Epilogue
CHASE- SIX MONTHS LATER
Ifind him sprawled out in the backyard on a blanket, working on his tan lines and some new sketch.
My heart gives a heavy thump at the sight.
Soaked in sunshine, the way he’s meant to be.
His hair gleams and glitters, the bare skin of his back decorated by a scattering of freckles that I could trace with my eyes closed.
He truly has never been more beautiful than right in this moment, but then again, I’ll say that again tomorrow just as I did yesterday.
The storms raging against his battered soul have calmed significantly since that fateful winter day.
Peace has done wonders for him. I fall more in love every single day.
There is no coming up for air anymore. I’ve simply surrendered to drowning in him day after day, just grateful to be surrounded by his waters as I sink further to the bottom.
Not every day has been easy, at least for him. I will never enjoy seeing him struggle, some days even with getting out of bed. But even on those days, loving him is simple. Easy. I’m loved all the same on my hard days.
Now, Easton’s time is filled with custom artwork for his very dedicated clientele.
It’s weird thinking back to the very beginning when I was uncomfortable leaving him for even a few hours because he seemed so lost. He most certainly isn’t that anymore.
His place in the world is right here, with me.
Having his brother just next door and three more siblings to blow up his phone to make the distance seem less.
Parents that can’t get enough of spending time with him.
Friends and clients. His weekly coloring book page exchange with a three-year-old who calls him her very best friend.
“Aren’t you going to get enough sun on the trip?” I ask when I approach.
That slow, almost sleepy smile after spending all morning enjoying the higher than normal UV level hits me behind the ribs. “Seattle sun is like an appetizer to Mexico. I’m just getting started.”
I’ve had about enough with the distance and meet him on the ground, locking his wrists above his head and making him wriggle.
My Chaos is all sun-warmed skin and smiles.
The laughter that peels out of him is music to my ears.
“Really? Or are you hanging out here hoping that I’ll wind up packing your suitcase for you so we’re not late? ”
Even when I’m trying to sound serious, there’s way too much syrup in my voice to make it believable. That’s fine by me. Easton gasps in outrage. “How dare you?” I transfer my hold on him to one hand and use the other to skate down his side. “I would never do such a thing, and I resent—”
The end of his sentence falls off into breathless laughter when I reach the very ticklish spot on his stomach.
As much as he writhes around trying to escape me, he sure hasn’t even attempted to tug out of my grip.
Such a brat. “Uh-huh. So if I say I’m about to go throw all your clothes back over the bed, no big deal, right? ”
Easton gasps. “You wouldn’t!” He sits up suddenly, wrapping his arms around my neck and trying to distract me with a kiss. It works.
“You better go get dressed before we miss our flight,” I murmur against his lips. It takes an enormous effort, but he’d be so upset if we didn’t get to SeaTac in time.
Blake would also beat my ass which is not something I’m enthusiastic about. She’s so excited for this little friend vacation. If I admitted how much I was looking forward to it, I’d never live it down.
“Y’all aren’t dressed?” Brady calls, strolling through the back gate, completely unbothered about finding his brother wrapped around me like an octopus.
My eyes roll hard. “I am. Direct your outrage to your DNA counterpart.”
Easton scoffs. “So dramatic. I’ll be right back.” He takes his pencil and sketchbook with him to toss in his carry on. I reach a hand out for Brady to pull me up, and as he closes the last few feet between us, he gives me the first real look I’ve had at his outfit.
Something in my face must give me away because after he yanks me upright, he spins to give me the full effect. “What do you think? Cool, huh?”
Don’t hurt his feelings. Don’t hurt his feelings. “They make you seem very… available.”
Close enough. “Five inch inseams are very in right now, Acey. I’m being fashion forward. If it happens to attract the attention of any gorgeous women, then that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“Right. I’m just not sure I’ve ever willingly seen so much of your thighs.”
He pushes his sunglasses down his nose to make sure I don’t miss him winking at me. Lucky man that I am. “Boy, do I have a surprise for you in Mexico. You’re going to love it.”
By this point, I know a threat when I see one.
~~~
Blakely is going to make me spoiled at a rate she can’t keep up with if she’s not careful.
First class flights, luxury resort, and a driver waiting for us at baggage claim to haul our suitcases to the car for us before driving us here.
I didn’t have to make a single decision.
Not even finding a shuttle. Just show up half tipsy from drinks in the lounge with a credit card that I’d never be approved for and get on the right plane. Magnificent.
Dear Universe/God/whatever else is out there, may Landon have an incredibly long and healthy basketball career, amen.
We get accosted upon entering the house-sized suite, which I was entirely expecting.
Blake catches me first, and I’m braced for impact long before I can see her.
I don’t even mind the ungodly squeal. “You made it!” If there’s one thing about our Blake, when she hugs, there’s no doubt that she means it.
I have to spit out a mouthful of her hair to respond. “Miraculous given the challenges we faced getting here.”
I drop her so she can tackle Easton freely, but after she’s made the rounds, she comes back, grinning. “Isn’t it addictive? Wait until you find out how they treat you on First Class to Asia. You’ll flip.”
