EPILOGUE
JAXON
ONE YEAR LATER
Iadjust the tie around my neck for the fifth time in ten minutes. It just doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t look right, either.
I’ve only worn a tie on two occasions in my seventeen years on this earth.
The first was a year ago at my mother’s funeral.
And the second, is today.
The two days couldn’t be more different, yet for me, they’re much the same.
Because while some people gather to celebrate the life of a loved one that has passed, I celebrated her death.
I was a broken boy the night she decided to pop one pill too many and choke on her own vomit on the floor of our living room. But I wasn’t broken in the way one should be after finding a parent dead.
I was broken because after sixteen years of living in hell, I was finally free.
The burden had finally been lifted.
I knew that no matter what happened that night; whether the CPR worked or not, I was getting out of those shackles that had been weighing me down all my life.
I was getting away from her.
My freedom came in the form of curly brown hair and a man taking a chance on a random kid.
Daisy and Killian.
When I approached Killian in the street over a year ago and asked him for a job, I never could have predicted my life would end up here.
Which brings me to today. The second time I’ve ever worn a tie in my life.
Their wedding day.
A celebration of their future.
The real celebration of life.
Technically they’re already married, but Daisy was gone for a long time and after they rekindled, they decided to have a do-over of the wedding day she ran out on the first time.
I never did find out the reason why she left Killian.
I’ve always thought he was a great guy. He took a chance on me when others wouldn’t have.
In the brief time I worked for him, he went out of his way to buy me the workwear I needed and allowed me extra time in the mornings to take Juliet to school.
Killian saved me.
Daisy did, too.
And I’ll never be able to repay them for that.
I don’t work for Killian anymore. One day, I hope to be back on his team, working alongside him, but for now, I spend my weekdays where I should be at my age. In school.
The door to my bedroom swings open and a blur of chestnut and pink comes bounding toward me as Juliet crashes into my legs.
“JJ, look at my dress.” Juliet twirls in a circle, her chestnut curls flying and her skirt floating outward as she goes.
I kneel in front of her. “Wow, Lettie.” I use the nickname I gave her the moment she was born. “You look beautiful.”
“She sure does,” another voice says from the doorway and I look up, finding Daisy leaning against the frame, her hair pulled back in a stylish updo, and her makeup done to perfection.
She looks really pretty.
Her eyes are soft, her smile warm as she glides across the room toward me. “You need some help with that?” She points at my poor attempt at tying a tie.
“Yes, please.”
Daisy steps forward, her hands finding my tie and within seconds, she’s tucking it into my suit jacket and brushing lint off my shoulders.
“You look really handsome, Jax.” Her eyes mist over as she continues to mess with the lapels of my jacket and I frown.
“Are you going to cry?” I ask, nervously gripping the back of my neck. “Because I don’t do well with women crying.”
“No,” she sniffles, her eyelashes fluttering as she blinks rapidly.
“She’s lying, my man.” Killian appears in the doorway, his eyes twinkling as he stares at his wife. “She’s totally going to cry.”
I chuckle when Daisy rolls her eyes and scoops Juliet up into her arms. She mutters something to my sister about boys teasing girls when they like them as she carries her from the room.
Killian’s eyes track her the entire time and I watch him with fascination. “You’re not going to let her out of your sight today, are you?” I tease.
He doesn’t look at me as he answers. “Not for a damn second.”
I chuckle as I turn back to the mirror and look at the reflection staring back at me. I barely recognise myself these days.
The scrawny kid, with the dark circles under his eyes and the clothes that were torn, dirty and two sizes too big for his skinny frame are nowhere to be found now.
And it’s all thanks to the man behind me and the woman down the hall. If they hadn’t adopted my sister and me six months ago, there’s no telling where we’d be now.
And for that, I’ll forever be grateful.
Killian comes to stand behind me, his hands landing on my shoulders as his gaze finds mine in the mirror. “You ready to stand beside me up there?”
I suck in a deep breath and lift my chin. “Yes, sir.”
Killian huffs a laugh. “You know we love you, right?”
The organ in my chest begins to beat a little faster, much like it does every time they say those words to me.
I’ve never had someone tell me they love me before. I didn’t even know it existed until I moved in here and got to witness it firsthand.
I know that I’m capable of feeling an emotion like love. I felt it the moment I laid eyes on Juliet for the first time. I knew I’d do anything I had to do to protect her and keep her safe.
I feel the same way about Daisy. And even though he’s more than able to look after himself, I feel it for Killian, too.
With a dip of my head, I look up at the closest thing I’ve ever had to a father as I say those words for the first time in my life. “I love you guys, too.”