"What a day," I hummed as I was in the band room playing a slew of Coldplay's greatest hits on the piano. The afternoon had taken an emotional toll on me, but in a good way since I was now a part of a giant family that became the giant anchor for my complicated yet rebuilding foundation of my life. Switching to "Paradise," I silently said a prayer of thanks to God for having the Tuckers save my life from being utterly destroyed after Vivian completely disowned and disinherited me from her family. I thanked God for bringing me to Dr. Nguyen, Gianna, and Jose for launching the initial process for my self-healing and making sure that I started speaking life to myself. I thanked Him for Judge McGillivray who sent the Lomax and her sister's family for taking me into their home. I thanked Him for sending friends like Serenity, Epiphany, the Callways, and the others for pushing me to come out of my shell and helping me express myself through my songs that the Tuckers kept safe from destructive hands. I even said a prayer of thanks to the late Jillian Kendricks and Artem Hillman, the former for finally seeing that I wasn't out to steal anything from her and the latter for warning me about what Ryan was really like.

And as crazy as it sounds, I even thanked God for having me meet Theo so I could learn what it meant to be an angry young man who suffered from too much rejection yet chose to be lost in the negativity. I finally knew his pain and could only pray that the people who used to follow him become better than he was and seek to better their lives through positive means.

I segued into "Up & Up," closing my eyes as I thought about my mother and her methods of making me feel like I wasn't part of her family all because I was a love child through her affairs. Who could say what might've happened if she went through with the abortion and killed me before I wasn't born? On the one hand, I might've been free from her hateful venom and never knew the miseries that came from her hand. But on the other hand, I wouldn't have this moment to meet the people that soon placed themselves in my life. They became the roots that I needed after Lottie Mae went home to be with God and her late husband. And I was definitely grateful for my new family for giving me something that I thought I would never imagine getting after all this time.

They gave me a new family.

"Demario?"

I looked up to see a smiling Oliver as he stood in the doorway before he came inside. "Sorry, I was just needing a bit of musical therapy to calm myself after the surprise from earlier," I said. "And as you can tell, I was feeling the need to play something that gave me...hope."

"Oh, yeah?" he asked me as he came to sit next to me on the piano bench.

I nodded. "I never expected to finally have a family that could help me more in tune with the real me that lies inside. The Baders and Ingrams didn't see me as part of their clans since...well, you already know the real reasons by now. But today, everyone came together and saw me for who I was: someone who is bound for greatness and is ready to take on the world. We still have to deal with Ryan and all that, but I can only focus on the good things for now and in the days to come. And you're part of that, Oliver Slade. You showed me what it means for a lost boy to be found again. Remember your promise to me and I'll keep mine for you."

Oliver gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. "I promise," he said. "Never stop fighting for what's yours, Demario. Life may be one giant cold war full of darkness, but there's still some good in it. You just need to remember what you're fighting for."

Another kiss soon led to a small makeout before we broke apart just as my phone buzzed with a phone call from Taylor. "Yeah," I breathed.

"Demario, where are you?" I heard him say in a firm tone that was slightly edged with panic.

"I'm still at the school with Oliver," I replied. "What's going on? I'll be home soon."

"You and Oliver need to get back to the house right now," I heard him demand. "It's Peavey. He killed the cops that were taking him back to the jail where he'll be staying until the trial. And from what I know, he's on the way to you both! Get home now!"

My eyes went wide. "We're on our way," I said, immediately disconnecting the call. To Oliver, "We gotta go! Ryan made a runner and killed the cops that were taking him back to jail! He's on the hunt and-"

The lights in the school went out and everything soon went dark. "Shit!" I heard Oliver curse. "This is fucking bad! Stay by my side, Demario!"

"Oh, that won't be no problem," I heard the snake-charmer purr of a familiar voice. "You two are coming with me."

The last thing I remembered was being hit with something on my back before being knocked unconscious. Ryan Peavey was back and he was ready to make his claim on me and Oliver.

And just like that, shit just got real once again!

************

Ryan's POV

Humming a happy tune, I picked up the now-unconscious bodies of Demario and Oliver and made my swift exodus out of the school before anyone noticed me. Feeling grateful that I was dressed like a cop and wearing a wig to disguise myself, I knew that the opportunity to collect my two future husbands needed to be fulfilled. I wasn't going to allow no big guy make me his bitch.

"We're going to have so much fun together, guys," I hummed as I placed my sleeping boys into the van before getting behind the driver's seat "In seven days, the three of us will be together either alive by your volition... or dead by force! Either way, no one else will have you! I'm the only family that you'll need!"

And that was the truth!

Shit! Ryan's finally lost his goddamned mind, folks! And unfortunately, this is where things start to get chaotic in the next three to four chapters as Ryan has BIG plans for Demario and Oliver! In the next chapter, our two fated lovers wake up and are in Ryan's special prison as he lays down the law on them!

Dedication: JustNicole0001.

Vote.
Comment.
Share.
Follow.
Add.
FAN!