Sin and Deception (Sin and Lies #2)

Epilogue – Chapter Two

THEO

“What the fuck, Xander?” I muttered to myself as I looked down at my phone, waiting for his reply.

He mentioned needing a few moments alone to gather his thoughts and said he would return shortly. The ceremony was about to begin, and he should have already been in position. We definitely couldn’t start without him.

The door to my room swung open, and Nerine’s mother poked her head in.

“I have a surprise for you,” she said as the boys clung to her legs. When they saw me, they reached out their arms and insisted that I pick them up.

“Papa!” they exclaimed together. As quintessential twins, they synchronized their actions and words perfectly. Even at under two years old, they created more chaos than the older children .

“I love these surprises.” I bent down to pick them both up, then leaned over to kiss their grandmother’s cheek. “How’s Nerine?”

“She’s beautiful,” she replied.

“I have no doubt about that.” I smiled. I couldn’t wait to see, kiss, and make that stunning woman my wife.

“Where’s Xander?” she asked, scanning the area.

“He needed some time to himself. He'll return shortly."

“I understand," she said, nodding. "Theo, I wanted to speak with you and Xander privately. Things will get hectic once the ceremony wraps up, and we won’t have the chance to talk."

“Is everything alright?" I inquired, feeling worried.

“Yes,” she nodded, tears welling in her eyes. “I wanted to express my gratitude to you and Xander for making my daughter so happy and being such great fathers to the boys. You've brought me happiness too. I sleep much better at night knowing Nerine is with you both.”

“Nerine is perfectly capable of caring for herself,” I reminded her.

“I know. But a little extra protection never hurts.”

“Nerine is the love of my life,” I explained. “I don’t need thanks, but I appreciate the sentiment."

"Welcome to the Angelos family.” She beamed at me.

“I feel like I’ve belonged to your family forever. This makes it official.”

“Yes, I agree,” she replied. Taking a deep breath, she reached for the boys. They eagerly went into her embrace, and she set them down, holding their hands .

“I’ll see you out there,” she said.

“Yes, if Xander ever shows up,” I said. “I’m not sure where he’s gone off to.”

“He’ll show up.”

“True,” I nodded. “He always does.”

“He’s a good man, just like you.”

I kissed her on the cheek once more before she walked off with the boys and returned to the mirror to adjust my tie. I took a moment to assess my appearance, hoping I looked good enough for Nerine.

“As good as it’s going to get,” I muttered.

The three of us had come such a long way to arrive at this day, and now that it was finally here, I was excited, but honestly, I wanted to get this day out of the way so we could be a happily married throuple.

Perhaps the concept of justice of the peace wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

I should have listened to Nerine. I shook my head. I was never going to share that thought with her. I loved that woman more than any other in the universe, but she didn’t need to hold that over me.

I picked up my phone from the dresser and messaged Xander once more. If we arrived late for the wedding, Nerine would undoubtedly drive her dagger straight into our hearts. I drew back the curtain and glanced outside. From my vantage point, I could see the wedding party assembled below. Although we kept the guest list small, the caterers and production crew were occupied with preparations, so at least a hundred people were gathered outside .

We’d only invited family and allies. I watched for a moment as they all mixed and mingled with each other, eager smiles on their faces and drinks in their hands. At least the guests were well taken care of. I looked at the clock on my phone and saw we only had twenty minutes until we were supposed to be in our places.

Needing to ease my nerves, I walked over to the bar cart in the corner, poured myself a snifter of bourbon, and downed it quickly. The warm amber liquid gave me just the shot of courage I needed.

I wasn’t afraid of marrying Nerine and Xander, not by a long shot.

But I was afraid of screwing something up and stumbling down the aisle.

Saying the wrong vows or something.

I chuckled at my thoughts, aware that none of this mattered, yet I was determined to give Nerine the perfect ceremony and wedding day she deserved. Nevertheless, a nagging feeling lingered at the back of my mind—a peculiar sensation creeping up my spine—that made me ponder how Xander was doing.

If only he’d fucking reply…

“Fuck this,” I muttered and decided to find him myself.

Xander wasn’t the kind of person to arrive late without a reason. I hoped everything was okay, and he’d lost track of time.

I stepped outside through the door leading to the garden and was instantly surrounded by guests eager to wish me well. I tried to evade them, but then I encountered Nyx Drakos, who stood at the edge of the crowd talking to Devani.

“Well, well, well,” Devani said. “Don’t you clean up nicely?”

She ran her fingers along the lapel of my tuxedo, smiling up at me.

“Thanks, Devani,” I replied. “Have you seen Xander?”

“No.” She shrugged. “Is everything okay?”

“Oh, yes, of course,” I assured her.

"Great. Nerine is truly fortunate to have both of you by her side.” She placed her hand on my arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Being touched by a woman other than Nerine, regardless of the context, felt entirely alien to me.

“Thanks again,” I said. “I have to keep moving. The show is about to start!”

“Good luck, Theo,” Nyx replied. “I’m so happy for you. You’re lucky to have each other.”

“I’m the lucky one,” I said, then turned away and walked back toward the house to continue searching for Xander, leaving the crowd behind as the music from the nearby speakers boomed.

The Angelos estate was stunning today. The sunlight dancing through the trees brought pure joy to my heart. It was a beautiful day to make our union official. I smiled as I wondered how Nerine was feeling at that moment. Was she filled with nerves? Was she laughing with her sisters and mother? Was she having second thoughts ?

No, there were no second thoughts with Nerine. She made a decision and jumped in headfirst.

As I walked through the garden at the back of the house, I looked back at the crowd of people. They appeared joyful and relaxed. Despite the day's festivities, there was also an underlying tranquility.

It felt like even our guests knew this was the right choice. I took a deep breath and paused, looking up at the large cypress tree where Nerine, Xander, and I shared our first kiss. We had rushed there to escape her father's constant watch and his guards, breathless, our hearts racing. We had no idea our lives would lead us here at that moment. We were young and naive, lacking a clear vision for the future. All we understood was the need to embrace the emotions pulsing through us and to stay close together.

Today, on our wedding day, that tree stood tall and sturdy. Much like our unwavering resolve to embrace the bond that united the three of us, the tree remained steadfast.

I closed my eyes, savoring the moment as a wave of thoughts flooded my mind, wanting to imprint this day in my memory forever.

I remembered the sensation of Nerine’s lips on mine for the first time, feeling a profound surge of joy and love echo within me as I revisited that memory. She has always been my guiding light, while Xander represented the shadows. I truly need both of them in my life.

“Thank you," I whispered a prayer to the universe for my good fortune .

The tree danced in the breeze, as beautiful as ever.

"I’ll never take this for granted,” I vowed.

Warmed by love and smiling gently, I resumed my search but immediately froze at the sound of Xander’s muffled shouts.