EPILOGUE I
I did it.
I managed to whisk Noelle Campbell away. Although it was rather difficult because everyone just wanted to fucking bother us, I managed to do it. For the foreseeable future, it will be just the two of us.
Ray and Henrick were not impressed that I went behind their back in regards to Dylan. Ray was more pissed that Noelle had to deal with him again, but he was quickly shot down when she started telling him he had no right to meddle in her personal affairs.
Then, the time came for Noelle to take over as the head of the Campbell family.
She told Ray to go fuck himself and that she’s going on a vacation, and they will speak about it once she returns.
We’ve been sailing the sea for the past four months, and Noelle doesn’t want to return to land just yet.
Until I return and all technicalities are dealt with properly, Lyla is more than happy to look after everything. Henrick wants to retire so badly that he didn’t even protest. He just handed her the keys of the main manor, took Leah, and moved out.
As exciting as it all seems, the most exciting thing is right in front of me.
Noelle is on the deck, leaned against the railing. The wind is blowing her hair, and she has nothing but a thin bikini on and a little hat to protect her from the sun. She’s staring into the ocean. Her perfect ass is in my view as I remain in the shade.
Noelle tans.
I fucking burn like I’m a goddamn vampire.
“Baby, come over here,” I call her over.
As she turns, the wind blows the hat from her head, and she jumps over the railings into the sea to grab it. Panic sets in my body as I rush toward the deck, then sigh in relief when I see her swimming.
“That’s fucking dangerous.” I grab her hand and help her come up. She gives me a little grin.
“Sorry. The hat is expensive.”
“I’ll buy you ten more, just don’t jump into the fucking sea like that.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Noelle, baby.” I take a deep breath. “There are sharks in there.”
She frowns. “There’s a higher possibility of getting hit by a car than getting eaten by a shark.”
“Yes,” I agree with a nod. “But there are no cars here. Be careful.”
Her eyes soften, and she kisses me, though it’s more of a peck.
“I won’t do it again. I’m sorry.”
“Good.”
She hops under the shade, sits on the deck chair, and sprawls her legs. She grabs one of the books she brought with her and flips the page while sipping on a virgin cocktail.
I’m no doctor, but she hasn’t had a period since we came here. And it’s been months. Her lower belly slowly started to swell a while ago and although it’s yet to be confirmed, I think Noelle is pregnant with my baby.
And I’m fucking over the moon. We’ll have a baby together, and I can’t imagine a life better than that. She came into my life, took it by storm, and forever engraved herself in my heart.
I lie on the chair next to hers, staring at her.
The scar on her throat is still there. It’s slowly fading away, but it’s there, and it pisses me off beyond words. She’s beautiful with or without it, but the fact that someone managed to do it to her is unforgivable.
“You’re staring.” Her voice derails my train of thought, and I grin.
“You’re mine to stare at.”
“You’re annoying.”
“You love me.”
“I do,” she agrees. She closes the book, puts it on the small table, and turns to look at me.
“So.” She clears her throat. “What are we naming it?”
“It?” I repeat. “It’s not an animal; it’s a child.”
“Well, I don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl, so ‘it’ for now. What are we naming it?”
I laugh at the dry tone.
“If it’s a girl, then I like Aria.”
Noelle hums and thinks about it for a moment. “Then, if it’s a boy, we should keep it short, too, and it should begin with A as well.”
“Why?”
“So that if we have another kid, their names can match.”
“Not if. When.”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine, fine. Aria and Arlo. I think it sounds pretty.”
“Now the only thing left to do is get married.”
Noelle sits up straight and looks at me. She blinks for a moment, then her eyes narrow at me. The wind blows the hair out of her face, and she takes a deep breath.
“I hope this isn’t a proposal.”
“Maybe it is.”
“It better not be,” she grits out. “I’m a woman who values money. If you think I’ll say yes in the middle of nowhere, without a ring, you’re out of your damn mind. If you want me to carry your last name, you better step up your game and actually ask me to marry you at a suitable location.”
“Can I ask for some pointers?”
“Absolutely not. Figure it out, little De Santis.”
I growl. “Is that nickname ever going away?”
“Nope.” She grins. “I find it quite fitting. I am older than you, so you should just suck it up.”
I grab her wrist and yank her toward me. With a squeal, she allows me to move her where I want her, and I plop her onto my body, her head resting on my chest. I kiss the top of her hair, stroking her back. Noelle relaxes under my touch, and her eyes slowly start to close.
If there is such a thing as a perfect life, then this is it.
Noelle is my perfect life.
And our journey is just starting. I don’t know where we’ll be ten years from now, but I have no doubt it will be an adventure. With her by my side, I can and will do anything to ensure she always stays with me.
My pretty Noelle.