The Things We Can't Change Part Five: The Epilogue

By Kassandra Kush

Evie and Zeke thought that their troubles were over.

They thought they had solved their problems and moved past their own fears and insecurities. They thought it was their time.

They were wrong.

Tony is back. Evie's father's killer is still on the loose. Evie still can't seem to talk sense into her stepmother or figure out her future. Zeke still has a final secret. And someone is still sending him notes about it.

Every epilogue, every story, is supposed to have a happy ending.

Evie and Zeke have one more fight to find theirs

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kassandra Kush
• Release date: May 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310553394

Book preview

The Things

We Can’t

Change

The Epilogue

Kassandra Kush

Dedication

In the style of J.K. Rowling, this

fifth book is rightfully split

five ways:

For Ally,

Who gave this project the green light in the first place

and was there holding Evie’s and Zeke’s (and my!) hand

through every word, bout of writer’s block, and plot kink

For Kristen,

Who helped me change it into it’s magnificence

For Jeni & Tami

Of Jeni’s Bookshelf & Swag and Into the Night Reviews

Two book blogs who fell in love, left me phenomenal reviews,

and stuck with me month after month, cliffhanger after agonizing cliffhanger

For Mom

Always

Thank you for one-day edits, for your time, for your sacrifice

For revealing who killed Dr. Parker, and encouraging me even

when I explored the darker side of life in my writing

And for you, dearest Reader

I hope this fulfills every expectation you have

I hope this series helps you win your struggle, find your healing,

embrace your love story, and find your own happily ever after

The Things We Can’t Change: The Epilogue

Kassandra M. Kush

Copyright © 2014

All rights reserved.

Smashwords Edition 2015

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical articles or in a review.

The information in this book is distributed on an as is basis, without warranty. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this work, neither the author nor the publisher shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover Design © Regina Wamba

Mae I Design

Models: Kelly Kush & Kate Luzniak

ALSO BY KASSANDRA KUSH

The Fallen Chronicles

Guardian

Protector

Messenger

The Things We Can’t Change Series

The Prologue

The Struggle

The Healing

The Love Story

The Epilogue

The Lightwood Legacy

The Summer I Gave Up Boys

The Summer I Gave Up Boys: Isaiah’s Story

Coming Soon:

The Fallen Chronicles Book Four: Light Bringer

The Summer I Got Back with Cooper Grace

A The Things We Can’t Change Novel

Staring at the Stars

Shatterproof

Evangeline

113

Zeke and I can’t think of anything to say. Both of us are struck speechless. I can only stare at Tony standing in the doorway. My own personal nightmare, once again alive, conscious, walking around.

He’s back.

I feel dizzy with the realization. Tony is back, alive and apparently well—for the most part. He’s thin, so very thin and there are shadows not just underneath but inside his blue eyes that are completely foreign to me. But it’s still him. I still know every plane and angle of that face.

The moment stretches into uncomfortable silence as all of us take turns staring at one another. I want everything to be a bad dream. Or at least, this part of the night. This part I want to banish forever from my memory.

Tony’s eyes flick from Zeke’s arms, still securely around my waist, to my own arms around Zeke, and then he looks me in the eye. A frown creases his brow, his eyes flickering.

Evie, he whispers in a low, raw voice. "Are… are you cheating on me? With him? With… with the staff?"

Utter silence falls. Zeke and I exchange incredulous looks. How can Tony actually believe I would take him back after all that he did? After he tried to kill me?

I feel Zeke stiffen and draw air to speak but I tighten my own hold on his arm and give him a warning look. I have to be the one to say it.

Tony. My voice is a squeak and I have to swallow, suddenly realizing that my mouth and throat are bone dry. I begin again in a stronger voice. "Tony, we are not together anymore."

The words feel good, loud and final in the small room. My pleasure in them in marred, however, when Tony cries out, "What?"

He stares at me again and I’m shocked down to my toes when I see the sheen of tears in his eyes.

You said you would never leave me, he says in a strangled voice. "And now you’re doing it without a word to my face, and with that?" He gives an indignant head jerk toward Zeke, who bristles.

Hey, man, at least I didn’t fucking try to beat her to death like you, he snaps. Evie doesn’t owe you anything!

Beat her to death? Tony echoes, apparently just as startled as Zeke and I are by his own sudden appearance. What the hell are you talking about?

There’s another long pause. Zeke and I are frozen in place.

At last I say cautiously, Tony, you almost killed me. In the bathroom at the country club? You beat me. You… broke my ribs and… almost my arm. You… I trail off because Tony’s eyes are going wider with every word.

Repulsion and disgust flit over his face and a very, very terrible idea takes root in my mind.

