The last thing we needed was for him to figure out we were fucking on to him. It would start new problems we didn’t have time for.
“Fuck!” I yelled, frustrated we weren’t finding what we needed. Sitting my ass in the recliner in his room, trying not to think about how many bitches sucked his cock while he was sitting in it.
I grabbed my phone out from my back pocket and pulled up the picture that Martinez sent me months ago. I had probably looked at the goddamn photo hundreds of fucking times, still feeling as though I was missing something of importance. The photo was aged, worn, and fucked up, so it was hard to make out his face.
“Creed,” Diesel called out, bringing my attention to him. “Since when does your old man listen to classical music?”
“What?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.
He nodded toward his C.D. case in the corner of the room. My eyes narrowed in on the shelf, finding the case he was talking about almost instantly. It stuck out like a fucking sore thumb.
I lunged off the recliner and was over to the shelving unit in three strides. Grabbing ahold of the C.D. in question, opening it before it was even fully in my grasp.
“Hell yes.” I held up the contents, smiling so fucking wide when I realized it was Martinez’s disc.
“Help me grab all the fuckin’ C.D.’s out of the cases. I don’t give a fuck if he notices.”
We grabbed every last one, throwing them in the bag we had with us, noticing several were not music, but possible files. After making sure everything was back in place, we hauled ass out of there just in the nick of time. Hearing the roar of bikes in the distance as we sped away, with hopefully the truth in the bag.
I knew Diesel was trying not to speed on the way back to his house, as anxious as I was to get to the bottom of everything. Have some sort of closure and fucking justice for all parties involved.
He grabbed his laptop off the coffee table, hurrying into the kitchen. Clearing the contents of the counter off with one swipe of his arm. Sending beer bottles clinking to the floor, setting up shop for the long night we had ahead of us. I wouldn’t sleep until I had answers. Laying all the discs out, I inserted Martinez’s first. Never in a million fucking years did I expect what I would find. Each C.D. solved another piece of the puzzle.
Except I never thought it would lead to another road where we all might not make it out...
Alive.
Summer vacation came to an end way too quickly. I missed being able to hang out with Noah all day, every day at the beach, surfing, sunbathing, kissing. There was a lot of kissing. My senior year of high school had started, and my eighteenth birthday had come and gone. I was officially and legally an adult. I think my dad was a little sad about that fact, no longer his little girl. Especially when I joked with him, saying he could no longer tell me what I could and couldn’t do. Earning my mom a control your daughter kind of glare.
We celebrated by having dinner and cake at my house. Surrounded by my family and Noah, only missing Mason who went back overseas to once again fight for our country. Giselle showed up with her new boyfriend, who didn’t seem like her typical type. Polar opposite of my brother. I could tell Uncle Dylan didn’t like the man very much, staring him down with a killer look in his eyes. Waiting for him to make one wrong move.
I immediately wondered if my brother knew what she was up to. Knowing it wasn’t going to go over well if and when he found out. I felt bad for the poor guy, but I also didn’t want to see my brother end up in jail for taking him out. There was definitely a shit storm brewing, and for the first time in a while, I wasn’t the cause. I had to be grateful for the small miracles.
Everyone belted out, singing happy birthday to me, telling me to make a wish and blow out my candles. For some reason, at that exact moment, I thought about a penny, which didn’t make any sense. You’d think that feeling would have become a natural reaction for me by now, but it didn’t. Not even after all this time.
After filling up on my homemade cake my mom made, I opened a ton of gifts. Getting jewelry, a new laptop, some clothes and a bunch of gift cards. I couldn’t wait to go shopping. It was a great way to say goodbye to seventeen and welcome eighteen with open arms. Spending my birthday with all the people I loved and wanted to be with the most.
Noah gave me a beautiful necklace with a heart-shaped pendant made of diamonds. Saying as soon as he saw it, he had to get it for me. That nothing was as pretty as I was but this came close. We were exclusively in a relationship, spending every waking hour together.
The first time he called me his girl was in front of my mom and dad. We were messing around in the pool while my parents’ grilled out. They didn’t say anything, but I did see my dad corner Noah in the kitchen, through the sliding glass door later that evening. It appeared they were having a heated conversation, although I didn’t hear what it was about. I imagined it was his typical threats, which Noah had become more than accustomed to.
Since I turned eighteen, they weren’t on my ass as much as they used to be. I didn’t have a curfew anymore. I could come and go as I pleased. I could stay out at friends’ houses as long as I communicated where I was and what we were doing. I knew they weren’t stupid. I’m sure they assumed I was staying with Noah, but they never called me out. I think a part of them started to like him and possibly even trust him. He kept me safe, and I was happy. Which was ultimately all they ever wanted for me.
Even though my life had changed, my memories had yet to return. It had been almost a year since I was found, and no closer to the truth that was barricaded in my mind. The case of my disappearance was still open but had become stagnant. Creed was still on the run, and my uncle and dad were still chasing him. I knew they’d never stop.
To be honest, the more time that went on, the more I realized my memory might never return. At that point, I think I started to become fine with that intuition.
It was what it was.
My therapist and I began talking about the future, instead of living in the past. I had to start thinking about college and all that came along with that. With my help, Noah passed his GED with flying colors. His ma was so proud, watching her baby receive his certificate. We spent hours upon hours getting him ready for it. He didn’t give himself enough credit, he was extremely bright when he put his mind to something. Most of the time I had to bribe him with pervy favors. Like if he got this answer right I would take off my shirt, or if he got it wrong he wouldn’t be able to kiss me for an hour.