Epilogue
Jacob
Four months later
Liam had stolen the blanket again, same as every night.
Jacob woke to the chill on his back and the sight of him sprawled across the mattress, tangled in most of the sheets like he owned the place—which, at this point, he basically did.
It was hard to believe it had only been four months since he’d shown up on Jacob’s doorstep with nothing but a duffel bag. He hadn’t left since.
Jacob propped himself up on one elbow and watched him—hair a mess, lashes throwing shadows across sharp cheekbones, and that plush mouth parted on a slow breath. It made Jacob think of a dozen ways to ruin him before the day had even begun.
He wanted to know what Liam dreamed, to know him so completely there’d be nothing left to learn. Sometimes he wondered if it bordered on obsession. Maybe it did, but it was the truth, and Jacob had no desire to change a thing.
Liam’s life had bled into his in a hundred quiet ways: books stacked on the nightstand, a photo of them half-tucked into the mirror frame, and clothes hanging in the closet beside his. He noticed all of it—small markers that Liam was here and that he wasn’t going anywhere.
After Liam moved in, Jacob had bought the place. They’d talked about finding something new, but this house had become their safe haven. Since then, a lot had changed: new furniture, plants in the windows, and color where there used to be blank walls.
Three bedrooms belonged to the kids now. Asher and Rose had each picked a theme for their room. Rose wanted unicorns and glitter, while Asher had turned his into a jungle. And, of course, there was a room for baby Nora.
The house didn’t feel hollow anymore; it felt like theirs.
“Stop staring,” Liam mumbled, voice scratchy with sleep.
Jacob smirked. “I wasn’t.”
“You were.”
“Only because you drool.”
“Liar.” One bleary eye cracked open, full of accusation. “You’re just crazy about me.”
Jacob shrugged. “Clearly.”
The alarm started buzzing, interrupting whatever comeback Liam was about to make. He sighed, rolled over for his phone, and the smile slid right off his face.
“What?” Jacob asked.
Liam turned the screen so he could see.
Hollywood’s Favorite Scandal: The Wingspan Affair
Insider reveals new details about the co-star romance no one saw coming. Read everything about the affair that blew up two marriages and set the internet on fire.
Jacob arched a brow. “We have a scandal name now?”
“Apparently.” Liam threw the phone face down on the bed. “It’s ridiculous.”
Jacob leaned in and caught Liam’s jaw in one hand. “And none of it matters.”
The article didn’t bother him. The world had figured it out; the overlapping timelines, the suspiciously synchronized divorces, and the fact that they couldn’t seem to stay out of each other’s orbit.
The gossip had hit a fever pitch when the show aired. Wingspan was everywhere—breaking streaming records, sparking award buzz, and already renewed for season two. They were a public mess, but their careers had survived the fallout.
“You’re still good with all this?” Liam asked, quieter now.
Jacob held his gaze. “Yeah. Are you?”
Liam nodded without pause. “Yeah.”
It wasn’t all perfect. Emma was still finding her footing in the wreckage, and Caroline stayed civil but cold. Co-parenting was messy, with tangled schedules and feelings that were still raw, but Nora was happy and his own kids were steady.
Somehow, in all that chaos, a new life had taken root, one where Liam was finally his. Jacob wouldn’t trade it for anything.
It had been about a year since they met.
A year since that impossible attraction had torn through their carefully built lives and left nothing untouched.
A year spent learning how to live inside the fire instead of running from it.
The craving hadn’t eased. It only burned hotter, knowing that Liam was his without question.
He hooked a finger in Liam’s waistband and tugged him close.
Liam snorted. “Subtle.”
“Never claimed I was.”
Jacob kissed him, slow and deep, stealing the next words right out of his mouth. Liam met him with a sound that lit Jacob on fire.
By the time Jacob rolled them over, pressing him into the mattress, Liam was already breathless, grinning up at him like he’d won something.
“This how we’re starting the day?” he asked.
Jacob slid his hand up Liam’s chest until it circled his throat, holding him tight enough to remind him who he belonged to. “You have a problem with that?”
Liam’s eyes darkened, hunger bleeding through. “Not even a little.”
His mouth brushed Liam’s ear. “Good. Because I'm going to hold you down and use you until you're wrecked.”
Liam’s sharp inhale was answer enough.
Jacob smiled against his skin. Some things were worth waiting for.
THE END