Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 57341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
I nodded my head, a sob falling from my lips. I knew he was right, but fuck, this hurt so much.
My hand shook, keeping me from signing the paperwork. River gripped my face in his hands, turning my head to face him. He took my lips in a soft, slow kiss, his tongue tangling with mine, forcing my heart to beat a little faster. “We’re still here with you, darlin’,” he reminded me. “Hold on to Joey.”
“I’m trying,” I whispered.
“Then I’ll force you to keep me with you,” Joey told me. I looked over at him. “You’re not losing me, pretty girl. I won’t let you. And River will force you to keep me as well, just as I’ll always force you to live for him, no matter how many times I have to remind you how to do that.”
“Don’t make him suffer any longer, darlin’,” River coaxed. He nodded his head toward the clipboard in my hands. “Sign the papers.”
Tears slid down my cheeks, but I scrawled my signature at the bottom of the papers, ripping that part of my heart that would always belong to Tristan straight out of my fucking chest as I did so.
Then, as I was watching the nurse pull all support from Tristan, both Joey and River held me, sandwiching me between them as I cried, wails and sobs ripping from my lips.
Epilogue
Adelaide
Itightened my hand around River’s as we walked down the winding path through the graveyard that led to the Groves’s plot. The plot where Tristan and Helene were buried next to each other, reunited at last. Axel ran along ahead of us, his childish laughter filling the air as he chased after a butterfly. I smiled as I watched him. He was such a happy child, and while sometimes, I worried about his emotional development considering he was quieter than most other children, I knew he was going to blossom into an incredible adult.
Jaxon hobbled along much slower, still trying to become familiar with walking on uneven terrain. He had been walking for a couple of months now, but ground like this was still hard for him to maneuver.
“Axel, don’t go over there,” River commanded, his voice stern but gentle as he spoke to our oldest son.
With a pout, Axel walked back over to us and away from the tree line that he’d been heading for. Axel was the adventurous child. He didn’t ever really fear anything, which sent me into near heart attacks every single day.
Jaxon was our cheerful child for the most part. Even as an infant, he’d been mouthy and chatty, even if he’d done nothing more than babble.
Both of the boys were daddy’s boys for sure though.
“I can’t believe it’s been a year,” I whispered as we stepped up to the plot where Tristan was buried next to his twin sister—my best friend.
A year ago, I had signed papers that took Tristan off of life support.
Three days after that, I had watched him get lowered into the ground and his casket covered with dirt. Every man in the Sons of Hell MC and the Fathers of Mayhem MC grabbed a shovel and covered his casket while I stood on the sidelines with silent tears running down my face.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. I just cried. Joey and River laid beside me with me sandwiched between them, both of them holding me together the best that they could while every part of me tried to fall apart.
I swallowed the lump in my throat as River pressed his lips to the top of my head, my eyes not leaving the plot in front of me. “I’ve got the boys,” he quietly spoke up. “Take all of the time that you need, darlin’.”
I nodded in thanks, unable to form words yet since there was a huge lump in my throat. River lifted Jaxon onto his hip and took off at a slow jog, making Axel laugh as he ran after them, somehow managing to keep his balance on the uneven path.
Joey had offered to come with me today, to be my support, but I’d told him no.
This was something that I had to do by myself.
And it was going to hurt like hell, but I was hoping it would give me some closure.
I looked back down at the headstones in front of me and sat down on top of their graves, knowing neither one of the twins would have expected anything less from me. In fact, I could picture Tristan reprimanding me right now, but Helene would only laugh and tell him to leave me alone.
“I never thought I would lose either one of you,” I admitted in a whisper. “God, Helene, we were supposed to be best friends forever. We even had plans of being in the same nursing home when we got old, causing ruckus together,” I remembered with a soft laugh. A tear trickled down my cheek. “But you got taken away from me before you could ever really live.”