Chapter 52
Blake
Ethan and I stand side-by-side outside the courthouse waiting for David, who’s speaking to the prosecutor inside about the possible outcome of Sylvia’s competency trial, which just adjourned for deliberations by the judge.
The heavy wooden doors loom behind us, and it’s bitterly cold. They’re even predicting snow—we could be in for a white Christmas tomorrow.
My stomach churns and I keep tapping my fingers against my leg, glancing over at Ethan. He catches my eye and gives me a reassuring look, one that makes me feel grounded, despite my nerves.
“He did great sitting through that,” Ethan says quietly, reaching out to take the tapping hand, stilling it on his own. “Everything he went through as a kid was harrowing, and I’ve got no idea how he even sat in the same room as her.”
I exhale deeply, breath fogging the air in front of me. “Yeah, he was so brave. It can’t have been easy. But he did it.”
The courthouse doors swing open, and David steps out, looking lighter. His face is paler than usual, and there are dark circles under his eyes, but there’s a quiet determination about him, a sense of peace that wasn’t there before. He spots us and walks over.
“How’d it go with the prosecutor?” Ethan asks.
David shrugs, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. “She said it could go either way but to prepare myself that Sylvia might not be deemed competent to go to trial. But honestly, I feel like I’ve already won. No matter the outcome, whether or not we go to trial, I did what I needed to do.” He glances between the two of us. Ever since that night outside the Tavern, he and Ethan have had something almost like a friendship. “I finally spoke up—giving my statement to the police, getting the truth out there. And that’s enough for me.”
There’s a lump in my throat. “I’m so proud of you. You were brave. You’re doing the work.”
He smiles. It’s a little shaky but reflected soul-deep in his eyes. “Yeah, well, therapy’s helping. And being clean. It’s like seeing the world in color again. I’m not saying it’s easy, but I’m feeling better. I’m better.”
I blink back the sting of tears, not wanting to get all emotional on the courthouse steps. “You are better. And things are going to keep improving.”
Ethan steps in closer, clapping David on the shoulder. “You’ve got a lot of people in your corner, man. You’re not doing this alone.”
David’s expression softens. “I know. And thank you both. For everything. You have no idea what it means to have you guys supporting me.”
I glance at Ethan, then back at David. “Come for dinner tonight? We’re meeting the Valiant Hearts boys for a Christmas Eve dinner at the Tavern.”
David grins, his eyes brightening. “I would, but I’ve actually got a date.”
I raise my eyebrows in surprise, then laugh, pulling him into a tight hug. “A date? Look at you.”
He hugs me back. “Yeah, well. It’s time to live again, you know?”
Releasing him, smiling. “I’m so happy for you. Really.”
David says goodbye and heads toward the boardwalk, his stride more confident than I’ve ever seen. My thoughts drift to my dad, how addiction took him from me, how he was never able to dull the pain no matter how many times he got high.
But David faced his pain head-on. He confronted his demons and slayed them, and he’s still standing. Addiction isn’t going to take him, not like it did my dad.
I glance at Ethan beside me, basking in the warmth of his presence despite the frigid air. He’s been there for me in ways I didn’t even know I needed, and it hits me all over again—I confronted my own demons too. When I let Ethan in, when I allowed myself to rely on him, to trust him, it was like I slayed the fear that had been holding me back for so long.
Ethan looks down at me, giving my hand a squeeze. “You okay?”
I smile, feeling more whole than I ever thought possible. “Yeah. I’m more than okay.”
His face grows serious. “Seeing David give his statement to the police, hearing from him what he went through.” He shakes his head. “That just about broke me. We should do it one day, you know, become foster parents. Do something to help all those other kids out there without a safe and loving family.”
“We should,” I reply, loving the way we feels on my lips.
He leans in to kiss me, and as the cold wind picks up around us, the world feels fresh, alive in the best way possible.
A few hours later, we’re at dinner with the Valiant Hearts crew, which is always an experience—loud and messy, and tonight is no different. After the grueling months of the oil-spill cleanup, everyone’s in a jovial mood, and the air around the table is filled with a sense of relief, especially after we all had fun last week at the Founder’s Day Festival. There’s a sense of new beginnings, and we’re ready for a fresh start in the new year.
The entire team is here—Ethan, Patrick, Liam, Jake, Mike, Antonio—all crammed into the big corner booth at the Tidal Tavern. Emmy’s here too, and we hug tightly before sitting next to one another, Ethan on my other side.
Plates of burgers, fries and wings are scattered across the table between glasses of beer. As we eat and chat, Ethan’s warm hand wraps around mine under the table. He gives my fingers a gentle squeeze, and I glance over at him, taking in his impossibly handsome face, his broad shoulders as he tells the boys about the charter boat he took out on the weekend, he and Liam getting louder and more animated as they talk over one another.
We’re not the only raucous table—the Tavern is packed tonight, Christmas lights strung along the walls and over the bar, while the air smells like pine and cinnamon. Lucy waves at me from the bar, and there’s a cozy, familiar feeling of being surrounded by the people I love.
Patrick’s voice booms across the table, pulling my attention. “Hey, Carter, remember when we were at the wetlands and you had that little tantrum? I thought you were going to throw your shovel clear across the marsh. Maybe even at me. Did you ever tell Blake about that?”
