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A slow smile spread across my face. We survived. Somehow, we fucking survived.
Rounding the corner, I found Connor stripped to her underwear, soaked from head to toe while Tierney rinsed her shoes.
"Want some of this? You look like hell," Tierney asked, waving the hose around.
I shook my head. "No. Any wound on the head bleeds a lot. It's not serious."
I pulled my shirt over my head, wiped the blood from my face, and applied pressure. "See? I'm fine."
She shrugged, dropped the hose, and turned off the spigot.
"So, are we burning the place down?" Tierney asked, her voice a little more cheerful and upbeat for the moment.
Connor waved her off. "No need. I lit it up pretty good back there. That's what pissed her off to start with. Her pitiful sprinklers were no match for the flamethrower. The house is probably already burning."
"Oooh. No messy clean up. I like it," Tierney said, wrapping her arm around Connor to stabilize her and led her to the truck.
One last look around the empty yard and blood stained walls that could have been the last place we drew breath. That knot that had been twisting in my stomach for weeks finally unwound.
Still, that restless ache of frustration I felt when I didn’t get the kill I’d been planning still lingered. This time, though, I had a good idea how I might release that tension.
I jogged to the truck, a renewed spark flaring to life in me. The door clicked shut, and I leaned my head against the headrest, allowing myself a moment to breathe as I waited for the girls to finish.
Black smoke curled high above the back of the house. Connor had been right, the house was already burning. It seemed things were finally working in our favor. Tierney climbed into the truck and scooted over next to me. Connor, freshly dressed, climbed in, slamming the door behind her.
"When we get home, I'm sleeping for a week. I'm taking Tierney's old room." Connor said, leaning against the window. "By the way, did y'all ever find my car?"
"No. Honestly, I didn't think to look for it. We already knew you weren't with it. Sorry."
"Fuck. Sleep sounds good." Tierney agreed.
My hand squeezed her thigh. "Bed sounds like just the thing to make this all better."
She swatted my arm playfully. "I said sleep, Ahren. Sleep."
"Doesn't ring a bell."
"Don't worry. I'll teach you." She said, offering me a soft smile.
“It’s over.” Tierney murmured, awe creeping into her tone. “We fucking survived.”
I nodded. “Still a little miffed, I didn’t get the kill shot. But I guess I can’t really complain.”
She shrugged. “I said I wanted to introduce that bitch to a knife. Wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but I’ll take it.”
Connor laughed. “You’re both crazy. But damn, I love you.”
Her eyes flicked up to me. “This isn’t the end. Not goodbye.”
I shook my head. “This is only the beginning.”
“I love you—more than I ever thought possible. I learned to mimic other people’s behavior—to fit in, but I never understood it. Now—”
“Now?” I prodded.
“Now all the songs make sense.” she laughed, her eyes lined with unshed tears.
I kissed her cheek, wiping away the tears as they began falling.
“Ok,” she smiled, “Enough of this mushy shit. I love you. I said it. Now I need to shoot something.”
“Sleep, then shooting. Got it. Anything else, love?”
"Take me home, baby." Tierney murmured, placing a soft kiss on my jaw.
"Anything for you, Kitten."