Beneath The Blackwood Sky | ✓

Epilogue

T  W  O    Y  E  A  R  S    L  A  T  E  R

SHAY GASPED AS SHE TOOK in a deep breath, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead as her chest heaved. She collapsed into a sitting position as she watched Will, who was in the process of doing a victory dance. "I won!" He said, pumping his fist into the air.

Shay smiled at her boyfriend's childish antics and rolled her eyes as she faced him. "No, you didn't. You started running even before I was done counting," she accused.

"Oh, I know it's hard to accept the truth, sweetheart," Will said, waving his hands animatedly in front of his face. His full-blown grin reduced into a soft, loving smile as he sat beside her. She leaned into him as they observed the city park, cold air relaxing against her skin. The fog was slowly clearing out, and Shay saw people coming into the park with sleepy faces and half-lidded tired eyes.

Shay glanced sideways at Will as her breathing slowed down from the running she just did. She always liked observing Will when he didn't know he was being observed. His tousled brown hair fell into his mesmerizing green eyes which had flecks of blue in them, were sparkling with energy. His collarbone peeked from his shirt which was splattered slightly with blue paint, his jawline glistened with sweat. His body was warm and lean as he hugged her from the side, comforting to touch. He tossed his hair out of his eyes as he leaned back slightly. He was so gorgeous it actually hurt.

Will glanced at Shay as she stifled a laugh, his lips curling into a mock scowl as he knew why Shay was laughing.

Shay couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. A few days back when Will had lost at a game of Rock- Paper- Scissors, Shay tied his hair into several small ponytails. His hair wasn't long enough to be put into a real ponytail, so Shay just made several small ponytails, squealing with delight when she had looked at Will from whose head sprouted tiny ponytails. That was when Nick had video called, and she had accepted it, much to Will's dismay.

When Nick spotted his son, he joked that he was glad someone else had taken the job of sitting still and Shay did something with his hair, referring to the times when Shay was really young and would play with her dad's and Nick's hair. Nick had taken screenshots without Will's knowledge, sending the screenshots to others.

Kai had been waaay too happy to get hold of those. Will took hold of her hand, breaking her train of thoughts. He gently pulled her by her hand, dragging her somewhere. Shay didn't even bother asking where he was taking her, as long as she was with him, she'd go anywhere.

Her tattoo peeked from her watch, the other half of the tattoo was on Will's collarbone, currently hidden by his shirt. She still couldn't believe that she was living together with him, sharing a homey flat with him, sharing a tattoo with him. Every day was like a dream when she spent it with Will Harrington. She remembered how she made him promise when they both were young, that he shouldn't ever leave her, should take her wherever he would go. They made that promise when they were eight years old when Will had gone to another Isle with his mother and Shay had terribly missed him.

He hadn't broken the promise till now. She knew he would never break it. He had been with her since they were children, was with her when they went through hard times in high school, is there with her in her university. Would be there with her for the rest of her life.

Shay looked at a supermarket as Will dragged her somewhere, and could almost see Kai running inside with the excitement of a child, Rose shaking her head disapprovingly, Theo tripping on his shoelaces and crying out dramatically, Jade helping him up with a smile she reserved for him only. She missed them so much. She glanced at another tattoo of hers, this one she shared with all of them. All of them got matching tattoos when they had gone on a road trip. The tattoo was of a broken watch, which reminded them how powerful a second could be. How much could be gained and destroyed in a second. How time wouldn't wait for you after the destruction was done.