Kitten (Brian&Leah,1)

EPILOGUE

The city welcomed me with open arms.

I spent the first days roaming the bustling streets, gawking at the skyscrapers and the shop windows, studying everything around me, and soaking in every minute detail of the cityscape.

It's been a couple of weeks now — a couple of weeks since my love broke my heart.

I hug my knees and stare at the afternoon traffic. The tiny, two-bedroom apartment Annie and I rented has big windows and windowsills where I put some cushions to be more comfortable. It's where I am sitting now, observing the city through the glass.

Two small suitcases held all my belongings. I left my old life and the old me behind.

My heart ached immensely when I looked out of the window of my bedroom for the last time.

I remembered meeting Brian and our arguments. I remembered climbing out of the window to meet him and opening my window to let him in.

I went to the Temple and the lake that somehow became our place. I thought about Brian when I sat on the wooden pier, and I'm thinking about him now, although doing it hurts.

I'm asking myself where he could go. Brian's parents told me he moved abroad and didn't tell them where. They looked sad and heartbroken. Brian's mom and dad were sure I knew. They thought Brian said goodbye to me.

I suspect that Jim knows the whole truth, but I don't ask. I sometimes see Brian's brother at the hospital. He visits Mackenzie almost daily and makes sure Annie has everything she needs. Jim treats me with warmth; he always has. The O'Briens became my family, and I will miss them.

I blink away the tears when Brian takes over my thoughts and trace the little moon on my forearm.

It's not the only tattoo I have. The other one is on my shoulder blade. It's an open cage, and three birds are flying out of it. To me, it's a symbol of freedom and a fresh start.

I dreamed of moving to the city with Brian, and now those dreams are nothing but a dull ache that becomes sharp every night. We didn't last, but Brian brought me out of my shell. He made me more confident and believed in me when I didn't. He treated me with kindness and cared about me. If only he said those three words earlier. I wish he had said them in person, and I wish I had said them back.

I laminated his note and shoved it in my wallet. It may sound stupid, but it reminds me of us and our brief happiness just as much as the little stars I unglued from my bedroom in my mom's house and brought to my new apartment. I can't look at them without crying, but maybe it will change.

The noise of the front door opening makes me jolt upright. I slide off the windowsill and pad to the hallway.

Annie rushes into the apartment and pushes past me, sobbing.

"Annie? What's wrong, is it Kenzie?" I ask with my heart in my throat.

Annie throws her phone onto the coffee table and lowers herself onto the couch. "They s-said 'poor thing, wasting t-time here when he might never...never wake up'," Annie says and cries harder.

I sit next to her and hug her to me, stroking a hand down her back. "Who said that?"

"S-some nurses," Annie utters.

"You have to listen to Doctor Sawyer and Doctor Morris, Annie. They told us to be patient. They said—"

"But what if they are right, Leah? It's been more than a month. What if I lose him? Maybe they are afraid to tell me the truth!"

"We have to believe, Annie. We can call the doctor if you want. He can reassure you."

Annie sniffles and shakes her head. "I'm going to lie down in my bedroom. Thanks, Leah."

I watch Annie get up from the couch and drag her feet to her room. I make her a cup of tea and leave it on her nightstand. She thanks me, and I leave her alone because I learned to tell when she needs space.

An hour later, Annie is asleep, and I am reading on the couch. The buzz of Annie's phone brings me out of my trance.

The name Hospital flashes on the screen, and I answer the call, praying it's not bad news.

Tears stream down my cheeks by the time the doctor finishes speaking. I rush to Annie's bedroom and throw the door open.

"Annie!"

Annie jerks awake and stares at me.

I thrust the phone in her hands, laughing for the first time in weeks.

"Annie, it's Doctor Sawyer. Mackenzie woke up."

I am crying.

And yes, I did it to myself, but I've been dreading to write this ending for weeks.

When I started to write Kitten, I was aware of how different it was. I wanted a different guy and a different girl, and I wanted to make the story original, not the typical 'bad boy meets good girl' stuff.

I don't know if I managed to do it, but I fell in love with Brian and Leah, and knowing that you did, too, warms my heart.

I hope you've seen some changes in both of them, and I hope that you felt things while reading. Let me know what you think!

And, as you may have noticed, there is one more book. I believe in character growth, and I know that Brian and Leah have a lot more to tell.

The second part of their story, Tiger, is completed. You can find it on my profile.

And now, the most important thing. THANK YOU, each and every one of you who reads and likes my books. It makes me happy and inspires me, and I hope you stick around to see what I have in store for Brian and Leah.

Love you lots,
Alwyn.