Epilogue
EPILOGUE
VALENTINA
“ Y ou know I’m going to help you plan this wedding, right?” Taking Rose’s hand in mine, I lifted it to admire her dazzling ring for the hundredth time since I arrived at her loft apartment. The engagement party was in full swing, with people laughing, drinking, and congratulating the happy couple.
Rose was radiant, absolutely glowing as she accepted congratulations from a passing guest before turning back to me. “You know I would love to be hands-on,” she confessed with a nervous giggle. “The store has me so busy and everything. I want it to be perfect.”
“It will be,” I promised, gazing at the princess-cut diamond one more time and letting her go. “You know I’ve got you.”
Sienna grabbed her from behind, arms around her waist. “I can’t believe you’re going to be my sister!” she squealed.
“Hey, don’t hog the bride-to-be.” Colton sauntered over, a drink in hand, smiling just as wide and as brightly as his fiancée.
Sienna stuck her tongue out at him. “You get her for the rest of your life, brother,” she reminded him as I laughed. “I can hug her every once in a while.”
“There’s more than enough of me to go around,” Rose reminded them both, and the four of us cracked up before Colton led Rose away to talk to more of their guests. We couldn’t take up all of their time.
Things were changing. We weren’t kids anymore. Some of us were ready to move into new phases of their lives. I caught Sienna giving Noah a meaningful look from across the room while nearby, my sister canoodled with Miles Young, our stepbrother, and her new boyfriend. People were pairing off, planning futures. That was a good thing. No matter how empty it left me feeling inside.
Evan and Lucian wandered over, and I eyed them both suspiciously. “What, you can’t find some willing girl to chat up?” I teased, waving a hand to indicate the many such girls around us. Rose had modeled for her family’s couture line during college and still had a lot of friends from those days.
“These girls?” Evan snickered, shaking his head. “Been there.”
“All of them?” I asked, skeptical. The guys got around. That was no secret. But even for him, it seemed like a lot.
Lucian burst out laughing. “Please, like he could remember all their faces. More like every woman here has marriage on the brain. Picking up pussy at an engagement party is a dangerous move.”
I could see the truth in that, so I didn’t offer a reply, settling for sipping my wine when a high-pitched whistle from the far end of the living room caught my attention. The room went quieter before Colton spoke. “Rose and I want to thank you for joining us here tonight. It means everything to us that we get to celebrate this event with all of you.”
He exchanged a glance with Rose, who nodded, then he continued, “There’s another event we’d like to share with you now. It seems like we couldn’t stop at planning a wedding. We are also building our new family, as I speak. Rather, Rose is.”
It took a second for understanding to sink in. That glow of hers wasn’t all because of the engagement.
“We’re having a baby.” Colton barely got the sentence out before the room erupted in a chorus of squeals, cheers, and applause. It was a wave of sound and emotion that threatened to drown the two of them as they were quickly surrounded by well-wishers.
My feet wouldn’t move. I couldn’t muster a smile.
Not when I looked past Lucian to where Evan stood, his gaze lingering on me.
That was all it took to bring the past rushing back.
Our past.