Chapter 25
ABEL
Being in jail isn’t so bad, really. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t end up here sooner, but I’m not mad I’m here now.
There are worse things to be locked up for, and beating on a pedophile definitely isn’t one of them.
They call my name and let me know my bond’s been posted. I have a feeling the charges are going to get dropped, but even if they don’t, I honestly don’t care. Having this on my record isn’t something that bothers me.
I follow the guard out to get my things, and then, I see him. He’s in crutches with a purple wrapped cast, and frankly, he looks like shit, but he’s here. And so are Elise and Gabe, and my heart squeezes painfully inside my chest.
They’re here.
For me.
They’ve got paperwork in their hands, and when I finally reach them, Peris hauls me against him. It knocks us both off balance, but Gabe rights us with his hand on Peris’s shoulder, and Peris hugs me in the middle of the county jail. And it’s amazing.
He digs his nose into my hair and breathes deeply enough for me to feel his large inhale before he exhales hot and heavy against me.
“You’re fucking crazy, runt.”
“Crazy for you,” I mutter against his throat, and he snorts.
“What am I gonna do with you?”
“Fuck me, preferably,” I breathe softly, and Gabe takes a step back.
“Woah, oh. I am not a part of this conversation, thank you.” And then, he starts walking toward the doors.
Peris leans down and kisses me—hard. I lose my breath as he steals it from my lungs.
“I can’t believe you did that for me,” he says against my lips when he finally pulls back and rests his forehead against mine. His hair tickles my face.
My throat feels closed off as I rasp, “I would do anything for you. Don’t you see that?”
“I do now,” he whispers. And that’s when I feel it. The tightening in my chest that bursts at those words. I believe him.
And isn’t that crazy. To know and believe and be in love with someone.
To be willing to do and go through anything for them, consequences be damned.
I’ve never felt that way for anyone before.
And here I am, bonded out of jail for Peris fucking Baxter.
Peris leans down to kiss me again, and I flush when Gabe lets out a loud whoop.
“Come on, jail birdie, let’s go get some breakfast!” Gabe shouts down the long hall, and if my face wasn’t hot before, it sure as shit is now. I hiss as him, but he probably can’t hear me over his own galivanting.
“Might as well try to ignore him. He’s just trying to get a rise out of you.”
“I know. He’s a fucking brat.”
Peris snorts as he shifts on his crutches. “That’s ironic coming from you.”
“Fuck you,” I snap playfully, and he shoots me a wicked grin when I hold the door open for him.
As I step out into the fresh January air, I realize how stuffy and stagnant it is in there, and I breathe it in readily.
“Where are we going for breakfast?” I ask when we get to the car. I help Peris into the front seat, holding his crutches as he dips down, and then handing them to him.
“Thanks, puppy.” I lean down to kiss him before closing the door because how can I not? And when I stand back up, I catch Elise’s smile on the other side of the car, and I flush all over again.
“Let’s get pancakes,” she says. “With lots of syrup,” she adds with a wink before getting in the driver’s seat, and I smile, knowing she added that just for me. I get in behind Peris and buckle my belt.
I’ve honestly never felt better in my life despite the last twelve hours.
They came for me… my family.
They got me out, and we’re going to fucking breakfast to celebrate, and it all feels so surreal, but it’s happening.
Peris thanked me and kissed me… and fuck.
This is really my life now.
I lean forward in the seat until my ear is pressed against the head rest by the seat belt.
“I love you, Peris,” I whisper to him, and I watch blood bloom on his cheeks as Elise pulls out of the parking lot and onto the main road.
He clears his throat, then swallows. “I love you, too, Abel.”
“You should. I went to jail for you,” I snark.
Peris scoffs. “If not for me then for some other nefarious reason sooner or later.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” I add. “But not this time, though.”
“No…” he looks back at me, eyes soft. “Not this time.”
Breakfast is a riotous affair. Gabe and Peris seem to be on their own level as they snipe back and forth at each other, and I watch with complete and utter awe.
I’ve never seen Peris act so…
So fun.
“He seems so happy today,” Elise says from beside me, and I look up at her.
Her eyes are soft, and she tucks a piece of her dark hair behind her ear.
She’s watching Peris and Gabe fuck with each other on the other side of the round table with what I imagine that typical mother look would be, and it’s so sweet.
“He does,” I reply softly, gaze dragging back over to him as well, unable to stray for long.
“What you did, Abel…”
“It was nothing,” I reply firmly, tightening my grip on my fork. Our food is about gone, and we’ve merely been conversing and hanging out, but I’ve been sneaking bites here and there because it’s too damn good. And so sweet.
I feel like it’s been too long since I’ve indulged in so much sugar.
“It wasn’t nothing,” Elise replies firmly, and I shake my head. I don’t really want to talk about it.
“It was everything,” Peris cuts in softly but firmly, eyes intent on me, and I flush.
I guess we’re fucking talking about it.
“It was badass—so I’m told,” Gabe adds with a wink, and I can’t help but snort. I roll my eyes at him but duck my head down. I don’t want to be praised, damnit. I just… I just protected my family… Like any of them would have and have done in the past.
And that’s when it hits me… like really.
I have a family to protect.
A whole, honest to God fucking family.
I glance up and roam my eyes over the three of them. They’re all looking at me differently. Elise with a soft smile like always, Gabriel with a smirk, and Peris… he’s staring at me like he wants to make me bleed in the best fucking way.
I shiver involuntarily at that thought as my pulse starts to race just imagining it…
“What’s on your mind, puppy?” Peris asks as he leans across the table, and I flush, eyes darting toward Elise and Gabe, who have now looked away.
“Nothing,” I snap, hating how he just calls me out so easily. So uncaring that anyone can hear.
He really doesn’t have a care in the world who knows anymore, and it’s invigorating.
And terrifying.
Because I don’t know how far he’s willing to go.
But my guess is… far.
“Don’t lie to me, baby,” he drawls, and I shiver. Damnit.
“You know,” I try, “I remember when I used to be the one who unnerved you.”
“Those were the days, weren’t they?” Peris drawls as he leans back against the booth, arms stretched out across the back, as confident as ever, and I want to hit him just as much as I want to kiss him.
He’s changed so much over the last two years, but he’s also exactly the fucking same.
“What happened to you?” I snap, hating how the roles have reversed, and now, I’m the one feeling unsure and… fuck. Am I nervous?
“You left me,” he says easily, shrugging. “That changed quite a lot.”
“Shit,” I hiss, wincing. “Forget I said anything.”
“Why? It’s the truth. No sugar-coating it.”
“Peris…” My face is scrunched in pain. Especially knowing his mother and best friend are listening in.
“It’s over now. Right?” he asks, voice slipping an octave higher, and I nod readily.
“Right.”
“Okay… so, that was crazy!” Gabe chimes as he slaps his hands on the table, making the dishes rattle, and I can’t help but snort. He’s always trying to break the tension, but he is pretty good at it because we all burst into laughter. And fuck, does it feel good.
We all hunch over ourselves laughing until our ribs ache and we can’t breathe.
By the time we’re finally able to catch our breath, the ticket has been dropped off, and the table has been cleared, but none of us have been paying attention.
“Oh, shit,” I say as I wipe the tears from my eyes. I don’t even know why I’m laughing. It just feels good to.
“You fucking kicked him in the balls!” Peris cackles, and that’s when it hits me. We’re releasing this shit. Letting it go.
And of course, we’re being stared at. We’re laughing like fucking hyenas in the middle of a diner, but we don’t care because this is what we need.
Just us, our family, releasing all the bad shit because it’s finally, finally, fucking over.