Page 127 of Love is Angry

“I’m sorry,” Mr. Willis says. “But—Maddie? Honey? Are you okay?”

“Daddy!” Maddie peels herself away from me and throws herself into her father’s arms.

He’s holding her, tears rolling down his face, when Noelle walks in. She looks tired, but proud; as she should be. Most ofthe recordings were her work. I nod to her, and she returns the gesture.

“Passed Contreras in the hallway,” she says. “He wants to talk to both of you.”

“Haven’t been announced like that since senior prom,” Contreras says grumpily as he steps up behind her. “Hey, kids. Let’s go somewhere private. Got something to tell you.”

“Please,” I tell him. “No more secrets. I trust everyone in this room with my life—and I just don’t have the energy to hide anymore.”

“Agreed,” Laura says. “I’ve been having to play dumb for my idiot brother for weeks.”

I grin down at her. It doesn’t even bother me. We’re alive, we’re together, and the whole city knows the truth. Contreras shrugs and sits down across from us.

“Your dad was placed in genpop,” Contreras says. “Normally wouldn’t happen that way—but with riots breaking out left, right, and center, the place was in chaos. Lots of homeless people in genpop—lots of people knew your mom personally—lots of people loved her. And—ah—lots of TVs playing.”

Laura squeezes my hand. “What happened?” She asks.

Contreras sighs. “Riot broke out. He might have gotten away with it, what with the broken nose and all, if he wasn’t wearing his own flair and arguing with the TV. It was over before we could stop it—all the little people Julian was so happy to squash under his heel squashed him right back. He died before we could get him to the infirmary.”

Stunned silence fills the room. I should feel something, shouldn’t I? He just told me my father is dead. Beat to death. I should feel—something. But all I feel is relief; it’s over. It’s really and truly over, and that man will never have another chance to ruin something good.

“Thanks for letting us know, officer.” I put my arm around Laura’s shoulders, then slide my other arm around Maddie’s waist as she comes to stand beside me. Mr. Willis comes along with her, and Noelle stands behind me with one hand on my shoulder and her arm around Maddie. I look around me, at all these people who have become so important to me—who have risked more for me than my father would ever dream of—and I know I’ve found my real family. “I think we’ll be okay.”

And we are. Steve makes it out of surgery and onto my payroll. Cameron has an awesome new scar to show off. Lindsey works up the nerve to tell the world about her relationship—and the world doesn’t care because it’s still reeling from the story of political corruption which continues to unravel (under Noelle’s firm and persistent guidance) in the wake of my father’s death. Laura is in therapy for real now that she can be honest about her memories, and she’s dropped most of her extracurriculars to focus on her own healing.

Maddie and I are getting married after college. I hired her father to manage the house and investments for me while I’m in school—he was hesitant at first, but as it turned out, managing the big house isn’t that much more work than managing the small one—it’s just more delegation. He’s really good at it, and I’m grateful to have him in my life.

Almost as grateful as I am to have Maddie by my side—my partner, my lover, my occasional rival. My Maddie—forever and always.

THE END