Chapter 18 #2
“I’m sure you have a mug that says it somewhere. Probably a gift from Teagan or Finnian.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” I mumbled.
“There’s usually more than a few people on this trail. I guess we hit it at an off time. But I thought you’d like the creek.”
“But this is Ashford Creek, right?”
“It’s part of Ashford Creek, but the one that the town’s named after is the one that bisects Main Street.”
“Hence why there’s Main Street South and Main Street North.”
“And that’s not confusing at all for tourists who’re trying to figure out where to park,” I said dryly.
“Thankfully, you can pretty much walk the entire town without getting tired.”
“But then they don’t know how to parallel park, or they go the wrong way down a one-way street, or get in a fight with the geese that are trying to take up their space.”
“One never fights with a goose.”
“Is that another mug I need?”
She leaned into me, laughing. “Yes. That sounds about right.”
She finally let out a breath as we made our way to the edge of the creek, the sun glinting off the flowing water.
“I have to leave in two days, Bodhi.”
I felt like the world fell beneath my feet, my chest aching, and I turned to her, not letting her go.
“Two days.”
“I have to go back to my life. I thought I was going to take this break to find myself or a place to live, and instead I started off by hiding.”
I leaned forward, cupped her unhurt cheek. “You found a place to heal. Though it still surprises me it was here.”
“You kept me safe.”
I scowled. “The bruises on your face say otherwise.”
“You did. You gave me time. You taught me how to stain furniture.”
“Because that’s going to help you so much in life.”
“You helped me laugh and figure out that it was okay to be weird and want to have everything and nothing. I don’t know. You just let me breathe, Bodhi.”
“You just needed space, Kiera. To figure out what you wanted. And I tried to give that to you.”
“And you have. You truly have. And I don’t want you to think that I’m not grateful.”
My stomach tensed. “I would never think you aren’t.”
“I just don’t know what we’re doing, Bodhi. I didn’t mean for this to happen. For me to fall for you. For you to fall for me.”
I shook my head and let out a breath. “I never want to hold you back. I don’t want to be the person who makes you think you have to stay. Or that leaving will tear us both apart. Because I know there has to be another answer.”
“And I never want you to feel like you can’t stay. This is your normal, Bodhi. You fought so hard to make it your own. Especially after your dad. Your family is here. They need you.”
“But I need you.” I ran my hand through her hair. “I need you. I never thought I’d need anyone else. I was so afraid to do that. Listen to me. I don’t say these fucking words, Kiera. You’re the one with the lyrics.”
“And you sing right along with me.”
“And you can never tell anyone else that. That’s just between us.”
“Always.” I looked into her eyes, and she kissed me softly, but neither one of us said a word for a moment.
“I don’t want to be the person who stands in the way of your family. But I also know I’m not a replacement.” She lifted her chin, and I cursed under my breath.
“You aren’t. Believe me, you aren’t.” I gripped her chin, careful of her wound.
“You stood right by me at that gravesite, and you spoke to Courtney. I can’t erase my family, and I never want to.
But they aren’t the ghosts that haunt me anymore.
I can’t say I’ve moved on because those words feel like I’m erasing them. ”
“And I don’t want you to do that. I promise you I don’t want to do that.”
“I know, Kiera. Your heart is so fucking big that it scares me sometimes. Even for a person in your position, you put your heart and soul into everybody that you meet. You make sure that they know that they are your center of attention. Every person in this town adores you.”
“There are a few people who don’t.”
“Then fuck them. I’ve learned to ignore them. And you have too. But what I’m saying is that I want to find a way to make this work. I want to find a way to be with you, but we need to make it on our terms. I don’t know how to do that. This is uncharted territory for me.”
Her eyes widened, and a smile covered her face. “Really? You want to?”
“What the fuck do you think I’ve just been saying? I love you. I love every part of you. I’m always going to love Courtney. I’m always going to miss her. Just like I’m going to miss Henry and Josie for the rest of my days.”
“And I would do anything to have them alive, you know that, right?” Kiera said quickly.
I leaned down and kissed her softly, whispering against her lips. “I know.”
“I love you. And I don’t want to let you go. So, I would hope Courtney would be okay with a ménage situation. I mean, you could have two wives, and I would be a great second mommy to your kids.”
I heard the humor in her voice, but I just couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
This woman. Of course, this woman would be the only one in the world who could make me laugh with such a heavy subject.
“You know what, in a perfect world, that asshole wouldn’t have taken them from this world.
And I know that Courtney would’ve loved you.
