A/N… This site is a hot mess. No alerts, no review emails, sometimes blank pages…nothing. I've considered changing emails, but it seems like they're still dealing with it. So…patience is a virtue with this site. So if the page goes blank, just give it time. It'll come back.

This is the last regular chapter of Common Ground. See me at the bottom, please.

~oOo~

Chapter 30

BELLA

I hung the sign on the door of Common Ground, stating it was closed for a private party. We'd been planning Rose's bridal shower for weeks. I'd told her that Sundays were the best days to close early. I'd offered up my food for not only this function, but for the wedding reception too. It was my gift to the couple.

Emmett and Rose's wedding was right around the corner. They'd wanted a fall wedding, so it would be taking place between Halloween and Thanksgiving. I faced the laughing group of women, smirking at their happiness. There were a few co-workers of Rose's I didn't know, but the rest of them I loved like family.

Alice and Tanya were howling over some funny story the latter was telling the former. Esme was arranging presents as she chatted with her daughter.

The most interesting guest was the one coming to stand by my side.

"I heard Edward closed on his old house," Dana muttered, smirking my way.

I nodded, gazing over at her. She and my dad had gotten close. What started out as common allies in Edward's situation had become…more. And oh, my Lord, were they ever adorable about it. I had teased him relentlessly that we were both dating cops, but she was awesome, and she fit in so well with everyone else.

"Yeah, someone put a bid in, and Edward took it. I'm not sure of the numbers, but he just wanted it off his plate, you know?"

"No one blames him," she replied. "Not a single damn one of us."

"Right? Yeah, he didn't even bother going back into the house to pack it up. He took some things he wanted and then sold the house as is – furniture and all. All the clothes and personal shit… He hired a cleaning service and then donated it to the women's shelter. He was just done."

A timer went off in the back, and I excused myself to pull out the pastries I'd been baking. They were the last thing I was going to put out on the table. Once they were on the serving tray, I set them down out on the counter.

"How's my bestie?" Tanya asked.

Smiling up at her, I said, "He'll be home tomorrow."

She wrinkled her nose at that. "Did he have to go to fucking Chicago?"

I huffed a laugh, because that had been the first real argument Edward and I had had in a long time. Not since our rough start had we fought like that, because I thought it was a fucking stupid idea, but Felix and Santiago had vowed Edward's safety. And I made Emmett go with them all, just for my own peace of mind.

"Girl, don't start. That was a big fucking fight."

She grimaced. "Damn, but you two are okay? Because if he fucked up…we really will team up on his stubborn ass." She smiled at my laughter.

"Oh, we're fine. Big fight, big makeup session, but… I get it. I honestly think he wants to finish everything his mother started so he can just…let it go. Like close that door permanently."

"Shit. He'd better be careful over there." She'd said that through a deep sigh, and I nodded at that too. "And you're sure you're okay with this…" She gestured toward everyone behind her, but I knew what she was asking, and it wasn't about the shower. Because it wasn't the first time she'd asked.

I laughed. "You're the maid of honor and he's the best man. You gotta walk the aisle together, T. I'm not jealous. Trust me. I'll be too busy with food to worry about it."

"Well, at least she didn't go crazy with the guest list."

That was true. Edward's family had money, but Rose was keeping her wedding simple and intimate and warm. The colors were autumn tones. The guest list was maybe twenty-five people. Normally, catering and functions weren't a Common Ground thing, so I'd asked Carmen and Eleazar for help on this one with cooking and delivery. I'd also called an old friend, and Angela would help set up, serve, and break down everything in the church's social hall on the day of the wedding. She needed the money before she graduated college and started full-time at Virginia Mason Hospital. And yeah, Edward called his uncle on that job for her, stating that Angela was the only Inferno employee he'd liked.

Shaking my head a little, I checked my phone.

Tanya wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "He'll call. Come on, we're day-drinking. You're officially off duty and now a guest."

Chuckling, I let her guide me to the table. I sat between her and Esme, letting the latter lead the party. There were games and teasing, joke gifts and legit wedding presents.

Tanya and Rose told stories about Emmett and Edward in high school, though there were more about Emmett because he was a shameless thing. What they didn't say was that Edward was more reserved. First, with the loss of his mother and his father's threats, and then with grief and anger and anxiety.

A part of me wished I'd known him then, but maybe that was a strange way of looking at things. He and I worked because our lives made us who we'd become.

