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6 Months Later

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Life used to mean nothing to me. It was just this side effect and torture after London Bridge; nothing ever felt good, nothing meant anything. Even when I got the book deal and One More Fight went viral and a bestseller, life meant nothing. I didn't necessarily want to die, but I didn't see the point in it. No one is asked to be born, no one has a choice – it's all made for us.

But then the heist happened, and Adelaide came back. I've been working it out recently, how irony has played a part in my life for so long. Life was going great until a terror attack happened. Then after three years, my life finally has meaning after a big traumatic event – the heist.

I suppose life itself is like a flower, right? It starts as a bud, blooms into a beautiful flower and then it withers and dies. If you don't give it the right mix of sunlight and water, it'll die early. But then, a life like mine is like a whole bunch of flowers; always blooming and dying, blossoming and withering.

The past six months have been the most hell I've ever experienced and yet the best as well. Sam's trial is about to start in an hour, and I'm not even allowed to sit in until after I give my testimony in a couple of days.

"You all right, Fletchy-boy?" Mum asks. She's finally moved out back to her own place as well. Now she's healing herself from everything her son did and disowning him.

It's bugging me, though. Her house is so small, compared to this place, and I know she's secretly seeing someone she's not telling about, either. The glowing look, constant makeup, hair styled, the new clothes and smiles... it's obvious, but she'll tell me when she's ready.

"Yeah, just on edge," I admit. "I feel like I should be sitting in the gallery and watching, you know?"

She puts her hand on my cheek and smiles. "I know. But I'll be there straight after my testimony later, so I'll give you everything I can."

Part of me wants to ask her if she wants to move in here permanently, and then suggest to Adelaide we move in together, hers or a new house. I never did get that mortgage after the heist, so it's not like we couldn't afford it. But I also haven't even raised the idea subtly to Ades about moving in yet. We're on this line of perfect life together but time apart because we don't live together, and we seem to be happy.

I do not want to rock that boat, but I also want to know where she is with this kind of thing, so it's best to ask her outright. For the past six months, we've both been open and honest, like we've agreed to be. I need to not be so nervous and just ask her. The worst she can do is say no, and that doesn't mean we end things. It'll just mean she's not ready or whatever.

This trial is playing with my head.

Not only is Mum testifying, but Adelaide is today, too.

"It'll be okay, you hear me?" Mum says. "I'm going to testify against your brother, you and Adelaide will, and he'll get convicted after it all. There's no way he won't."

"You're way too optimistic. You forget, Mother, how people can sometimes sympathise with criminals. After all, if he goes on the stand, we'll hear how hard he had it with family not helping him out with money, his addictions and how Adelaide lied about the pregnancy. He'll try to garner sympathy."

She shrugs. "Evidence is cold hard facts, Fletchy-boy, and no juror can sit there and deny all the evidence they have. People also don't like drug addicts and bitter people. He'll get what's coming to him."

"I hope so," I admit.

She kisses my cheek. "I need to go. Try not to stew on it, all right? I'll phone you when I'm done."

"Love you, Mum."

"Love you too."

She walks out of the house, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I don't like this one bit. Not knowing what's happening is killing me already. Despite hating my brother – and feeling nothing for him, which is a strange combination – I have this urge to know what's going on at every point of this. My counsellor keeps saying how it's because out of everyone, I'm the one Sam victimised more and because we were close until he slept with Adelaide.

Is it bad that I'm still hurt by him? The counsellor says no, but my mind says yes. I'm over everything Adelaide did. I don't care about it anymore. But Sam is a distinct entity. Maybe that's why I'm taking this so personally.

Or maybe it's to do with the fact that Sam did what he did partially out of jealousy towards me. I'm definitely an arrogant arsehole, but I'm aware that to get what I have, I had to work hard – and had a very big dose of luck. All Sam has ever done is coast along, shag women, and complain when he never got his chance because he thinks it should've been handed to him. From day one, he's always complained as the younger brother, I got it easy because I'm the baby. He never realised that all he had to do was stop thinking with his cock and actually apply his brain; he's always been smart underneath it all.

This is just awful, and I hate it. I can't wait to be done with it.

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The door opens and Adelaide walks in. She's in a white long-sleeved top with a black pinafore dress – or that's what she called it anyway – and tights. She takes her black ankle boots off that make her almost the same height as me and puts them by the door.

"Hey," I greet.

She closes the door, and then instantly walks into my arms, putting her head into my chest.

"Stupid question, but are you okay?" I whisper.

She nods. "I wasn't before I went in there. It was...okay. They put a screen up so I didn't have to face him. I got through it. But then when I left, it was awful for a while. Now I think I'm okay again. Now you're here. Your mum...she's sitting watching it."

I kiss her forehead as she moves away.

"I missed you," she says.

We kiss before I say anything more.

"I missed you too. You want anything?" I ask.

We walk into the lounge where she shakes her head and sits on the sofa.

