Epilogue
WILL
Eight months later…
The front lawn of the library is already bustling when we get there.
People are milling around with drinks, and the local folk band, whose lead singer Lydia says she went to high school with, is already strumming up a storm from inside the building.
I hope to god someone tells them to take it down a notch before we get inside, or we won’t be able to hear a goddamn thing.
Lydia tugs me along up the sidewalk. She looks back at me with a small smile, and I can tell she knows what I’m thinking. “The inside acoustics are much better now, remember? You’ll live.”
“I know. That’s what I’m afraid of—it’s going to be torture. Look at all these people.”
Lydia shushes me, squeezing my hand. “Well, that’s what you have me for.”
“And also for this,” I say, breathing the words into her ear as I give her ass a quick pinch.
She yelps, swatting my hand away with a grin. “William Holloway!”
Her head whips around to make sure no one saw the ass grab, and I pull her closer to my side, laughing. I can feel how warm she is, and I could bask all day in the sweet vanilla scent of her hair as it envelops me. I am so far gone for this woman it’s not even funny.
People are already waving as we approach the front steps of the building, and someone—I don’t even know who—claps me on the back. “Well done, Will! The place is magnificent.”
And it is.
I can’t help but steal a quick glance at the impressive exterior as we head inside, marveling at how my vision has come to life.
I’m not the type to brag anyway, so I tend to keep my emotions under wraps when it comes to this kind of thing.
But the fact that this building was the cause of so much hurt between Lydia and me still tugs at my heart—and I suspect it always will.
As though she can read my mind, Lydia squeezes my hand. It’s her way of telling me everything’s okay. That she is okay.
“Hey, you two love birds.”
Lydia’s friend, Autumn, struts over to us on her high heels, bag slung over her shoulder. She gives Lydia a peck on the cheek and then pulls back to look me up and down. “Your man’s looking good, Lyds.”
She winks at me, and I snort. I’ve gotten to know Autumn pretty well over these past eight months, and although she’s always kind of been like this, her recent split from her douchebag husband has made her even more brazen.
Lydia just laughs. “Trust me—I know. Speaking of men, though…” She looks around dubiously, taking in the crowd around us.
Autumn shakes her head. “Nah. He’s in New York, thank god. My guess is he’s still miffed about having to give up the lake house, wanted to go off and lick his wounds by licking some—”
“Aaaaand that’s my cue to go grab a Coke,” I interrupt. I know how much Autumn means to Lydia, and honest to god, she’s started to grow on me too. But that doesn’t mean I want to hear about her ex-husband’s exploits.
As I make my way to the makeshift bar they’ve set up on the far side of the foyer, I scan the crowd for any sign of my siblings.
Phoebe and Benji are driving in from Boston, and Zeke should already be around here somewhere.
He’s still been living with me, which has made it difficult for Lydia and me to talk very seriously about moving in together.
But ever since that ghostly make-out session went viral, Zeke’s been skyrocketing to internet fame—which, I can only hope, will mean some kind of income.
With this new project I’m starting work on for Ethan, though, I’m less pressed about the financial side of things.
I just want Zeke to get his act together. For his sake. And Lydia’s and mine.
My hand drops to my pocket. Lydia and I may not have our living situation entirely figured out yet, but I’m tired of waiting. I want Lydia completely, in every way possible, and I want to make sure she knows it.
My fingers close around the velvet box I slipped into my pocket before we left home.
Before my mom died, she gave me her engagement ring—the one my dad proposed to her with.
I was hesitant to take it, thought it might bring bad luck or something, but Mom refused to take no for an answer.
She said that ring brought her the best parts of her life—us kids—and that it was up to us to imbue it with love again.
So I will. If Lydia agrees, that is. It’s a simple gold band with a ruby in the center—oval-cut—and tiny diamonds clustered around on either side. It’s understated, but classy as hell. Like my mom. Like Lydia.
Suddenly, Zeke’s voice comes blaring at me over the din of the crowd.
“I mean... yeah. Everything we’ve got, they’ve got.”
Christ.
He’s at it again. He never shuts up about that video. About his podcast.
I get my Coke from the bar and follow the sound of Zeke’s frat boy bragging to what looks to be a group of college girls crowded around him.
He’s got a drink in one hand, and he keeps swooping his hair back with the other while he works the crowd, his mouth curved into a sultry grin.
And these girls are eating it right up. God help ‘em.
