𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐲

Chapter 84

— Chapter 84 —
Trust Fall

=||=||=

E L L I O T

The next morning, after everything that'd happened at the tracks, Noah's family was packed for New York.

"You made sure you remembered everything?" he asked Jasper. After heaving the last suitcase into the back of their pickup, he pulled out one of his brother's earphones and frowned. "You forgot your guitar here last time. Your laptop the time before that. I swear if I find your wallet lying around, I'm not going to ship it back to you."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Mail, idiot."

"What?"

"You don't ship envelopes when they're going a few states over. You mail them."

"I'll mail you a few states over if you don't stop being a smartass."

"Ship," Jasper corrected smugly. "And good luck finding a box big enough to hold me."

"Who said anything about a box?" asked Noah. He ushered his brother to the passenger seat and ducked Jasper's head into the pickup. "I think you'd fit in a cage just fine."

I chuckled when Jasper signed back aggressively.

Maria tutted beside me. Dusting off her sunflower-patterned sundress, she adjusted her rose-tinted sunglasses and rested her hands on her hips. Nero rolled around by her ankles, drinking in the morning sunlight. A comfortable breeze skimmed through the air, whilst the emerald trees in the distance stood refreshed from last night's short drizzle of rain. There wasn't a single cloud in sight. It was a nice day.

"Well," said Maria as her two sons continued to bicker, "at least they're on speaking terms now. That's a good sign, right? If you ignore the name-calling, I mean."

Trying to hide my amusement, I nodded reassuringly.

"Noah told me that he and Jasper had a heart-to-heart sometime after that dinner," I affirmed. "It might take them a little while to get adjusted again, but... I think those two are going to be just fine."

"That's a relief to hear." She smiled lightly. "If you don't mind, I think I'll hold on to that optimism. I know it's harder for Noah to have the tight-kit connection with us that he used to considering the long distance—my fault, of course—but it was never my intention to come in the way of their friendship. They're blood, after all. And once I'm gone someday, those two and Emma will be all the family they've got." She sighed. "At the end of the day, I suppose all I can hope for is that they'll stick together."

My memories flickered back to last night.

After rescuing her sons from Sage's rampage, Maria spent most of the night scolding Noah for taking Jasper with him on biker business, and berating Jasper for being stupid enough to go along with it.

At one point she had them both pinched by their ears, whining and groveling for her forgiveness.

It was one of the rare times during their visit that the three of them even resembled a cohesive family. And Noah, the man in charge, the tattooed biker who never asked permission from anyone, was suddenly like most other sons—a complete and total momma's boy. It was sweet.

"You're a good mom, Maria," I said sincerely.

A delicate warmth softened her sharp edges.

She asked me, "Can I leave you with some advice, dear?"

I nodded.

Maria tugged down her sunglasses and gently rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Love is a trust fall," she spoke warmly. "Take it. Fall, fall again, and keep falling. Let him worry about the catching."