Epilogue #3
I crouch in front of her, covering her nervous hands with my steady ones. “Do you want me to take you home? We can stop by the pharmacy on the way and get you something for it.”
She shakes her head, quickly dismissing the idea. “No, it’s not that.”
“Then what is it, baby?”
“Jason... umm...”
“I promise everything will be al—”
“I’m pregnant!”
The moment those two words leave her mouth, it feels as if the world has come to a standstill. My eyes widen, and my hand tightens slightly around hers. I’m completely taken aback and unsure of what to say next. This is the last thing I ever expected her to say.
“I’m so sorry, Jason. I swear I never planned for this to happen.”
“I don’t understand. I thought you were on the pill?”
“Remember when I was sick with the stomach bug a couple of months ago? I think the pill must’ve flushed out of my system. That’s the only reason I can think of for why it didn’t work. I’m really sorry.”
I release a sharp breath, my gaze dropping to our joined hands. When I don’t say anything, she must mistake my silence for disappointment, because when I glance back at her, her eyes well with tears. She tries to slip her hands free from mine, but I keep a firm hold on them.
“Mila, why are you sorry?”
“Because of the timing. Because I’ve known all this time, and didn’t tell you right away. But I swear to you, Jason. I was going to tell you after the wedding.”
“I know now, so that’s the main thing.” I brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear, my eyes locked on hers.
“But next time… I want you to come to me the moment you find out about something. Big or small. I never want you to feel like you need to hide anything from me or carry it alone, not even for a day. We’re in this together, Mila. You and me, okay?”
My gaze lands on her flat stomach, where our tiny, precious baby rests. “Have you gone to see a doctor?”
She shakes her head. “I only took a pregnancy test. Well, six of them. And they all, came back positive.”
A wide smile spreads across my face. “Well, I’m glad you haven’t seen a doctor yet. I want to be there for every appointment.”
“So, you’re not mad at me?”
I rise to my feet, pulling her up with me so we’re standing face to face. I cup her cheeks in my hands, holding her gaze and letting her see the sincerity in my eyes as I speak the next words.
“Mila… there is nothing in this world I want more than to build a family with you.
Am I mad that it’s come a little sooner than we expected?
Hell no! If anything, I’m actually fucking thrilled!
I promised you forever, and I meant it. I didn’t even think I’d get another chance with you, and now, I get to watch you carry and grow our baby inside you. There’s no greater feeling than that.”
I lean in and kiss her tenderly on her lips. “I love you, Mila. You’re going to be an incredible mother to both our children.”
She lets out a soft sob before pressing her lips to mine. When we finally part, I brush the tears from her cheeks with the pads of my thumbs. “Now that’s out of the way,” I whisper, “how about we head back inside and continue with the celebration?”
She nods slowly, and with her hand in mine, we walk back towards the marquee together.
Over the next hour we eat the best tasting foods, courtesy of Heath’s own private team of cooks, while listening to the speeches from the best man and Skylar’s best friend, Kirstin. Their words are heartfelt, drawing laughter and a few tears from the crowd.
As we watch the newlyweds sway to Richard Marx’s Now and Forever for their first dance, I hold Mila close in my arms—protectively, my hand instinctively tracing gentle circles over her stomach.
Even as my eyes follow Skylar and Heath across the dance floor, my mind is somewhere else.
Namely on the woman leaning against me, and on the little life she now carries in her womb—our baby.
A full smile spreads across my face, reaching my eyes.
I still can’t believe I’m going to be a dad again.
When it’s time for the guests to join the dancing, I take Mila’s hand and lead her onto the dance floor, swaying together to the music, just like we did in the garden on our date, six months ago.
We’re dancing through another slow song when a gentle tap on my shoulder makes me pause. I ease away from Mila and glance over my shoulder, only to find myself face to face with Skylar and Heath.
“Care to swap dance partners?” Skylar asks while snug beneath her husband’s arm.
Mila’s head pops around my shoulder to look at her sister. “Sure, why not! I’ve been meaning to spend some one-to-one time with my new brother.”
Heath unhooks his arm from around Skylar’s shoulders and extends his hand towards Mila. “Alright, come on, kid—time to show me those dance moves you keep raving on about.”
“Bring it!” she says teasingly, planting a quick kiss on me before grabbing Heath’s elbow and pulling him to the centre of the dance floor.
I watch them for a moment as they do some weird robot, two-step, wriggly dance routine to a slow 90’s song. Neither of them is in tune with the music, and they look pretty fucking ridiculous. But their playful sibling-like vibe is actually quite entertaining.
I’m snapped back to the present by the sound of Skylar’s voice. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything?”
Fuck! I definitely wasn’t prepared for this. “No, not at all. I was just wondering when I’d get the chance to dance with the bride tonight.”
