Epilogue
FOUR YEARS LATER
Tai
The flowers growing around the pavilion sparkled as the dew resting on the petals caught the early morning sunlight, heralding the start of another bright summer day.
“It’s going to be a beautiful day,” Jules said as we walked hand in hand through the castle gardens, where later this afternoon we’d stand in front of a small collection of our family and friends and say our wedding vows.
And I couldn’t fucking wait! I’d been counting down to this day for two years and now it was finally here.
“Good, it should be. It’s our wedding day, the weather should be nice to us,” I said with a sly grin as Jules laughed, nudging me playfully with his arm.
“What? We’re having an outdoor wedding in June—it would kind of suck if it pissed it down.
I mean, technically we’ll be inside the pavilion so we’ll be dry, but everyone else will get wet. ”
“Or they’ll have to squish in alongside us.”
“Exactly, so the weather should be nice to us and not rain.”
Jules laughed again, the sound bright and clear as a bell. Four years together and I still hadn’t heard anything as beautiful. And maybe I was biased, seeing as he was the love of my life, but fuck it, my opinion was the only one that mattered.
“I can’t believe it’s been four years,” Jules said, leaning against my shoulder as we paused for a moment, looking back across the grounds at the castle. Everything was quiet and it felt like we were the only two people awake in the world.
“Me neither.”
“I’m so glad you responded to my post.”
“I’m glad you made it.”
“So am I. I don’t really want to think about where I’d be without you.”
“Then don’t.” I kissed the side of his head and smiled as he nodded.
The past four years hadn’t always been easy, but life never was and every problem the two of us had faced, we’d faced together.
Therapy had helped Jules slowly move past the abuse he’d suffered under Darius and helped him come to terms with everything, including the fact that Philip had used Jules to get what he wanted.
It had taken time, but Jules had healed and moved on, and now they were just shadows relegated to the past.
Darius had tried to contact Jules a few times, but every time he had we’d blocked him and moved on.
He’d tried to come for me too, and it had taken all my patience to just block him on sight rather than unleashing my fury upon him.
He didn’t deserve my attention, and I wasn’t going to stoop to his level.
Instead, I’d introduced Jules to my friends, who’d welcomed him with love and understanding, carving out a space for him and including him without question.
In return, I’d met Jules’s family, who’d dragged me into their loving chaos and somehow, I’d found myself learning the rules of rugby, a sport I’d never had the faintest interest in before.
And together, we’d built a life together; me, Jules, and Cécile.
Eventually, I’d moved into Jules’s house—the most difficult part of which had been transporting the garden—and it was our hideaway from the world that we’d filled with flowers and music.
I gardened, Jules played, and we cooked and cleaned and danced around the kitchen together while Cécile watched us with amusement.
We’d tried to include her in the dancing once, and she’d very swiftly let us know that she did not approve.
Although she did love sleeping in my hoodies and jumpers, and my leather jacket whenever I left it on the armchair.
Our life was built on love and respect and the deepest friendship I’d ever formed. Jules was my whole world and I’d always be grateful that I stumbled onto his post and reached out to him. Because, otherwise, I’d have missed out on the greatest thing to ever happen to me.
“We should probably go back soon,” Jules said. “They said they were going to put breakfast out for us so we could eat before we have to get ready.”
“Yeah, we should. Might be the only chance we get to eat for a while,” I said, not moving but instead drawing him in for a kiss. “I can’t wait to call you my husband.”
“Me neither, although I’ve been calling you my husband mentally for months. But it’ll be nice to say it out loud.”
I smiled and kissed him deeply, savouring this moment.
Husband really did have a nice ring to it.
The End