by Zoey Foster
He hands me a bag filled with chocolate chip cookies. Hopefully, not the same from a month ago, but it’s just so, right. “Okay, if you’re really sure, let’s do it. Oh, and Jase, I love you too.” He grabs my hand and we leave hand in hand and I finally feel like I’m in control of my life. I want to go with him and I want to finally live.
Epilogue
6 Months Later
After a couple days of driving, Jase and I ended up in Tacoma, Washington. We start school our first semester of college in the spring at The University of Puget Sound. We both instantly fell in love with the city when we got here. The ocean is near, views for days, and we are close to Seattle. This place is perfect for what I want to major in. I decided Photography is what I was meant to do. I love capturing the beauty through the lens. Jase is still undecided. He is going to take some general education classes until he figures it out.
He has been the rock I have always needed in my life. It’s been a rough road, but I’m getting stronger every day. With Jase by my side I know I can do anything. We have spent our free time hiking, rock climbing, and walking along the beach just living for a while before we start with school. I actually had a lot more money than I thought I did. I made some money on selling the house back in the valley.
We are renting a small apartment and it’s finally a place I can call home. No more walking on eggshells or hiding in my room. I will say when I’m having rough days and I get thrown back into thoughts of my old life, I instinctively go to my room. I have made a point to make the living room a warm and inviting place that is displays pictures I have taken. Since I was never allowed to be comfortable in the old house I needed to make this place as different as the last place, where it feels good to come in and just sit down and not have to worry about anything getting done. Jase has picked up a part time job at a car dealership. He wanted to bring in some money. I love watching him off to work and going out and enjoying the time to go take pictures and finding new places to explore with him.
Once we were settled here Jase’s dad came up and we all had a talk. He explained everything to me. Phillip isn’t a bad guy after all. He was just part of an investigation and had to play the part. He and Jase are still working out a couple of issues about his dad’s love life and the choice in women he has. It was just a coincidence that Jase met me and his dad didn’t know until that day I was supposed to have dinner at his house that I was the girl Jase was waiting for. I believe that this was all meant to be.
Frank is doing life in prison for bribing a government official along with the other dozens of charges of arms dealing, drug running, and having something to with the conspiracy to kidnap me that ultimately lead to my mother’s death. There was a lot more stuff about Frank I didn’t know. Let’s just say, he won’t make it very long in prison with what they have on this guy. Dixon died from blunt force trauma to the head from the pipe I hit him with. I really underestimated my strength. I was cleared from anything that had to do with his death as justified means of protecting myself. He is never going to hurt another person again. I can feel good about that. I saved a lot of people from pain that he could have caused them.
I finally feel like I’m free and I can breathe. I’m ready to face the next chapter of my life and closing the last one for good. I know in life you are never given anything you can’t handle. It was hard to accept that when I was going through it, but I now know life is waiting for me and my mom can finally rest in peace knowing I made it out alive. I am living life for the both of us now and it feels really good. I have an excellent guy behind me and I know life isn’t always rainbows and unicorns, but for me right now that’s exactly what it feels like. That with a whole bunch of chocolate chip cookies.
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I would like to thank everybody who has helped me in my journey. With your help, you have made this story exist.
First, I would like to thank my husband and Mom who have had to deal with my absence, and sometimes stress out self. You guys have pushed me to finish this, you never let me give up. My kids for just being them and always asking if my book is done yet and being proud of me not knowing what I write about. I love you crazy boys!
There is a list of people who have contributed so much to this book, and I couldn’t have done it without you. Kendall Ryan, my ROCK! You make me want to push my limits every day, and do things like a BOSS! Love you HARD! Dani Hart, you put your heart into making this flow with ease. Thanks you a MILLION times! Laura Hampton, my late night literary partner, thanks for everything. You love Jase and Maddie as your own, you helped them grow! Cassidy Hamermiester and Amanda Maryon for my cover, it’s perfect and everybody loves it! Michael Bova, for being on the cover and writing Jase’s poem to Maddie. You have a way with words!!!
Ena Burnette for manning the blog while I have been away and taking charge of the Swooners, Kim Box Person for being a true friend and giving me endless support, Nicola Farrell for our late night convo’s and chats about writing, Washington, and anything in between, Nicole Fehneman Kelly for our book chats that turn into Drunken Skype sessions, Jackie Dickson who beta read and helped me develop my characters more, Juliet Fowler for beta reading and being there for me and all your tweets, Jodi Murphy who has been an endless promoter, you girls have had my back from the start and mean so much to me. Angela Zele, my SIL, who helped me and supported me when I was stuck or needed help, you ROCK!!! Thank you, everyone, for all your advice and encouragement!
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
