“So any other updates?” I ask.
“I’m sure you read about the sentencing last week. Mom and Dad couldn’t stop crying.”
“Fifteen years doesn’t feel like enough prison time, but it’s awesome. Really awesome.” Manda got the biggest sentence. Tasha got five years in exchange for her testimony. The other two girls got ten years. The pressure from the public became too much after I spoke with the press, and Tasha caved. All that matters is Manda is going to die in prison. And she will, according to what Kyle’s heard. Manda’s sick. She’ll live out her final days in a horrible place, surrounded by horrible people. That’s punishment enough for her and the family who covered up Joy’s murder.
“How are Mom and Dad liking their new home?” I ask.
“They love it. They swim every day; they go for walks; they’ve met a few people who aren’t complete jerks when they find out the infamous, dearly departed Mr. Ultra Mega Love is their son.”
“Ha, funny.” I still don’t know why I let River put that out there. Oh well. Mr. Ultra Mega Love is dead now. I’m back to being Huff. Just Huff. A nice guy, with a really big heart—literally—living in hiding and trying not to get in trouble. Huff finds peace in knowing he finally did good. He saved River’s sisters—most of them. He saved some people’s sons, too. Most importantly, he saved the girl he loves. From himself, but it still counts.
I think Joy would be proud. She doesn’t come to me in my dreams anymore, but I still feel her with me.
I press my hand over my heart.
“All right. I gotta run, kid,” says Kyle. “Be sure to use that new encrypted email account if you need anything. You never know who’s watching.”
“Yes, Congressman Ferris. And, Kyle? Dude, get a serious girlfriend already. I’m tired of seeing you with all those hot models in the tabloids.”
“Never. Bye.” He ends the call.
I laugh and take a seat on my favorite chair on the dock next to my fishing pole and cooler. I throw on a baseball cap and glasses. Just to be safe. Not that anyone around here would recognize me. I’m some loner who needs a haircut, spends too much time fishing alone or scuba diving in the underground aquafers, and doesn’t talk to anyone. Hermit life isn’t so bad. There’s really only one human being’s company I miss.
I watch the sun set and the stars come out in a glittering spectacle. Five shooting stars, one after another, blaze across the sky. Amazing. I’ve never seen a night sky like this.
I reach into my cooler and crack open an ice-cold beer. I wish River were here. Because it’s moments like these I want to share together. I constantly wonder if I’ll ever find happiness without her in it.
Don’t do it, Huff. Don’t do it.
But I can’t help it. I’m a selfish dick sometimes. I look at my watch. It’s late where she is. She’s probably asleep already.
I close my eyes and go to her. The room is dark, but there’s no one in her bed. She must be out. Maybe she’s on a date. Who knows?
I’m about to leave when the lights come on.
Her warm brown eyes meet mine, and I freeze.
Her lips turn into a snarl. “Fucking Huff. You’re alive. I knew it.”
THE END?
Keep reading for instructions on how to score a signed Mr. Ultra Mega Love bookmark and a message about the book + possible future books. Or head here to check for updates: www.mimijean.net/ultramegalove
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Hello, all my super humans!
I’m sure some of you are wondering why I jumped into superheroes and wrote this book? I bet others are wondering about my plans for these stories. (How many books in the series? When will I write them?)
Let’s talk book first!
I grew up on a steady diet of superheroes (Wonder Woman! Woot, woot!), and I’ve always loved the classic archetype, but this story was definitely inspired by the premise of The Boys.
If you haven’t watched the series on Prime, it’s fantastic and super funny. But what I loved about it was how they blew up this whole idea of superheroes being infallible. It’s raunchy and gory. The superheroes are mostly bad. So, so bad. And also selfish, cruel, insecure, and fake. And it’s what makes the series so addictive. The heroes are a hot mess!
Anyway, I really fell in love with this idea of an everyday person with major “unsuperhero” flaws having to deal with the reality of such a monumental change in the real world. In the movies, we see superheroes born that way or transform and jump right in, embracing their destiny. But what about the everyday nerd guy who struggles with fitting in no matter what he does? What about the guy who is still trying to find himself on a human level? That’s Huff.
Then there’s his dark side. He knows it’s there. He knows sooner or later he’s going to have to face whatever’s lying beneath the surface. (Nope. He hasn’t gotten there yet, but it’s coming.)
The second series that inspired me was Castle Rock. If you haven’t watched it, it’s also worth seeing. I won’t give anything away, but there’s a darkness and madness that takes over some of the characters, and I really found that part creepy. (And fun.) I honestly wanted to make Mr. Ultra Mega Love a lot darker, but I ended up not liking those initial drafts as much. It needed more humor! More love!
The final comment I’ll make is a topic you might be wondering about. Why no hometown? Why not mention where his new university is? One word: politics.
In today’s environment, people are so divided, and I wanted readers to be able to imagine Huff being from their state, their hometown. Because, really, the kind of senseless hate he experiences can happen anywhere. So, yeah, I left the specifics out.
As for future books? I plan to write the next one in 2022, but I’m not sure how many I’ll do. When I start new storylines, sometimes I have grand ideas for eight or nine books. Then I sit down and really start writing. There isn’t enough steam in the plot. As a reader, I hate that! I hate when writers keep series going just for the sake of it. I’d rather be left wanting more than wondering why I wasted my time reading a tired plot.
Other times, I sit down thinking I’ll do one book, but when I get to the end, I see so many fun adventures in store for us and the characters.
So, my answer is, I definitely want to write more of these. Some of that will depend on you guys. (SO BE SURE TO POST YOUR REVIEWS SO I KNOW IF YOU ULTRA MEGA LOVED IT!) Some of that will depend on how the next book unfolds. Superheroes are a new space for me.
EITHER WAY! Keep an eye out for more Huff and River 2022. Be sure you’re signed up for alerts of upcoming releases so you don’t miss out:
www.mimijean.net/get-news-from-mimi
And now onto your favorite part. FREE BOOKMARKS!
STEP ONE: Email me at [email protected]
STEP TWO: Provide your complete shipping info (include the country if you’re outside the US).
STEP THREE: If you wrote a review for Mr. Ultra Mega Love, because you felt the mega love and loved it, be sure to provide a link or screenshot. I will do my very best to include extra goodies. I run out of magnets fast! It’s first ask, first get! But you will get a big THANK YOU from me either way.