Levi Winchester

~~~~~~~~~~~Six Months Later~~~~~~~~~

Senator Ryan took it upon himself to pick me up from the prison.

"How are you?" He asked cheerfully.

"You don't actually care about that." I sighed. Why couldn't this guy be less annoying?

"You're right, look at this though!" He handed me a newspaper with the headline "Actress Penelope Barros burns herself alive in home!"

"You did this?"

"I only showed her the proof that Dr. Barros didn't love her at all. You gave me the proof, so you drove her to that technically. She never had a chance without him anyway, she wanted to die with him."

"Don't say it like that." I chuckled. Mission accomplished I guess.

"You're not in a position to question me, don't you think?"

"What about Giovanni?" I asked anyway.

"Not sure, I sent someone in there but I haven't gotten any reports yet. And I partially did it for your sake in there."

"I'm not going to work for you now, Senator. You have all my fathers connections now, there's no need for you to worry about a bug on the map like me, I just want to be normal now." I stated.

"You're turning down a great opportunity, it's always open if you change your mind. Keep my card." Senator Ryan put his card in my jeans pocket. "But when you're finished living your normal life and need a job, you have my number."

"Seriously, thank you for all you've done for me senator, you will always have my vote." I said. "I'll finish school and get a degree so I'm qualified."

"You're more than qualified to work for me, already!"

"I will, in a few years. Congratulations on your presidential candidate nomination," I told him.

"If it weren't for you, I'd have never gotten it. Hurry up with your normal boring life so you can come work," senator wasn't one for sweet words I guess.

"Yessir, I'll report to you as soon as I finish high school."

"We're at your house, Levi. Remember to call me if you change your mind," senator Ryan smiled. "High school isn't for everyone, also school sucks."

"I will....if I change my mind." I stepped out of the car.

"Oh, take this, it's what you asked for while you were in prison." Senator Ryan handed me a black box with a card on top of it. The card actually had my name on it. "I opened an account and put your money on the card and I bought a better looking model of the thing you wanted picked out. It's one of a kind"

"I didn't-"

"Think of it as compensation for your brother and not turning my son in. I hate owing people."

"Consider your debt overpaid from now on. Thank you, sir. Goodbye, for now."

"Sure, you won't reconsider for now?"

I ignored the senator and walked to the front door of Tyler's home. I reached for the doorknob and pushed it open.

Why was it open?

"....no mom! More potatoes! More lamb! It has to be perfect!" I heard Tyler's sweet honey voice scream out all annoyed. "He's coming today! Senator Ryan will be here with him any minute!"

"Shut up! I'm doing what I can!" Drita yelled back. "It's not like I'm cooking for a senator!"

"Act like you are woman!"

"Stop yelling at my baby!" I heard Stan interject. "You do it since it's not good enough, you ungrateful brat!"

"She never taught me!"

"Anyone will be grateful not having to eat prison food anymore!" Stan snapped.

"Levi isn't just anyone!"

"Get out of my kitchen! Both of you!" Drita snapped.

I couldn't help but giggle a bit at the ruckus.

"Levi?" Tyler stared at me as if I weren't real. Tyler hadn't changed much in six months. He cut his hair short and he looked more mature.

"Sorry I kept you waiting." I smiled. "But I'm back."

Tyler smiled back and ran into my arms knocking me onto my butt and plating kisses all over my face. I could feel that his love for me hadn't changed like I feared. It felt like it only grew.

For the first time I hugged and kissed Tyler without any worries.

"I'm so happy you're back! Are you coming back to school soon? I'm going to be a senior, but you'll be a junior again."

"Let's not talk about school yet."

"Are you really here?"

"I'm back baby."

"How do you know Senator Ryan?" Tyler suddenly asked, "he said he was going to pick you up."

"I convinced him to help me," I explained everything I hadn't been willing to before. Being locked up, I had realized my own cowardice in hiding everything from Tyler.

This could've been solved sooner had I just said something. Who knew I needed therapy to recognize that fully. In short, I probably wasn't the best boyfriend I could be to him.

"You're really amazing, Levi," Tyler looked at me starry eyed. "Just talking brings me back."

"Back to what?"

"To when I found out you were stealing my underwear!" I could feel my face heat up immediately at this. "We had our first kiss that day."

I appreciated that he didn't bring up his mom walking in on us making out then my pants falling down.

"The kiss was great, everything after it kinda sucked," I muttered.

"Are you still embarrassed by that? Why are you so red? We've done more than kiss." Tyler joked.

This was the perfect time. "Which is why I should clarify...a lot of things are hard for me and I'll need years of therapy going forward. You know, I'm the son of your family's enemy. You heard it all at the court. My father did that to your grandfather. I did the crime against Liam and I killed Chris and George died because of my brother, the pain branches out."

