Epilogue
Harpers POV
T he city glows beneath us, glittering like a constellation sprawled across the earth. Up here, were suspendeduntouchable. Invincible. Infinite.
I tug Evans jacket tighter around my shoulders. His scent clings to the fabricwarm, expensive, and unmistakably him. It wraps around me like a promise. A reminder that Im not alone anymore.
My thoughts drift to earlier. His confession. The collective gasp. The praise. The judgment. The fallout still buzzing just beneath the surface.
Evan made a choicepublic, irrevocable, raw. And now, theres only one direction left to go: forward .
I should be terrified. I should be unraveling beneath the weight of it all. But instead, I feel... peace . Like something inside me finally settled. Like Ive exhaled after a lifetime spent underwater.
Evan steps beside me, silent at first. The sky shifts around us, streaked with blush and gold. Dawn kisses the skyline, glass buildings catching fire in the light.
After the gala, we did what was expectedsmiles for the press, a few hollow answers. Then we disappeared into the penthouse suite he reserved just for us.
And when the door shut behind us, the world fell away. No pretense. No performance. Just his hands on my bodydeliberate, reverent. Like he was unwrapping something precious. His mouth traced every inch, his voice a low confession against my skin. He touched me like he was learning me all over again.
It wasnt just sex. It was something sacred.
When he finished inside me, he didnt roll away. He pulled me into his arms, kissed the curve of my bellylike he already knew what our future might hold.
And now we stand here, side by side, as the world wakes while ours quietly shifts beneath our feet.
"I didnt expect you to do that," I say softly.
He smirks, slides an arm around my waist. "That makes two of us."
I laugh, breathless. "You realize you painted a bullseye on your back, right?"
"Let them aim. Theyll miss."
I turn to face him fully, eyes searching his. "Did you mean what you said? About priorities?"
His answer is immediate. Certain. "Every word."
His hands find my hips, grounding me. "I dont do halfway, Harper. You should know that by now."
I do . And thats exactly why it scares mebecause no ones ever chosen me with this kind of certainty. No ones ever jumped without flinching.
"What if you regret it?"
His fingers glide up my spine, curling behind my neck. "I wont."
"What if we break?"
"Then we rebuild."
Emotion swells in my chest, thick and raw. "Im scared, Evan."
He cups my face, thumb catching a tear I hadnt realized had fallen. "Then let me be brave for both of us."
That undoes me.
I reach for him, fists curling in his shirt, and tugging him close until our foreheads touch.
His lips brush minea question. A promise. A spark.
And when I kiss him back, it isnt sweet. Its deep. Desperate. Hungry. Hot enough to melt the skyline behind us.
His hands roam, trailing down my back, slipping beneath the hem. Fingers find skin hes already memorized. A growl rumbles low in his throat, dark and possessive, and I shiver at the sound.
This time feels new. Not because of where we are, but because of what weve become. Seen . Chosen . Claimed .
He spins me, presses my back to the railing. The metal bites into my spinecold and hardwhile his body presses in, hot enough to burn.
He kisses me like he needs it to survive. And maybe, in this moment, we both do.
His mouth trails down my neck, voice wicked and reverent. "Youre mine now. And Ill spend the rest of my life proving it."
I gasp, arching into him. "Then prove it again, Evan."
His laugh is low and dangerous, hands already pushing my dress higher, palms hot on my thighs.
Just before his mouth finds mine again, he whispers the words that unravel me completely:
"I used to think power was everything. But its you, Harper. Its always been you."
The city pulses beneath us. The sky blushes into morning, casting gold across everything we areeverything were becoming.
And this time? Im not looking back.
Im choosing him .
Choosing us . Choosing forever .
Cant get enough of the passion?