Page 75 of My One

“But she stayed after I went off to college,” I added as though they didn’t know.

“We don’t know why,” Jimmy confessed. “When you went off to college and Easton married Dana, we moved here for my job. We asked her to come with us, but she refused.”

“I thought you didn’t talk to her anymore?” Easton asked.

“After we moved, we slowly lost touch.” Jane choked on a sob. “Now, it’s too late.”

“I don’t think it’s too late,” Nicole stated. “Denise is with Avery Senior now. The one she wanted to be with.”

Everyone looked at my wife. We were so focused on the past and what had happened to not realize that my mother was up in heaven with the man she loved. The one she truly loved.Herone.

“That’s a nice way to think about it.” Jane smiled and wiped a tear from her face.

“Will you tell us what the police said about Doug and Denise’s car accident?” Jimmy asked.

I shrugged slightly. “Just that a car was driving the wrong way and hit them head-on.”

“So there was no foul play?” Jimmy inquired further.

I shook my head. “No. Why do you ask? They died together.”

“It’s just odd it was a car accident too.”

“Or karma,” Brooke snorted almost sarcastically.

“Was Avery Senior’s accident a head-on collision too?” Easton asked.

“No.” Jimmy shook his head. “The cops think he fell asleep at the wheel and hit a tree.”

“And you think Doug drugged him or something?” Nicole questioned.

“It only makes sense that he did,” Jane responded.

If it were true, and my dad killed my biological father, Douglas Scott was the devil.

Over the next few weeks, things seemed to return to normal. The judge in California finally granted Avery beneficiary status in his parents’ estates. We did what we could from New York, closing accounts and transferring assets. The only thing left was to sell their house and either sell or donate their cars and belongings, which is what we’d do while we were back in California for the next week.

“In-N-Out or tacos?” Avery asked as we grabbed our bags at baggage claim.

I thought for a moment. Ever since I’d admitted to Jimmy that I loved California’s staple burger place, Avery teased that we were going to eat it the entire time we were back in Santa Barbara. I even had Shake Shack for lunch one day to make sure that I did, in fact, like In-N-Out more. What was I going to do when we had no reason to come back to the West Coast? Also, the batting cage tacos were what dreams were made of. How was I to choose?

I pulled my phone out of my handbag, looking at the time. “Tacos for lunch and In-N-Out for dinner?”

Avery grinned. “I knew you were my one for a reason.”

I bit my lip. “Is that the only reason? Because I’ve abandoned the Shack?”

“And other reasons.” He kissed the side of my head. “Reasons I’ll show you later.”

I stopped walking toward the rental car booth. “In your parents’ house?”

“It’s our house now.”

This was true, but if it were truly my house, there would be color. There would be pictures. There would be love. “Maybe we can start in the pool,” I suggested.

Avery chuckled and leaned in, whispering into my ear, “I’ll fuck you on the bocce ball court if you want.”

We pulled our heads back, staring into each other’s eyes, and then burst into laughter. That shit would hurt. “Yeah, okay,” I replied, and we started walking again.