AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Home… home sounds great.”
Chapter 98
With Mateo arrested and Eli back home, things have been so much better.
Keaton’s mood has lightened to a point that I questioned whether she had been abducted by aliens, because she was so not the girl I met that night under the elevated tracks.
She shoved my arm and told me that if I wanted to, she could make a comeback really fast. I just laughed and told her that I would take her any way she’d let me, and I meant it.
Living together was a new adventure, too. I may have already lived in the house for over two years now, but I think it goes without saying that we christened every inch of that house and then some.
Keaton made herself right at home, and I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. That house is nothing more than framework and drywall without her in it. She’s what makes it a home. One I’m glad to come back to each and every day.
Rob and I have grown even closer over the last few months, and our new business, Innovative Racing, has taken off.
We decided to start with one driver and see how it goes from there, and when I suggested hiring Eli for the position, Rob was all for it. Keaton was so excited at the prospect; I couldn’t resist letting her be the one to tell him.
He was a little hesitant at first, but when we told him how this business was all about new beginnings and second chances, he couldn’t sign on the dotted line fast enough.
The new season starts next spring, and we’re all ready to make a name for ourselves I this industry.
Speaking of second chances, I knew someone who need one more than most right now. Even if it was hard for me at first, I knew it was the right move to make.
Joseph Kent was our newest employee. He would start out as a member of our custodial staff, and if he managed to get sober and stay that way, we promised him the ability to advance or change positions within the company.
It was clear to me when I visited him at his house that he never got the professional help he needed after Tommy’s death, and he’s been carrying that burden around for a long time.
He was still being held accountable for the fact that he was using in the first place, and that wouldn’t change, but I didn’t want to be the kind of man that held people's mistakes over their heads for the rest of their lives.
That wasn’t in me.
So, we would play this by ear and hope for the best.
As for my parents, my mom decided to file for divorce, and with that finalized, she and Rob have started hanging out a lot more.
It was a little weird at first, and Madelyn hasn’t taken to it all that well, but it’s all still new, and honestly wouldn’t be the worst thing to come out of this. He helped make sure Nana and Pops made it back home, and help my mom get them settled in. This is the happiest I’ve seen her in as long as I can remember, and I hope it stays that way.
Sander started to distance himself as things settled down. I knew that it was difficult for him to be around all of us, watching our lives fall into place, without getting the happy ending he was hoping for. But he’s still young, and there’s plenty of time for that. He just has to be patient. The right girl will come along, and he’ll wonder if he ever knew real love before her.
At least, that’s how it was for me.
Keaton showed up at a time in my life when I didn’t realize I needed her most. She forced me to look outside of myself and remember that part of me that longed to love. She saved me from a long life of unhappiness and regret, and I’ll never be able to express to her just how much that means to me.
I love her more than words can explain, but I intend to spend the rest of our lives trying.
Epilogue
I pull up to the race after a long day at the shop, ready to let off some steam and chill with my friends.
I step out of my ’67 Chevelle, spotting my best friends, Bodhi, and his girlfriend, Keaton, a few cars up. Swinging the door shut, I pocket my keys and head toward them.
Keaton was in one hell of an accident a few months back, and even though the cast the covered her wrist is long since gone, she still hasn’t done much racing lately. No one blames her, though. After living through what she did, we’re just glad to have her around.
I pull my shoulder-length brown hair back into a bun and catch a couple of street bunnies staring as I do so. I can’t say I understand what exactly it is about the long hair that they like so much, but that doesn’t mean I can’t use it to my advantage.
“Milo,” Bodhi greets me, grabbing my hand and clapping me on the back.
“Hey man,” I respond before pulling Keaton into a quick side arm hug.
