CHAPTER forty-nine
I’ve Found the Strength
New Haven, Connecticut
The rehab center is in New Haven—far enough to give him the space to heal, close enough for us to visit. So we all went together to drop him off, united for the hardest part: goodbye. At least for now.
Even Ashton and Danya came, deciding it was the perfect time for them to see the East Coast.
One by one, they hugged him, whispering encouragements into his ear, holding on just a second longer than usual.
Cody doesn’t hesitate when it’s his turn. He hauls Elias into a hug so tight it looks like he’s trying to fuse them together. Neither of them moves for a long moment, and when they finally pull apart, Cody jabs him in the arm with forced lightness.
“Look at us. Not even crying. Totally fine.”
Elias ducks his head with a small laugh, but when he lifts his gaze back to Cody, the air shifts. There’s weight behind his eyes now. He sets a steady hand on his shoulder.
“I don’t say this to you enough…but thank you. For always being there. Through the good, through the bad. For all of it...”
Cody’s mouth works soundlessly, his jaw tightening as he tries to hold it together. Elias’s voice softens.
“Brother.”
That’s all it takes. Cody’s face crumples. His words come out on a shaky laugh.
“You absolute asshole. You did that on purpose.”
“Maybe,” Elias admits, his smile trembling, “but I mean it. I love you, Sunshine.”
Cody lets out a strangled, watery laugh that sounds half-sob, half-squeak.
“Fuck, I love you too, Shadow Daddy,” he manages, the nickname wobbling out between ragged breaths.
Elias inhales shakily and reaches into the front pocket of his jeans. There’s something tentative in the movement—like he’s terrified of what comes next but even more terrified not to finish it.
“I have something for you,” he says, voice steady but soft. “Something I need to make right.”
Cody tilts his head. His eyes track Elias’s hand as he pulls out something small—something that glints in the warm light.
My hand flies to my mouth, a gasp catching in my throat.
A gold ring.
His father’s ring.
Cody freezes. His chin begins to tremble, the way it does right before everything breaks loose. He lifts a hand to his mouth and closes his eyes like the sight of it physically hurts.
“I’ve been trying for ten years to find this,” Elias says. “I finally tracked it down before our Pittsburgh show.”
Cody dips his head, shoulders curling inward as a sound escapes him—half sob, half disbelief. It echoes, jagged and heartbreaking. My own tears spill over instantly, burning hot trails down my cheeks.
Elias takes a step forward, his whole body shaking. “I’m so sorry I stole this from you, Cody.” His voice cracks, splintering. “I knew how much it meant to you. And your mom. There’s no excuse. There’s nothing I can ever say to undo what I did. I just—” He swallows hard. “Please forgive me.”
Cody reaches out, hands trembling violently as he takes the ring. He stares at it like it’s a piece of his childhood he thought was gone forever. Then, without warning, he lunges forward and wraps his arms around Elias, pulling him in with a force that knocks the breath out of both of them.
They cling to each other, bodies trembling, grief and relief tangling into one massive release.
When they finally pull back, they both wipe their tears with shaky hands.
“Thank you, brother,” Cody manages, barely more than a whisper.
Then he clears his throat—a rough, pointless attempt to bury the emotion.
“Boobs. Beer. Man Stuff.” His voice dips into that deep bro-tone. We all smile.
When it is my turn, Elias turns those amber eyes on me—lighter than I’ve seen in months—and gives me the smallest, softest smile.
I wrap my arms around his neck, and he pulls me against him, his arms fierce around my waist.
“I’m so proud of you,” I whisper against his skin.
“Thank you.” His voice is a thread, fragile but sure. He leans back just enough to meet my gaze. “For everything.”
“Of course,” I breathe. “You focus on healing. We’ll be here every step of the way.”
His hand brushes a loose strand of hair from my face, tucking it gently behind my ear. His eyes move over me with adoration.
“I love you, Flowers.”
My lips curve, warmth blooming at the nickname I cherish most.
“I love you too, Rockstar.”
He kisses me, slow and steady, and I feel everything he can’t put into words: his love, his fear, his determination.
“Bleh, get a room, guys!” Cody heckles from behind us, his voice cracking through the heaviness. Ashton gives him a playful shove.
We pull apart, laughter catching in my throat. Both of us turn and raise our middle fingers in perfect unison and kiss again. The tension breaks, if only for a second.
But as Elias walks toward the door, our fingers linger together until they can’t anymore. Tears blur my vision, though I will them not to fall. I mouth I love you one last time before he disappears inside.
And in the ache of that parting, my heart swells, not with sadness, but with hope. This is not an ending. It is a beginning.