Lie, Baby, Lie ✔️

chapter twenty-six- mia

Chapter Twenty-Six

One Month Later...

I step out of the school building holding my diploma in a hand shaking from relief. The warm sun beats down on my forehead, leaving beads of sweat in its wake. It's the beginning of Summer here in the central valley of California, and the heat is really coming through this season.

I had to transfer schools after everything that happened. It was a hard transition considering I was getting down to the final months of the school year, but Wade and I wanted to get some distance between us and LA. Now, I've made it to the end of the line, and it's nice to see the reward of hard work.

It hasn't been easy. There are nights I barely sleep. I'm still looking over my shoulder, wondering if the past will catch up anytime soon. I'm hoping not. Hoping is all I can do for the moment, but it's enough.

Romero took over the business in SoCal. His empire is thriving, from what I've heard. I couldn't care less what happens to Purgatory, so he's promised to leave Wade and me out of it. His family was put into hiding after what happened with Thomas. He managed to get some of his guards there in time to handle the remaining demons. They're safe, and well off the grid again. Very few people know about his secret life, but I won't tell anyone about it. If he keeps his word, I'll keep his privacy intact.

Wade is waiting for me by his car. When I reach him, he scoops me up into a huge hug and pulls me off the ground. I giggle, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I'm so proud of you!" he exclaims, lowering me back down to the pavement.

"Thank you," I say happily. "I'm proud of me too. I'm proud of us."

He frames my face with his hands and kisses me lightly. "So, what's next?"

"Anything," I answer. "We can do anything."

There are no limits, no rules. The life I wanted is finally in my grasp. Hope and love are right within reach. Everything is going to be okay. We're safe, we're finally on our own. Back in Purgatory, I was a Critt, defined by my brother and family and what they'd done. Now, I'm so much more.

We get in the car together. Wade grins over at me as he pulls out onto the main road to take us home. I lace our fingers together over the center console and close my eyes, breathing the new beginning in.

The End.