Despite Tanya's wish for day-drinking, I took a sip of coffee, thinking back to the fight I'd had with Edward.

~oOo~

"You're going where?" I asked, thinking I was hearing shit.

"Chicago. With Felix and Santiago."

"What do you mean you're going to Chicago?" I asked him, turning off the water in the kitchen.

"I need to finish this, Bella. They have enough evidence to approach Marcus, and I plan on seeing Jane about that fucking house!" he snapped, pointing to the floor.

"I get all of that, but what I don't understand is why you're going anywhere near a city filled with people who probably want payback for Aro!" Fuck, I was yelling. I didn't mean to, but this seemed like a suicidal idea.

His eyes were dark, and his jaw rolled as he gritted his teeth.

"Edward, you could…" I started but trailed off. "Those assholes have people every-fucking-where! After Aro, their men went crazy."

"You think I don't know? I'm in homicide. That shift in power caused all sorts of fights to break out. Whatever Aro was doing to keep the peace fucking shattered. In the last two weeks, we've arrested six people for murder. I'm totally aware of how crazy shit is."

"Then you know you'll end up with a fucking target on your back, Edward." I wiped down my kitchen counter, which really was just rage-cleaning at this point.

"I won't because Marcus is still calling the shots. He's pissed off about his brother. If we take him down, then the whole organization will be done. The rest will flounder."

"Why you?" I snapped, throwing the dish rag into the sink.

"Because it needs to be me, Bella!"

"No, the fuck it doesn't!"

Aw, hell, now we were both yelling.

Shaking my head, I walked away from him. A part of me hated it. But there was the other part of me – the part that had watched him struggle throughout this entire fucking thing with his mother – that understood exactly why he wanted to go.

But the girlfriend side of me was winning.

I walked into the bedroom – the bedroom we now shared on a permanent basis – and sat down hard on the edge of the bed. Sid popped one eye open from his spot on my pillow and then curled up tighter.

Edward was completely moved in, and apartment 3B was now being cleaned out. My brother and Alice had voiced that they wanted his place, and Jasper was now working for the hardware store my dad practically lived in. So as soon as Dad had a chance to get it ready, they were going to take it. Edward was leaving some of his furniture for them to give them a hand getting started. The fourth-floor apartment had finally been rented out to a young gay couple – Stefan and Riley. Both were great. The last apartment to be renovated would be 3A. Mr. Saunders had decided to stay in Phoenix with his daughter.

There was a lump forming in my throat because I couldn't bear to lose Edward. I shook my head when he followed me and knelt in front of me.

"I can't lose you," I whispered, reaching up to rake my fingers through his hair.

"I need to do this, beautiful," he said just as softly.

"I know, but so much could go wrong." With my hands on either side of his face, I brought his forehead to mine. "I'm pretty good at independence and going with the flow, baby, but this scares the shit out of me."

He huffed a laugh. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Bella. I'm not going alone. Felix and Santiago are going."

"You need a lawyer for that house and the bullshit Ed Sr. did, so take Emmett."

He brushed a kiss across my lips. "Would that put you at ease? Would you feel better if I took him with me?"

"Nothing about you stepping into another fucking lion's den will make me feel better until you're back home," I answered angrily, but I sagged because I knew this would change everything for him. "But yeah. If you must go, then take someone who has your back. Your back, not just the feds."

He studied my face, reaching up to tuck a lock behind my ear. "Fine. I'll take Emmett."

Nodding, I swallowed around the lump that was still in my throat. "I get it. I do, Edward. I just…" Tears finally spilled, because just the thought of him so far away someplace dangerous was killing me. "When this is over, I want you to talk to someone." I sniffled, and he reached up to wipe away my tears. "Promise me. You'll go see the doctor Esme has for you."

Edward's brow furrowed, and for a split second, I thought he'd argue or say no.

"I'll shut up about Chicago if you promise to see someone when you get back," I bargained, trailing my finger along his eyebrow and then down his cheek. "Take the deal, Detective. You've been through some tough shit, baby, and I think when this is over, there will be some stuff lingering." I tapped his temple and then his chest over his heart. "That's the offer. Take it or leave it."

I knew for a fact that his aunt and uncle had been urging him to seek counseling. I knew he was super-smart and loving and all the things that made me fall in love with him, but he needed to at least work through some of the bullshit from his childhood. Sometimes, his anxiety made him still snap with anger and frustration, and while I understood that he couldn't help it, he needed to see someone.

