Epilogue
Riven
Six Months Later…
The world kept turning. Funny how it does that after everything ends.
The lake shimmered gold beneath the afternoon sun while music drifted softly from somebody’s speaker near the picnic tables.
Warm wind rolled through the trees surrounding the lake, carrying the smell of sunscreen, gasoline, charcoal, and summer water.
We took it for a joyride, deciding we needed a change of scenery while we worked. The hood was still open, engine half-disassembled, and tools scattered everywhere. Naturally, Nadia blamed me for the mess. Also, naturally, most of the mess was hers.
Hypocrite.
She stood between my legs with her back against my chest, eyes closed while sunlight warmed her face. One of my button-ups hung off her shoulders, sleeves rolled to her elbows, because
apparently stealing my clothes became a permanent personality trait after the wedding.
Not that I was complaining. Her hair moved softly in the breeze while her mother’s necklace rested against sun-bronzed skin. She was alive. Still sometimes couldn’t believe that.
“You’re staring again.” She murmured without opening her eyes.
“You’re pretty.”
“That sounds emotionally suspicious coming from you.” I chuckled and slid one arm around her waist automatically, looking out across the lake.
Deck and Isla sat farther down near the shoreline rocks with their daughter balanced between them.
Mila laughed wildly every time Deck bounced her gently against his knee while Isla pretended not to cry every time their baby smiled.
Deck absolutely cried more than Isla did, though. Important distinction.
“Careful,” Isla warned while Mila tried eating lake rocks.
“She inherited your survival instincts.” Deck looked offended.
“She’s thriving.”
“She’s consuming gravel.”
Nearby, Abby sat on Hatchie’s shoulders in the middle of the lake, screaming threats at Skylar, who balanced on Shane’s shoulders, looking equally homicidal.
“You’re going down!”
“You said that ten minutes ago!”
“It’s called strategy!”
“No, it’s called drowning with extra steps!”
A second later, Abby launched herself forward violently. All four of them disappeared underwater instantly. Peaceful silence settled over the lake for exactly three seconds. Then, Shane surfaced sputtering.
“I. Hate. All. Of. You.”
Abby emerged laughing hard enough she nearly drowned for real. Skylar looked personally victimized by the experience. Hatchie just floated there staring at the clouds like he spiritually left his body halfway through.
Farther back along the shore, Roxy sunbathed on one of the docks wearing enormous sunglasses while pretending not to listen to everybody else’s conversations. She looked happier lately too. Still sharp around the edges, still emotionally allergic to vulnerability, but happier.
Nearby, Pop walked slowly along the shoreline beside Cordelia while late afternoon sunlight reflected across the water around them.
They talked quietly together, smiling. After everything- the gangs, the fires, Callahan, Olympus- seeing both of them genuinely peaceful felt stranger than watching the world end.
Kendra sat cross-legged beneath one of the trees nearby with Rhys asleep against her chest while Rainer’s old leather jacket hung loosely over her.
shoulders against the breeze. She caught me looking and immediately narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t say anything.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were thinking loudly.” Rhys snored softly against her shoulder. The tiny traitor.
The lake breeze shifted gently through the trees again while Nadia relaxed further against me. For a while, nobody spoke
. No wars.
No Olympus.
No blood in the water beneath Blackwater Falls.
Just sunlight, engines, and family. The kind of life people like us never thought we deserved. Nadia finally opened her eyes slowly before glancing back at me.
“What?” “You look peaceful.”
“That’s disgusting.” She laughed quietly at that.
Fuck, I’d spent so long thinking survival was the best we’d ever get. Turns out I was wrong. Somewhere behind us, Abby screamed again.
“Rematch!”
“ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOT.” Shane immediately yelled back.
Skylar was already climbing onto his shoulders anyway. Chaos resumed instantly. Nadia smiled softly
while sunlight danced across the lake around us. And for the first time in my entire life?
Nothing hurt.
_____
Thank you for reading Fastlane!