Chapter 45- Ace
Chasing Cars - Tommee Profitt, Fleurie
* * *
Not a single car has passed us on the highway and we must have been out here for at least an hour. I turn the engine over, still scanning my surroundings. I can't quite put my finger on it but something else is at work here. Something greater than us.
Holding onto her like she’s oxygen, we drive past the deputy's vehicles parked to the side of the road and start the journey back like we did all those years ago. This has been some weird sort of full circle moment, living the horrors of the past so we can close the door on them forever.
We’re in this low basin part of the highway, two small hills keeping the outside world from view and as we reach the highest point I see a couple of trucks blocking the road further down, a line of cars waiting behind them. Slowing my pace, I drop down a gear as we cruise forward until I make out the familiar stature of my best friend standing in the middle of the highway. His arms are crossed and his wife exits the truck behind him. Their small boy breaking free, trying to run to his dad. Mila waves out and even from this distance, I can see Dante try and shoo her and Henry back to his truck. A low chuckle escapes me and I look to Nova who stares on in disbelief, grinning at the sight before us.
“They really are our family, aren't they? I can't believe they came all the way here to help,”
she says in wonderment. I think Novas just realised now, that our little family has had a few extra members for a while now. That the people out there love and support her as much as she does them. That she's worthy of it.
Her brow furrows and she looks at me, “Do they know? Do they know what happened back then ... and now?”
“Honestly, darlin'. I don't think they do. They just know you needed them. That we needed them, and they must have dropped everything at the first sign of trouble.”
A sob escapes her and she wipes her face on my sleeve as we come to a stop.
“Nova, I love you but I'm sure there's snot on my sleeve now. Need to keep up with the Joneses and all that”
I say, exaggerating wiping my shirt, trying to get a smile out of her.
Rolling her eyes, she smiles and a part of me falls in love with her all over again.
“You’re such a dork,”
she says, opening the passenger door and quickly checking in with me that it's safe. I'm under no illusions that Dante or Porter would not be out in the open if it wasn't, and I trust them with my life.
I trust them with Novas.
Dante steps to the side, Mila rushing from behind him with Henry firmly in her arms. Porter's car is haphazardly parked behind Dantes and I can see two figures inside when the passenger door is suddenly thrown open and Charlie starts running towards us.
“He’s a bloody tyrant! Wouldn't let me out of the damn car!”
Charlie sasses, scowling back at Porter as he storms toward us chasing her. I can see the dagger tip wrapped in his finger and another laugh rumbles from me.
Mila and Charlie are fussing over Nova, hugging and checking her over. It's like my senses can finally relax a little knowing my friends are here.
“Do I want to ask why the women are here or can I assume you were both strong armed by them?”
I question, slapping Dante on the back.
“Mila stole my keys and made it halfway down the driveway after Porter called. I had to take the dirt bike to cut her off,”
Dante grumbled.
“Charlie almost stabbed my balls after checking the house because I said I’d drop her home. We came up with a loose plan after the sheriff got in touch. We blocked this end and I called Hades over in Hallowed Springs to block the other side.”
Porter's explanation fills in a lot of blanks for me about how this even came about.
“What was the plan if things went south?”
I question. Shrugging their shoulders Dante explains he has fourteen assorted weapons hidden in the panels of his truck and Porter just says, “I have a grenade launcher in the boot.”
I think it's one of the few times I've truly been shocked by Porter. I knew his family was Mafia, but a grenade launcher?
“I don't want to know why you have that in your boot but I do want to know if we can use it in a week or two? I have a target I want to check on.”
Both men raise an eyebrow and nod in agreement. An unshared conversation with men equally obsessed with their woman.
Seth's vehicle comes into view, blue and red lights flashing as the other deputies follow behind. I overhear Porter making a phone call, telling Hades the road is open again and I make a mental note that I owe him a favour after the help he has given me today. Stopping beside my truck, Seth wastes no time giving Nova another hug, storming over to her, making sure she is alright. Whispering words of encouragement as she holds on to him tightly.
It's over.
***
“And that's basically everything that happened.”
Nova's voice is strong as she tells our friends everything that happened, right back to how we first met. They stare at her, shocked. Charlie climbs onto Porter's lap and I can see her whisper into his ear, his eyes are scrunched and I swear I heard Lila’s name. The horrors of his past rearing their head. Mila cries silently, leaning into Dante's shoulder as a sleeping Henry lies across his lap. That kid has the ability to sleep anywhere except during the night but I'm glad he's not awake to witness the sadness in the air.
