Choosing Eternity Page 18

  Together.

  --- Epilogue ---

  “Are you sure you won’t stay?”

  Tommie stood on the deck of her ship and watched me with clear eyes for a long moment before she shook her head.

  “Yes, I’m sure,” she answered, and then gave an elegant shrug. “It’s better this way.”

  We both knew it to be true…

  But it still hurt.

  On the far edge of the horizon, the gray storm clouds that hovered over us gave way to a tiny slip of blue sky and the rising sun. It was going to rain and storm today, but—just for a handful of heartbeats—there was sunshine.

  Which was…not as nice as it sounds. For I understood, now, what Tommie meant when she said that sunshine burned vampires. There was an unpleasant sensation on my skin as the sunlight of the bright new day drifted over it. I crossed my arms in front of me, burying myself deeper into my coat as I watched Tommie, and Tommie watched me.

  Kane’s arm came around my waist, and she held me gently against her.

  She knew this was hard for all of us.

  After Magdalena and the not-Melody had been taken care of (“Banishment,” I learned was pretty wretched. Vampires who were banished must go to the only continent without a vampire court…and that was Antarctica. Horribly enough, I had learned that there was an outpost in Antarctica, a small vampire city somewhere, of vampires barely surviving. It was a nightmare thought, and, in that moment, I’d felt a shred of pity toward Magdalena. Until I remembered, of course, that she’d once killed me.), the rest of the night had continued with the dance in full swing, everyone partying long into the night.

  The few townsfolk who were there—and human—had all been massively drunk, and—on top of that—Kane had made a big fuss, hoping they’d enjoyed the “performance.” Bran got up and played on her violin at points, and there were other performances throughout the night, though I’d be hard pressed to remember what they were…

  Because I’d gone with Kane to sit down and pillowed my head on her shoulder.

  And I slept most of my wedding night, utterly exhausted and spent.

  But alive.

  Both of us were alive and together.

  And there was nothing lovelier.

  When I’d woken, Tommie told me that she was “headed out.” I’d asked her what she meant…

  And that had led here.

  To the dock and her boat.

  And Tommie, about to leave us.

  For good.

  “You don’t have to do this…” murmured Kane, her jaw hard. She lifted her chin, watching Tommie. “If I made you feel that it was…was some sort of competition between you and me, I’m sorry. I—”

  Tommie sighed for a long moment, putting her foot up on the side of the boat and leaning into her knee. She stared down at the little bit of water between us with a frown.

  Finally she looked up.

  “It’s always been between you and me, Kane. It’s not what either of us wanted, but…it’s what ended up happening. It’s not your fault. It’s not my fault. It’s just…how it worked out.” Tommie took a long, deep breath. “I’ll always be grateful that you found me where you did back then. That you helped me. There aren’t any ill feelings.”

  Kane nodded, and she let go of me, stepping back. “Safe travels, my friend,” she said, and then she put her hands into her pockets, turned and began to walk back toward the shore.

  Which left just me and Tommie together.

  And it was time to say goodbye.

  “I’m happy for you and Kane,” said Tommie, her voice thick with emotion. She couldn’t look at me when she said it, but I knew she was telling me the truth.

  And I knew how hard it must have been for her to say it.

  “Just…be happy. Whatever you do, wherever you go. Be happy. Please?” I asked her, searching her face. “I care about you so much. I’m so sorry if I caused you any pain. I’m so sorry, Tommie—”

  “You’ve got nothing to be sorry about,” she said with an elegant shrug. “You and Kane were meant to be. So go, be. Together.”

  “I love you,” I told her, and she nodded, jaw tight.

  “I know,” she answered softly. “And I love you. I always will. Be happy yourself, Rose. But I know you will be.”

  I lifted my hand to her, and across the little divide of the salt water, myself on the pier, Tommie on her boat, we reached out and grasped each other’s hands tightly.

  There was nothing more to say.

  I turned and made my way back down the wooden dock. I could hear Tommie readying her boat, and then the motor started, carrying her out onto the magnificent blue of the sea.

  The sun disappeared behind the clouds, and a lovely gray day began around us as I reached Kane along the end of the pier.

  She held out her arm to me, and we said nothing as I looped my arm through hers.

  Together, arm in arm, we made our way through the town of Eternal Cove. It was much too early for that little town to be waking up, so all was still and quiet as we walked through it together. As the road began to slope upward, toward the Sullivan Hotel, the woods around us grew more and more resplendent, the farther we moved. The splendor of autumn was in full force, a riot of leaves as bright as gemstones rising over our heads.

