Epilogue
MAYA
“Oh God, do you think I left the sitter enough information?” I fretted as I rushed around the bedroom, searching for an absent earring that I was sure I had left on the dressing table.
“Maya, you wrote the girl a damn novel,” Lee teased me, leaning in the doorway. “You’re good. Take a breath, baby.”
I paused and planted my hands on the dressing table for a moment, drawing in a long, shaky breath.
“You’re right,” I replied. “It’s going to be fine. Right?”
“It’s going to be more than fine,” he assured me, and he moved toward me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close. “We have everything under control. Every detail.”
Planting a kiss on my cheek, he squeezed me close, and I managed to steady myself again. I was just having a hard time because this was the first night I was going to be spending away from Katie since she was born four months ago—and even then, it wasn’t like this premier was going to last all night. We’d be back by midnight, and I could hardly wait to snuggle up with my boys and my babies and get some sleep.
“Everything okay?” Devon asked as he ducked into the bedroom. I paused for a moment, raising my eyebrows as I took in the sight of him.
“You look smart!” I remarked, breaking away from Lee to adjust his tie. All of the guys were dressed to the nines for the first showing of the team-up movie that was taking place in just an hour or so. And even though I wouldn’t be posing with them on the red carpet, I would be coming home with them, and that was all that I cared about.
“What about me?” Lee cut in playfully, flashing me a pout.
I giggled. “And you look gorgeous too,” I replied. “Just try not to flirt with too many girls tonight, you hear me?”
“Why, you going to get jealous?” he teased. “When I’m so willing to share you too…”
My heart fluttered as he flashed me a playful grin. I knew what was on his mind for when we got back tonight, the same thing that was on mine. It had been way too long since we’d had a night, just the four of us, and the thought of sneaking in late and spending some quality time with them was about the most exciting thing I could think of.
Because I actually had the energy this time around to live my life outside of our beautiful newborn, Katie. I couldn’t believe she was already four months old—it felt like only yesterday that I’d held her in my arms, a shock of red hair on her tiny head, surrounded by the guys as we welcomed her into the world. Taylor had been smug as hell when he found out he was right about the sex, but it didn’t truly matter to any of them—when they looked at their daughter for the first time, I could feel them falling in love, as clear as day.
And I had this beautiful home to bring her back to now, as well. No tiny studio apartments where I hardly had enough space to think, as it had been with Matty. No, the guys had bought me this beautiful, sprawling space, that had enough room for everyone to be together. Matty had his own room, as did Martha, though more often than not they would crash out in the same bed together. They had become fast friends in the last year or so—siblings, really—and they had bonded over doting on their little sister.
And the guys had been there every step of the way. While Devon had been shooting for the first month or so, working on this little indie drama flick that he was producing, Lee and Taylor had been by my side nonstop. When Taylor had to take some time away for the press tour, Lee and Devon had stepped in. And when Lee had been shipped out to Europe for promo, Devon and Taylor had been there. I had never been alone, and I knew I never would be again—but, more importantly, neither would Katie, Matty, or Martha. They were our priority here.
That, and my work, of course. I’d told myself that I would get back into the business once this movie had been released. After tonight, I would have no excuse not to start applying for jobs again. Which was exciting, and a little nerve-racking. I had put that dream on hold for so long, it was strange to think about actually picking it up again, but I knew I had to set an example for my kids. I wanted them to see me going out into the world and pursuing what I knew I wanted, not letting anything get in the way of it, and that started with work. Besides, Lana would kick my ass if I had all this childcare and didn’t try to get back into the industry, that much was for sure.
The guys had offered to help me find jobs on the sets they worked on, but I had declined. Nobody knew about our relationship, and that was how I wanted to keep it, for as long as possible. I knew the press would have a field day if they knew that I was in a four-way relationship with three of the hottest actors in the world, let alone that we had kids together.
No, this thing was for us—a precious, perfect family that we had made together, that had come to envelop my whole world. Even though we would be going to the premier of the Trio team-up separately tonight, I knew that they’d be thinking of me the whole evening, just as I would be thinking of them. It wasn’t what happened in front of the cameras that mattered, that was all make-believe—it was what happened behind them that I gave a damn about.