He was silent for a few seconds, and finally, he nodded. "Fine. When I'm done and back. When I finally finish what my mother started, I'll go."

"Promise?" I said, kissed him roughly.

He swallowed nervously but nodded. "Promise. For you."

~oOo~

I was barely listening to Rose and Tanya laugh about cheerleading and football games and proms when I felt a nudge to my elbow, breaking me out of the memory of that fight. If I was looking for a silver fucking lining, then it was getting him to finally agree to see someone.

"Have you heard from him?" Esme asked in a soft tone.

I shook my head, staring into my coffee. "Not yet."

"How much trouble is he in for going?" she asked through a soft chuckle.

Shaking my head again, I said, "None. Some. All of the trouble."

She laughed, hugging me closer. "Good, because he needs to be accountable to someone, and you're really good for him."

Smiling her way, I set my head on her shoulder. She'd become a wonderful substitute mother.

She pressed a kiss to my head, whispering, "You've put the smile back on his face, Bella. I should thank you for that."

I was just about to tell her that he was pretty damn easy to tease and love and all the other things that made him irresistible when my phone vibrated on the table in front of me. It flashed up a picture of Edward with Sid head-butting him, and both looked happy as shit; I hadn't been able to resist taking that picture.

"Excuse me," I told her, grabbing my phone and heading back to my office. I didn't want to disrupt the party, but I also wasn't sure what news he had about Chicago.

"Talk to me, Edward. Tell me—"

"Marcus is dead."

~oOo~

EDWARD

"There's not much I'm gonna be able to fight when it comes to this property Ed Sr. bought," Emmett explained as he typed on his laptop in our hotel room.

"Probate?"

"Yeah. Because it takes a year in Illinois and there was no one there to contest anything, it essentially went to Jane."

I snorted and sighed deeply.

"You still wanna talk to her? Maybe scare her a little?"

Grinning at the way he'd put that, I nodded. "I definitely want to talk to her." I sat down on the edge of the bed. "We could go see her while Felix and Santiago get with the FBI office here."

"Okay, then. Let's get some breakfast and go." Emmett closed his computer and stood up.

When I had asked him to come with me to Chicago, just about everyone panicked and argued, but he'd shut that shit down. He'd merely nodded and packed, stating that if I needed his help, then he was there. No questions asked.

For a moment, I wondered if he was doing this because back then I'd never asked for shit. Not a damn thing. I'd suffered alone and in silence when all of this shit started with my parents, but not now. They'd all been dragged back into it, and not one – not a single one of them – complained about it.

After breakfast downstairs at the hotel, I called Felix to let him know where Emmett and I were going as we hailed a cab. My dad had bought a house in a residential community centered around a fucking golf course. It made me roll my eyes, because again, it was an elitist game. Give me football, basketball, baseball, hockey, or hell, wrestling, for fuck's sake. Give me something you had to train for, get dirty for, or earn. Not a rich man's, idiot country club bullshit.

When we finally exited the cab, I shook my head as Emmett told the driver to stay. The house was small, cozy, and well kept. Before we even made it to the front door, it opened, revealing a small, older woman. She'd been blonde in all the pictures I'd ever found of her, but Jane was silvery gray now, which could've been by choice, but what the hell did I know?

She didn't bother to even say hello. "You look just like your father…and your mother."

My eyebrows shot up, but I forced myself to remember my manners. Holding my hand out, I said, "Hello, I'm Edward Masen Jr."

She smiled, and it was watery and sad, but she took my hand and shook it. "I had a feeling I'd see you eventually, especially after my brother Aro's arrest." Her eyes slipped over to Emmett.

"Emmett McCarty, ma'am," he greeted, and she shook his hand before stepping back for us to come inside.

She led us into the house to the living room. Again, it was cozy, comfortable. My eyes raked over modest furniture and tasteful decorations. Nothing screamed gaudy or shady. There were a few framed photos on the mantel of the fireplace, and my eyes were drawn to a picture of Jane and my dad, but they were just…kids. Teens, really. It may have been high school or college.

I scanned for more than just one picture together, but I found none. There were some of Aro and Marcus and their families, some kids, and a dog. But my dad wasn't in anything other than the older picture.

"We went to school together, your father and I," she said softly by my side. "That was a long time ago."

I shook my head. "No, you were interviewed by Seattle Police, and you told them that you didn't meet until about a year or so prior to his arrest."

