Page 120 of Fight For Me

He pretends to scowl but our eyes catch and I know he’s truly glad for me.

“Don’t listen to your brother,” our mom calls from her spot on a nearby couch. Her eyes are sparkling with humor. “I thought it was a very nice song, sweetie.”

“See?” I say to Will. “Mom liked it. Because I’m awesome.”

He rolls his eyes. “Always been such a Mama’s boy.”

My mom holds my gaze for another beat, smiling, and some scar in my heart fades a little fainter. She’s okay. And we’re okay. And that’s really all I’ve ever wanted.

“Can we play some real music now?” Silas asks, picking up his guitar. He leads the middle teens in a pretty decent rendition of an old Doors song. The kid’s going to be damn good someday.

I slip an arm around Alex’s shoulder while the music continues. She leans into me, easy and comfortable. It’s crazy how quickly things can change. It wasn’t that long ago that I was hiding out in Seattle, too afraid of the feelings between us to be with my family. Those feelings are still scary sometimes—it’s like Alex said that night we almost lost each other. Our love is so big that it terrifies me in all the best ways. And that’s exactly what makes it worth fighting for, no matter what complications or difficulties we might face.

Sitting with Alex and our dog on the floor of my parents’ living room is one of the best nights I’ve ever had. It’s better than sunsets and surfing and stolen, secret kisses. Because it’s out in the open. It’s real. And we’re not hiding from anyone.

“Love you,” I whisper in her ear.

Her smile lights up my whole world. “I love you too, Wyatt.”

The End