Broken Souls (Souls #1)

Chapter 31 - Destiny

Two Years Later

I hope I did the right thing. I believed that it was the right thing when I made the phone call.

It's Matthews' birthday today and when I asked him what he wanted he just kissed me and said that he didn't want anything since he's got everything right here.

What he said was really sweet, but it didn't help me come up with any ideas for gifts other than sticking a bright red bow atop my head with a gift tag tied on my wrist reading 'Happy Birthday Madison Matthews!'

After thinking for quite some time, I finally came up of an idea of what he wanted. He may not have asked for it, or even hinted at it. But, whenever he spoke I heard the yearning in his voice.

...

"Is that all the gifts?" Matthews asks from his seat. 

Wrapping paper, birthday cards, and gifts are littered all around him. He has just finished opening his father's gift - a football jersey with the name of his favourite team emblazed on the front. Nico sits with Jasmine near his side who is wearing a lovely wrap dress. I keep on noticing Hayden glancing in her direction countless of times. He reminds me of myself when I tried sneaking glances of Matthews once upon ago in class. I know that Jasmine must feel his eyes on her but she does not look at him once. She seems as if she is playing hard to get, and if Hayden, who is slowly making his way across the room to her is any indication, I believe that her strategy is working marvelously if I do say so myself.  A smile twitches up my lips when I see Hayden make an excuse to grab some punch that just so happens to be on the path to get nearer to Jasmine.

"No more gifts?"  Matthews asks.

"Actually, there's one more gift left," I say from my side of the room.

Matthew swings his gaze over to me.  "You didn't need to get me anything, baby."

"I know I didn't need to, but I wanted to."

Matthews smiles at me. "Where is it?" He asks looking around the room.  "Did you hide it?"

"It's not here," I tell him with a grin. "Yet," I add.

"Yet?"

"No, not yet. But, it's coming soon."

Matthews looks at me rather confused. Then, the doorbell rings.

"Here it is," I say with a smile. "Don't follow me, okay?"

Matthews smiles and says, "Alright, baby."

I get up from my seat and walk to the door. I open the door to reveal his gift. A man stands on the other side of the door with a box in his hands. "Am I late?" He asks nervously.

"No, you are actually right on time, don't worry."

"Did you tell him?" He asks.

"No," I answer. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Hopefully a good surprise."

"Hopefully," I confirm. "Come on in."

I walk into the room with the man behind me with the box still in his hands. "Matthews, here's your gift," I say.

Matthews looks up at me with a smile on his face and then it vanishes when he sees the man standing behind me. I hold my breath and turn to look at who Matthews is looking at. Matthews says nothing for a while and then finally he speaks. "Darien?"

"Long time no see, little brother," the man answers.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm doing what I should have done a long time." Then, he goes up to Matthews and gives him a hug. And whispers in his ear, "I'm sorry."

After they pull apart Matthews looks up at me and smiles with tears of joy in his eyes. "Thank you," he mouths to me.

"You're welcome," I answer. Tears have formed in my eyes by watching their reunion. I wished that my reunion with my Mom could have gone like this, but sadly it did not. I'm happy though that Matthews has gotten his happily ever after with his brother, Darien.

I watch as they walk off into his room together and smile. Matthews saved me and I saved him. We healed each other. We are no longer broken souls. I suddenly remember the time when Matthews leaned into my ear and whispered, "You saved me in the way no one else could have. Thank you." I told him he did the same for me.

I am shaken out of my daydream when Nico comes up to me and hooks an arm around my neck. "Well then, how am I supposed to top that gift next year? You just made it impossible!"

I smile up at him and say, "Oh, I'm sure you'll find something, Nico."  I have no doubt in my mind about it.  

"The guy has everything now. I may have to steal something from him and then wrap it up for next year." Nico pulls back slightly and eyes me. "How do you feel about small, confined spaces?"

"What? Why?"

"Hmm...nothing major or anything, just that I'm thinking of stealing you from him and then wrapping you up in a box."

I pull away from Nico laughing. His ridiculous gift idea sounds very alike the one that I had in the beginning - minus the box. "No way are you going to wrap me in a box."

"Fine. I'll just find something else to steal then." Nico then walks away from me after that to go sit back down next to his cousin.

Matthews comes out of his room a few minutes later and walks towards me. "Come, I want you and my brother to officially meet each other." Then he grabs my left hand that has the ring with the shining diamond on it and leads me into his room.

In the end, I may not have gotten my happily ever after with my Mom, but I got it with my new family. Mr. and Mrs. Jennings, Mr. Matthews, Jasmine, Nico, Hayden, and the wonderful man I love, Madison Matthews.

Due to every single one of them I live each day like it's the last.

I seize the moment and never look back.

I am living all my tomorrows in honor of my Dad.

Forever.