“I just got Katie down,” Taylor announced as he ducked into the bedroom. “The sitter’s going to be here in a few minutes. You want to say goodbye to her and the kids before we head out?”
“Yes, please,” I replied, grabbing his bow tie and straightening it quickly. I was sure Katie had grabbed it and thrown it off-center—it felt like she couldn’t keep her hands off anything at the moment.
We made our way through to the nursery, which had also become a makeshift playroom for Martha and Matty. They just never wanted to be away from Katie, and while that wasn’t ideal at naptime, there was no way I was going to tell them no.
Sure enough, when we went through, the two of them were on the floor, Martha overseeing Matty as he drew something with the colored pencils I had gotten him for Christmas. She took her job very seriously, peering down at him and pointing here and there when he missed a spot. The four of us paused for a moment in the doorway, but then I heard Katie let out a little groan, and I rushed over to her.
“Hey, sweetie,” I murmured, reaching down to plant a comforting hand on her chest. “You okay…?”
“She’s fine,” Devon assured me, ruffling Matty’s hair as he came to stand at my side. “Just sleepy. Right, baby girl?”
She let out a little coo.
“See? She’s agreeing with me.”
“That didn’t sound like a yes,” Martha protested, and we all laughed. Taylor put his arm around her.
“Make sure to keep your voice down, sweetie,” he told her. “Katie’s sleeping.”
“Can I see…?”
Taylor and Martha came over to the crib, with Devon and Matty just behind them. Lee rested his head on my shoulder, as he often did when I was tending to the baby—he didn’t like missing anything, drinking it all in like it might slip through his fingers at any moment.
And all of us just stood there for a moment, gazing down at Katie, in her little blue sleepsuit, her red hair bright in the glow of the yellow around us. Even though I was dressed to spend the night at a fancy event, I knew that nothing would make me feel as rich and spoiled as this moment, right here. All of us, together, happy, healthy, where we belonged. It might not be how I’d expected my family to take shape, but now that it had, I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
And then, all at once, the buzzer on the door sounded. I jumped slightly, but thank God, Katie didn’t wake up.
“That’ll be the sitter,” I remarked. “You guys, into the bedroom. I don’t want her to see you.”
“Too handsome?” Lee joked, though he knew the real reason—we couldn’t expect everyone who came to this house to keep our secret, so it was easier to just hide it from them entirely. Devon, Lee, and Taylor said goodbye to the kids, and filed into the bedroom so I could let the sitter in before we headed off.
But before I could head to the door, Lee caught my hand and pulled me in for a kiss.
“Lee, I have to?—”
But before I could say another word, his mouth found mine, and I forgot exactly what I had been planning at all. A moment later, I felt Taylor and Devon close in around me, their bodies on either side of me, hands caressing over the fabric of the green velvet dress I had picked out for the occasion.
“Sorry,” Lee murmured as he pulled back. “You just look so damn good…”
“Yeah,” Devon added, his lips caressing my ear. “Can’t wait to get you home tonight.”
“And out of this dress,” Taylor agreed. I felt my knees getting a little shaky beneath me. God, did they have to make it so hard for me to think straight, when I needed to greet the sitter…?
“Point taken,” I laughed. “Now, will you let me go answer the door?”
“If you have to,” Lee shot back, pretending like he was mad. I shook my head at him, and gently eased myself away from Taylor and Devon too.
“You guys don’t make a sound,” I warned them as I headed for the door.
“We’ll do our best,” Devon replied with a grin. My footsteps slowed as I found myself just gazing at them for a moment—the three of them, the three biggest stars in the world, who were only going to get even more famous after tonight. It seemed a miracle that they could all fit in one room together. But in this apartment, as they stood before me, they were more than just movie stars—they were my lovers, the fathers of my children, my best friends, my everything.
The loves of my life.
Whatever the rest of the world got to see, that was for them—but when I had them to myself, I knew they were all meant just for me. Just like I was meant for them.
And we were made for each other. For now, for always. Forever.
The End