Epilogue
Donovan
“I ’m glad we’re making Jilted Exes sleepovers a thing,” I say, cuddling up with Hayes and Anthony on the couch.
Hayes is wearing matching PJ pants and shirt, one that buttons up and has a collar.
I’m in one of Eric’s T-shirts and jammy pants, and Anthony is in short shorts and a matching crop.
He has what I would call a twunk dancer’s body—Anthony liking to show it off more than Hayes or I would ever feel comfortable with.
We’re at Hayes and Rylan’s place this time.
Rylan is away on a road trip. They’re playing in Seattle, and we just finished watching the game.
We played drinking games every time Rylan’s line was on the ice, drinking extra every time he had the puck or knocked someone into the boards.
We basically used any excuse we could find to consume more alcohol.
My skin is warm and tingly, and I keep wanting to laugh for absolutely no reason.
“Me too,” Hayes says. “My first friend sleepover was with you guys.”
“Eric and I used to have them, but they were different from this. It was just the two of us, and we didn’t sit around and talk about guys and do facials.”
“You’re making our night together sound much kinkier than it is.” Ant pumps his brows playfully, making me realize what I just said. We in fact, are not giving each other that kind of facials.
“You know what I mean.” I nudge him. He hasn’t mentioned what Malcolm said to him that night—about Anthony’s own family not wanting him.
I tried to bring it up once, but he clearly didn’t want to talk about it, and I didn’t want to push.
I let him know I’m always here if he wants to chat, and I intend to prove that to him.
I’m so lucky to have him and Hayes in my life.
“I love you guys,” I find myself saying.
“Uh-oh. This is one of those times when a person gets emotional when they’re drunk, right?” Hayes says.
I chuckle. “Yes. But it’s also true.” I hook one arm through Anthony’s and the other through Hayes’s.
They scoot closer, Ant’s head on one of my shoulders and Hayes’s on the other.
“Young Donovan couldn’t have imagined ever having this.
” Emotion clogs my chest, and yes, I’m definitely at emotional-drunk levels.
“I never could have even dreamed that this would be my life…living in LA, married to Eric, planning our actual, real ceremony, and getting drunk while watching hockey with the best friends a guy could ask for.”
“Drunk Donovan is adorable.” Anthony kisses my cheek. “I get it, though. Sometimes it’s scary to dream, but we’re fucking awesome and deserve to get everything we want.”
Hayes says, “It’s still amazing to me that people think I’m awesome. First Rylan and now you guys. It’s so weird.” He frowns as if truly confused by it.
“Aww. You’re the best. I love you both.” I give Hayes a hug.
“Me too,” Hayes replies.
“Right back at ya.” Anthony winks. “Come on. Let’s dance.” He shoves to his feet, then takes my hand and pulls me up, followed by Hayes.
“Um…I don’t think we can dance like you,” Hayes says shyly.
“Speak for yourself. I know how to work this body.” It’s one thing I’m fairly confident in.
“Oh, I remember. I’m the one who sucked last time.”
“I’ll teach you,” Anthony promises.
Hayes mutes the TV, Anthony turns on music, and that’s what we spend the next hour or so doing—laughing and dancing. Anthony moves with Hayes, hands on his hips, trying to show him how to fluidly move his body. Hayes is an adorable mess, and I love him for it.
Anthony seems to let go when he’s dancing. Maybe that’s not the right way to say it because Anthony always seems free, but he loses himself to it, like dancing takes him to another world.
Eventually, we collapse into a heap together on the couch again, drinking and eating popcorn. Hayes turns on a movie because you can’t have a sleepover without a movie. That’s definitely against the rules.
We’re partway through it when Anthony’s phone buzzes on the coffee table. He picks it up, and I get a quick glance at the name on the screen. Mads.
Anthony clicks on the text, his fingers moving across the screen as he replies.
I’m surprised the two of them are texting. I didn’t realize they knew each other that well or talked outside of when the group of us are together.
The movie ends, and we’re all tired, so we each go to our rooms. I collapse on the bed and immediately call Eric.
“Hey, husband,” he says, his voice scratchy and tired.
It still makes my heart jolt when I hear him call me that.
I hope it doesn’t ever stop. I love being this excited about being Eric’s.
Things have been going so well for us, easily going from friends, married friends, friends who hook up, to friends who are in love.
Eric realized not that long ago that he thinks he’s demi-romantic—not that it matters one way or the other, but I think it helped him understand more how he never connected with anyone in a romantic way except me.
“I’m sorry. Did I wake you up?” I finally ask.
“No. I just got home a little while ago. I went out with Ana. We had fun, but I was missing you, so I figured I’d stay awake and wait for you to call.”
I’ve been talking to Ana more too. What I didn’t know until recently is that she has been secretly in love with her best friend and unsure what to do about it.
According to her, it’s not the same as with me and Eric and she doesn’t think it’ll work, so I’m glad Eric went out with her to cheer her up.
I smile into the phone. “How did you know I would call?”
“Because I know you miss me too.”
I do. So fucking much. As fun as tonight was, I wish I were in bed with him. “We’re ridiculous.”
“We’re adorable.”
“How am I supposed to sleep without my husband?” I tease. “At least you have Butterscotch to cuddle.”
“It’s not the same.”
I sigh. “No, it’s not.”
“Let’s stay on the phone. Remember we used to do that sometimes when we were kids? Stay on the phone until one of us fell asleep?”
I smile at the memory. “How did we not know we were in love?”
“I know, right?” Eric snickers.
I force myself out of bed, turn off the light, then climb under the covers. “Tell me all about your night out with Ana.”
Eric does, and then I do the same, telling him how Hayes, Anthony, and I spent our night.
“Mads and Anthony text each other. Did you know that?”
“Huh. No. Interesting.”
“It’s good for Anthony. I think maybe there’s more going on with him than he tells us.”
“He will when he’s ready. He’s got good friends. I should know since I have you too.”
“Forever.”
“Stop being so sweet,” Eric jokes. I want to laugh, but I don’t have the energy.
My eyes get heavier and heavier, and I know I won’t last much longer, know that Eric is keeping himself awake until I fall asleep first. “I love you,” I whisper, eyes closing.
“I love you too, husband. See you in the morning.”
“First thing.” It hits me again that I have everything I never could have imagined I’d have—dream career, friends, Eric. I’m looking forward to spending the rest of my life married and in love with my best friend.
The End