“Sign me up, boss,” Brady says. “I’ll go anywhere they pass out cocktails like candy. Having one handed to me as I walk in is very my vibe.”
She grabs Easton’s hand, sharing a giggle between them about fuck knows what. “Come on. I’ll show you around.”
There’s a spacious living room, kitchen, outdoor space—with a private pool where we find Landon in a lounger with a drink—and three bedrooms. I keep catching the three of them swapping looks that have my spidey senses tingling. They’re up to something.
“We should unpack,” Easton suggests as Brady and Blake linger in the doorway to our room, talking about something or the other. My beautiful, sweet, Chaos demon saying we should unpack our clothes like civilized people is red flag number two.
When I can’t think of a reason not to, I simply agree—half convinced that something is going to pop out at me. Nothing does, but it does little to disarm my suspicions. It isn’t until I start grabbing stuff to put away that I realize it. “This is not mine. Whose clothes are these?”
The monsters burst into laughter. Easton rushes to me from around the bed and grabs my hands. “Hear me out. Hear me out.”
“This should be interesting.”
Blake rushes to come to the aid of her partner in crime. “It was my idea, and I’ll totally buy you new stuff if you flat out aren’t comfortable, butttt—well, knowing you, you won’t try new things unless someone’s forcing you, so this is us doing that.”
I’m almost positive I should be insulted by that. “Brady,” I say, directing my attention towards the weakest link. “What did these two do?”
He chews on his lip for all of ten seconds before he cracks under pressure.
“Well, Easton got some new clothes for the trip. It started because he was showing them off to Blake, and they decided it would be nice if you got some too. But you hardly ever buy things for yourself! And, well, now long story short, the little monsters ran away with the idea and it got out of hand. I told them to tell you.”
With all that I am, I hope that I never need his help hiding a body. We’d be behind bars before they could serve a proper search warrant.
“Uh-huh. And did that have anything to do with you running inside and getting dressed last minute?” I ask Easton.
“I needed to swap out what you packed with the new stuff! You’re so type A that I couldn’t trust you wouldn’t notice if I did it before then.”
After laying all them out to inspect, there’s a rather unfortunate theme. “Is my wardrobe not revealing enough for you people? Short shorts and see-through shirts?”
To make me feel better, Brady says, “We’ll match now! Isn’t it great?”
Awesome. “You know, I’ve always wanted to show strangers at a restaurant my nipples. I’ll finally be able to cross that off my bucket list.”
“You can’t deny me my god-given right to show my boyfriend off in immodest clothes. It would be terrible.”
He’s mostly teasing, and I’m sure Blake is serious about replacing anything I won’t wear. However, Easton is correct. I can’t deny him anything. The things we do for love.
Later, after dinner and enough drinks to forget how ridiculous I feel in this outfit, Easton and I sneak off from the group to listen to the waves crash against the shore. It’s dark now, but the light from the resort gives us just enough illumination to make out each other’s features.
His back is to my chest, practically melted together with my legs bracketing his.
Those troublesome fingers of his are busy drawing patterns against the soft skin on my thigh.
With the smell of his shampoo in my nose and his warm skin chasing away the chill of the breeze coming off the water, I am totally surrounded by Easton and have never felt more at peace than in this moment.
“We really can move on now, huh?” he asks eventually.
Since Aaron hung himself in a jail cell before his trial a few days ago, Easton and I haven’t really had a chance to talk about it.
I’ve made a couple of attempts, but he wasn’t ready then.
His focus was on the trip. Now that we’re here, it might be finally setting in.
“Yeah, sweetheart. We really can. How are you handling the news? It’s okay if you feel weird about it. ”
I’d be surprised, honestly, but death has weird effects sometimes.
“The only thing that bothers me is that he didn’t deserve to get to make that choice.
It wasn’t like it came from a place of pain and regret.
He was too proud to rot in prison, but those boys whose lives he took should have had their day in court.
Just like me and Asher should have been able to know he was being punished for what he did to us.
But at least he really can’t hurt anyone anymore. ”
“It was a cowardly way out, in his case.” The trial was going to be a big thing.
The evidence of his financial crimes with identity fraud and what he did to all five of them laid out for a jury to bury him.
He never would have seen the light of day as a free man again.
“Hopefully Asher sleeps better at night now.”
“I’m sure I will, too. No more monsters hiding under the bed.”
No more monsters is more than I thought we’d have at one point in time.
Even before finding out the depths of the danger Easton was in, there were still more dark shadows lingering in his eyes than he should have had.
Someone so purely sunshine should have never known about the things that go bump in the night.
However, life sometimes deals you a rough hand, and things don’t go the way they should. It’s all about where you go from there.
Easton turns his head so that his nose almost brushes against my jaw. “I’m going to love you forever, Chase. As many turns as we get on this planet, I’ll find you in every one just to love you another time. It’s never going to be enough.”
I lift his chin with my thumb to look directly in those ocean blue eyes. “And every single time, I’ll be waiting for you so we can begin again.”