Epilogue
It had been a few days since the incident.
Not much time had passed, yet it felt like so long ago since everything came crashing for Roxanne. It was already the 29th of December… Nearly last day of the year.
Roxanne decided to get up from her bed and leave the house. She needed the exercise anyway. She looked around her. This wasn't her room… At least not the one she was used to.
It wasn’t comfortable like Rita's, or familiar like her house's, or cosy like her grandmother's. It was just a hotel room. Of course, it was a quality place, and the bed was better than any of the beds she had used before, but somehow it didn’t feel quite the same.
Roxanne pushed those thoughts out of her head. She went to the bathroom and took a classic shower. As the water poured on her body and oozed throughout her skin, Roxanne indulged in the feeling. It was definitely something she lacked back in the village… Ah, how she had missed the sublime feeling of having a proper shower. After she was done in the bathroom, she got dressed and left her hotel room.
Walking down the street, she smiled as she took in the ambiance. Snow fell all around her as she mused at the fleeting beauty of such little white moulds of ice. She walked through the clear pathway, already shovelled and layered with salt to ensure everyone who passed there had a comfortable walk.
Most people would want to start home during such a snow day, but not Roxanne. She loved walking. It allowed her to let go of all the tensed-up feelings she had and push away the thoughts that never seemed to leave. Thoughts of her family, thoughts of her friends, thoughts of the pack… Thoughts of Asher…
She shook her head, trying to shake off the painful memories of the night she had left, abandoning everything. The thoughts however persisted, no matter how hard she tried to forget them.
Roxanne didn’t know how she found the energy, but she ran, uninterrupted, back to where she was coming from, the underground wrestling ring. She was fortunate enough to still meet the manager, who had been waiting patiently for her.
He gave her the prize money, a very sizable amount, the sum of thousands of dollars. It was a big night, after all. He offered her a contract, with decent pay, incomparable to what she had earned previously. Of course, he would want her to continue fighting in his ring since she would take in more profits.
She agreed. After all, she had nothing else going for her. Plus, she needed money for the new life she wanted.
She took the money and left. Since her mother was with her grandmother, she could sneak into their house, just like she remembered doing in the past, and pack up her most essential clothes and valuables. She took her secret debit card, filled with all the money she had gotten from the past games.
After changing clothes and packing up, she left. She lodged in the hotel she was currently staying in and laid them upfront. Since she was an adult, they had no complaints. It had been three days since then.
Roxanne was now living a free life, uninterrupted or respected by anyone. She wasn't sure how long she could maintain this lifestyle, but she would do so as long as it took. She had enough money with her to last her for quite some time, after all. Besides, she could always earn more.
She finally settled down in the Park and heaved a heavy sigh. She was all alone there. Sitting with no one around her as the snow fell in the park, and all around. She closed her eyes and felt the cold, similar to that of the village's, though it seemed Rockwood was more intense than this.
“Ahh…" She let out in a relaxed tone.
She couldn't say her life was perfect as it was. She couldn't deny that not a day went by that she didn't think of Asher and the great of the pack. Her parents could be worried about her, maybe file a missing person case, but so far she had gotten nothing of the sort, so she was probably safe for now… How long that would last though, she did not know.
She often wondered what had really happened that night? Did she overreact? Asher seemed oblivious of the situation. Perhaps he didn't know what had happened too?
“No!” She resolved to herself never to make excuses for him.
Nothing changed the fact of what she saw that night. He didn’t chase after her, he didn’t call after her. She didn’t overreact.
“Let's forget all this now…” She closed her eyes and relaxed her tensed muscles.
People often made resolutions as they ventured into the new year. Perhaps she could make hers as well.
“I, Roxanne, will start anew and put all the craziness behind me! It’s time to live my life a little, and make the most of it! Cheers!”
She said this aloud in the park. After all, she was the only one there.
She stood up from her seat after a while and decided to go back to her hotel for some hot cocoa and a shower. Afterward, she would sleep.
“Ah, just like a normal girl!” She smiled to herself.
She was serious about her resolution. She had left crazy behind her, and all that was left of Roxanne was the part of herself that wanted to live in the moment and enjoy herself.
Unknown to her, though… The craziness had just begun.
[Meanwhile]
A woman sat across the Park where Roxanne was, a small distance from it, yet her eyes remained focused on the unsuspecting young adult who made a vow to herself.
Her ears picked up Roxanne's every word, and she chuckled to herself as she heard Roxanne's new year resolution. She kept observing her until finally, Roxanne left her seat and went in the direction she came from.
The woman smiled as she saw Roxanne disappear from her sight.
“So that's Asher's bride… Roxanne, uh? How interesting indeed.”
End of Book 1: Christmas With The Werewolves
To Be Continued…