She steps closer, resting one hand on my shoulder while holding up the other for me to take. I slip my hand into hers, our touch feather-light as we begin to sway gently and slowly to the music.
“It’s good to see you, Jase. You look good,” she says as she surveys the grey suit pants and white button-down shirt I’m wearing.
“And you look radiant as always.” I give her a genuine smile. “I’ll admit, I wasn’t too sure if you’d be happy to see me here.”
“Oh? Why would you think that? You and I have always been friends. That never stopped when I divorced Kaden.”
“I didn’t know… I mean... I wasn’t sure if—”
“I knew that you were aware of Kaden’s affair?” she finishes for me.
I nod slowly, guilt pounding heavy in my chest. “Yeah. I’m so sorry, Skylar. I should’ve told you the moment I found out. I’ll always regret not saying anything.”
“I will admit, I was fairly disappointed at first, especially because I considered you a really good friend. Not only that, but you’d been through something similar with Elena. I just assumed that you’d have my back.”
I open my mouth, ready to beg for her forgiveness, but she quickly shakes her head, stopping me before I can say another word.
“I forgive you, Jason. In fact, I forgave you a long time ago. I knew you were torn between your loyalty to your best friend and doing what was right by me. But that’s all in the past now. So much has happened since then that none of that matters to me anymore.”
I let out a sigh of relief, the tension in my shoulders instantly easing. “Thank you, Sky. I really appreciate that. I’ll never let you down like that again. Our friendship means a lot to me—and to Mila.”
“Me too, Jase. Me too. But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Curious, I raise an eyebrow. “It’s not?”
“No, it’s not,” she says, shaking her head. “I wanted to thank you.”
“Thank me for what?”
“For saving Mila’s life. And for beating the shit out of the low-life pig who thought it was okay to hurt my sister.”
“There’s no need to thank me. I would do anything to protect Mila. Fuck, I’d kill anyone who’d dare to lay a hand on her again.”
She smiles warmly. “And that right there is exactly why I’m so glad she has you in her life. There is no one else that I trust more to take good care of my sister than you, Jase. You two are perfect for each other.”
I let out a deep, steadying breath, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief and happiness. I’ve not only earned her forgiveness, but her trust and approval as well. And that’s the second-best thing to happen to me today, right after Mila’s baby news.
The sound of Mila’s delighted squeal pulls both our heads in her direction. Heath is spinning her around and around, her laughter ringing out, bright and contagious. I may not know him very well, but one thing is clear—Heath’s one of the good ones.
“I should probably rescue her before she ends up twisting an ankle and I’m forced to call triple zero,” she teases.
A sharp laugh escapes me knowing full well that’s exactly something Mila would do.
Skylar and I slowly break away, her heading off to save her sister from Heath’s clumsy twirls.
But just before she leaves, she glances back at me with a warm, dimpled smile.
“Don’t be a stranger now. Whenever you’re in our neck of the woods, make sure you visit, okay.
I miss Jake, and I can’t wait to spend time with my soon-to-be niece or nephew. ”
My brows lift in surprise. I hadn’t realised she knew about Mila’s pregnancy. I didn’t think she had told anyone yet.
Skylar chuckles at the shock written across my face. “Don’t worry. She only told me last night, just to warn me that she might bolt to the bathroom in the middle of the ceremony to, quote-unquote, puke her guts out.”
I let out a breathy laugh, slowly shaking my head, grateful that our baby will be surrounded by so much love.
“Congratulations, Mrs Bedford. And all the best in your new marriage.”
“Thank you, Jase. And congratulations to you too. I can’t wait to see you become a father for a second time. I’ll see you around... Oh, and Jase?”
“Yeah?”
“Welcome to the family.” She winks and then turns and walks back to her husband.
As I watch Skylar, Heath, and my beautiful girl laughing and chatting together, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride and joy.
Being accepted into Mila’s family was one thing, but knowing that we’re about to start our own is something I’ll always treasure—something I’ll always hold sacred.
Losing Mila was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to endure—far worse than discovering Elena’s betrayals.
And now that I have her back, I’ll never let her slip through my fingers again.
We’ve come a long way from those babysitting days—lounging by the pool with beers in hand, trading secrets over endless rounds of twenty-one questions.
What we share now is unlike anything I’ve ever known—raw, consuming, and truly spectacular.
I’ll forever be proud of the woman she’s become, and of the battle she fought to reclaim her power after it was stolen by someone unworthy of her. Her strength and resilience leave me in awe, and I know that one day our children will see, as I do, just how extraordinary their mother truly is.
Mila Rivera is everything my heart has ever longed for, the one woman I could never live without. And now, as she carries my child, she has given me the greatest gift of all—a family I’ve always dreamed of and a future as beautiful and bright as the stars tonight.
The End.