Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“Well, I am inspiring,” I replied.
“You’re a cocky motherfucker is what you are,” Knox added.
“Well, yeah, that too.” I winked.
“Why am I friends with you guys again?” Griffin asked.
“Aw, come on, Griffy. You love us,” Josh teased, and Griff flipped him off. He was quite fond of doing that to Josh.
“Can you not call me that?”
“I’ll think about it,” Josh said. “You know I have to torture you, right? It’s in the job description as your brother’s best friend.”
“Kellan, control your friend,” Griff told his brother.
“I don’t think I will,” Kellan replied.
“Chase, control your boyfriend.” Griff directed his words at Chase this time.
“Aw, come on, Griffy. Lighten up.” Chase winked.
“Griffy and Knoxy?” Knox said, looking at Griff. “I got your back, brother.”
We all laughed, and Remy wrapped an arm around me and rested his head on my shoulder. “We good?” I whispered into his hair.
Remy had video sessions with his therapist once a week. He’d also gotten a new psychiatrist, who changed his meds, and that seemed to be helping too. He had good days and bad days, but then, we all did. That was life. The good days outweighed the bad, though.
“Yeah, we’re good.”
He lived in Havenwood full-time now. After we finished fixing up his house, his mom and Leslie moved into it. His mom’s health was stable. Her Parkinson’s was more progressed than it had been when she was diagnosed, of course, but it wasn’t fast-moving.
Remy hung out with Griff more than with anyone other than me. It was nice to see them become close, and not only with Griff, but with Kellan, Josh, and Knox too. He would never be as social as the rest of us, and that was okay. Remy did what he could handle, and that was all anyone expected of him.
I kissed the top of his head. “Okay.” I was working on not hovering. If Remy needed me, he would ask. He was a grown man and could take care of himself.
“Um…excuse me. Can I get your autograph?” a woman’s voice said from behind us.
Remy tensed for a second, but then it melted away. This didn’t happen to him often in Havenwood, but it did every once in a while.
He turned on the stool. “Yeah, sure.”
He signed a napkin for the girl, who looked like she was barely legal to be in the bar. She asked for a selfie next, which Remy took with her, and then she left, likely only coming into Griff’s to see him. Hell, she probably didn’t even live in Havenwood.
“How are plans coming for Mere’s wedding?” Knox asked.
“Good. I can’t believe it’s next month.” I was taking my man-of-honor duties very seriously.
Phil and Alesha had the baby, a little girl they named Nora after our mom, which she fucking loved. Things were a lot better with my family; not perfect, but better. They loved the shit out of Remy, and that was what mattered. Also, Bruno had decided to come and work at Grant’s. He was helping with the transition after baby Nora was born.
When the familiar tune of a song came on the radio, everyone in Griff’s began cheering as Remy’s voice filled the room. It was one of the songs from his last album with his label. It hadn’t been the end of the world when he’d come out. Sure, there was hate. There were assholes in the world, and always would be, but he had a strong fan base, and they supported him, more than he’d imagined.
They’d offered him another contract, but Remy had turned it down. He still sang and wrote nearly every day, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to record another album. If he did, he was considering going indie. He was also thinking about just being a songwriter for other artists. He had options, and I’d support him no matter what.
I only cared that finally, after all we’d been through, we were together and happy. We’d spent years getting it wrong. The timing hadn’t been right, or things would go wrong, but it was all leading us here, to this moment. Remy had deserved to have his dreams come true. It had meant a lot to him to be able to take care of his family and to show himself he wasn’t that scared boy he used to see when he looked in the mirror. In the end, things had happened the way they were supposed to.
“Who in the hell is that?” Josh asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
We all turned toward the door as a sexy, twinky guy, who looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties, but still with this soft, almost baby face, walked in. He had coal-black hair and eyes lined with a similar color.
“Whoever he is, he sure as shit isn’t from Havenwood,” I replied.