Epilogue
6 Weeks Later
HARPER
I t took a while for my fear to settle and for me to believe that I was safe to travel back to America, the place I was born and will always have a connection to. Forrest, Ashton, and the Chicago Police Department assured me the case against Chester was very strong and that he would be convicted and stay behind bars for many more years. Once I could process it all, I decided I wanted to confront that fear head-on and basically invited myself on the boys’ trip that was planned for the Grand Prix in Las Vegas. The girls wanted to be here for support, so St. Tropez was postponed, and here we are.
“I can’t believe the guys were going to come to Las Vegas without us. I have never been a Formula One fan, but seriously, this is awesome,” I declare as we stand on the balcony above the McLaren team pit area.
“Right. I mean, holy shit, this is like a buffet of hot men. Everywhere you look there is eye candy,” Tori replies louder than she should have, looking all around us while holding her fresh glass of champagne in her hand.
“Victoria!” The growl from Nic lets her know he heard her.
“Oh what, you know I’m right, and you can’t deny you aren’t doing the same. I can look, I’m just not interested in touching.” Her laugh just makes him roll his eyes at her and turn back to chatting with the guys who are pointing out different things that are happening with the cars in the pits below us.
“I’d be happy to touch for you.” Cherie winks at Tori and starts laughing with her.
“Ignore Nic, because I agree, it’s a sausage fest everywhere you look.” Tori and I clink our glasses together.
The more I get to know Tori, I’ve come to see that she and I are similar. We say what we think and don’t hold back with our sense of humor.
“Oh my God, you can’t say that here.” Elouise slaps her hand on her forehead and shakes her head at us as we all burst out laughing.
“Of course you can, it’s not like we know anyone here.” Tori puts her arm around Elouise and gives her a side hug. “Besides, we still need to find Cherie a man, and here would be the perfect place. Well, except if he was American, of course. We need him to live in the UK because we aren’t losing her from our friend group.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m just busy people watching and looking at the fashion and thinking of the amount of money in this one spot. It’s probably enough to feed a small nation for a year. Seriously, this is a whole other world from where I grew up.” Cherie is wide-eyed and observing one of the drivers’ girlfriends walking past, dripping with gold and diamonds.
Felisha places her arm around Cherie’s waist. “Maybe so, but look at where you are now, and you will always be able to look back and know that you got yourself here and be damn proud of that. That’s priceless.” We all reach over and squeeze her arm or hands.
We all have such a deep connection now, and I absolutely love every single woman in my circle. They each bring something unique to our friendship, and it’s why we all connect so well. We don’t overpower each other; instead, we just slot into our spot in the puzzle of our friendship. It’s exactly what every one of us needs, support from the women on our team. We share compassion, but more importantly, honesty, and sometimes you need someone you trust to tell you to suck it up, get your shit together, and get on with it.
The beauty of this mix of women standing around me is that they will all do that, but in different ways. Elouise is my gentle motherly advice and the softness that helps when I need to wipe away the tears. Tori is my kind of crazy, so she gets me when I’m heading off on a tangent in a crisis, because she has already been on the same cliff. Cherie has become my confidante and will push me through the hard things, even if I don’t want to go there. She never takes no for an answer. But Felisha has always been my ride-or-die for most of my life and still is. She will protect me with everything she has, but she also won’t take any shit from me. All these pieces are what have me standing here feeling like my life is almost perfect.
I never thought I would get this, but as I look over at Forrest who winks at me and then turns back to the guys’ conversation, I know it’s all because of him. He brought me happiness and the feeling of being safe to be myself. He gave me love and taught me to accept it in return.
And that’s all I need. Not any of the glitz and glamour around me. Just love and friendships.
The night race started, and this place is off the charts. The volume of the cars, the lights, the atmosphere, and I can see why it’s addictive to the supporters. I mean, it helps that we are in the corporate area for the winning team. Nic is jumping for joy, as the lead driver for the team is Australian and has just taken the win. We are all swept up in the euphoria when Flynn, who is now Team McLaren all the way and apparently loves the color orange now, suggests we head back to The Bellagio Hotel where we are staying to get changed and hit the town to continue the party, but I have another idea.
As we all disperse out of the elevator heading back to our rooms, it’s agreed we’ll meet back at the elevator in thirty minutes.