"Yeah, about that…" She gestured to the sofa. "Please sit, Edward. I promise to explain."

She walked over to a bookshelf in the corner and pulled down a small photo album or scrapbook. "I know you're here to ask questions, and I know just from the looks on your faces that you may be placing some blame on the wrong people."

Shrugging, I sat down next to Emmett. "No, I'm pretty sure the common denominator in all of this is my father."

Jane's eyebrows flicked up once. "Well, that's probably true from your perspective."

I laughed humorlessly. "My perspective…" I repeated softly and slowly, shaking my head a little as I met her gaze. "Aro lost his son, so he told my father to choose between me and my mother. Your brother and my father killed my mother because she forced their hands, threatened them if they came near me. But more than that…he hid her body, threatened me, lied to me, lied to every-damn-body, all while he had a fiancée two thousand miles away. He spent more time in this house than my own. He left me by myself at fourteen for a fucking year… Try that goddamn perspective."

Jane nodded sadly. "Yeah, I didn't find those things out until later." She met my gaze, stating, "Your father told me that your mother asked for a divorce."

"Of course he did," Emmett muttered.

"I didn't know about you until you called me that night," she added, ignoring Emmett's scoff.

"How's that possible?" I asked her. "Seriously."

"Because he would've kept you a secret," she said softly. She held up the book in her hand. "Before your father even met Elizabeth, he got me pregnant."

"Oh, shit."

I glanced to Emmett briefly when he cursed but went back to Jane. "I have a half-sibling?"

She shook her head, holding out the book to me. "No, I lost her about a month after she was born. There was a problem with her heart. Eva died in her sleep." She sighed deeply. "This was way before your mother."

Swallowing thickly at the hurt I could hear in her voice, I took the album from her. Inside was clearly the journey a mother kept when she was expecting – from sonogram pictures to the day Eva was born.

I saw my father in more pictures from this time. And I couldn't fault him. They were having a child. He looked way more engaged with Jane than it seemed he'd ever been with me and my mother. A part of me couldn't mesh that side of him with the asshole I'd endured growing up.

"When she died," Jane went on, "a part of me died too. I wasn't the same. I pushed Ed away. Hell, I pushed everyone away. My brothers wanted revenge, but for what? It wasn't Ed's fault that Eva was born with a birth defect, but they insisted that he pay."

"Is that what Marcus held over his head? How he suddenly became the lawyer for the Volturi family?" I asked her.

She sighed deeply, nodding once. "I… I was… That's on me, Edward. I started drinking, which led to other substances, which then led to suicidal issues. I had to be institutionalized. Marcus made Ed pay for it all – the doctors, the therapy, the funeral. All of it."

Sneering, I shook my head.

"Your father moved on from me with Elizabeth. By the time I'd finally come to terms with what happened and by the time I was clean, he was married and he'd moved to Seattle."

I scoffed. "No, my mother and I moved to Seattle. My father continued to work for both Aro and Marcus." I studied her face for a second. "He didn't tell you about me because he didn't want to hurt you."

"Probably."

"Well, that may be the kindest thing he'd ever done, Jane. I'm sorry. He became an intolerant, narcissistic, manipulative asshole. He no more wanted me than he probably wanted Eva."

I had to give her credit because she didn't even flinch at my harsh words or tone.

"Grief and fear are powerful emotions, Edward." She reached over to the last page of the book in my hands, showing me a picture of my father holding an infant.

I laughed outright, closing the book and handing it back to her. "I don't care. His actions toward my mother and me spoke fucking volumes, Jane. I don't care if he was sad or scared. I don't care that your brothers had some sort of misguided sense of revenge, because they destroyed the only person who meant any-fucking-thing to me back then."

It wasn't a lie. My mother was all I'd had back then. But now, I had more than I'd ever thought possible. I had family and friends, even if I'd tried to push them away at some point. I had Bella. And it was that last thought that had me standing up from her sofa.

"Let me guess. He bought you this house as some sort of…restitution."

"Honestly, it was the only thing I'd personally asked of him," she stated, setting the book down on the coffee table between us. "I refused to play the games my brothers did. I knew Ed had moved on, but I asked him for help in order to avoid asking it of Aro or Marcus."

"Well, that I get."

"Were you coming here to take it?"

