From the Embers

by Aly Martinez

“We got this, Bree. Me and you. We got this.”

I had no fucking idea why, but as I pulled my hands from my pockets and wrapped her up tight, our bodies sagging as if they’d finally come home, it was definitely different.

Fuck them. Bree was mine. My friend, my family, and if I had my way about it, my everything.

For a beat, she remained completely still and then looked directly into my soul. “There you are,” she said breathlessly. It had been a long time, but it had never—ever—felt like that.

An intoxicating cocktail of pleasure and desire and need and purpose and sensation and belonging all at once hit my bloodstream.

“You’re perfect. You know that? So fucking perfect.”

“What are you thinking about?” she asked, her usually satiny voice now gravelly and hoarse. How nothing in my life had ever felt so right.

“What you and me have is brighter than any shadow they could ever cast, but I’m not gonna lie. I will sleep a hell of a lot easier knowing you aren’t in the bed you shared with him.”

“I don’t need to see those,” she said quietly. “You could take me anywhere in the world right now and I’d go just as long as you were there too.”

Looking back, I’d been in love with Bree before we’d even shared our first kiss.

“All that sweet of yours, you give me dia-bree-tus, but I’ll work on the girlfriend thing.” I gasped. “You did not just say dia-bree-tus.” “What?” He laughed. “It’s a serious condition, Bree.”

pls they're so cute

And that was the exact moment I fell all-the-way, head-over-heels, unapologetically in love with Eason Maxwell.

Being in love with Eason Maxwell was the easiest thing I’d ever done.

After a day spent experiencing high after high, living the life I’d dreamed about for the majority of my existence on Earth, coming home to her was still my favorite part.

I’d dreamed of a life in the spotlight, but there was immeasurable happiness to be found in cranking up the radio and singing at the top of my lungs in order to keep the kids awake on the drive home.

“I have loved you since before I knew I loved you. I have loved you since before I was supposed to love you. And I will continue to love you every single day for the rest of eternity. I cannot tell you life will always be easy. Let’s be honest, I’m still going to call you Sug sometimes.”

I might have been the one who created the music. But Bree would forever be the star of our show.