No. No, no, no. Please not that.

You’re wrong, he says stubbornly. "Wrong. The last time I was with you, we were at your house studying. Jenny and the other girls were coming over that night. We talked about college and I… lost my temper. That’s why I came over today. To apologize. Does that sound like I want to kill you? Instead I find you with a… a piece of garbage, cheating on me!"

His eyes fill with tears again and I’m at a loss. I don’t know what to say. Is it actually possible… Could he really not remember any of it? He did have a head injury…

I open my mouth—though I have no idea what I’m going to say—when Tony suddenly bursts out laughing. Laughing hard. Hysterically, even. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him laugh this hard, not in all our years together. So hard that he actually doubles over, clutching his middle and with tears of mirth leaking from his eyes.

Your… faces! he finally gasps. Holy shit, if you could only have seen them! Priceless. I can’t believe you actually fell for that!

The mood in the room changes instantly. Before, it was full of horror, uncertainty. Now dark malevolence settles in, enmity and bad feeling. As if now that the truth is out, we all know where we stand.

Against one another.

Zeke carefully pushes me back and steps forward, so he’s between Tony and me. I stand tall, but in truth I’m grateful for the distance. I’m feeling far too bare and exposed in my short, strapless dress and newly-cut hair. I have the sudden urge to cover up, to cover every inch of my skin. Both to hide from Tony and to avoid any punishment from him as a consequence of revealing myself.

No, I tell myself ruthlessly. You are strong now! It wasn’t all for nothing!

What are you doing here, Tony? Zeke asks. He’s using the voice I’ve only heard once before—when he saw the rape note in my locker. Ill-concealed fury, a crippling rage on my behalf. I can see his hands shaking at his sides and I know it takes everything he has to keep from jumping at Tony. You know we have a restraining order.

Tony stops laughing and slowly straightens. He stares at us for a long minute, the look in his eyes also familiar to me. It’s the hard, crazy light from the night in the bathroom. I shiver before I can help it, especially when Tony smiles suddenly, without affection or any emotion.

Maybe you should remind Clarissa of that. She’s the one who let me in, after all, he says, sticking his hands into the pockets of his dark, perfectly fitted jeans. They, combined with black leather loafers and a light blue polo, don’t make him look like someone who belongs in a mental hospital, and I can see right off why my stepmother was fooled.

He looks every inch a normal teenaged boy. How often our inner problems aren’t reflected on the outside.

Why are you here? I ask, unable to hold back the question any longer. I want the answer so I can prepare myself, and then I want him to leave. "How are you here? I thought you were… were-"

A vegetable? Tony asks smoothly. I was. For a while. Perhaps if you’d kept vigil at my bedside like a proper girlfriend, you’d have been kept appraised of my progress. I came out of my coma three months ago. Been on the fabulous road to recovery ever since, without any permanent damage. He flashes another cold smile. Not even memory loss.

That’s impossible. I… I went to visit you… I trail off before I can finish, suddenly feeling violently sick to my stomach. I reach out and cling to Zeke’s arm for support, my knees weak. I want to vomit, to gag and spit at the repulsive idea but I hold it in.

I visited Tony at the end of the summer. Just two short months ago. All of the sudden I remember how he looked—more alive, healthier, as if he’d just been…

Sleeping. I look up at Tony, horrified. You were only sleeping.

More or less. Doped up is a more accurate description at that point in time. You always were dramatic. He snorts. That was some goodbye speech, even if I was really only lucid for half of it. I thought about opening my eyes then and there but I couldn’t. Besides, this was a lot more fun, don’t you think?

You’re a sick bastard, Zeke snaps. Get out.

Tony’s eyes flicker from Zeke’s tall form to me, half-hidden behind Zeke’s body. In fact, he actually steps closer, coming right up to us. Zeke has three inches on Tony, but he stares at the taller boy without fear.

You can’t touch me, he whispers, still with that crazed little smile on his face. Trust me on that. I have more weapons under my belt than you might think.

He peers behind Zeke to smirk at me. How fine you look in your new feathers, he whispers, and it’s all I can do not to look away from his eyes. Even if you wear fewer of them now. And cut your hair off like some cheap, ordinary slut.

Zeke steps forward, his chest ramming into Tony’s. Get out. Now.

It’s Zeke who sends a chill down my spine this time. The words brook no argument and this time, Tony steps back. But he does it slowly, deliberately. Backing away without actually giving up ground.

Such a warm reception, he says tauntingly.

Both Zeke and I watch, stiff and still standing tall, as Tony saunters back to the stairs. He pauses though and turns back, smiling. I’ll be seeing you, he says, though it sounds like a promise. Can’t wait.

