I had my last appointment with Dr. Maxwell today. It feels beyond liberating to know that I have not only hit rock bottom, but have also fought to overcome. Even with all the struggles along the way, I’m finally in control of my own happiness. No, I haven’t just overcome… I’m flying higher than I ever thought possible. I’ve embraced the love I never thought existed, and I’ve conquered each and every roadblock that has held me back.
Things with Izzy and Greg didn’t immediately go back to normal. They both held some guilt about everything that happened to me. I kept telling them that they shouldn’t feel guilty about something they didn’t know about. I didn’t want them to know, so I played the part to make sure that they didn’t.
Things lately have been perfect. We’re back to the friendship that we had from day one.
Not everything is perfect, though. Chelcie has finally agreed to tell Asher. Since Asher started looking into Dominic Murphy, he’s been channeling all of his pain over losing Coop into a new unhealthy obsession. We all want the people that are responsible for Coop’s death to be dealt with, but Asher isn’t able to do anything else. He eats, sleeps, and breathes vengeance, and I know I’m not the only one that’s worried about how he’s coping with things. Or not coping. So, after a long talk with Chelcie she has decided that maybe if he knows about her pregnancy, he will be able to focus on the positive things left from Coop. It’s a stretch, but at this point, it’s all we have.
They’ve grown closer over the last few weeks. Since selling the North Carolina branch, I’ve had a lot of my time freed up. I have a few more people here, and taken a step back to a less active roll. Chelcie, having her time cut in half as well, has taken to helping Asher whenever possible. I’ve promised Beck that I won’t stick my nose in their business, so I can only hope she knows what she’s doing, and pray she doesn’t get hurt in the end.
Coop being gone is something that we notice more and more every day. It’s hard to fill the void that a personality as strong as his used to fill. I know for a fact, that as long as I live, there will never be another person like Zeke Cooper. The guys have had a photo of Coop in all his big grinning glory framed and it is one of the main focal points when you walk into Corps Security. It’s pure Coop… big, smiling, and the twinkle of mischief shining from his beautiful blue eyes. Underneath the picture, a simple quote is engraved into the frame. ‘Tomorrow is never a guarantee; live life to the fullest and never stop smiling.’ He was taken from us before we were ready, but he lived his life unapologetically full, and I know somewhere up there, he’s flirting with angels and watching over each one of us.
The only part of the last six weeks that’s unsettled is Emmy. God, Emmy. She’s hurting, and she’s hurting bad, but she’s also running. I remember Beck sitting me down after all that Nico garbage went down, and he explained to me why he wasn’t home.
He said that Emmy had left a letter resigning from her position at Corps Security, effective immediately. She didn’t leave details on where she was going, but did say that it was just too hard to stay, knowing that Coop was dead because he took a bullet meant for her. She didn’t need to be here, but he did. The guilt and blame that she was carrying was unimaginable. Beck had gone to the office to send Maddox the location her GPS was picking up. Much to my shock, Maddox had placed a tracking device on her car almost a year ago, along with one in her purse, and he keeps her phone tracked. After explaining all of that to me, he dropped the bomb that Maddox was taking a leave of absence to ‘get my girl and bring her home.’ Yeah, I was beyond shocked that Maddox openly claimed Emmy. Between Coop’s death and Emmy’s running, something was awakened inside of Maddox. The last call Beck got from him was three nights ago, and he was no closer to getting her home.
My heart broke for Emmy, but I had a feeling that, regardless of what happens, they have a climb ahead of them. After what I saw at Cohen’s party a few months ago, I have no doubt that the demons he’s fighting are all-consuming. Even if he manages to get her home, there is a lot of healing needed. Not saying that Emmy isn’t less important than Maddox, but something tells me that the scars he has are far deeper than anyone could imagine.
****
I pull into the parking lot of the complex where my office, Corps Security, and Sway’s salon are all located. My door is a good four businesses down from the boys, but theirs sits right next to Sway’s.