"No," I answered. "I just wanted to know how deep my father's lies went. My mother didn't know about Eva, and I'm kinda glad about that shit. I think things would've been different. But I can see that he lied to you just as much as he did to us. My mother did ask for a divorce, and she moved to Seattle with me, but he begged her to give him another chance. Sadly, she did, and ultimately, she paid the price for trusting him." I gestured toward the book. "Looks like you paid enough, too."

I took a few steps, and then glancing back at her, I said, "Keep the house, and keep those sugarcoated memories of him. Of all of us, you probably came out of it better. I don't even care who killed him in jail – Aro's people or Marcus's. It really doesn't matter to me. Honestly, I hope he's burning in hell."

Jane's eyes welled up, but she nodded. "I know, Edward. Just about a year before his arrest, Ed and I reconnected, and it wasn't an affair, not right away,but he wasn't completely honest. He said that he was in the middle of a divorce. He'd travel back and forth, and by then, he was working for both of my brothers."

"Yeah, well… I wish he'd just stayed in Chicago."

"I can't believe you came all the way here for this," she said, standing up from her seat.

"I didn't come all the way here for you," I scoffed, laughing a bit. "No, no, no… See, I came here to watch your other brother go down. Aro's arrest was extraordinarily satisfying to watch. Oh, yeah… I can't believe no one's told you. My mother spent the majority of my life amassing enough evidence to take down your whole fucking family, Jane. I'm here for the fucking show."

She gaped at me and then to Emmett when he stood.

He smiled sadly. "She kinda did. She not only filmed and recorded everything Aro and Ed Sr. had ever plotted and planned, but she also filmed her own murder. Your brothers are fucked. And she knew about you, about this house, but nothing in all her stuff states she knew about a kid."

"Your father was devastated when we lost Eva…"

I laughed again. Hard. "My father was cold, calculating, and evil. He was a liar and a cheater." I pointed her way. "And I never knew him any other way. So if he was grieving or sad or what-the-hell-ever, then it killed his soul."

"Or maybe he needed help."

I studied her, and her own therapy probably gave her that outlook. Suddenly, I knew I truly needed to honor my promise to Bella. I never wanted to turn into my father, and despite how hard I tried, I saw some of him in me. Anger and harsh tones when anxious. Shouldering all the weight of trauma and grief. Keeping people at arm's length. All of it. And I wondered, for a mere moment, if his personality truly stemmed from his mental health.

Perhaps I owed Bella more than just therapy; maybe I owed her an apology. Not that she'd take it. And once again, I was filled with how grateful I was for her, for how much she'd changed me. Her love had given me more strength than I ever thought possible.

I met Jane's gaze. "Maybe he did. Instead of seeking help, though, he decided to let his issues fester. Jane, you'll never get me to change my mind. He was a monster. And if I've learned any-fucking-thing since discovering my mother's body that he stashed in the walls of my basement, it's that I will never, ever become him. I won't do it. I specifically became a cop to be the opposite of him. But I owe it to my mother to finish what she started, what she died protecting me from, so we have to get going."

Jane walked us to her front door. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Meeting her gaze, I nodded. "Yeah, me too."

And I meant that. She'd been lied to and manipulated just as much as the rest of us. Ed Sr. made sure to spin all the things his way, but he'd failed.

We got back into the cab, and before I could tell the driver to take us back to the hotel, Emmett held up his phone to a headline someone had sent him.

Aro Volturi Takes Plea

My eyebrows shot up. "What plea?"

He scrolled quickly, and he huffed a laugh. "Oh, so much for brotherly love. He's turning on Marcus."

Emmett told the driver to head back to the hotel as I called Felix from my phone, putting it on speaker.

"Yes, Aro turned on his brother," he answered without even saying hello.

"What's that mean?"

"It means that for a lesser sentence, Aro gave up his brother's nefarious activities. We're about to arrest him now. Apparently, there was a murder he witnessed…"

"Lesser sentence? Aro was arrested for murder. There's no death penalty in Washington."

"There is in Illinois…" Felix stated wryly. "If one is going down, then I guess they want to drag everyone with them. We're downstairs at Volturi Industries to bring Marcus in. We have the warrant already."

"You want us to meet you—"

"Shots fired!" I heard in the background.

Emmett and I locked gazes as we continued to listen. Felix kept me on the line, whether he realized it or not. There was running and calls of clear, doors slamming open, and shouting.

"He knew we were coming," Felix muttered over the line. "Masen, you still there?"

"Yeah. What happened?"

"Marcus put a bullet into his own temple."