Ethan raises an eyebrow as he sips his drink. “Oh, you mean right after you forgot to check the booms and oil leaked into the wetlands, doubling our work-load? Yeah, real heroic moment for you, O’Connor.”
Patrick grins, leaning back in his chair. “Hey, gotta keep everyone on their toes.”
“Yeah, well, next time, how about you focus on keeping the oil out of the wetlands and less on testing us, huh?”
“Hey, hard work builds character, right? I’m just making sure you guys get plenty of chances to work on yourselves.” Patrick shoots Ethan a wink.
Emmy rolls her eyes, catching my gaze, before leaning in close, her voice low so only I can hear. “I swear, it’s like watching two kids in a playground.”
She shakes her head, and we both laugh at the same time. It’s the kind of ribbing that never ends with these two—they’ve been going back and forth like this for as long as I’ve known them, and they’ve had their ups and downs, especially after Danny died. But for the first time in a while, things between them seem good.
I lean back in my chair, smiling as Jake talks about his daughter Adele’s thirteenth birthday party. He’s such a good dad, so focused on doing right by his daughter. I really hope he meets someone nice soon.
Liam clears his throat, leaning in closer to Ethan. “I’ve been thinking about the business and our plans for next year.”
Ethan raises an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? What about it?”
“Well, you know how we’ve been running our skydiving operation solo for a while now,” Liam says. “I was thinking it might be time to expand. There’s a couple of operators in the area we could partner with. If we join forces, we could double the number of jumps we do each season. Maybe even offer more advanced training, get people certified.”
Ethan’s expression shifts, a flicker of discomfort crossing his face. He leans back slightly, his hand rubbing absentmindedly at his jaw as he considers Liam’s suggestion. “I don’t know. Partnering with other operators... It’s a big move.”
Liam looks encouraged by the fact that Ethan hasn’t outright rejected the idea. “I get that. But think about it—we could grow, reach more people. It doesn’t have to mean giving up control, just collaborating. We’d still be in charge.”
Ethan’s quiet for a moment, his gray eyes focused on the table as he weighs the pros and cons. I can tell he’s torn. He’s proud of what he’s built, and the thought of letting others in probably doesn’t sit well with him. But he’s not the same person he used to be, and part of him knows Liam’s right—there’s potential here.
Finally, he nods slowly. “Alright. I’m open to hearing more about it. Let’s talk after the holidays.”
Liam’s face breaks into a grin, clearly pleased that Ethan’s even considering it. “Sounds good, man.”
I give Ethan’s hand a squeeze under the table. He glances at me, and there’s a look in his eyes that makes my stomach flip. Leaning against him, feeling the solid muscle beneath his shirt, it’s a reminder of how strong and steady he is, how safe I feel with him.
Jake raises his glass. “Lads and ladies, I have a million presents to wrap for a certain newly minted teenager before the night is up. I just want to raise a toast to the best group of friends anyone could ask for. And to an awesome Christmas and New Year!”
“Here, here,” Antonio chimes in, raising his glass.
We all raise our glasses, clinking them together. There’s something about this moment—about being here with everyone, with Ethan beside me—that feels as close to perfect as life can get, like everything has fallen into place.
As the conversations continue, I catch Ethan’s gaze and hold it. He returns it with a quiet look, one that says everything we don’t need words for—how much he loves me, how much he’ll always be there.
And I know I’ll always be there for him too.
Soon it’s time to go home. Lucy is closing tonight. I’ve been training her as an assistant manager so I can spend more time project managing the emergency accommodation for foster kids, and it’s been nice to get a couple of nights off a week to hang out with Bandit and Ethan.
The warmth of the Tavern fades as we step outside. I breathe in deeply. It’s late, and the town has grown quiet, the kind of stillness that only comes on Christmas Eve, most people at home in their warm living rooms wrapping presents. A faint glow comes from the street lamps, casting soft halos over the boardwalk, which has been cleared of the last of the Founder’s Day Festival decorations.
Something floats past me and I look up at the sky, noticing the first few flakes of snow drifting lazily down, catching in my hair and on the shoulders of Ethan’s jacket.
“Look,” I say softly, tilting my head toward the sky.
We stop walking and Ethan follows my gaze. “Snow on Christmas Eve. Now that’s some timing.”
He pulls me closer, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as the snow picks up, the flakes falling faster, coating the ground with a light dusting. It’s the kind of moment that feels almost too beautiful to be real.
I tilt my head to look up at him. There’s something about the way the snowflakes catch in his dark hair, how his gray eyes seem to soften in the glow of the lights, that makes my heart race against the cage of my ribs.
The kiss is soft, tender and sweet, his lips warm against mine as the snow continues to fall around us. I can feel him smile into the kiss, his arms pulling me closer until I’m pressed against him, the world around us disappearing in a blur of snowflakes and moonlight.
When we finally pull apart, both of us breathless, I rest my forehead against his chest. “This is… I don’t even know what to say. It’s perfect.”
Ethan’s hand moves to my cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray snowflake. “You’re perfect,” he murmurs, his voice rough with emotion. “I can’t believe I get to be here with you. Like this.”
I look up at him, my heart so full it feels like it might burst. “I love you, Ethan. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.”
He leans down to kiss me again, the snow swirling around us.