Epilogue — Ruby
If someone had told me a month ago that I’d be spending Friday night at a private rooftop bar with:
My billionaire boyfriend
My feral best friends
And a “just one drink” rule that everyone will immediately ignore…
…I would have laughed.
Or hidden behind a vending machine.
But here I am.
Hair curled. Dress short. Legs moisturized. Boyfriend staring at me like I’m the only oxygen molecule in the city.
Jaxon’s hand rests on the small of my back as we walk in. Not possessive. But definitely “yes, she’s with me.”
Ava whistles so loud the bartender drops a glass.
“WIFE ENERGY,” she announces.
“S-stop calling me that!” I choke.
Trey fans herself dramatically. “I give it six months.”
Jaxon smirks. I elbow him.
We sit at a reserved table that allegedly does not exist for anyone else. Perks of dating the boss of the building.
Sienna leans in with a smirk. “So, Ruby… how’s the billionaire treating you?”
Before I can answer, Jaxon replies casually:
“She hasn’t complained yet.”
I kick him under the table. He catches my ankle with his foot and DOES NOT LET GO.
Oh god.
Ava sees it. Of course she does.
“Oh. My. God. FOOT FLIRTING. You’re married.”
Trey raises her glass. “To Ruby, who went from hiding behind vending machines to having her spine realigned by executive money.”
I bury my face in my hands.
Jaxon laughs quietly, then leans to whisper against my ear:
“Tell them nothing.”
“I’m trying,” I hiss.
He kisses my temple in full view of the table.
Everyone SCREAMS.
Drinks arrive. Stories fly. Ava shows everyone a Canva infographic she made about my “romance arc.”
Trey rates Jaxon’s hand placement on a scale of 1 to “should we leave and give you two some privacy.”
Sienna announces she’s writing an anonymous article titled: “I Accidentally Walked in on My Coworker’s Billionaire Romance: A Memoir.”
I try to sink into the floor.
Jaxon wraps an arm around me and pulls me close; and any chance of disappearing dies instantly.
His voice drops low so only I can hear:
“You good?”
I nod.
And I mean it.
More than I ever did before.
When the group heads to the bar to take selfies we’ll all regret later, I stay back with Jaxon.
He looks at me with that slow, warm expression that dissolves my spine.
“You look happy,” he says.
“I am.”
He runs his thumb over my knuckles.
“I like seeing you with them.”
“You don’t think they’re too much?”
“They’re perfect for you.”
My chest tightens.
He leans down and kisses me softly; not the hungry kind, it’s not the teasing kind. It’s the kind you give someone you think about all the time.
When he pulls back, he murmurs:
“Ready to go home soon?”
“Yeah,” I breathe. “I’m ready.”
He smiles.
And I feel it in my bones.
The Nasty Nine return with nine drinks I am definitely not allowed to have.
Ava screams, “You two kissed while we were gone didn’t you?!”
Trey slams her hands on the table. “EPILOGUE KISS. I KNEW IT.”
Jaxon squeezes my thigh under the table.
I flush.
They scream again.
Life is chaotic. Embarrassing. Loud. Messy. And perfect.
I lean into Jaxon’s side and whisper:
“Thank you.”
“For what?” he asks.
“For choosing me.”
He cups my cheek, eyes soft.
“I’m going to choose you every day.”
My throat gets tight.
Ava screeches, “ARE YOU CRYING?! IS THIS LOVE?!”
I shove her playfully. She screams louder.
Jaxon laughs against my shoulder.
And for the first time…
It feels like forever might actually be ours.