Epilogue
EPILOGUE
RHYS
I lean in to whisper into Angel’s ear. “This is for the shoe closet.”
I can feel the sudden spike of heat against my lips as Angel flushes bright red. I fucking love that he has a shoe fetish and I especially adore how he reacts every time I remind him of it.
“I’ll make sure it’s secure in the truck.” He takes the box and gives me a quick kiss before carrying it out of my bedroom.
We’re moving me from the apartment I’ve shared with Hayden to Angel’s place in Staten Island. It only makes sense, I’ve been spending more time there than he’s been spending here. Which I never, in a million years, would’ve guessed.
Angel has always offered to stay in Brooklyn with me, but it never felt quite right for some reason. Maybe because having Hayden around was weird?
Not because Hayden disapproves. He’s gotten over his protective, suspicious thing against Angel. I think the wedding we went to solidified it. If Angel’s willing to parade me around on his arm in front of everyone in the old neighborhood, then he’s probably not going to dump me like a hot potato the next day
Honestly, Hayden’s been great, and I’m going to miss him loads. But there’s just something about having our own space.
Plus, with Angel’s early mornings and random babysitting duties with Jonah, it’s easier for him to be closer to home.
Being in the old neighborhood so much hasn’t been as bad as I expected. Sabrina’s cool, and I’ve gotten to hang out with Nico and Ariana more. It’s been nice to reconnect, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed my big brother until I started seeing more of him.
When Mom found out that I was hanging out with Nico, she coerced him into bringing me to Sunday dinner. I one-upped her by bringing Angel with me. It was an awkward evening, but no one said anything offensive and we made it through. Things with Mom and Dad still aren’t great, but maybe there’s hope.
Things with Angel’s mom, however, have been… surprisingly okay? She’s never apologized for that first dinner we had together, never said anything to clear the air between us. She just started treating me like I had always been there. Like her son had always been attracted to men and having Dina’s boy over at the house all the time was perfectly normal. It’s weird, but honestly, I’ll take it. It could’ve been so much worse.
“Okay, what’s next?” Hayden appears in my doorway, ready to carry the next box down to Angel’s truck .
Bellamy and Noel are right behind him—Bellamy with his sleeves rolled up, Noel examining his fingernails. He’s been following Bellamy up and down the stairs like a puppy without actually carrying anything. He’s such a grumpy marshmallow.
“You can take this one and this one.” I point to two boxes stacked against the wall. “And then, I think that’s it!”
I don’t actually have that much stuff to move, since I’m not bringing any furniture. It’s mostly my shoes and clothes and toiletries. I swing a large makeup bag over my shoulder and follow the guys out.
They head down to the truck, but I pause in the living room.
I’ll be back here all the time. Hayden’s still my best friend and we’re still going to hang out. But it’ll be different now and a part of me feels guilty about leaving him on his own.
He’s a happy guy, always positive and joyful. Recently, though, there’s been something off with him. I’ve tried talking to him about it, but he brushes me off and changes the topic. I have a feeling that my moving out is only going to make things worse. I hate it, but… Angel.
I say a silent goodbye to the apartment and make a promise to be back often.
Down on the sidewalk, Angel’s got the truck all packed up, a bright blue tarp covering all my precious belongings.
The guys are all standing in a circle, waiting for me.
“What are you going to do with the extra room?” Bellamy asks.
Hayden shrugs and there’s a tightness at the corners of his mouth that I’m not sure anyone else sees. “I don’t know. Find a roommate, I guess? I’ll be okay on my own for a couple months, but then…” He shrugs again.
Angel’s brows draw together in concern. I was wrong, Angel definitely sees what I see.
“What about Santino?” Noel’s tone makes it sound like he doesn’t like the dude, but then, Noel always sounds a little annoyed.
“Who’s Santino?” I ask.
“My old roommate from San Francisco,” Bellamy answers. “He’s spending the summer here, but I don’t know if he’s figured out where he’s staying yet.”
Hayden brightens and I’m suddenly desperate for Santino to move in. If Bellamy lived with him, he must be a good guy, right? Hayden needs someone cool in the apartment.
“If he hasn’t, he can totally have Rhys’s room,” Hayden offers.
Rhys’s room . The guilt grows a little more and I throw myself at Hayden.
“I’m going to miss you,” I say, hugging him tight.
He chuckles as he returns the hug. “I’ll miss you too. But I’m happy for you. You deserve this.”
With one last squeeze, he gently pushes me away, but I don’t let go of him that easily. “You sure you’ll be okay?” I study his face for any signs of distress.
He does a pretty good job of schooling his expression, but there’s still a hint of sadness in his eyes. “Yes, I’ll be fine. Go.”
I debate staying for a little longer, putting off the inevitable. But at the end of the day, I have to make a decision, and I’ve already made a commitment to always choose Angel .
“I’ll be back all the time. I’m just a text message away.”
Hayden smiles, genuine this time. “I know.”
I pull him back into one more hug. “Love you lots, Denny.”
“Love you too, babe.”
Then I plant a kiss on his cheek and let him pass me into Angel’s arms.
Angel opens the truck door for me and gives me a hand up into the seat. He waves goodbye to the guys and goes around to the driver’s side.
He looks over at me once the door is shut. His concern is obvious, and that’s how I know I’ve made the right decision. Angel is too good for words. Even though I’m leaving Hayden behind, I know Angel will help me take care of him.
“You good?”
I reach for Angel’s hand and intertwine our fingers. “With you, I’m always good. Let’s go home.”
BONUS SCENE
I don’t know how Rhys wears leather pants. I feel like I’ve been attacked by saran wrap. It’s tight. It doesn’t breathe. It squeaks when I move.
The leather harness I’m wearing on top has the opposite problem. The thick black straps wind around my shoulders and connect across the upper part of my chest, leaving everything else exposed—most of my chest, my nipples, my belly.
With heavy boots on my feet, studded cuffs on my wrists, and brimmed cap on my head, I barely recognize myself in the mirror. My thighs look huge. The outline of my dick is clearly visible between my legs. My shoulders look wider than normal. I can’t stop staring at my tummy.
I rub my hands over it. I’m not usually shy about taking my shirt off, but there’s something about wearing the harness that makes my stomach all fluttery and unsettled. I feel more exposed like this than I do without the harness, as if it’s a neon sign drawing attention to the fact that my chest and belly are on display.
The rings of the dressing room curtains rattle behind me, and Rhys pokes his head around the fabric. His hair is electric blue this week. “Holy shit.”