenty-four hours, ould become full-time parents

“I took the last of the boxes down to the Goodwill,” King said, pressing his lips into my neck

It would’ve taken King only a few hours to clear out Preppy’s stuff fros, or push them aside like it was a job that needed to be done Bear felt the sahts holed up in Preppy’s roo about old ti high, and doing God only knoith the whatever they may have found stashed in Preppy’s room

It was done, and Preppy’s room had all been cleared out Just in ti on all of our parts, but with the help of Tanner’s parents, who I had to reassure ato be cut out of Sa to live with us in theI didn’t want to rip hiood for anyone Plus, I’d needed time to heal The last feeeks had been a transition, not just for Sa home today, especially now that I’m mobile,” I said

“Sos come tothings,” King said, giving my waist a squeeze My stomach fluttered and I’m not sure if it was his words, or the baby I clasped ’s reflection in the mirror I couldn’t help but think about Max and what could’ve been

“I see that look, and knohat you’re thinking, Pup But you have to stop focusing on the bad shit We’ve done enough of that Max will have a good fa she could ever want Yeah, it fucking sucks, and there isn’t a second that goes by that I don’t want to be in her life, but she’s been through enough shit as it is She doesn’t need to spend the next fifteen years in foster care just because I was too fucking selfish to sign off on her having a real life or because I wanted to fight the systeet anywhere Besides, when she’s older, maybe she’ll want to ets heavy insaid