Probably loved you more than she loved me. Just saying. You’re fucking amazing.”
“I think we would’ve worked the whole co-parenting thing out right.
Though I know that you’re not the same person you were when you married her.
Oh, I’m not the same person that I was before I joined the band.
Before Jeremiah. I met you. I love the person you are now.
And I’m never going to let you forget Courtney, Henry, or Josie.
I promise you. No matter what happens, no matter where we go, we’ll make it work. ”
I nodded and ran my hand down her arm. “I know you were searching for your home. For a place to settle down roots, and rest when you’re not on tour. What do you say about making Ashford Creek your home?”
“Really?”
“It doesn’t have to be in my house, but I really want it to be in my house. We can take it slow. Well, slower than we have been. But I want Ashford Creek to be your home.”
“Bodhi, you are my home.”
As my heart leaped, I leaned down and took her lips with my own. “I’ll even leave the house for you, babe. That probably means I can’t get a dog.”
She laughed against my mouth, and then I took her in a greedy kiss, needing her. We didn’t have all the answers; we wouldn’t. But we had a step. And who knew, listening to my family and talking about my feelings might’ve worked. Not that I would ever tell them that.
“You can’t have her. You’re going to kill her just like you did Courtney.
” I heard the shout, tried to understand the words, and then the sound of a sharp boom sliding beside us and hitting the rock near Kiera’s feet pulled us apart.
I whirled to see Nathan calmly walking toward us, hand outstretched with a gun pointing at us.
“Courtney was supposed to be mine. And now you think that the town is just going to forgive you? You don’t get to move on.”
Nathan shot again, and I threw myself in front of Kiera because it wasn’t me he was pointing at. No, it was Kiera. Because Nathan wanted me to live in guilt and shame. And if I were dead, I couldn’t do that.
Nathan shot again, this time the shot going wild, and I tossed myself on top of Kiera, forcing us both to the ground behind a group of rocks.
I pulled her completely beneath me, below the nearest boulder, as Nathan fired the gun for a third time.
But this time, I held back a shout as fire lanced the side of my leg, and I cursed.
“What are you doing? We have to stop him. Get off me. Oh my God, you’re bleeding. Bodhi.”
“I’m fine. Stay down.” I forced myself up, ignoring the blinding pain running down my leg, and kneeled so I could see Nathan.
“Everybody’s going to know this is your fault. You killed your old man. You killed Courtney. They need to see that you are the monster.”
I had no idea what had twisted Nathan this way. He had always been a menace. Someone who harassed us. But he had never been like this. And I didn’t want to know the answer. I wanted him gone.
He couldn’t see exactly where we were behind the rocks, and as he came forward, I moved.
Kiera cursed behind me, and I hoped to God she listened to me and stayed put.
I threw myself at Nathan as soon as his back was toward me, and the other man fell to the ground.
I ignored the blood and ache rolling through my body.
I knew I would deal with that later. Nathan hit the ground but didn’t let go of the gun.
“Fuck you!”
“Stop. Just stop.” We wrestled on the ground, both of us reaching for the gun, and then I fell to my back. Nathan, slightly bigger than me, wrapped his free hand around my neck.
“I hate you.”
I had gotten that, and I had no idea why. All that mattered was that Kiera was safe. I kicked at Nathan, and he fell to his side, the gun still in his hand. But when he tried to aim it at me, I lifted my elbow, getting Nathan in the chin.
We rolled a few more times, both of us shoving at each other. And when Nathan went to aim the gun at my face again, I knew it wasn’t enough.
This was going to be the end.
But as long as Kiera was safe, that was all that mattered.
And then Nathan fell on top of me, the sound of a crack echoing through the small clearing, as the gun fell out of his hand, and I looked up to see Kiera standing there, a very large branch in her hands, her eyes wide, and she practically shook.
I shoved Nathan off of me, kicked the gun away, and pulled and tried to stand up.
However, this time I realized that I was still bleeding. And yes, I had been shot.
“Oh my God. Bodhi!” Kiera dropped the stick and threw herself on me as she put her hands over the wound, trying to stop the blood. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“I have the same question for you,” I grit out, black dots dancing around my eyes.
This wasn’t good.
“Bodhi!” I turned to the right a little too quickly, and I nearly fell back, with only Kiera keeping me up. Thatcher and Keely ran toward us, Keely on her phone, a gun in Thatcher’s hand.
Good, Kiera would be safe. And that was all that mattered. And as she kissed my forehead, trying to keep me awake, I let the darkness come.
It was over. Finally.