We returned to my house as soon as she said hers was tainted. In a way that was all the explanation I needed. Different people need different things when trauma hits and while Mila had no problem returning to my house after everything that happened to her, Nova wants nothing to do with her own.
We are all sitting around the living room when Seth joined us far later than expected. There was an incident at the motel and he needed to help the family staying there. I remember him mentioning them when we got back to town after our honeymoon, but that feels like a lifetime ago now.
“Mila? You look a little pale. Are you alright? I'm sorry if I've triggered you,”
Nova says timidly, taking hold of the hand I have resting on her thigh.
“Oh my god no. It's not that. Thank you for sharing your past with us, Nova, I appreciate the vulnerability it took to explain everything.”
We all look at her, the last of the colour in her face draining before she grabs the half empty bowl of chips on the coffee table, throwing them on the floor before vomiting in it. “Mr super Sperm over there knocked me up again, the bastard.”
Loud cheers ring out and hugs ensue while Charlie takes a pen and paper from the counter to start making an action plan over who can help out with Henry. Dante is fussing over Mila, looking back to Henry now sleeping on the couch. Meanwhile, Porter is adamant there will not be a sleepover this time around. I can't help but chime in that we should take on a new job before the baby comes. A universal NO being shouted back at me. This weird sense of normalcy has taken over and I can't quite express how much it makes everything better. This idea that the horrors of our past not getting a say in how we thrive in the future.
After everyone returns home, Seth insists on sleeping in the spare room in case I need backup. I can't say I blame him. I wouldn't want to leave her if the shoe was on the other foot and even though I wouldn't admit it to his face, it's nice having the old codger around. I'm following strict concussion guidelines from Charlie. Even though it's not my first rodeo with head injuries, I'm watching Nova closely for any signs that something is wrong after getting kicked in the head today. Every time I look at her makes me see red and I might resurrect the bastard just to kill him all over again for what he managed to do to her.
Easing into bed after tenderly washing every part of my wife's body in the shower, I can see she's working something over in her head. No doubt the day's events storming through.
“Do you want to talk about it, love? You know you can tell me anything?”
She lets out a sigh, her fingers rubbing my chest leisurely. “Is it that obvious?”
“You have had a bit of a day. It would be expected that you feel a bit all over the place,”
I say, trying to encourage the conversation.
“Is it weird if I say I'm not thinking about that? I just ... I think I'm so tired of having it in the back of my head for the past several years. After everything that happened today, on top of finding out Thad and Tobias were in on it, I just don't want to waste any more time living in those memories. I want to move forward, really move on this time. I want us to grow our family and live each day for the things that make us happy. Everything else can fuck off.”
Her voice is confident in its delivery and as we lie here in almost near darkness with only the faint glow of the barn security lights shining through the curtains I’m acutely aware of how much she has let go. The fact that she can even function with how little light there is, is huge.
“It's dark out? You want me to flick on the bathroom light for you?”
“I don't think I do. Bad things happened to me in the dark and today bad things happened to me in the light. I'm strong enough now Ace. As long as I have you nothing will scare me like that again ... I love you, husband.”
I pull her onto my chest and she turns her head to listen to my heartbeat. A little thing I noticed she started doing on our honeymoon.
“This only beats for you, Nova,”
I say, wrapping her in my arms. “I love you, wife. In this life and all the others, I love you.”
A comfortable silence envelops us but there's one thing she said that I need just a little clarification on.
“Darlin'?”
“Hmmm.”
“You want to grow our family huh?”
“I was wondering if you picked up on that,”
she says, turning her head and planting a kiss right over my heart.
“I was thinking more like a fur baby.”
“Hmmmm, alright, let's do it ... If you ever want skin babies would you be open to adopting? I’d just really like to give a kid out there a chance. One that I never got.”
I try to hide the wobble in my voice. I never thought the day would end with us talking about expanding our family but in a way, we’ve known each other so long that if we wanted to dive into those next stages then it wouldn't be the craziest thing I ever heard.
“Ace, you can't call them skin babies. It's like they’re little demon babies running around without clothes.”
“I'll tell Dante you referred to their new baby as a demon.”
I chuckle.
Gasping, she lightly slaps my chest. “Don't you dare! He’ll give me food poisoning or something as payback.”
Dragging my fingers leisurely up and down her spine.
I listen to her breathing change and feel her body relax into me as sleep takes over.
The house creaks as the wind picks up outside and I’m content.
Grateful for the lifetime I will get to spend with this woman, unworried about anything that life might try to throw at us because ours was a love written in the light of day.