Epilogue
THAT SUMMER
EVAN
Every day I question why I let myself fall this hard. Not like there was ever any way I could stop it. But there are some days I think I’m in way over my head thinking I’ll be able to not only keep Scarlett happy but to also stop her from doing stupid shit.
I blink at the woman in front of me as she grins, her smile so bright and downright sinful for someone who just got off an international flight. I scrub my hands down my face, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing.
“Scarlett, what the fuck is this?”
Her smile widens. “I got a motorbike.”
“I can see that,” I murmur, stepping toward her as she stands next to a black and red motorbike in the parking garage of her apartment. Anything that doesn’t have more than two wheels is a recipe for disaster. “How, when, and why do you have a motorbike?”
She bounces on her heels. “I got it before I left for London. Do you like it?”
I examine the bike, and I want to tell her no.
I want to tell her that it’s dangerous and unsafe, and she should not be allowed to ride this, but I can’t.
The look on her face, the messy frizz of her hair from where the helmet was, and the way she seems genuinely excited to ride this death trap has me sending all rational thoughts out the window.
She’s spent this entire summer working with Lina at Glow as well as visiting her brother at Voss’s headquarters in London.
I’d be an idiot to wipe that smile of her face now when she’s been on such a high.
I should’ve known something was up when she asked me to meet her here before grabbing dinner tonight.
“Yeah, it suits you,” I say instead. She makes a silly, happy noise, picking up another helmet from the ground and handing it to me.
“This is for you,” she says, dropping it into my hands.
I blink at her. “You want me to get on this thing with you?”
“Well, it’s date night, and that’s what loyal boyfriends who love their girlfriends do, so yes,” she says.
“Scarlett, baby, I love you, but I’m not getting on that thing,” I say, grimacing down at it.
I like my life. I like the way things have been going for the past couple of months.
I already think about death and dying too much on a daily basis, and I’m sure if I go anywhere near that, something bad is going to happen.
“You need to take more risks,” Scarlett argues, pouting at me.
“This is a life-or-death situation, it’s different.”
She sighs. “I’ll even let you drive.”
“How is that making this situation any better?”
She lifts one shoulder, biting on her bottom lip. “I don’t know. I just think you’d look hot riding it.”
I think about it for a second. I really, really don’t want to die, but I trust Scarlett.
I trust her and her judgment more than my tidy puzzle brain sometimes.
She might be chaotic and spontaneous, but that’s one of the things I love most about her.
She pushes me and challenges me. If the next challenge is sitting on this death vehicle, then so be it.
“Fine,” I grumble, and her entire face lights up. “We’re going from here to my place. No further. Your hands don’t leave me at any point. Got it?”
Scarlett salutes me with a wink. “Yes, sir.”
After she’s shown me the ropes, and I get the hang of it, she climbs on the back of the bike, wrapping her arms tight around my stomach and resting her cheek against my back. The road to my house is pretty straight, and if she knows how to ride around safely, I’m sure I can do the same.
I don’t expect it to feel so natural when we set off.
Everything about this feels like second nature, like the pep talk she gave me somehow instilled the confidence right into my bones.
The anxious butterflies in my stomach started to filter away the more I drove, and by the time we get to my place, I feel like I’m floating.
“Holy shit. That was fun!” I exclaim, hopping off the bike before helping Scarlett down. I pull off my helmet before taking hers off, and I’m greeted by a flushed and happy Scarlett beaming back up at me. “Did you have fun?”
“The most fun,” she says, looping her arms around my neck and kissing me.
“I have a surprise for you before dinner,” I whisper, not being able to hold it in any longer. Her eyes widen.
“You do?”
“Yeah,” I say, pulling apart from her and opening the door to my car. She gives me a skeptical look, but she doesn’t put up much of a fight.
Half an hour later, she still has no idea where we’re going, and I park the car and hand her a silk blindfold. “Okay, we’re almost there. Put this on.”
“Are you luring me to my death? Because if you are, I’d like to know a little in advance,” she laughs, running the silk through her hands.
“Don’t worry about it,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to her cheek and sliding out of the car. I help her out before gently wrapping the silk around her eyes. “Is the blindfold okay?”
