Chapter 34
THIRTY-FOUR
The sunglasses on my face prevent the sunlight from hitting my eyes, and although it’s only spring, I can’t help but feel almost too warm. I’m standing outside of my car, a bouquet of flowers in my hands, impatiently tapping my foot against the ground.
My eyes fall to my watch, noticing that Blair should be out any minute. Fuck, those minutes somehow feel longer than these two months without her. My heart is anxiously awaiting for the moment I’ll finally be able to hold my Butterfly again and this time, I am never letting her go.
The gates of the rehabilitation center open, and there she stands, with nothing but a small duffle bag in her hands.
She’s wearing the clothes I brought yesterday, though it was all picked out by Aria and Mom.
A sundress, Blair’s favorite pair of shoes, and the ribbon that she adores.
The moment her eyes find mine, a wide grin spreads on her face.
The duffle bag falls to the ground, immediately forgotten, as she runs into my arms. I open them, running towards her and wrapping my arms around her.
“Butterfly,” I mutter, inhaling her scent deeply. The grip on her tightens, and I’m barely able to contain myself. Two months without Blair were a fucking nightmare. Her body trembles against mine, and when she lifts her chin up, my heart clenches at the sight of tears in her eyes.
“Arlo,” she breathes out.
I waste no time, my free hand cupping her cheek and planting my lips on hers.
Blair responds quickly, kissing me back with a passion that I didn’t realize I’d missed this badly.
The taste of her, the way her lips move against mine all make me want to whisk her away and never show her again, to keep her completely mine forever.
She pulls back, licking her bottom lip. “I’ve missed you.”
I kiss her forehead. “I’ve missed you more, Butterfly.”
She chuckles, stepping back, her eyes finding the flowers. “Is that for me?”
A small grin forms on my face, and she doesn’t wait for me to give her the flowers, she all but snatches them out of my hands, bringing her nose to the heads for a small sniff. I opted for Orchids, because they’re truly beautiful, and Blair seems to love them.
“They’re beautiful,” she murmurs. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Let’s go.”
I open the passenger door for her, and when she’s seated nicely, I buckle her up. Before returning to the driver’s side, I grab the duffle bag she threw down, tossing it in the backseat, then driving off.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, taking her hand in mine, entwining our fingers together, and bringing her knuckles to my lips.
She smiles. “I’m perfect now. I can’t wait to get home.”
“About that,” I glance at her sideways. “We’re actually going home.”
She lifts a brow. “The penthouse?”
“The penthouse, Butterfly.”
Blair all but squeals, the happiness and excitement evident on her face. Her eyes are shining as brighter than they ever have, and it warms me on the inside knowing that starting today, her life truly begins.
“What did I miss?”
“I’m assuming Aria didn’t tell you anything?”
Blair shakes her head. “Not at all. She didn’t want to overwhelm me.”
“Then, let’s just start with the fact that Arnault reached out to me.”
Blair’s body tenses for a moment, then she relaxes. “Oh? What did he want?”
“Just to let me know he’ll no longer be an issue. Speaking of issues, Amy’s been admitted to a psych ward, and I don’t think she’ll be leaving anytime soon.”
A frown appears on Blair’s face. “What? How did that even happen?”
“Well, she claimed her name was Amy Marshall, and not Blair Hawke. However, her fingertips and everything else matches Blair Hawke, so no one believed her. She got admitted for an evaluation, and they decided it would be better to keep her in there for the foreseeable future.”
“Is that smart? She’s a trained killer, she might find a way out.”
“Don’t worry, I already put security in place, just in case.”
Blair sighs in relief, her shoulders relaxing. “Anything else?”
“Theodosia reached Greece a while ago. She’s safe, she’s in therapy, and she’s slowly working towards healing herself.”
Blair smiles, though it's more to herself. “I’m glad to hear that. What happened with Alexander’s wife, and well, my half-brother?”
I sigh. “After you killed Paul, and went to rehab, Aria took it upon herself to release everything she had on Woods, Hawke, Flint, and Adams. That just turned Arnault toward those households, and although they’re all dead, the Hawke family won’t be the same.
All accounts got frozen, and Alexander’s wife, and son were left with nothing. ”
“What was their involvement in this entire thing?” Blair asks. “I was never able to find out anything.”
“His wife was clueless,” I take a left turn, then glance briefly at her. “And his son, well… He’s just a child, Blair. He had no idea his father was a monster.”
“I figured,” she mumbles. “That’s why I feel kind of bad for everything happening to them.”
I hum. “I knew you would. I took it upon myself to send Theon Hawke to a boarding school.”
Blair’s eyes widen. “I’m sorry?”
I chuckle. “Are you upset?”
“No, I’m thankful. I’ll never meet him, but he’s still my brother, after all. He’s just a teenager, he’s not to blame for his father’s actions. I’m just surprised. Which boarding school?”
“Well,” I chuckle, “it’s more of a private school kind of thing. I sent him to Saint Valley.”
“Lucky bastard,” Blair mutters bitterly, and I laugh. “I want to go to Saint Valley, too!”
“I can make it happen.”
“No need,” she snorts. “I’d fail every single exam possible. But hey, if he’s smart enough to stay in Saint Valley, he probably deserves it.”
“But you know what that means?”
Blair raises a brow. “What does it mean?”
“You’re going to finish high school.”
She groans, and it resembles a whine. “Do I have to?”
“Yes,” I drawl out, trying not to laugh. “And if you want afterwards, you can go to a university of your choosing.”
“What’s next, I’ll have to get a driver’s license?" She mocks.
“Absolutely. You have to.”
“No,” she protests. “I have you as my personal driver.”
I roll my eyes. “Fine, I can drop that. I won’t drop you finishing high school, though.”
Finally, we reach the building, and I enter the underground parking, making sure my spot is empty, before parking the car. Blair hops out of the car before I can utter a word, and I sigh, shaking my head in amusement.
She waits for me by the elevator. She’s impatient as hell, glaring at me, as if to silently tell me to move my ass quicker.
During the ride up, she has this wide smile on her face, and I know it’s one of the things I want to protect.
I want to see that smile every single day, for the rest of our lives.
The moment the door of the penthouse opens, Blair steps inside.
Aria, Dad, Mom, Freya, and a couple of other people from the organization jump out, greeting her loudly. The smile only widens on her face when she sees the decorations, the cake, and all the people who have shown up for her.
I linger behind, leaning against the wall, just observing the scene. Arson is sitting at the top of the piano, clearly pissed off that the place is crowded, but this entire scene is just proof that everything is finally over.
And we’re home.