Page 115 of One More Time
“Yes, and fair enough. I know I can be a little much. I’ll do my best to be supportive. Just don’t expect rainbow flags and marches. I just can’t do that. But you’re both welcome here anytime.”
She nods and then points to the kitchen. “I have to finish dinner before it’s ruined, okay?”
I nod and as soon as she’s gone, I tuck my face into Charlie’s neck and sigh. “I didn’t lose you, little man. Fuck.”
“Guck,” Charlie says, and I gasp, staring at him.
“Do not say that,” I say with a mortified laugh. “Oh my god, your mom is going to kill me!”
“Guck! Guck!” Charlie squeals loudly.
Oh my hell, I think as I swipe at my wet cheeks. Charlie continues to chant guck, making Brian smirk at me all while Hayden rolls her eyes. But then I meet Alec’s gray stare, and I feel like I’ve come home. Like I’m right where I need to be.
It’s all going to be okay. It’s all going to be just fine.
And when he pulls me into his arms later and whispers that he loves me, I know that I am okay.
I’m at peace for the first time in maybe forever.
EPILOGUE
SIX MONTHS LATER…
JUDE
“Get down! Down!” Lucas says as he crouches behind a rickety old building.
Ollie frowns, his hand-painted sign which says “Make Love, Not War” is lying on the dirt, forgotten. Apparently, the military men currently playing this game didn’t think it was funny and shot it with their guns. This place is no joke.
When I showed up with Ollie, Jai, Lucas, and Alec in tow, I realized the mistake we made. This was no ordinary airsoft field. I am pretty sure that most of these men are ex-military, as evidenced by their fatigues, and are taking this far too seriously. Not to mention the bright colors Ollie and I are wearing do nothing to help camouflage us.
“This is wretched,” Jai says as Lucas glances back at him. We’re all wearing our paintball masks with RENTAL boldly printed on the bands. If the bright colors, peace signs and flip-flops didn’t signal that we had no clue what we were doing, that sure as fuck would.
“I’ll protect you,” Lucas says gruffly. He’s the only one who fits in. He smeared his face with green paint before we left and is currently wearing a ghillie suit. We’d all made fun of him until we showed up here and realized we were definitely wrong. One guy even has a com attached to his mouth.
“Okay, but seriously, guys, whose idea was this anyways?” Jai asks as everyone turns to look at me.
“I didn’t know,” I hiss and Alec shakes his head at me, his lips twitching. “I’m sorry, okay? This place said family friendly!”
“Well, it’s not. I was already hit in the crotch. Twice!” Ollie says, looking appalled. “My dick might not recover. How will I attract a mate when I can’t get it up?”
I let out a small laugh, and Ollie tosses a small pebble at me. It bounces off my chest just as Alec leans around the corner of the building and lets off a round of shots before he gets hit in the leg. He falls over, raising his hand, but as he does, he gets hit on the arm and then curls up on himself.
He’s completely exposed.
My heart sinks, and I don’t even think. I just jump on top of him, shielding him with my own body, willing to sacrifice my life for his. Alec grunts on impact, looking up at me through those silly goggles.
“What are you doing?” Alec rasps.
“Saving you,” I say, just as a BB hits my side. It stings, but I’d go through worse for my man. I’ll take a fucking grenade.
“No. You’re just suffocating me.”
“Pfft, I’m protecting you. And don’t pretend like you don’t like it. I sleep on you most nights.”
He smiles up at me, pressing a kiss to my lips just as another BB nails me right in the ass.
I gasp and then scramble up, knowing we both need to go back to the spawn point because we’ve both been hit, but I doubt anyone on the other side of the field will actually let us move through it without being shot. They’re out for blood.