Page 20 of The Forever (When the World Fell #3)

Liv

R olling up to Harmony Ridge in the daylight was a surreal experience. As we approached the entrance, I wondered how it could feel like coming home when I’d never been inside before.

We were visitors here last night, dropping Garrett and his men off when the light was too low to see anything beyond the gate. Now, our convoy of cars had arrived, and we were ready to find our place here.

Ro sat beside me with Tae and the girls in the back.

Garrett stood at the open gates waving us through, a more relaxed version of the man we’d met yesterday. Ro blew him a kiss as we passed by, and he closed his eyes momentarily, as if gathering his patience.

“You’re going to get on his last nerve about three minutes after we’ve moved in,” I said.

She gave me a diabolical smile. “That’s the plan.”

“Do you think we’ll be happy here?” Willow voiced the thoughts going through all our minds.

“Yes,” Ellie answered, as if deciding it would make it true.

“Whoa, check out the houses.” Tae clutched the front seats and leaned through from his middle position in the back.

Four tiny homes were set up out the front in pairs, surrounded by raised vegetable gardens overflowing with produce.

My attention shifted to the dark-haired boy weeding the path leading to the homes. He looked to be about sixteen, and he stopped and straightened at the sound of our cars, his wary expression matching ours. No wave or smile, but three vehicles filled with strangers had just driven onto the property he called home, so I understood.

“That’s not even all of them,” I said. “Garrett told us there are more around the back. Caravans and cabins, too.”

Once we’d cleared the tiny houses, the main residence came into view. With controlled breaths, I worked on settling the emotion swirling around inside me.

The house I’d spent so much time thinking about looked a little weathered compared to the photos I’d been carrying with me, but to see it at all had a bolt of excitement shooting through me.

It existed.

It was never an unrealistic dream for us to travel all this way.

“This feels so weird.” Ellie unbuckled her seatbelt and met my eyes in the rearview. “I hope they’re nice people.”

“I bet they’re thinking the same thing about us.” I pulled up in front of the garage and cut the engine. “Just take your time and ease into it—and if you run into trouble with anyone, let me know.”

The other cars rolled to a stop alongside us and dust billowed around our group as we assembled near the garage.

“Doing okay?” Cruz asked as he joined me.

“All good,” I said, conscious of putting on a strong front for the others.

Garrett’s boots crunched on the gravel as he strode up the driveway. “Good news,” he said, with the hint of a smile.

Cruz lifted his brows. “What’s going on?”

“Eric made it back here before us last night. Kept everyone in the compound out of harm’s way.” He repositioned his baseball cap and glanced toward the sound of incoming voices. “He was getting ready to leave with another crew when he heard the gunshots. We got back just in time.”

“That’s great news.” Cruz smiled.

A crowd wandered around the side of the garage, and I almost took a step backwards. I’d never seen so many healthy humans in one place after the pandemic, and my pulse hammered as they approached. “How weird is it to see all these people?” I said, looking up at Cruz.

“It’s going to take some getting used to.”

Garrett introduced us to the residents, taking the time to explain each relationship and their connection to the town.

We met Jack and Angie, who were expecting their first child; an artist named Sally with wild blonde curls, and her partner, Celia, who’d been a therapist before the fall. Eric stepped forward to offer his thanks and shake our hands. There were children and a few elderly folks. A plumber, an electrician, and a man named Robert, who used to run a thriving bakery with his husband before he died.

The young guy we’d seen when we drove through the gates was Jacob, a local football player who’d been the leading goalkicker in his league pre-Ultimus.

Then there was a gorgeous blonde woman named Lacey. She looked to be a couple of years younger than me and couldn’t help giving Cruz a second and third glance. At one time, her attention would have triggered a burning need for me to make it clear he was taken, but I trusted him so much, I knew he’d do that all on his own.

Once the introductions were over and we’d reconnected with Dolan and Freddy, the social chatter kicked in.

“I’ll come find you in a minute,” Cruz said, kissing the top of my head.

I gave him a distracted smile as Celia headed in my direction. Small in stature, the wind ruffled her ginger bob, and she wore a floral dress that swirled around her ankles. No belt or weapons—just like most of the people here—and she had an air of warmth and softness about her that reminded me of a few others Garrett had introduced.

If those men had broken into the compound, they would have taken control in minutes.

“Hello,” she said. “Garrett’s just told you so many names. I wouldn’t expect you to remember mine. I’m Celia.”

“Yours is one of the few I do remember.” I smiled and scanned the crowd to check on my people. “You’re all so welcoming,” I said, as I returned my attention to her. “He must have spent a lot of time talking us up before we got here.”

“Nothing but good things to say.” She linked her arm through mine as if we’d been friends for years. Surprisingly, it didn’t feel awkward. “Come see behind the house. I think you’re going to love it here.”

As we strolled together, more footsteps fell in behind us. Cockatoos screeched from the top of a nearby tree, and the tang of salt clung to the air.