"Holy shit," Emmett muttered.

Santiago's voice came over the line, giving an update. "According to the receptionist, he took a call from his sister before he did it."

"Oh," Emmett and I stated at the same time.

I took a deep breath and let it out. Something about that seemed justifiable. Maybe she warned him, or maybe she ripped him a new one. At this point, I was done. I'd finally gotten the answers I needed. The Volturis were no longer a loose end.

"Thank you, Felix," I said softly. "Emmett and I are done here, then."

"Were you able to get anything from Jane?" he asked.

"Yeah, and I'll tell you when you get back to Washington. Stop by Common Ground."

"Copy that, guys."

We were quiet as we were dropped off at the hotel, took the elevator up, and stepped into our room.

"I'll get our flight changed," Emmett said, taking his laptop back out. "Call Bella. Rosie says she's a nervous wreck."

Pulling out my phone, I stepped out onto the balcony of our room. I couldn't help but smile as she answered with authority.

"Talk to me, Edward. Tell me—"

"Marcus is dead."

"Umm, what?"

"Killed himself," I muttered, shrugging a shoulder even though she couldn't see me. "Apparently, Aro turned on him. Took some sort of plea."

"And Jane?"

I sighed, gazing out over the city of Chicago. It was big and busy – not unlike Seattle, but it felt wrong. Seattle was home. The girl on the fucking phone was home.

"I promise to tell you all about it, beautiful. We're going to catch the earliest flight we can. I'm… You're… Bella, I just want to come home," I rambled nervously.

"Are you okay?"

"When I'm back in your arms, I'll be perfect. I swear," I vowed to her. "This is done. This part of my life is over. I can let it all go."

"Okay, send me your flight info when you can."

"Emmett's working on it now. How'd the shower go?" I asked, changing the subject a little and smiling at her light, sweet laugh.

"I've spent most of the time worrying about you, so I guess I can go back in there. I'm better now that you've called."

"Me, too." I paused for a moment, changing the subject again, because I didn't want Bella to be uncomfortable about this upcoming wedding. "Tanya and I have to walk—"

"Oh, my God… Both of you! I get it. It's fine. I swear on Sid's life that it's okay that you two have to walk the damn aisle together."

I cracked the fuck up. "Tanya already said something, right?"

"Yes. Twice, actually." Her exasperation was hilarious, but she was laughing too, and I really loved that sound.

"I love you," I said softly.

"I love you. And I miss you. I'm glad you don't travel for work. Late nights are one thing, but not coming home at all for a few days is another," she admitted.

We were quiet for a moment, but I said, "I think I owe you an apology, Bella. For just being me – my issues, my attitude, my whole fucking life, I guess."

"No, you don't. And I can hear this isn't just our teasing break-up shit. You learned something, didn't you?"

"I did." I went quiet for a moment. "Will you… Can you please do me a favor?"

"Of course."

"Will you please get that doctor's name and number from Aunt Esme?"

Bella paused for a heartbeat or two. "I have it. She gave it to me just in case you changed your mind. She didn't know about our deal."

"Okay. I'll go when I get back."

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"Be careful. Hurry home. I want to love on you. It sounds like you need it."

Smiling at that, I said, "Yes, ma'am. From you? Always."

She was laughing when we ended the call, but it was true. Her love was amazing to me. However, something about me felt different – not necessarily lighter, but just different. Maybe it was relief or the feeling of completion. I hoped my mother was watching. I hoped that she knew that everything she'd fought for, died for, wasn't in vain.

And I hoped I'd made her proud.

~oOo~

A/N… Talking to Jane was more important to me than Marcus, who wasn't really a major player in this game. Ed Sr. was a train wreck, and he ran over everyone in his life. Whether that was on purpose or due to mental health issues or both, I'll let you decide. Some people just…are. Some people exist solely for themselves. Some people let darkness engulf them without even realizing it. And some people want everyone else to hurt just as much as they are, so…your call.

There will be an epilogue to this story. And it's on the way, but I'm not sure when it'll update. Hopefully, in a week – give or take. We'll see how my time management skills are and how this site is doing.

I need to thank DrivingEdward, Sunshine1220, Suebee, and maplestyle for all their help along the way with this story. Huge thank you to Lizzie Paige for the gorgeous banner. Another thank-you to JenRar, who handles all my comma drama.

Okay, soooo… I'll see you when I see you. Until then… Mooches, Deb ;)