Sequel: Infinite ›
Trouble-Maker
Epilogue.
I remembered the exact moment that Ronnie walked into my life. And the exact moment I realized there was no use shying away from what was happening between us. When I decided to let it happen, to give myself more of him, I had no idea that I’d fall in love with him the way I did. It was like our heartbeats slowed to match, keeping time to all the times he won me over.
I never doubted my feelings for him, just the repercussions they might have on my life. But when it came down to it, I never had the choice to close myself off and walk away. He opened me up and climbed right in, eagerly waiting for me to sew myself up around him and accept all he was offering.
I’d always known that he was what I wanted and I let myself be changed by everyday I spent around him. Let myself become someone who was free enough to take a chance on him and let myself become more than I had ever intended.
I think it was the way his mouth pressed into mine, warm and soft and eager, the way his hair fell in his face, the tattoos that colored his skin, his unapologetic nature and determination, the way he looked at me, the way he walked into my life despite everything. Despite my father and my family and all the things keeping us apart. When I looked at him, I couldn’t imagine myself with anyone else.
We both knew that my father would never understand what it was that brought and kept us together. He didn’t feel the pull that kept me with the singer even though it threatened to take me away from him. But by the end of the summer of our Warped Tour summer, he stopped pushing me away and welcomed us both home.
We walked into my father’s house hand-in-hand and headed around through the double doors to the back where we’d met with my father in the past. Through the open doors, I saw Max and Frida in the pool, enjoying the last of their summer days, and my father said on the porch, holding my baby sister and talking to Gina.
The woman looked up as Ronnie and I stepped outside. She smiled, getting up from her seat automatically. “Atticus,” she greeted, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. I pulled my hand out of Ronnie’s so I could hug her back.
“It’s good to see you again,” I said. We hadn’t spoken in months and I wondered how it was that she took care of Nico all on her own.
“You were gone too long,” she said, grinning as she pulled back and looked to the dark haired man at my side, “You two look like you got a lot of sun though. So it must’ve been an eventful summer.”
“You have no idea,” I agreed, “We’ve been back forty-eight and I think we slept for forty of them and I’m still exhausted. I’m glad to be home.”
“I’m glad to have you home,” my dad spoke for the first time, getting up with Nico in his arms and passing her over to Gina, “I was worried about you out there, you know. I know what it’s like.”
“Hey, Dad,” I greeted, watching with dark eyes as he faced us, his gaze lingering on both of us as I leaned into Ronnie. “Thanks for inviting us over.”
“Of course,” he said, eyes shooting back to me, “We’re family, Atticus, and there’s nothing you can do that will ever change that. You’re my daughter and I love you, despite everything.” He cleared his throat and folded his arms up across his chest. Then he looked to Ronnie. “Thanks for taking care of her,” he said, nodding slightly, “Good to see you made it home safe.”
He turned away, speaking in general as he told us to head down to the pool and enjoy ourselves. Frida and Max were yelling for us now, trying to push up out of the water as quickly as they could. It had been months since I last saw them and even after everything, it felt great to be home. I grabbed Ronnie’s hand, grinning at him as I pulled him down to my siblings.
It wasn’t an acceptance from my dad, not yet, but as long as Ronnie and Brett weren't trying to kill each other, it was enough for now.
I never doubted my feelings for him, just the repercussions they might have on my life. But when it came down to it, I never had the choice to close myself off and walk away. He opened me up and climbed right in, eagerly waiting for me to sew myself up around him and accept all he was offering.
I’d always known that he was what I wanted and I let myself be changed by everyday I spent around him. Let myself become someone who was free enough to take a chance on him and let myself become more than I had ever intended.
I think it was the way his mouth pressed into mine, warm and soft and eager, the way his hair fell in his face, the tattoos that colored his skin, his unapologetic nature and determination, the way he looked at me, the way he walked into my life despite everything. Despite my father and my family and all the things keeping us apart. When I looked at him, I couldn’t imagine myself with anyone else.
We both knew that my father would never understand what it was that brought and kept us together. He didn’t feel the pull that kept me with the singer even though it threatened to take me away from him. But by the end of the summer of our Warped Tour summer, he stopped pushing me away and welcomed us both home.
We walked into my father’s house hand-in-hand and headed around through the double doors to the back where we’d met with my father in the past. Through the open doors, I saw Max and Frida in the pool, enjoying the last of their summer days, and my father said on the porch, holding my baby sister and talking to Gina.
The woman looked up as Ronnie and I stepped outside. She smiled, getting up from her seat automatically. “Atticus,” she greeted, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. I pulled my hand out of Ronnie’s so I could hug her back.
“It’s good to see you again,” I said. We hadn’t spoken in months and I wondered how it was that she took care of Nico all on her own.
“You were gone too long,” she said, grinning as she pulled back and looked to the dark haired man at my side, “You two look like you got a lot of sun though. So it must’ve been an eventful summer.”
“You have no idea,” I agreed, “We’ve been back forty-eight and I think we slept for forty of them and I’m still exhausted. I’m glad to be home.”
“I’m glad to have you home,” my dad spoke for the first time, getting up with Nico in his arms and passing her over to Gina, “I was worried about you out there, you know. I know what it’s like.”
“Hey, Dad,” I greeted, watching with dark eyes as he faced us, his gaze lingering on both of us as I leaned into Ronnie. “Thanks for inviting us over.”
“Of course,” he said, eyes shooting back to me, “We’re family, Atticus, and there’s nothing you can do that will ever change that. You’re my daughter and I love you, despite everything.” He cleared his throat and folded his arms up across his chest. Then he looked to Ronnie. “Thanks for taking care of her,” he said, nodding slightly, “Good to see you made it home safe.”
He turned away, speaking in general as he told us to head down to the pool and enjoy ourselves. Frida and Max were yelling for us now, trying to push up out of the water as quickly as they could. It had been months since I last saw them and even after everything, it felt great to be home. I grabbed Ronnie’s hand, grinning at him as I pulled him down to my siblings.
It wasn’t an acceptance from my dad, not yet, but as long as Ronnie and Brett weren't trying to kill each other, it was enough for now.