“I don’t know if you’re excited or scared about this,” she said, “but you’re safe here, and I’m grateful for what you’ve done to help us.”

The safe part might be true once we’d reinforced the boundaries and upped the security. As far as the other part went… “I’m excited. New people. A stable home. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted—for me and the rest of our group.”

We wandered around the rear of the house, and the entire back half of the property came into view.

My mouth fell open, and I slowed my steps. I threw a look over my shoulder to share the moment with Cruz, but he was still caught in conversation.

“Wow,” I said, admiring all the thought that had gone into the design.

“It took us a while to get to this point,” she said, “and it’s still a work in progress.”

Rows of caravans and cabins were set up on the right as if to create a buffer from the wind coming off the ocean, and extensive vegetable gardens much like Dawn’s ran straight down the middle—just as abundant and healthy as hers had been. My heart constricted as I took it all in, and a vague yearning came over me. She would have loved it here.

Jonah and Gabe stepped around us first, with Ellie and Willow following. Tae wasn’t far behind, and he shot me a smile as he went by, his arm wrapped in the fresh bandage Ro had put on for him this morning.

Their hurried steps took them in different directions, eager to visit every corner of the property.

My eyes drifted to the orchard across the rear boundary, then the adjoining undercover seating area filled with picnic benches where people could gather to eat.

“This is amazing,” I said to Celia as Cruz stopped beside me. “It almost doesn’t feel real.”

“I’ll bet. Garrett said you knew about this place before you got here, that you came here specifically to find it?”

“We did.” I thought about everything we’d been through, all the risks we’d faced in the hope we’d find this reward at the end. “In the back of my mind there was always the worry that it wouldn’t be standing anymore, that we’d get here and have to start over. Again.”

“You’ve been through a lot.”

Tears pricked my eyes, and I swallowed to ease the tightness in my throat. Maybe it was her understanding tone or the relief of knowing we didn’t have to run anymore. Maybe it was the sadness of accepting that Haruto and Dawn would never get to feel this kind of freedom and peace. Whatever the reason, I nodded. “We have. It’s beautiful here.”

Cruz slid his palm up my spine and rested his hand on my shoulder, a reminder of his presence even though I’d been aware of every movement since the first day I set eyes on him.

“Go.” Celia patted my hand and unlinked her arm from mine. “Have a good look around. See what you think.”

She left me standing with Cruz, and the two of us faced the view. My muscles still ached from all the running and fighting of the past few days, but it was easy to push it aside when we were surrounded by order and serenity.

I smiled up at him. “She said see what you think, as if we might do a walk around and turn down the offer to stay here. I can’t see myself ever wanting to leave this.”

“Me either—but I don’t know where they’re planning on housing us.”

“I don’t care. I’ll happily live in a tent until we can get something more permanent happening.”

He smiled and ran his hand down my spine, stopping when he hit my belt. “Will you save room for me?”

We’d shared tighter spaces, and the memory of the last one we occupied came rushing back. “If we can fit together in a car seat so well, I think we can squeeze into a tent.”

With a low laugh that had the hairs on my arms rising, Cruz grabbed my chin and kissed me. “Better stop talking like that, carino , or I’ll have to drag you behind one of these cabins.”

I huffed out a breath and avoided his gaze so I wouldn’t be tempted to make him follow through on that promise.

He took my hand, and together we wandered along a path that took us toward the rear of the property, taking our time and immersing ourselves in our surroundings. The collection of kids’ ride-on toys made me smile. There were washing lines between each residence, some with clothes spread out and flapping in the breeze. Work boots had been left at front doors, and push bikes lay on their sides. All signs of a life we used to know.

After leaving the protection of the cabins, the wind made its presence known, blowing the hair from my eyes and clearing my mind. As the tightness inside me loosened bit by bit, I pulled in a deep breath.

Jonah and the others were traipsing around like a bunch of overgrown kids, similar in age and already so close they were like family. In time, we’d feel the same about the people we’d met today, I was sure of it.

Cruz and I stopped at a gap in the tree line, and he laughed and pulled me closer. “Check this out.”

My heart pumped harder as I faced the view with him. The ocean. Choppy waves and endless blue-green. Seagulls floating and squawking. Complete, utter beauty.

“I’ll be able to see you in a wetsuit in no time,” I said, trying to keep the mood light.

Jonah caught on to what we were looking at and let out a whoop, sending us a look filled with happiness.

Cool air swirled around me, flapping my shirt and chilling my bones. My throat ached, and tears I hadn’t expected to cry brimmed in my eyes.

Cruz moved in behind me and wrapped his arms around my chest, resting his chin on the top of my head. “Are those happy tears or sad?”

“Happy.” I clutched his forearm with both hands. “I’m just scared I’m going to wake up alone in my apartment and find out everything was a dream—including meeting you.”

A silent moment passed where we stood together and stared out at the waves. Then he said so softly I could barely hear him, “You don’t need to worry anymore, querida . We’re here now. It’s real. This is the forever.”