Forrest unlocks the door, and holding it open for me as usual, I walk straight into the room which isn’t the highest-grade room like we would usually stay in, because by the time we booked, of course most of Las Vegas was full. Luckily, we all know a few people in the industry who were able to pull some strings and get us these rooms. The room is still beautiful and all we need for a few nights.
“I’m just going to have a quick shower to wash off the dirt from the racetrack, care to join me?” Forrest asks, wiggling his eyebrows up and down at me.
“Not a chance, we don’t have time for that.” I stand with one hand on my hip and the other motioning for him to get moving toward the bathroom.
“That’s where you’re wrong. We always have time for sex, you know how quick I can have you quivering when I go down on you,” he replies with a deeper voice now.
And my body knows exactly what he’s talking about, already reacting to the thought of his mouth on my pussy, causing tingles to race through me.
“Stop it, I’m trying hard to resist you, and that’s not helping. Go!” I yell at him to go and shower.
“Your loss, baby.” He stands there, lifting his orange team shirt over his head, giving me a clear view of his chest. “Guess I’ll have to take matters into my own hands then.” He undoes the button on his jeans and starts to push them down his hips.
Not letting him get any further with his striptease, I rush toward him, spinning his body, and push him toward the bathroom while his deep laugh fills the room.
Pulling the door closed after I give him a shove through it, I walk toward the bed and just sit for a moment as I hear the water start in the shower. My breathing gets a little faster as I question in my head if I’m ready for this. Surprisingly, it doesn’t take long for my head and my heart to be on the same page.
I change into the dress I want to wear, ensure my makeup and hair still look fresh, then I lay out the clothes I brought for Forrest to wear on the bed. I hear the sound of the shower stopping, and his humming to himself in the bathroom has me smiling. It’s almost like the grumpy man I first met is gone and only raises his ugly head occasionally now.
As he opens the door and walks out with steam swirling behind him, I can’t wait any longer, and my heart starts racing for two reasons. One is because of the drop-dead gorgeous man standing in front of me with just a towel wrapped around his waist, wet hair, and his skin still glistening from the dampness. The glint in his eyes tells me he knows exactly how he is affecting me.
But the second reason my heart is racing are the words that are on the tip of my tongue.
“What’s wrong, beautiful, are you okay? You look a little pale.” Forrest’s smile is instantly gone from his face, and he moves toward me.
I hold my hand up in front of me, signaling for him to stop. “I’m okay, I promise, I just need to talk to you,” I begin, trying to get out what I’ve had planned in my head for days now.
“Now you’re scaring me,” he replies, and I can tell he is concerned.
“Don’t be.” Taking a deep breath, I start with my memorized words.
“Forrest, you came into my life and turned it upside down. Pushing me to open up to you, calling me ridiculous names, and showing me that sex can mean so much more than a means to an end. Putting your life on the line to fight for me, which I will forever be grateful for. You taught me to feel again and allow myself to be loved and to love in return, a gift I never thought I deserved.” Feeling a tear trickle down my cheek, I’m trying so hard to hold myself together. “I know this is quick and totally out of character for me, and certainly not the norm, but I am also a person who doesn’t like a fuss.” Taking a step closer to him now, I take his hand in mine. “Will you marry me, here, tonight, with just our friends around us? Standing up and promising to always fight for me and reminding me every day that I’m worthy of your love?” My whole body is quivering, and I feel like I can’t breathe as I wait for his answer.
“Are you sure this is what you want? No big white puffy dress, your family around you, and the romantic proposal I would’ve planned?” Forrest’s words hit me hard because he hasn’t answered me yet.
“It doesn’t always have to be the man to ask, you know, women can do it too.” My voice is getting a little snarky now as I start to panic that he isn’t going to say yes.
“That’s not what I said, Harper. I just don’t want you to regret this. Because I will marry you right here, standing in just my towel, if that’s what you want. Damn, woman, I already told you I was never letting you go, and I meant it. I don’t care how quick this is, because I’m ready. I love you so much that every day I wake up and wonder how I got so lucky.” He lifts my hand to his lips and kisses me softly. “So yes, Harper, I will marry you here in some tiny chapel if that’s what you want. And I don’t care who asked who, just having a ring on your finger and to be able to call you my wife is more than I ever hoped for.” Forrest looks deep into my soul, and I know that he accepts me just as I am, and that’s all I can ask for.
