In the arms of evil

Going home

I had no idea what was going on with Sammy or with Colton. The plan was, Sammy would take over. Would he cower? Back out? Will he break? No. Because only five minutes of being held in an interrogation room, an officer walks in with Sammy smiling behind him, telling him I'm free to go. I smirk at the pissed off officer, loving the sweetness of our new life as outlaws.

I stand and walk out the room, side by side with Sammy, basking in the power we hold. I'm met with Colton in-front of me, coming out of another room, stroking his chin. "There's my baby girl." He wraps a hand in my hair and gives me a powerful kiss in front of all the cops. We chuckle as the cops shy away from us, looking anywhere but at us. "I'll be in touch" Sammy tells an officer before all three of us steal glances at each other and walk out of the station. "So what now?" I ask looking onwards to the warm sunset as birds chirp past us and pompous-grass twirls in the air as Colton places his arm around my neck, holding me close. "Now," he says, turning to face me, "we live and enjoy living. For the first time, we're finally free. Whatever and wherever you want to go, we can, just say the word doll." I think for a moment and realise what it is I want. I want to go home. "Let's go home." Just like that, we walk onwards into life, finding new meanings to what it me say to be alive.

                                EPILOGUE
After a few months, Colton and I packed up our lives and moved back to Tennessee. I hadn't told Cara so saying she was surprised to see me is an understatement. "Brooklyn?" Cara questions, squinting her eyes as she sees me come out of the truck. "BROOKLYN!" She runs out the house at full force, colliding with me so quickly we both fall to the ground. "I'm home Cara. For good" I tell her, squeezing her tighter. We both shed tears, holding onto each other, taking in the dream. "It's over Cara. He's gone. And I brought... a friend" I turn to face Colton as he steps out of the truck, smiling.

About a month into moving back home, Colton and I opened up our own mechanics. 'Christopher's motors'. We named it after my dad. As I pull up on my new Harley, I find Colton working hard on a car, covered in motor oil. "Looking good there baby." He lifts his head from under the hood when he hears my voice and smiles as he comes up to kiss me. "My dad would be proud" I tell him, wrapping my arms around him. "He'd be so proud of you babygirl, I wish I could've met him" he hugs me tighter. "Easy there baby, I'm a little more fragile now." Colton looks down at me confused until I put his hand on my stomach. It takes him a second before his eyes widen and his heart beat becomes erratic. "Are you- are we-?" I nod with tears in my eyes, "you're going to be a dad Colton. We're gonna have a family." He throws his head back and laughs before he picks me up and spins me around, putting me back down and kissing me deeply until we're both out of breath. "Marry me Brooklyn Peterson" my breathing catches in my throat, it came out of the blue. But then he pulls out a little black velvet box and pops it open to reveal my mother's engagement ring. "How did you-" he chuckles, looking down at it and says, "Cara. She took it out of your safe at home and gave it to me to give to you when I told her I wanted to marry you. I wanted to do it a little more special than this but I couldn't help it" he says looking back up at me. "So what do you say baby? Wanna be my wife?" With tears in my eyes and a smile as bright as the sun, I whisper "yes" and wrap my arms around his neck, kissing him like I'm afraid I'll soon wake up and this will all be over.

But the thing is, it's not a dream. It was a nightmare for a while, and a crashing reality the next, but it's just life. It's living. In all its glory and passion. This life was worth it. To be so deeply and madly in love with someone Is such a power to posses. A power I will hold in my heart of hearts until the sun sets on this world and we awake in the next. Until then, I am here, filled with memories and scars to prove my journey of life and I will forever wear them proudly. I look at every part of the world as if I'm seeing it for the first time because for the first time in my life, I have felt what it is to love and be loved in such a way that it will never die. It will still be here long after our fuse has given out, but until then I say thank you. Thank you for keeping me alive, Colton. Thank you for choosing to live life with me. "Ready to go home?" I look up at him and nod, happiness consuming me.

And so we drive on in our  convertible cherry red corvette, into the sun that sets on Tennessee, towards a life full of love and challenges. But we take each one with ease, thankful to be alive at the same time so that we might experience life together. And what a life it's turning out to be. Magic really. It's love in all its bent up glory and I get to live it with Colton and our son. Damn I should look at picking out a crib soon.