He clearly hadn't expected me to forgive him.
But it was the easiest thing I’d ever done. I wouldn’t have been able to say that a few hours ago. But I’d been given the gifts of time and perspective.
I hadn't cared where Grover was taking me and hadn’t been aware enough to notice he’d been heading up the mountain rather than down it. When I’d grasped that he’d taken me to the cemetery, I'd realized a couple of things.
First was the fact that the horse had gone up instead of down. That had meant he was familiar with the trail and likely had been on it often. I'd never ridden him all the way up the mountain because there’d been no reason for me to go to the cemetery. I’d considered that since the animal had belonged to Del, he’d been the one to ride the horse up there, but in my gut, I’d known who it’d really been.
It had been Curtis who’d ridden the horse up to the cemetery, and probably on a very regular basis so he could visit the place where his partner rested. I supposed maybe there was some weird magic at work that could have explained how the horse knew where his master lay, but it didn’t really matter either way.
The first realization had led to the second. As I’d stared at Del's headstone, I’d known that if I had one more chance with Brooks, even if it was only to touch him or to say goodbye or even just look at him, I would've taken it.
Just like Curtis would've taken the chance to see Del again.
I was getting that second chance and there was no way I was going to waste it. I loved Brooks. I'd loved him for as long as I could remember. A life without him was unfathomable. Like Curtis, I knew I’d find a way to survive it, but I’d want to keep the memory of Brooks with me, beside me, even after he was gone.
So there was no anger or feelings of betrayal anymore. I didn't care how things had turned out. I cared that he was there, that he’d come for me now. I cared that he loved me. The rest we could figure out.
We could and would make it work, and that was why I gladly repeated what I’d said to him. “You’re mine. Always mine.”
He shook his head in disbelief and then he was in my arms.
I held Brooks until he calmed and then set him back so I could look at his face, his beautiful face.
"Why did you go back to New York?" I asked.
Brooks wiped his eyes. He was clearly having trouble pulling himself together. "I didn’t,” he said. “But I did go to Casper. This morning after I left you at the fair, I got a ride with a lawyer who worked for my father when we lived here. He said some things, Xavier." Brooks shook his head and I could see he was on the verge of breaking down all over again. I picked up his hand and held it between mine so I could try to soothe him as he spoke.
"He was talking about how the prosecutor railroaded you. He said that it was my father who convinced him to charge you with attempted murder. He also said that my father is the reason you were charged as an adult." Brooks's words were difficult to understand because he was talking so fast and his voice was so shaky. The fact that Brooks now knew at least part of the truth was both a relief and terrifying at the same time. I knew he would have questions for me, but I wasn't ready to answer them, mostly because I didn't know how.
“That guy, Ronny, told me that my father had Ronny and his friends beat you up. That’s true, too, isn’t it?”
My heart ached for Brooks. I hated that he was having to face all these truths about his father all at once. When I didn’t answer, Brooks closed his eyes and nodded his head.
"So, um, when Mr. Mattis—the lawyer—told me all that stuff, all I could think was that I needed to confront my father. I thought I’d have to fly to New York to see him, but he and Mom were already on their way out to LA for a business thing. My dad agreed to have his jet stop in Casper, so Jules and I drove there to meet him. He was pretty pissed to find out I was out here.” Brooks dropped his eyes momentarily, then shook his head.
“Anyway, Mr. Mattis said you dragged Dad from the burning barn. He said there was proof of that, drag marks or something. He said there wasn't any evidence that you’d even tried to kill him in the first place, and if you had, why did you save him from the barn. I… I needed to confront my father with the truth. Because I know that's what it was, Xavier. I needed to see his eyes when he tried to lie to me. I needed him to know that we were done. I told him everything, Xavier. I told him where I'd been these last few weeks, and that I was in love with you. I told him I was no longer his son."