Dropping my hand, Forrest reaches out and takes my face, pulling me toward him, and his lips take mine in the most loving kiss, helping breathe life back into me before I pass out. The taste of soap on his lips and the arousing cologne that he has just put on surrounds me. It’s that same scent I smelled on my pillows those first few nights when he would sneak in to protect me. I have told him on several occasions he is never allowed to change what he wears, because to me, that is part of my safe feeling every time he wraps his arms around me.
As my hands roam his bare back, I can feel my body coming alive, but it will have to wait. Pulling back from the kiss that was getting more sensual by the second, I look up at him.
“Are you sure? I know I always said I’d never have a relationship or get married, but I figured I had already broken one of my rules, so why not break the other one too.” My old habit of trying to lighten the moment when I start to feel insecure has Forrest scowling at me.
“Don’t do that.” Again, he calls me out on my behavior because he knows that’s what I need him to do. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. If I had known this was even an option, I would’ve been down on one knee by now and trying to make you officially mine. So yeah, beautiful, I’m more than ready, let’s go do this.” Letting me go, he steps back a little from me. “I just think the photos might look better if I get dressed first.”
We both start laughing as I point to the clothes I placed on the bed, ready for him.
“I didn’t pack these.” His smile tells me he knows very well I did. “So, I guess this is how it’s going to be once that ring is on my finger. I just learn to say yes ma’am and do as I’m told.” Pulling the bone-colored linen pants on, it’s like a light bulb goes off in his head. “Shit, rings, we don’t have anything…” His words stop as I pull a ring box out of my handbag. “Why am I not surprised?”
Opening up the box, he looks at two wedding bands tucked into the silk-covered foam.
“I bought the wedding bands, but I would still love you to pick my engagement ring once we get back home. I know I took the proposal away from you, but that way we will both have a part in the engagement, for however short of an engagement it will be.” I can see the joy in his eyes, and then a smirk comes across his face.
“What’s that look for?” I close the ring box and put it back in my bag.
“I have a bit of a confession… I may have already bought a ring and have it in my safe at home, on the slim chance that one day you might have come around to wanting to be with me forever.” His eyes drop, and he looks a bit sheepish.
“When did you buy it?” I ask.
“The day after you gave yourself to me again, and I promised you that from that night on I was never letting you go. I wanted to be prepared for when the time was right. I just can’t tell you how elated I am that I don’t have to wait anymore.” He kisses me on the cheek as he picks up his white shirt and starts buttoning it up. His outfit will match perfectly with my off-white knee-length wrap dress that has flowing sheer sleeves. Simple but stylish. “But can I just ask one favor? For my parents’ sake, can we have a low-key celebration once we are home? It can be just your family and mine, but I think they all deserve to share in our immense love for each other.”
My heart is bursting inside that he was on the same page as me with our unbreakable bond.
“I think that will be just perfect.” Looking him up and down, the warm feeling that is running through my body is so soothing. “I love you so much,” I whisper as emotion starts to overwhelm me.
“I love you too, snookums, more than I ever thought possible.”
“Don’t you dare say anything like that in our vows!” I try to pretend I’m annoyed, but it doesn’t work one bit as he picks me up and spins me around.
“Challenge accepted, just you wait.” His deep laugh tells me he is as happy as I am.
“Forrest!” I let out as I start giggling too.
The only thought that runs through my mind is that I hope our lives never change and are always like this.
Crazy, ridiculous, and full of love.
And now to go and shock the hell out of our friends and listen to both Flynn and Felisha bitch that we stole their simple Vegas wedding.
“Are you thinking about the others and the uproar we are about to create?” Forrest says as my body slides down his and he places me back on the ground.
“Yep, you ready for this?” I pick up my bag as he slips his feet into his shoes.
“I was born ready. Let’s go start the ruckus and get on with our happily ever after.”
“Oh, this is going to be awesome.” We look at each other, and the love we share is reflected in both our eyes.
Along with that little bit of a mischievous glint too.
Taking each other’s hands, we leave the room, ready to step into our perfect life together.