  By the time we reached the top of the hill, the Sullivan Hotel, the woods and Eternal Cove spread beneath us, as pretty as any painting. We turned and looked at it, arm in arm, as close as two people can be.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” I murmured happily.

  “Yes,” said Kane, voice low, gruff.

  But she wasn’t looking at the scene before us when she said those words.

  She was looking at me, the softest smile on her lovely mouth.

  We wandered across the great parking lot to the side of the Sullivan Hotel, and we found ourselves in the little garden. All of the rose bushes were asleep, all of the plants brown and quiet, now that winter was coming.

  But I knew that somewhere, slumbering in the earth, was the promise of spring to come.

  “I can’t wait to show you what this place looks like when everything is in bloom and glorious,” Kane murmured. “Again.”

  I smiled up at her, leaning my cheek against her shoulder. I closed my eyes, inhaled the sweet, intoxicating scent of her.

  I felt her warmth against me, and it filled me with love.

  We walked along the paths until we came to an uncharacteristic bare spot in the tumult of rose bushes. Kane put her head to the side and gestured to it.

  “One of my prize roses died here…and I’ve been meaning to choose a rose to plant again in this spot. Maybe you could help me pick one out?”

  I nodded, glancing down at the cool earth, the dirt freshly turned, waiting and expectant for something new to grow here.

  “When do you want me to help you choose one?” I asked her.

  And Kane paused, putting her arms about me, drawing me close, her face bright and joyful as she leaned down, as her mouth found mine.

  “We have time enough,” she whispered to me before that perfect, sweet kiss began.

  And she was right, of course.

  We had eternity together.

  The End

  --- A Love Letter to My Readers ---

  To you, my dear reader:

  If you’ve come this far, then you know the end of the story. You know that Rose and Kane have finally found their happily ever after, and I hope you enjoyed following along with them on their adventure.

  I am so grateful that you’ve come this far. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading.

  The Sullivans were born one dark day, a long time ago.

  They were born out of my beautiful wife’s request: write anything that will help make you happy.

  I will spare you the sad, hard details, dear reader, but I will tell you the summary of the story: I have had a lifelong battle with depression, and on that one dark day, a long time ago, I almost lost to it. My wife, who has b
een with me through every trial, every dark day—and every lovely day, too—knew that a path to healing lay in a story.

  Since that day, many years ago, I have lived in the world of my Sullivans, and I have been so grateful that you went there with me, too. Rose starts the story as someone essentially broken, and progresses through the three books to someone who lives with her brokenness, and flourishes not in spite of it…but because of it.

  I think that all of us have our broken places inside of us. We all live with hearts that have been bruised or broken or torn in half and patched back together. And yet, we are still here. We still live, even with the scars, and that shows such tremendous strength.

  I am so grateful that you came with me on this journey. I am so grateful that you read this story, that you allowed it into your life if even for a little while. My heart is in this tale, and if you resonated with even a little of it, then I am grateful.

  This story helped me survive.

  This story helped me out of the darkness.

  This story was a soft, warm place when—in my head and heart—there was nothing but sharpness and sadness.

  If, like me, you have experienced that sharpness and sadness, I hope you know you’re not alone. Depression lies. It tells you that you are worthless, that you are not worthy of love. That you should not exist.

  None of these things are true.

  No matter who you are, if you are questioning this truth, then I will tell you: the world is an infinitely better place because you exist. You have touched the lives of people, you have changed them for the better.

  You do not have to pay a rent of value to live in this body.

  You have value—you do not need to create it.

  You are valued.

  Please know that you are not alone. That you have worth. That the universe is better because you are here in it. Even if you’re in a dark day, you are surviving, and I’m so proud of you.

  Thank you for being.

  To my beloved readers who have been with me from the beginning: what can I say to adequately profess my love and gratitude? Your kindness, your love, your words and messages and emails and letters and packages and comments and everything that you are makes my life lovely. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being.

  And, especially, to my wife, who has loved me through the darkest of days, who has cherished me when I thought there was nothing in me to cherish…you are my lighthouse in the storm. You are my light in the dark.

  You are my everything.

  Thank you for loving me. Until the end of time, I will cherish and adore you.

  My darling, you are my eternity.

  All my love,

  Bridget Essex

  March 2018

  PS. And to my Tommie fans, please don’t be too sad for her…she’s gone on a pretty amazing adventure, and you’ll be able to read all about it sometime in the future.❤

  More from Bridget Essex:

  If you enjoyed the Sullivan Vampires, you'll love The Protector! Elizabeth Grayson doesn’t want a bodyguard, but changes her tune when she meets brooding, mysterious, sexy-as-hell Layne…who harbors a secret... A passionate romance, The Protector is available to read for free in Kindle Unlimited!

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