"No, I just want to sit here for a while. Well, sit here with you. I'm not sure what I can say and what I can't, but it's nothing you don't already know. Just said my side of it, told them everything about everything that happened. I got slaughtered and pinned out to be a liar and stringing him along. They were always going to, though."

I sit down, and she lies with her head on my lap. She's got a whole drawer in my bedroom of clothes and pyjamas, and it's surprising to me she hasn't run up and changed yet. She must be feeling shitty, so I smooth down the loose strands of hair on her head.

"It's over now, okay? No more of it, no more court if you don't want to."

She shakes her head. "No, I promised you I'd sit in with your testimony. It's not fair if I avoid it."

"Ades, that means you'll be facing him, and if it's going to hurt you and bring it all back, then you're not doing it. You've been healing so well, and you'd dealt with this like a damn pro. Don't risk all that because of me."

She sits up and perches on my lap, playing with the fabric of my shirt in her hands. "I'm not going to do anything I don't want to do. You are far too important to me, Fletch. He means nothing to me, and he can't do anything to me anymore. I want to be there for you."

"You'll be there for me, no matter what you do, so honestly, Ades, do what makes you feel comfortable," I tell her.

She presses a kiss to my cheek and runs her hand through my curls. Something tells me she's after the physical kind of comfort right now, but I don't want to push her.

"Then I'll be sitting in the gallery, supporting you."

"Have you heard back from the job yet?" I question. She left her waitressing job a few weeks back when she couldn't face going back, and I know she hates the idea of not working, so I helped her apply for some office stuff, but will absolutely help her if she needs it.

She shakes her head. "No. I probably haven't got it. I shouldn't have left the other job in all honesty, but I just couldn't take it. The mortgage needs paying and it just about helped."

I sigh. Now is the time, even if I'm dreading her not being ready. "Okay, so I have an idea."

She gives me a small smile. "That's always bad news."

"Oi! Hear me out!" I kiss her forehead. "Feel free to be totally honest with me if it's a no. I was thinking... my mum's clearly got a guy, and she still hasn't told me. Her place is way too small and needs so much doing to it. I can offer her this place – I've paid the mortgage off, anyway. Meanwhile, me and you can move in, whether it's into yours, or we can buy a new place. The where doesn't bother me. I'll pay the mortgage. We can buy new furniture, whatever it takes."

She looks me in the eyes and cocks her head. "Are you asking me to move in with you, Fletcher Ward?"

I smirk. "I believe I am. It's not like we haven't done it before. I mean after we moved out of dorms, we moved in together. Though I know after everything, it might be a bit too soon for you, but I was thinking about it, and now you've mentioned the money—"

"Fletcher, you're rambling."

I take a breath and laugh awkwardly.

"You don't have to feel awkward or like you can't ask me something. I'd rather you ask me when a thought crosses your mind."

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. The answer is yes, by the way. I'd love to move in with you."

We both smile and her hands wrap around my neck. I hold her waist tight in case she slips away, though she hasn't for six months now. I trust her more than I trust myself at this point. We've got this far after so long, I shouldn't be worried, but my brain consistently tells me that I don't belong here, with her after everything I did.

I know she feels the same about herself.

That's the beauty of self-realisation, though. We both know we did bad, but we fought through the shit and made it out the other side. So maybe it's not that we don't deserve this, but we both deserve the second chance we've given each other.

I still don't quite believe it, though.

"But I still want to find a job, and it doesn't mean you can pay all the mortgage or whatever, forever," she adds.

"Yes, Adelaide, whatever you say," I joke.

She play thumps me. "Have you heard how the movie set is getting on? Should start filming soon, right?"

I nod. "Fine, they're doing the last bits and pieces. They said they won't start filming 'til I'm done with court, so next week."

She grins. "So exciting! We gonna go visit?"

"Of course. You sure you wanna come?"

"Obviously! I've actually had this idea of my own book and I've been writing little bits and pieces here and there. I'm quite proud of myself."

I hug her tight. "That's amazing! The first time in three years!"

She giggles. "It's not great, but after so long, it's actually... all right. Need to get my dialogue down and the grammar is choppy, but yeah, it's a start."

"I know you probably wanna keep it to yourself right now, but if you want me to help or go over plots or whatever, you know where I am."

She snorts. "On a damn movie set! But thank you. You inspired me this time. We're like a proper little cycle of two, aren't we?"

I laugh and kiss her hard. My tongue laps her up while she tightens her hold around my neck.

"We got this, Fletch. Life is... life is good. We just gotta get through this court case. I fully believe in you, okay? I love you so much. Hell, Fletch, I'm in love with you."

I laugh and kiss the tip of her nose. "I'm in love with you as well. It feels like the end of the road, but there's still a damn roadblock in the way."

"We're ramming it with a truck. It'll be gone soon."

"You make everything easier, you know that?"

She grins. "Then you know how I feel about you."

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