Eden

William (Liam) Halloway

“I knew we’d have to go to these things eventually, but I never thought we’d have one so soon.”

“Me neither.”

“Especially not his.”

I nod, but don’t say anything. Gabe, Loni and I are all huddled together, away from the other Angelview alumni that have gathered here. Laurel’s here, making a show of things with her loud wailing, but I keep looking for Rosalind, even though I know she won’t be here.

She hasn’t spoken to any of us since the night the Angelle’s mansion burned to the ground, but I plan to find her.

Gabe claps me on my shoulder. “How’ve you been, man? It feels like forever since I talked to you.”

“That’s because it has.” I smirk. “I’ve been good though. The gap year was good. I’m actually looking forward to starting school in the fall.”

“That definitely means hell has frozen over,” Gabe chuckles. Suddenly, something catches his attention over my shoulder. His laughter dies, and his eyes widen. “Holy shit. Didn’t think she’d show.”

“What?” Loni gasps, looking behind me as well. Tears instantly form in her eyes. “Oh, shit.”

Slowly, I turn around and there she is. She looks different. Her hair is lighter, and she’s put on a little weight, but she’s still just as fucking gorgeous as I remember her being.

“I didn’t think Mal would come,” Gabe murmurs again. “Figured it’d be … too painful.”

I’d figured the same thing, truth be told. After all, I almost didn’t come myself.

Who would ever want to attend their best friend’s memorial service?

Mallory looks so lost, standing by herself, gazing at the large portrait of Saint next to the podium they usually use for graduation and other major school ceremonies.

My chest twists, and I turn back to Loni and Gabe. “I’m going to talk to her. Make sure she’s all right.”

Loni nods eagerly. “Tell her I’m here for her and that I’ll call her next week.”

Loni’s lucky. She’s the only one Mallory still talks to.

“Okay,” I murmur before facing Mallory again. Tentatively, I make my way over to her. She’s so absorbed in Saint’s image, she doesn’t notice my approach until I’m standing right next to her.

“Hey,” I say softly.

She nearly jumps out of her skin but offers me a small grin once she realizes it’s me.

“Liam,” she says, her voice soft. “Good to see you.”

I don’t try to hug her. I’m not sure she’d be all that receptive to that. “I’m glad you came in for this. Where’d you fly in from?”

“Oh, a little bit of everywhere,” she answers, a clear brush off.

I’m not quite ready to give up, though. After graduation last year, she almost completely disappeared. No one seems to have any idea where she went or why, but at least she talks to Loni.

I guess there’s that shit.

“You don’t have a home base anywhere?”

She levels me with an a

Damn. Not much I can do when she says it so directly.

“Sorry,” I say with a nod. “How’s your family? Is that a safe topic?”

The corner of her mouth twitches. “I suppose. For the most part, everyone’s good. I plan to meet up with Carley and Titus while I’m in California, and to visit Je

“Oh, that’s … good.” I don’t dare ask about her birth mother. Just like Je

After the fire last year, we’d all gotten to know the real Jameson Angelle. Not only had he murdered most of Mallory’s family, but there was so much more blood on his hands, I was still reeling.

I don’t bring any of that up to Mallory now. She’s been through enough as it is, and I’m sure today is really hard for her. Though she inherited a massive fortune from her late father—and from Saint—all the money in the world wouldn’t bring what she wanted back.

“I should get going,” she mumbles suddenly.

“What?” I breathe. “You just got here.”

She scoops her hands through her long hair and closes her eyes. “I know, but I just … I want to leave it in the past, you know?”

It’s calloused. So fucking calloused, and I’d never expect that from her, but I give her a stiff nod. “Yeah. It was good seeing you.” Before I leave, I shoot her a pointed look and grind my teeth. “Loni says she’ll call you next week.”

Her mouth turns up into an actual smile at that. “Tell her I’ll have my pizza and tequila ready.”

We stare at each other for a long moment before she murmurs, “Goodbye, Liam.”

“Ellis.”

As she turns to go, I watch her, my curiosity overwhelming me. Where has she been all this time? Why is she here now?

What the fuck is she hiding?

I figure there’s only one way to answer all my questions, and that’s why I follow her. I’m careful to keep a distance as we drive away from campus. My phone is buzzing like crazy, no doubt messages from Gabe asking where the hell I went, but I ignore them for now. I keep my focus solely on Mallory and where she’s going.

After some time, she pulls into the driveway of a tiny beach cottage that I assume is a rental. I park my own car a few blocks down from the house and get out to continue the rest of the way on foot.

As I approach the front hedges, the door opens.

I freeze in my tracks, and I swear my heart stops.

“What took you so long, Ellis?”

“Appearances, Angelle,” she responds, suddenly all smiles, and I’m thinking it has something to do with the baby Saint is holding in his arms.

Saint, the dead guy that brought us all back to Angelview to celebrate his life.

Saint, the motherfucker who’s very much alive and with a baby.

Closing the space between them, she leans down and presses a kiss to the baby’s forehead. “Hello, my little prince, did you miss me?”

The kid coos and blinks up at her with wide eyes.

“I missed you,” Saint tells her, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her into him.

She grins up at him. “You know how dangerous it is to be here just to stroke your ego, don’t you?”

He shrugs. “Freedom from the Angelle name and all my father’s bullshit is good and all, but do you really think I’d miss my own memorial service?”

“You weren’t even there.”

“Still, I felt the hero worship, Ellis.” He taps his chest and closes his eyes. “I felt it right in here.”

I can only shaky my head and chuckle at that, and I’m careful to stay hidden and quiet. It’s oddly comforting to know that Saint hasn’t really changed.

That he’s not gone.

Even if it does piss me the fuck off.

“Jesus, if you’d really died that day, you’d have found a way to come back as a ghost,” Mallory says with a roll of her eyes. “You’re that obsessed with yourself.”

He smiles and dips his head to press his lips to her temple.

When he pulls back, he says, “I love you, little masochist.”

Her smile is radiant when she replies, “You too, Angelle.”

I consider making my presence known then but decide against it. They’ve remade themselves, and their lives. They’ve worked hard to free themselves from the shackles of their family names and the bloody legacies of their parents. They deserve their peace now.

I turn my back to the cottage, tuck my hands in my pockets, and walk away.

THE END

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