2 Years Later
I’m sitting at my desk in my home office, smiling at the wedding photo I have of us on that simple night in Las Vegas. Of course, our friends were ecstatic and annoyed at the same time. The girls wanted to plan us a big wedding, but it just wasn’t me or Forrest. He told me that night, as we cuddled in bed together after making love for the first time as husband and wife, how happy he was with the quiet moment we shared. Just a small intimate ceremony where we bared our souls to each other in front of our friends was all we needed.
Turning in my chair, I look down into the drawer of my desk, and my heart swells at the overflowing of ribbons in there, all different colors and patterns.
It has been two years now, and he still cooks me breakfast every morning he can, and there is always a ribbon and a love note to start my day with. Some days they are still corny and have the most ridiculous names on them, but then there are others where the note is a beautiful message of love that has me swooning so hard. Forrest never ceases to amaze me.
Running my hand over my huge pregnant belly, an idea springs to mind, and I start researching what I need. With only a month before this little boy inside me is due to be born, I need to get moving. It still seems so surreal that I’m having a baby, because when we first married, we both agreed we would be okay with not having children. There were going to be plenty of little ones around us to cuddle and spoil.
But the universe had other plans for us.
After falling ill with a virus at a really busy time at work for both of us, we didn’t even think about the fact that the contraceptive pill I was taking probably wasn’t working at full strength.
It took a while for it to sink in and a few meltdowns from me. But after working through it together and with a little help from Cherie, in just a sit-down session this time, we both discovered that deep down, we actually did want to be parents. I was scared of change in my life and how it would affect my mental health, and Forrest just wanted me to be happy.
But now we are past all that, and I can’t wait to meet this little boy growing inside me. Even though he keeps me awake at night while he plays football in there, loves to get hiccups when I’m in the middle of meetings, and gives me heartburn so I can’t enjoy the beautiful meals my husband prepares for me.
“Ah, perfect.” I click on the link to a website for what I want just as Forrest walks in the door to tell me dinner is ready.
“What’s perfect?” he asks as he comes up beside me, extending his hand out to help me out of my chair.
“Oh, nothing to worry about.” I hate keeping things from him, but this will be worth it.
4 Weeks Later
“I don’t know why I was surprised he was born in two hours. He’s going to take after his mother and be impatient.” Forrest looks across at me as we pull into the underground parking of our apartment building.
I smile to myself at the thought that I never moved out of his apartment, and we just brought the rest of my things from storage here and I was settled in. When the renovations of my apartment were finished, we sold it for a hefty profit because it no longer felt like home.
This is where I finally felt like I was living, so it’s where I wanted to be.
Forrest’s hand squeezes mine as we pull up into our spot. “Ready to welcome our son into his home?” he asks, lifting my hand to his lips and kissing me ever so softly.
I just nod because I’m so full of emotion at the importance of this moment. Oh, and those pesky post-natal hormones still raging through my body.
Watching Forrest lift him up into his arms from the car seat has a few little tears already escaping.
“Let’s go before your mother starts crying again.” He takes my hand, and the three of us walk into the elevator and head up to the apartment.
The moment the front door is open and we walk toward the nursery, I feel the tingles of anticipation in my stomach.
I walk into the room and turn to see the look on Forrest’s face as he sees the frame on the wall displaying the perfect piece of art made of all the ribbons he has given me since the beginning, woven together in the shape of a large heart.
Beneath the heart are the words: “Our love will always be wrapped around your heart.”
I don’t see it very often, but this is the second time this week Forrest has had tears fall down his cheeks.
He lifts his arm for me to step into his side as he leans down and kisses the top of my head and then his son’s head.
“Welcome home, Felix Flynn Taylor. We will always love you, through the good, the bad, and everything in between. Here in our arms is your safe place, no matter what life throws at you.” The emotion in Forrest’s voice has my tears running constantly now as I put my arm around Felix too, creating the perfect family group hug.
I never knew this day would come, but life has a way of bringing you to where you belong.
And this is where I belong, in a place of pure bliss and happiness.
I believe it’s called love.
Thank you for reading The Attraction . I hope you enjoyed Forrest and Harper’s story as much as I loved writing it.
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Read on for a sneak peak of That Day .