Chapter 291 Garrett

Chapter 291 Garrett
Garrett

We had been back in class for almost two months, and somehow schoolwork had multiplied while we weren't looking. 

Summary?

Well, Aslan and I were up to our necks in late assignments, missed lessons and professors who sympathized with us but still expected their fucking essays by Friday.

Wrestling season had started too, and my body needed some serious catching up. We had both been picked up by major sponsors who considered our recent public battle excellent publicity. Apparently, supporting two promising young athletes while announcing their commitment to equality looked great on corporate websites.
Whatever. They paid us to wear cool shit and wrestle. I wasn't complaining.

Twice a week, we also attended whatever treatments had been prescribed for us: physical therapy, breathing treatments, psychological counseling and enough medical appointments to qualify us both for honorary nursing degrees. But that was okay. Healing took work, and neither of us had ever been afraid of that.

I was making progress. But there were simply too many loose ends for my mind to completely relax.

I still wasn't officially free. My petition to become my own legal guardian was moving forward, and the doctors supervising my treatment supported it, but the court hadn't signed the final order yet. Graves's sentencing was still pending, and my financial future depended on sponsorships, lawsuits and money that technically still came from my family.

The biggest unfinished business, however, was my parents.
I had ignored every call and message from Dad. As for my mother, I refused to acknowledge her existence in any way, shape or form.

According to Olivia, Helena Williams wasn't doing particularly well. Being thrown out of her company, her church, her social circles, her marriage and both her children's lives had apparently taken a toll. She hadn't left her room in days.

Did that hurt?
I guessed it did. They were still my parents.
But I didn't want them in my life. In our life. Maybe I needed closure, but I wasn't ready to face what getting it would involve.

Thankfully, I lived away from them on campus, permanently sharing my dorm with my lion, and in my opinion, everything else could fucking wait... Especially, when we were only days from our wildest holiday.

For once, we decided to act our age.

That was how our entire group ended up back at the King's Closet, arguing over Halloween costumes this time.

Aslan stopped in front of an elaborate black coat with red embroidery, a white shirt covered in ruffles and enough brocade to upholster a small palace. “Wolf, look! Louis!”

I looked at the ponytail wig displayed above it, matching my lion's own hair color. “That's disturbingly perfect for you.”

He checked the tag and immediately looked around. “I need to ask which costumes are seventy-five percent off like last year.”

I lowered my head, but not fast enough to hide my smile. “I wouldn't count on finding another discount like that, cub.”

“Why not?”

Aitor had been eavesdropping from the next rack. Naturally. He leaned toward Aslan and whispered, “Because I believe you're carrying your permanent seventy-five-percent discount with you.” He pointed my way.

Aslan frowned before slowly turning toward me. “No.”

I tried to look innocent.

His mouth dropped open. “You paid for my costume last year?”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“You did!” He smacked my chest with the price tag. “You secretly paid for most of it?”

“You couldn't afford the one you wanted.”

“She told me it was discounted!”

“It was. I discounted it.”

Aitor laughed and walked away before Aslan could murder him for withholding this information for an entire year.

“However, you're my boyfriend now, so I have every right to spoil you.” I took the costume from the rack and added the matching waistcoat. “Besides, my platinum card has been generously refilled with what I affectionately call blood money.”

He tried not to smile. “Well earned, if you asked me...”

“I accepted all the shit that came with being a Williams. It's time I accepted some of the good until I earn enough of my own.” I handed him the costume. “Louis is getting his coat. Now let's get me a Lestat outfit.”

That settled it.

Our chosen theme was the French Revolution, although our interpretation of French history became increasingly criminal as the shopping continued.
“Do Lestat and Louis even count?” Aslan asked.

“They lived during part of that era according to Interview with a Vampire.”

“Aitor and Linnea chose Marius and Cosette from Les Misérables, which was a completely different French revolution, but by then historical accuracy had died on the same guillotine as half our theme.

Even Trisha, who was hooking up with Joe these days—-after bonding with him over good food and his family's limoncello—found a spectacular Madame du Barry costume. 

Aitor raised an eyebrow. “You know there's a pattern to your costume choices, right?”

“What pattern?”

“A guillotine.” He studied her expression. “What's with you and losing your head?”

We didn't think she got it.

At the counter, I noticed James carrying two complete costumes, swords included.

“Are you planning to change halfway through the party?” I asked.

He turned around defensively. “Um... aren't you?”

I slowly shook my head and let it go.
But by then, we all knew better.

Halloween night brought us back to Molly's.

There were costumes, alcohol we probably shouldn't have consumed in such enthusiastic quantities, music loud enough to piss off half the neighborhood and friends.
So many fucking friends.

Aitor looked incredibly revolutionary, holding hands with Linnea in her beautiful dress. Trisha had successfully forced Joe into becoming Louis XV, who spent half the night telling people that tights were sexy back in the day. Soon after, Evan appeared as Napoleon with a new Josephine on his arm. We were all back together.

Eventually, I found our favorite chaperones: Olivia in a Cleopatra costume and Coach dressed as Batman, wearing his usual serious, badass expression.

The surprise of the night, however, came when James entered dressed as D’Artagnan beside a tall, broad-shouldered Athos whose uncovered face, I recognized immediately.

My jaw dropped. “No way. Did he bring Mr. Secret Quarterback?”

Aslan elbowed me before I could shout it across the club.

“Fran!” Aitor called, carefully pretending none of us knew they were a thing. “Good to see you. Did you come with the guys?”

Fran looked around at all of us, then reached down and took James’ hand.
“No,” he finally said. “I came with my guy.”

James smiled, faking innocence. “Surprise!”

“About time, dude!” I laughed, pulling Fran into a quick hug.

He looked embarrassed but happier than I'd ever seen him. “I was so afraid of what everyone on the team would say. Then I saw you two out there facing everyone, and James so fucking brave...” He glanced at him. “I started feeling like a damn coward.”

“You weren't a coward,” I said. “You just needed to do it when you were ready.”

James squeezed his hand. “And now he is.”

It was a great night. We laughed, we drank, we jumped to the music and sang along. Aslan and I celebrated the night kissing every ten seconds and just being happy. Naturally, James celebrated by eventually harassing the DJ with the same request he made every year...
“Thriller” started, and the entire club lost its mind.

Everyone jumped onto the dance floor, absolutely convinced they knew the choreography. None of us did. For several minutes, I was probably the craziest and stupidly happiest I'd ever been, dancing terribly with my friends while my lion laughed his head off beside me.

Then Olivia joined us. Apparently, our terrifying legal mastermind was also Michael Jackson's biggest fan.
Coach Halt followed her, and the two of them took center stage, performing the steps more accurately than all of us put together.
Who would've thought?

When the song ended, the opening notes of the one I'd requested began playing.
“I Put a Spell on You.”
The lights softened, couples moved closer, and Aslan turned toward me with a smile that could've brought me to my knees.

He wrapped his arms around my neck while mine settled around his waist.
“Look.” He nodded toward the side of the dance floor.

Coach Halt was slow dancing with Olivia.

“Oh, shit.” I grinned. “They actually look really cute together.”

“They do.” Aslan looked back at me. “You know who else looks great together?”

I lowered my mouth toward his. “Us?”

“Obviously.”

I kissed him slowly while our friends danced around us. It was so insanely perfect I could’ve cried.
Before the song ended, the alarm I’d set for midnight vibrated in my pocket. I leaned closer, brushing his ear with my lips. “Come with me, babe.”

“Uh, where are we going…?” Aslan asked with a flirty smirk.

I gently lifted his chin and kissed him again. “There’s something I wanna show you.”