Then You Look At Me |COMPLETED|

Epilogue 2

~Strong hands, thick skin, and an open heart. You saw through the pain, saw through the mask. You never gave up on me~ Sia.

Chapter Theme Song: 'Loved Me Back To Life' by Sia.

••

Rainey

"We are leaving now guys!" Marco presses the horn repeatedly as Riley and I quickly exit the penthouse with our duffel bags in hand. Today we are all going to the beach for a little get-together. My dad and Ansel's parents have been a lot busy lately, and so they have set this weekend aside for us to spend some time together.

Riley and I are wearing matching, black-lace bathing suits with T-shirts and shorts over it, not wanting to reveal ourselves until we get to the beach.

I climb into the backseat of the van and sit next to Ansel. His fresh scent politely greets me, and I take in how handsome he looks. He's wearing a white T-shirt and black sports shorts while a white cap covers his dark hair. He looks good in anything.

He smiles at me while retrieving my bag from my hands. "I'll take that for you."

"Thank you." I beam, tucking my elastic band between my lips. I gather my hair in a pile before catching it into a ponytail.

Robert swings his head around from the front seat. "Everyone here?"

"Yeah, Alaric will be taking his parents, Samantha, and Anthony," Riley informs, while Alex snuggles his head against her, fiddling with the silver necklace around her neck.

"Put a little volume on the music, please!" Aiden requests, and my dad simpers while reaching out to turn the volume up. R.A.N by Miguel booms throughout the van as Marco begins to propel out of the driveway.

The ride to the beach is filled with laughter and chattering as we sing along to the music on the radio. Ansel keeps his arm around me the entire journey, occasionally turning my chin to him to claim my lips with kisses.

We get there in no time and as Marco parks in the lot area, the scent of salt and seaweed greet us. The day is perfect for this form of outing. The sky is a wide expanse of blue and the wind is cool and brisk, modifying the mid-day sun.

We climb out of the vehicle, and I stretch my arms as Ansel creeps up behind me, embracing me from behind and pressing his cool lips to my neck. I giggle at this, as the sound of a roaring engine pulls our gazes to Alaric's car as it turns into the lot.

"They got here fast." My dad smiles, throwing a towel over his shoulder as the boys begin to pull their shirts off. I take notice of the tattoo of the 'snake-coiled-around-the-numeral-five' on the twins' chest as they fold their garments into a neat pile.

"You boys are like a cult." Riley shakes her head. "What's with the matching tattoos?"

"It's a tradition for them," I tell her. "Their uncles had the same tattoos."

"Damn, I was hoping to get here before you guys." A shirtless Alaric says as he gets out of the driver's seat, adjusting the waists of his sports shorts.

"It isn't a competition." Sam chuckles as she climbs out of the car, smiling while she waves at Riley and me. We offer a greeting back, and I can't help noticing how great she looks in her burgundy swimwear. The fact that she doesn't feel the need to wear shorts over her two-piece suit screams confidence, and I notice that her once-long hair is now perfectly styled in a pixie cut.

Melissa lets Anthony down from her arms as he chases over to Ansel, who sweeps him up into his arms, playfully poking his sides. The handsome youngster giggles at the gesture while he wriggles against him, wrapping his arms tightly around his uncle's neck as he rubs his back.