Epilogue
Cheshire
I leaned against the frame of the kitchen doorway, arms crossed. Eliza and Jo were a whirlwind of motion in front of the stove. Jo’s laugh, a rare sound, cut through the sizzle of the pan, and mingled with Eliza’s lighter chuckles. It was a good sound. Honest. Real.
They tossed ingredients back and forth like they were born to it. The scent of spices hit the air, sharp and inviting. The whole place smelled like comfort, like something you could sink into and forget the rest of the world.
My gaze stuck to them, watching how they moved together. Eliza had this way about her -- graceful, like she danced through life. She’d relaxed so much over the past few weeks.
Jo’s movements were always more careful, measured, but there was strength there.
I thought about the roads we’d all traveled to get to this point. It hadn’t been an easy ride. My past -- a twisted road of mistakes and close calls. Eliza had lived a miserable existence thanks to her father. And Jo, she’d had it rougher than anyone should. But there they were, the two of them, finding some kind of peace while doing something as mundane as cooking.
The club had been my family, always would be. I would bleed for them. But this -- Eliza and Jo -- it felt different. The two of them were a breath of fresh air.
“Cheshire, are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to come help?” Eliza’s voice snapped me back, her tone playful and happy.
“Thought I’d admire the view a bit longer,” I shot back, a grin spreading across my lips.
Eliza spun around, her smile lighting up the kitchen. The look in her eyes made me feel like she had a secret just for me. Through the clang of pots, and their chatter, I watched her and admired her every move.
“Need a taste tester?” I asked, stepping closer.
“Always,” she said. “But I’m still learning. Be thankful Jo is here to guide me.”
I always had the answer, the next plan. But not this time. For once, it felt like I was standing on a precipice. Was I ready to jump?
She turned back to the stove, unaware of the storm she’d stirred in me. My hands itched to pull her close, to sink into that warmth and light she exuded. But there was more I had to do, a promise I needed to make real.
“Eliza,” I started, then stopped. Get your shit together, Charlie . And yes, right now I was Charlie and not Cheshire.
“Cheshire?” She looked at me, head tilted, concern flickering in her eyes. “You good?”
“Yeah,” I said, but my voice sounded rougher than I wanted it to be. “Better than good.”
I’d been waiting for weeks, and now I knew this was it. The perfect time. No chaos from club business, no past ghosts howling at our backs. Just her and me in a kitchen that smelled like home.
“Eliza,” I tried again, and this time my voice held steady. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to --”
The words hung there, suspended between us. Her eyes locked on mine, and I could see it -- the question, possibly the beginning of understanding. Before I could say anything, she turned away.
Even though I no longer had her attention, I knew it had to be now or never.
“Eliza,” I said, and I knew there was no going back. “I’ve got something to ask you.”
The weight burned a hole in my pocket. My fingers fumbled, wrapping around the small box that held every damn hope I had. Eliza’s back was to me, as she hummed some tune I couldn’t place, and stirred something that smelled like heaven. Either she hadn’t heard me, or… No, it had to be that she hadn’t heard me. I didn’t think she’d ignore me.
“Cheshire?” Jo’s voice sounded sharp. “You look like you’re about to jump out of your skin.”
I shot her a glare, telling her with my gaze to can it. I couldn’t have her spooking Eliza. Not now.
“Nothing,” I ground out. “Just thinking.”
“Uh-huh.” Jo wasn’t buying it, but she stepped away, giving me room. Room to breathe. Room to dive into whatever the hell this could be.
My knees felt weak, which pissed me off because weakness hadn’t been my style. But for Eliza? Hell, I would have crawled through broken glass.
“Eliza,” I said, drawing her attention again.
She turned, all warmth and questions.
“Cheshire, what’s --” Eliza started, but her words cut off when my knee hit the floor. Hard.
“Jesus, Cheshire!” Jo gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, and I knew she’d figured it out.
My hand shook as I fished out the ring. I should have practiced this part. It was too late now. Eliza’s gaze zeroed in on me. There was no backing out now, not with the way she was looking at me.
“Cheshire…” Eliza whispered.
“Eliza, you’re so damn beautiful, it hurts to look at you sometimes.”
The box’s creak was loud in the silence. Jo’s eyes were locked on it, one hand still muffling her gasp. The club might as well have been a church right then for all the reverence hanging in the air.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath, thumbing the lid open wider.
Inside, the ring caught the dim light. It was real, a band of white gold with a diamond that wasn’t too flashy but was far from small.
“Damn, Cheshire…” Jo mumbled.
“Keep it down,” I shot back, but there was no heat in it. My focus was all on Eliza, on the ring, on the jump my heart gave when our eyes met again. Her face lit up, like I just handed her the sun, moon, and stars.
“Want to try it on?” I asked.
She nodded and I took the ring from the box, sliding it onto her finger. My throat felt tight as I stared at it.
“Look at that,” I said, more to myself than anyone else. “Fits you.”
“Cheshire, it’s…” She trailed off, but I saw it in her eyes. “Beautiful.”
“Eliza, I’m not good with fancy speeches, and God knows I’ve been on the wrong side of many tracks.” Her gaze locked onto mine, steady and expectant. The kitchen, with its bubbling pots and scents of garlic and oil, faded away until there was just her, just us. “Will you marry me?”
The words came out all twisted, raw around the edges. But they were honest. They were me, laid bare.
She didn’t move for a heartbeat, two. Time was a damn traitor, stretching seconds into lifetimes. Then, those beautiful eyes of hers started to glisten, wet and bright. Her lips parted, no sound coming out yet, but everything was written there, clear as day.
“Charlie…” Her voice caught on my real name.
“Say yes, Eliza.” It was half-plea, half-demand. The rest of my life was dangling right there in her answer.
And then she nodded, quick and sure, a single tear tracking down her cheek. “Yes, Charlie. Yes.”
Relief punched through me. I rose up, the weight of the world sliding off my shoulders. She’d said yes. To me, to this, to a forever that would be wild but so worth it.
Eliza’s hand was still in mine, her ring catching the dim light. I pulled her close, my other arm wrapping around her waist. She fitted against me, perfect as if custom-made for me, her body warm and soft.
“Look at you,” I murmured. “My fiancée.”
“Your fiancée,” she echoed back, her smile so damn bright it blinded me.
We were two pieces of a busted-up puzzle, finding our fit in a world that wasn’t too kind on the best of days. But somehow, we’d found each other, and we were just right together.
“Cheshire, this is real, right?” Eliza asked.
“Damn right it is.” The words came out gruff, like they were dragged up from somewhere deep inside.
Her eyes -- they were sparkling, little stars caught in a dark sky. I leaned in, my forehead against hers. “You and me, doll.”
“Against the world.” Her whisper was fierce, a promise wrapped up in two words.
“Always.” I meant it. Been through hell and back, but this was different. This was choosing the hard road because there was sunshine waiting on the other side.
“Love you, Cheshire.” The words spilled from her lips, raw and unguarded.
“Back at you, Eliza.” It’s all I had, but it was enough.
We stood there, soaking up the moment. The rest of the world could wait. Right then, it was just us -- the thumping of our hearts syncing up, ready to take on whatever came next. Together. Always together.
I hadn’t been looking for her, but I’d managed to find one person in this entire world meant to be mine, and I was going to hold onto her with everything I had.