I hold my palm out, and she clasps her hand in mine. “I think I kind of love it. We should use these more often,” she says, squealing excitedly.
“Okay. Just mind your step. I’ll tell you when to turn and when to take off your blindfold. Are you scared? You shouldn’t be. Honestly, it’s not that big of a deal. I’m being way too dramatic and—”
She squeezes my hand. “Ev?”
I suck in a breath. “Yeah?”
“Just relax.”
“Okay,” I murmur. We walk for a couple minutes more, and I lead her forward, her fingers interlinked with mine.
I feel a rush of excitement and nervousness bubbling up inside me.
I know Scarlett trusts me, and I know that what I’m about to show her is going to be worth it, but the anticipation is still killing me.
“Okay, we’re almost there,” I say softly, my voice laced with a teasing excitement. I squeeze her hand, and then finally, after what feels like eternity, I stop. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” she squeaks, “I’ve been ready since I put this thing on.”
I laugh, reaching behind her and unwrapping the cover from her eyes. The first thing I notice is the way she turns to me immediately, expectant eyes, still making sure I’m here before she looks to see what’s in front of her.
Before us stands a familiar, beautiful, quaint building, its tall windows glowing warmly, as though inviting us in. Above the entrance, in elegant gold letters, is the name The Nest.
I turn to her, grinning proudly.
“Wh-What is this?” she asks.
“It’s our library,” I say simply.
Her eyebrows furrow. “Our library?”
“Yeah. It’s kind of like the one behind the bakery but this one is public, a real space for everyone to enjoy.”
“I’m sorry. You just said this is our library. What does that mean, Evan?”
I laugh, scratching the back of my neck.
“It’s a bookstore, café, a library all rolled into one.
I thought about doing it on my own, but I had a brief chat with my mom for the first time in months.
Even though she’s taken a step away from business trading, I know she’s always wanted to expand, but she didn’t know how to do it, or when would be the right time—especially since it’s been years since she first considered it.
The internship opened my eyes to so many business opportunities and I thought this could be a good place to start.
It takes some inspiration from my mom’s secret library space, but it’s a little different.
This is going to be ours. A place that has nothing to do with Voss or B&Co, no legacies to uphold or expectations to meet.
Just a place where we can create something of our own. ”
Scarlett’s speechless.
I watch as she takes in the exterior, her gaze settling on the tall windows, where shelves of books sit behind fairy lights and lamps giving off a soft, warm light.
It’s been hard keeping this a secret for so long, but it’s turned out perfect.
My mom took a back seat in most of the production side of things, leaving it up to me and a team I put together to make it work.
We don’t speak a lot, but it’s more than before, so that’s something.
It’s new and I’m still getting used to the idea, but this is something special, I just know it.
Since Scarlett still hasn’t said anything, I continue. “I called it The Nest because it’s a place for people to come, to feel safe and at home. A place to grow, to learn, and to just be. Just like you make me feel. I want this to be our project, something that represents us and our future.”
“Evan,” she says, her voice thick with emotion. “This is . . . I don’t even have the words. It’s perfect. It’s everything.” I take a step closer to her, my hands gently cupping her face.
“You like it?” I ask, swiping my thumb against her cheek. “I mean, you don’t have to work here if you don’t want to. I know you’re enjoying your time at Glow and you’ll have so many more opportunities after college but—”
“I love it,” she says, cutting me off with a soft laugh. “And I love you.”
She smiles, tears welling up in her eyes as she leans into my touch. “I love you too, Scarlett. This is our beginning.”
I pull her into my arms, holding her tight as I look at The Nest. Our place. Our future. And for the first time in a long time, everything feels right and settled.
I lean back slightly just to look at her, and my heart races.
I kiss her, right there in front of our new beginning, feeling the weight of the past lift off my shoulders.
As I hold her close, I know one thing for certain—whatever the future holds, we’ll unravel it together, thread by thread, until we’ve woven something that’s entirely, beautifully ours.
Because this is just the beginning of our forever, and there’s no one I’d rather face it with than Scarlett Voss.