"This wasn't your fault, Levi. Are you trying to do something stupid? What are you trying to say?" I could see the panic cover Tyler's face.

"I'm only trying to say, we've been through a lot and done so much, and I want to do so much more with you." I smiled widely. "And I'll understand if you refuse."

"What's that? Refuse what?"

"If it's ok with you still, now that I've done the right thing, I'd like to marry you. It was the only thing I could think about for six months. How everything is better when you're there. I just really want to spend my life with you forever. Tyler, will you marry me?" I asked.

"Holy shit!" I heard a female voice from behind me. Dammit, she was always so on time, wasn't she. Drita and Stan stood in the doorway absolutely shell shocked.

Again, I could feel my face burning up. I shot Stan a desperate look but he quickly avoided my eyes.

Not you too.

And poor Tyler, I didn't know a person could turn that red. I think it was an all over blush. I just had to power thru the obvious stares from Tyler's parents. "I have this for you." I pulled out the black box and opened it.

"Holy shit!" It was Stan this time, but I understood why. This ring held an incredibly big diamond, surrounded by smaller extravagant diamonds. The entire band was also blinged out with more diamonds.

I almost shit my pants at the absurdity.

Dirty rotten no good senator! Is this how you get your woman? Now I just look like a show off! Tyler looked at the ring just as shocked as I was. "How the fuck-"

"I didn't ask for this model I swear! I asked the senator to get a specific one, but he completely ignored me and gave me this as compensation instead. I didn't look at it before I opened the box."

"Just how connected are you to know a senator that just gives away diamonds like that?" Stan asked. "No wonder he kept sneaking around here!"

"I'm not connected until I after I finish high school. This was just his way of buying my silence! I swear!" None of this was going according to plan.

"Talk about a golden child!" Drita added.

Everyone was just uncomfortable now.

"I'll sell it so we can choose something better together," I forced myself to ignore Tyler's parents freaking out and focus on Tyler. "So what do you say?"

"Yeah! As long as I can just keep the old ring." Tyler nodded.

"Old ring?" Drita asked. Tyler ignored her and hugged me tightly.

"I'm really happy." I whispered to him.

"Did you really think I would say no? I love you Levi." Tyler whispered back.

"I love you too, Tyler."

"Stop whispering!" Drita snapped at us.

I lifted Tyler off his feet and finally felt my smile. "He said yes!" I laughed at Tyler turning completely red and covering his face as his Drita squealed as loud as she could.

"I'm going to check the food, be in the dining room in ten minutes," Stan mumbled before leaving the room.

"Forget that old sack! My baby's getting married! I'll be getting grand babies!" Drita gushed over us. "I'll plan the wedding! I'll get the best whiskey!"

"We should graduate first!"

"Tyler graduates next year I can-"

"Mom, he has to graduate as well!" Tyler snapped. Drita made a face but waved off whatever she was thinking.

"Let your mother be excited you found someone so dedicated to you! This is sweet! I'm going to tell everyone I know!" Drita continued on a tangent about how she'll do our wedding and how excited she was.

"What about dad?"

"That guy is just so happy for his little boy, he doesn't know how to show it. He's most likely crying into the soup as we speak. Believe me, he's happier than I am. Just wait until I bring up the wedding plans with him! He'll probably cry more than anyone to have to give his baby away!" Drita laughed.

"I'll be fine," Stan came into the living room with suspiciously irritated red eyes. "Dinner is set. Put Tyler down, I need to tell you something."

"You're embarrassing dad! Pull yourself together!" Tyler scolded while steering his mom towards the dining room.

Stan walked close to me and patted me on the shoulder. "If anything happens to my little boy, I'll kill you."

"Yessir," I said.

"Sell that ring and put it in your bank account so you guys can start off with something. You're not going back to that abandoned house, and we already have space for you."

"Yessir."

"Just start calling me dad. You can call Drita mom," Stan got a bit teary eyed as he turned his head. "W-welcome to the family kid."

"Stan, are you-"

"Stop crying you baby!" Drita appeared and pulled Stan by his ear.

"It's ok....mom," I said. It was definitely going to take some getting use to. Now I just felt awkward.

"Oh my god!" Drita squealed louder this time. "You're adorable, you're so embarrassed! Come eat now. I made a big dinner!"

We made our way into the dining room and I took my usual seat next to Tyler. This dinner felt entirely different than any other dinner I've had with this family.

Tyler took my hand under the table as his mom served us some food. All dinner she gushed over us and made sure I ate more than anyone else.

It was the first time in my life that I wasn't on edge about something. There was nothing to fight against anymore. I could really just focus on me and Tyler in this moment. Tyler changed my entire life and I was about to marry him!

My angel said yes to me!