Live in Color

thirty eight - white

"Right," Arsenio agrees, nodding sympathetically. "We wouldn't want Jericho getting scared!"

"Exactly!" I say. Jericho's jaw drops while Arsenio and I high five.

Arsenio gets back to making his hot chocolate while Tallie raids my cupboards, looking for the macaroni and cheese. Jude runs around the kitchen, trying to scoop up any food that anyone manages to accidentally drop on the floor. Jericho and I just sit at the counter, watching the three of them.

Jericho has been staying with Arsenio- mainly because he never really did sort out his problems with his Aunt Helen, and Arsenio needed help a lot with his leg (and bruised ribs, but those are healed by now) and his mom just wasn't around enough.  My mom also wasn't too keen on letting him sleep in the same bed as me. At first we were kind of upset by it, but Jericho is still over at my house almost all day and only really goes to Arsenio's to sleep, so it wasn't too bad. 

Jericho is also beginning to learn how to drive after realizing how Arsenio needs lifts to his appointments and is even looking for a job to pay for driving classes. He also claimed he was getting a little tired of me being the one always driving- since Arsenio can't pick him up from school anymore- and wants to do little things like that by himself. 

I've honestly never been more proud of him.

I'm not just proud over the fact that he's gotten his life together, I'm also insanely proud of the fact that despite everything he's gone through, he still smiles and his eyes still shine with happiness. He still loves and lets me love him. And considering we began at a point where neither of us talked to each other out of hatred, I feel like I have a complete right to be proud of him- hell, and of us.

I shoot back to the present when I hear Tallie grumble, "I'm failing World Issues, can you believe that? I had to ask Max Turner- Max Turner- to tutor me."

Arsenio frowns from beside Tallie, "The Max that breaths really loud?"

Tallie throws her head back and groans after pouring the boxed pasta into a microwavable bowl. "Yes. I didn't want to say anything because I know he always has a stuffed nose and he can't do anything about it, or whatever, but it's infuriating and I hate it so much. I'm going to fail even more if he continues to tutor me."

"Well, get it together, because you have to graduate with me in June," Arsenio huffs.

Tallie rolls her eyes, hip bumping him, "Thanks for the help."

"I try," Arsenio grins.

Arsenio and Tallie finish making their things and head into the living room like Jericho and I aren't even here. Jericho just chuckles at the two and stands up, wrapping an arm around me and kissing me. His amber eyes and dark hair look bright as ever with the sun shining through the window, landing right on him. I'm so grateful for everything right now- for him, for the struggles that we faced to get to where we are today. It's been an amazing roller-coaster that I'd never regret riding.

Jericho has given me many things- the power not to give up even when things are looking awful, to have the strength to fight for what you believe for and the ability to live in color. Even if one day, Jericho and I end up hurt (which I pray will never happen, because I know I could never deal with hurting him) I'll still never take the moments we've had together back.

Jericho kisses my temple, "What're you thinking so hard about?"

"You," I answer. "Us."

"What about us?"

"Just how happy I am that Noel trashed my house that one day," I tell him with a small smile.

Jericho snorts, "That's an odd thing to be happy about."

"Well if he didn't, you never would've come over to help clean up, and I don't know if I would be here with you right now." I kiss him again before finally pulling back. "I think I have some cake mix in the cupboards. Think we can make some this time without Jude making a mess out of everything?"

Jericho laughs loudly at the memory, nodding and getting the cake mix out. Arsenio and Tallie begin arguing loudly over what show to watch in the living room, Jude is barking at some dog passing by outside our house, the snow is falling insanely hard outside, the sun is tinting the olive colored walls slightly yellow, and I honestly can say that I've never been happier.

Aaaand that is the last chapter of Live in Color! Thank you all sosososo much for sticking with me throughout this story. I still remember when I could never finish one book, now I've finished my fourth one (and it only took me like a month xD). Thank you for getting this book past 100k reads and #41 in romance! I hope you enjoyed this journey with Jericho, Arsenio, Jamie, Cole, Natalie and Mitch c: 

Love in Color (Arsenio's story) is still in the very early stages, and if I do post it, it'll be after I finish Trigger (be sure to check that story out, since it's now my main focus c;). 

Oh, and thanks to that group of people in the comments who called Jericho JerBear (you know who you are) because A) every time I saw that nickname I died and B) you guys commented every chapter, and that meant a lot to me, so thanks for sticking by me from the start c: 

 Anyway, I love you all so so much! Thank you for everything (: xoxo

(there will be no epilogue, so please don't ask c:)