Epilogue
He lay on his stomach, enjoying the warmth
of the sun as it burned into his shoulders. He shifted to get more comfortable
on the slatted lounge chair, mindful not to move too suddenly. He still wasn’t
completely healed, he wouldn’t be for a while yet, and he wasn’t about to take
a step backwards on his road to recovery. People had been surprised at his
weight loss, but that wasn’t surprising, considering what he had been through.
It would just take time and time was something that he had a lot of right now.
Wiping the sweat off his brow, he adjusted
his sunglasses and reached down to turn the page of the magazine he was
reading. He didn’t remember who had brought it to him, and he didn’t care,
finding it amusing and slightly amazing that there was so much junk written
about them and the accident.
A small bump interrupted his reading, a
shy "sorry" was offered and he nodded, returning to the story. He
leaned out to trace the pictures, remembering when they were taken. It seemed
like years ago, but actually it was taken just before the start of the tour.
The tour. Well, that was out, obviously; postponed. Not that it mattered to
him. He had enough money, more than enough. No, money was not a concern, thank
God.
Another bump, this time harder,
accompanied by a large splash. Gritting his teeth as the cold pool water
shocked him, he sat up, livid. "
"Sorry, Uncle X! Really!"
Lizzy swam away, kicking her legs
furiously, sending smaller splashes his way.
"Aggie!" growled Xavier, his
warning clear.
Bringing a towel over, Aggie gently wiped
her brother’s back. "You’re burning," she said softly.
"Gimme that!" snarled Xavier,
wiping off the water himself. "I warned you Aggie, if you wanted to come
to
"She’s just a little girl, Xavier,
let her enjoy her vacation," protested Aggie, shutting up when she saw his
glare.
She left, calling out to her daughter to
get out of the pool.
Good. Xavier snorted in disgust, not sure exactly why he had let them
come. He returned to the story, finished it, and then tossed the thin magazine
aside. He flipped over onto his back, his body protesting the gentle movement.
Yes, it would take more time to get well, but he was okay with that, glad that
he was still alive, his years of razor sharp reflexes the only thing that had
saved him as he jumped at the last possible moment from the truck. He had hit
the ground and hit it hard, watching in morbid fascination as the truck
disintegrated before his very eyes. Poor Abe. Xavier felt a small stab of pity
for the fool, which had quickly turned into amazement as he realized just how
easy it would be to change identities. The Mexican authorities were idiots and
he used that to his advantage. Abe was Xavier and Xavier was now Abe. He
smiled, closing his eyes against the glaring sun. With a few more adjustments
to his face and figure… well the possibilities were endless. Smiling once more,
Xavier settled into his lounger, dreaming of the promise he made to himself, to
the Backstreet Boys. It might take awhile, but he could wait. He could wait.
The
End
***
