A Special Kind of Perfect

CHAPTER 9

"You have a very cool family," Peyton turned to Alasdair and Ezra, "from what I could see tonight. They love each other and you very much."

"Speaking of," Justin, who also came downstairs to say goodbye to Daniel, Tarquin and the others with Marcus in tow, "did you notice how good Ardan is around the blondies? Sometimes, those boys, sweet and cute as they are, could be a handful. And yet, he's always patient, smiling at them, answering all their questions..."

"Yes, Ardan is a great fellow. You're very lucky to have him by your side, cousin." Ezra turned to Alasdair, a melancholic smile on his lips.

Almost a year had passed since Peyton promised to stick with Benjamin Bloom's son through tick and thin, events of all kind coming in a rapid succession, making them find ways to adjust to the new situations. The discoveries, unearthed secrets and revelations shaped Ezra's life, mostly in a good way, helping him to become stronger, braver, more confident in his own forces.

First, it was the news that Benjamin Bloom had another, younger son, named Justin, the fruit of an affair, who appeared at the mansion out of the blue, and whom Daniel took under his protection. Determined to sever ties with the man who nearly destroyed him and to build a new life for him and Peyton, Ezra initially didn't want to have anything to do with the kid.

However, at Leon's and Darien's insistence, he decided to give Justin a chance and, after meeting him a couple of times, discovered he liked him very much. The seventeen-year-old came to look up to his older brother, turning to him for advice in any matter he considered of importance.

Justin trusted Ezra so much that he talked to him about the budding feelings he had for Marcus Tanner, the nephew of his uncle Sebastian's life partner, Vincent Grant, who temporarily lived with his uncle. A gentle smile on his face, Ezra encouraged his younger brother to pursue that relationship, but also advised him to show patience in building it.

A couple of months later, Alasdair caught Ardan, his protector-turned-boyfriend, cheating on him with one of the residents of the rescue sanctuary he ran. The redhead left in the middle of the night, moving back to Leon's, Peyton having mixed feelings about the whole thing. On one hand, they were sad things turned had out that way for their best friend, but on the other hand, the redhead's presence brought back pleasant memories from before the brutal assault on Ezra that changed their life so much.

And then, after only a couple of weeks, Alasdair decided to give his biological family a chance and met his grandfather, who to Peyton's huge surprise, was none other than Ezra's great-uncle, Alastair Stark. The surprises continued because, after a few more weeks, the redhead reconciled with Ardan and moved back to The Base, keeping in touch with all his relatives and friends, Peyton included.

When Alastair Stark turned sixty, the Bloom and Stark clans flew to the family mansion in Connecticut to celebrate the patriarch. When they got back, his red-haired friend told Peyton something about some family matters that were finally set but didn't offer any details. No matter what it really was about, the trip had a positive impact on Ezra, who smiled more often and engaged in longer conversations.

Soon after that, Daniel, his Stark cousin Liam, Tarquin, Eugene, Daniel's best friend, and a group of other relatives and friends, planned a surprise bachelor party for Alastair Stark and his soon-to-be-husband Mallory. They needed babysitters for the numerous little children and toddlers of the family, so Ezra volunteered, asking Peyton to come to him, which they happily agreed.

Although they knew a lot of things about the members of the two clans from Leon's, Darien's, Alasdair's and even Ezra's stories, Peyton hadn't met any of them face-to-face and was excited at the perspective. And here they were, surrounded by all those teenagers who welcomed them with opened arms, showing them brotherly affection.