He turns and is gone.

Ezekiel

114

I’m trembling all over. I can barely see straight for all the rage blinding my eyes. For a moment I have the very strange feeling of being separated from my body, foreign and floating, anger consuming every part of me.

My arm trembles and for a moment I think it’s another tremor or anger at Tony. Then I suddenly realize that it isn’t really even me. My arm is shaking because I’m clutching Evie with it and she is trembling violently, her whole body shaking and jerking uncontrollably.

Hey, hey, I say, and I have to swallow a few times before my own voice is steady and no longer pitchy with anger. I wrap my arms around Evie as tightly as I can, clutching her against me so hard we both have trouble breathing.

Neither of us care.

I stroke her hair with my hand, accepting the fact that my new realization and depths of emotion are about to be tested far sooner and more intensely than I’d ever guessed. I could rip Tony apart with my bare hands for all he’s done, but my first responsibility is Evie. I need to be strong and at her side through every step of this.

She’s about to be tested too.

So I squeeze her with my arms and all the love that I have, until I feel her shaking subside somewhat.

I-I’m okay, she finally says shakily. I think it was just the shock. When I saw him standing there… He’s the last person I ever expected… She trails off and I’m forced to agree.

Tony Stull is the last person I’d ever have expected to see in the doorway, or any place at all. I’d been perfectly at peace with Tony being a vegetable for the rest of his life. Now, however, it’s as if someone has un-paused the horror movie of our lives and we’re thrust right back into the nightmare.

I pull away just a little, enough so I can see Evie’s face and put my hands on either side of it. You know we’re going to be fine, right? I ask quietly, searching her eyes. You know this doesn’t change a thing? I still love you, we’re still together, and we’re going to get through this. Together.

I know that, Evie says quickly, nodding emphatically. I do. But thank you for saying it.

I kiss her forehead, forcing myself to believe my own words. I don’t know what Tony will hit us with but I do know that I don’t care. Because in the end, I will always have Evie. That’s all that really matters.

Carefully, by small degrees, I loosen my hold on Evie and eye her closely. She still looks pale and a little unsteady, but she stands on her own without shaking so violently. She does, however, wrap her arms around herself defensively.

Or as though she wishes her arms and shoulders weren’t completely bare.

Let’s get you changed, I say abruptly. And then we can go.

Evie’s eyes jerk up at me. Go where?

My house, I reply firmly. No way am I leaving you here alone tonight, especially with Clarissa around. My anger returns as I think of Clarissa actually allowing Tony inside the house. I can’t let Evie stay alone with that woman. She has to clear out, or Evie has to find someplace else to stay.

Evie jerks in surprise. No! I’m fine, Zeke. Really. I doubt he’ll come back and it’s not really a big deal and-

"It is a big deal, I interrupt. Or did you forget the part where he tried to kill you last time the two of you were together? And it’s not just Tony. I’m not letting you stay here with Clarissa alone. Tomorrow you can call your uncle and find out what we can do but for now you’re coming with me."

Evie crosses her arms and glares at me. What about Lola? I’m not leaving her here alone with Clarissa either.

Lola is coming too, then. So quit arguing and get upstairs and change and pack.

Evie scowls at me and rolls her eyes but she doesn’t argue any further. She just heads for the stairs and I follow, swooping in to take her hand and squeeze it, trying to give her a reassurance that I don’t exactly feel myself.

Just because we’re dating again doesn’t mean you get to be bossy, she mumbles.

I laugh despite myself, feeling a little better at her display of humor. We walk cautiously up to her bedroom but there’s no sign of Clarissa anywhere. Evie neatly packs an overnight bag and then disappears into the bathroom, reappearing minutes later in black linen pajama pants and a light blue, long-sleeved shirt with black stars printed all over it. Her face is washed clean of makeup and her hair is pushed away from her face with a headband.

I smirk at her, stepping over to pull on one of her buoyant curls. Cute. You look like you’re twelve.

She wrinkles her nose at me and it makes her look even younger. Gee, thanks. She studies me for a long moment as I play with her hair and then asks in a low voice, Did you really want to ask me to eighth grade formal?

I laugh a little, realizing that we never got to talk about my speech since Tony surprised us.

I did, I admit. But even if the stuff with my mom hadn’t happened, I probably still would have chickened out.

She giggles and the dark shadows caused by Tony’s appearance disappear from her eyes. "Why? I couldn’t have been that intimidating."

No, but I think you were taller than me that year, I say absently.

Evie gives me a wry look as she steps back and zips up her bag. "I don’t think I was ever taller than you at any point