true colors - jb & ag 《completed》

{epilogue}

Justin linked his fingers with Ariana's and tucked her arm beneath his as they set off down the forest path.

"Are you going to tell me what we're doing?" she begged him for the eighth time since they'd left the house. "Just a tiny hint."

"Nope. Relax and soak up the nature." Birds chattered all around them, and a soft wind rustled the few leaves left in the trees. It was warm for November, likely the last nice day they'd have for months—the kind of day that when he'd been locked up made him feel like he'd bust out of his skin if he didn't get out in it.

Following Colin's deposition, where they'd both had to give statements, Ariana had withdrawn inside herself. In super study mode, not even Lisa could coax her out for shopping and pumpkin spice lattes. Then, after Brayden had called Ariana to apologize, explaining that Colin had forced him to start their relationship as a way to get information out of her but he had ended up really liking her, she'd disappeared for hours. Justin had found her in the attic, cloaked head to toe in dust and cobwebs, organizing his grandma's massive record collection. Even after he'd sold the most valuable albums, there were hundreds of LPs for her to sort alphabetically by title.

That's when Justin knew he had to do something.

"We're going to the tree house, right?" Ariana guessed.

He pulled them to a stop and hooked his arm around her waist before checking the blindfold. "Are you peeking?"

"No! Just tell me something!"

"Okay. Productive pursuits are on hold for the rest of the day. No studying, organizing, or even thinking too hard." When she opened her mouth to protest, he put a finger against her lips. "This is about letting go. You know, spontaneity . . . Ever heard of it?"

"No, but I've heard of irresponsibility. I'm going to break an ankle walking out here!" A single dark brow arched above the fabric of the blindfold. "The least you could do is carry me."

He grinned as he scooped her up against his chest. "As you wish."

Ariana looped her arms around his neck and leaned in, her soft breath tickling his ear as she whispered, "I love you too." Then her lips moved to his neck and fluttered a trail of kisses to his collarbone.

Justin shivered hard. "Keep that up, Buttercup, and we may not make it to your surprise."

Her deep, throaty laugh vibrated against him, and he lengthened his stride. "Maybe we just need to get there faster."

When they reached the rope bridge, he lowered Ariana to her feet and looped his arm around her waist.

As they made their way across, she said, "Did you see the news? Deputy Simms is the new police chief."

"Simms is okay. I'm just glad I never have to see Kagawa again."

"Do you think he'll go to jail?"

"Not sure I care." But with charges of perjury and obstruction, his days of law enforcement were over.

Justin guided Ariana over a missing board, and then she said, "Brayden told me that he and Isaiah recanted their statements that they saw you push Daniel. And they both received immunity in exchange for promising to testify against Colin. Every time I think about what they did to you and that they got away with it, I . . . I want to hit something!"

Justin exhaled a low breath. He was still working through his own anger. They stepped off the bridge onto solid ground, and Justin pulled Ariana into his arms. He buried his face in her hair and whispered, "I feel the same, but I don't want to talk about them right now. This night is just for us. Okay?"