“Who do I prefer? Now, that’s a good question…” Zeke’s saying, his expression turning thoughtful. “There're pros and cons, you know? Ghosts don’t need the validation human girls need, but then again… it’s the human girls you can really grab…”
I stride up to the group, clasping Zeke on the shoulder. I shake my head with a grin. “Honestly, little brother, I don’t know how any girl would let you grab her after hearing this kind of shit.”
“I would!” One girl pipes up, raising her hand like she’s in fucking math class. She bites her lip, smiling sweetly up at Zeke.
“Oh hey, Will,” Zeke says, running a slender hand through his hair again. He gestures toward the girl who just offered herself as tribute. “And to answer your question, she would. What’s your name, babe?”
The girl holds Zeke’s stare like it’s a challenge. “Mackenz—”
“Okay, that’s enough of that,” I say, shoving Zeke away from the group and dragging him toward where I see Lydia and Autumn still chatting near the entrance. “Seriously, man. You’re creepy as hell. You want to wind up on some neighborhood watch list?”
Zeke laughs like he’s proud of himself. “Oh, come on, Will. She was 100% legal!”
“Who was legal?” Autumn asks with a smirk. Lydia’s used to Zeke’s antics by now—which she finds funnier than I do—and I can imagine she’s filled Autumn in on a lot of them.
“You are,” Zeke says, shooting Autumn a wink.
She snorts. “Oh, honey. I’m about a decade too legal for you.”
Suddenly, a squeal erupts in my ear, and an arm loops around my waist. We all whip around, and there’s Phoebe, sunglasses pushed up onto her head and face beaming, with Benji right behind her.
“Will! This place looks amazing,” Phoebe gushes. She’s been down a few times to meet Lydia, but she’s only ever seen the library from outside.
I’m not great with compliments, so I just nod. “Thanks.”
“Yeah, way better than the last time I was in here,” Benji quips as he comes in for a hug.
I’ve been seeing more of him lately, as he’s been coming down a couple times a month to sniff out the real estate market.
He’s thinking of opening a yoga studio, and I can’t think of a better place for him to do it than Hawthorne Bay.
“Phoebe,” Lydia says, her eyes lighting up. “You’ve gotta see the banister. Will heard how it was my favorite part of the building as a kid, and instead of replacing it, he worked the original into the plans and sharpened it up. It’s magnificent.”
She links her arm through my sister’s, and the two of them take off toward the foyer.
I sip my Coke, watching them leave, and my chest swells with happiness.
I’m not surprised that Lydia and Phoebe have hit it off the way they have—they’ve both got snark to spare—but that doesn’t make me any less grateful.
Autumn, who’s been through the library a million times since the project wrapped and has already seen the banister, hangs back with my brothers and me.
I can’t help but notice that ever since his little comment about her age, she’s been ignoring Zeke, but he’s eyeing the crowd now and seems completely oblivious.
Autumn turns to Benji. “You’re Phoebe’s twin—Benji, right? The yoga instructor?”
“Yep,” Benji says simply. It’s not so much that he’s shy—he’s just a low key kind of guy.
“And you live in Boston?”
Benji shakes his long hair out of his eyes. “Sure do. Will keeps trying to get me to move out here and open a yoga studio, but I don’t know. It’s pretty quiet.”
“Well, it seems like Will wishes it was a little more quiet around his house,” Autumn says, shooting me a wink.
She’s right. I’m always complaining about what Zeke’s getting up to.
“Hell, if you moved out here, maybe you could take the poor orphan in. From what I hear, Will’s place is nothing but pizza rolls and Axe body spray these days. ”
I groan like it’s a joke, but I’m actually kind of annoyed. Our living situation is a sore spot for me. If it weren’t for Zeke, Lydia and I would have been living together months ago. And anyway, Axe body spray? Really?
“Well, you’re welcome to take in Little Orphan Zekey,” I say, hitting Autumn with my most winsome smile. “I might even throw in a couple boxes of pizza rolls if you ask nicely.”
She laughs, about to retort—and then stops. She looks at me, then at Benji, and then at Zeke. He’s still scanning the crowd, no doubt trying to figure out where the 100% legal college chick wandered off to.
“Actually,” Autumn says, her voice suddenly excited. “That’s not such a bad idea. My lake house has a cabin on the grounds, where the caretaker used to stay. I’m not fucking around with any hired help, and honestly, it’s just sitting there empty…”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Benji cuts in. “You’re not suggesting that Zeke moves onto your property… right?”