Epilogue
BANKS
One year later
M oving into Declan’s house was surprisingly easy. Harper made her room into our room, giving me closet space and half the dresser drawers. I sleep in here every night while Harper tends to rotate around. My absolute favorite part of this, though, is the fact that no matter which pillow she lays her head on, my ring is still sitting on her finger.
After everything calmed down, we decided to wait until after we graduate to get married. The guys are just as involved in the planning as we are. The only thing we’ve settled on is having the ceremony in the cypress forest where the old church ruins are. Harper is set on a woodland fairy theme.
None of us will ever tell her no.
“What are you doing?” She flops down beside me on the bed, her dark hair fanning over my arm.
“Just thinking.” I keep my eyes on the ceiling.
“Thinking is my favorite.” She rolls onto her side, propping her head on her hand and looking down at me. “Penny for your thoughts?”
“I can’t wait to marry you.” My eyes meet hers. “That’s all I was thinking about.”
She smiles at me and wedges herself under my arm, resting her cheek on my chest. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.”
In the weirdest way, I’ve grown to love the other guys, too. I never thought I’d be able to have a happy ending like this for my life. Harper has always wanted a family, and knowing I couldn’t give her one through traditional means kept me up so many nights.
But along came Declan. He’s beyond obsessed with her. He’s proven that she’s the center of his world; keeping her safe and happy is his top priority. I never thought I’d find anything redeeming about him, but he’s so caring underneath his asshole facade.
Then there’s Cy. He’s truly a mirror of Harper. They relate to each other on a level the rest of us just can’t. The bond they’ve formed in their parallel paths of healing is beautiful. I’m glad that I can be a place of refuge for him when he needs grounding, just like I am for her. When he sits at my feet and rests his head on my lap, my heart swells with love and gratitude that I can be a safe place for him, but at the same time it breaks, knowing what caused his deep hurt.
Emerson has become one of my closest friends, nearly a brother to me. I love watching his and Cy’s relationship develop, both with and independent of Harper. I was worried that he might be threatened by Cy coming to me for such a deeply intimate act as he does, but Emerson gives him and I the space necessary.
At the end of the day, the love we share for each other, in whatever form it may take, eclipses any unease we might have. I trust them all implicitly, just as they do me. I wouldn’t trade our family for the world.
CYRUS
Six months later
Blank space surrounds me on all sides as I show Emerson and Banks around the building I bought just off campus. Light streams through the windows and shines off the oak floors. It isn’t the biggest space, but it’s all that I need for now. Two walls are all exposed brick, and the rest are blank white spaces.
“It’s going to be amazing.” Emerson wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me to him for a kiss. “I’m so proud of you.”
Tears sting my eyes as I take in his words and the building around me. It feels good to have something that’s mine. To put the violence and pain of my past behind me and push forward onto the path I’ve always wanted. The support of my family means everything to me.
Banks locks eyes with me and gives me a smile. I return the gesture and then pull him in for a quick hug, slapping his back with affection. He’s become much more important to me than I ever anticipated him being, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
“What’s the plan for the space?” Banks asks, looking around.
“Down here will be the gallery, where every month I’ll spotlight a local artist.” I point out places on the walls where I want to add lighting and other design features. “The loft is where I’ll set up my main studio.”
I’ll still keep my small studio corner in the attic at home, but I’ll have much more space to work here. And fewer distractions in the enticing shapes of Emerson and Harper. Speaking of which, if Banks wasn’t here, I’d be pushing Emerson to his knees upstairs to christen the building.
Not that I mind Banks’s presence here.
As the warmth from the sun soaks into my skin, I let my mind wander to my parents. They passed away long before I knew I wanted to be an artist, but somehow I know they’d be happy for me. They’d be proud of who I’ve become, and they’d love the people I found to love. I don’t even think they’d care that I’m in such an unorthodox relationship.
I say goodbye to the guys as they head back out for the rest of their classes and walk upstairs to start the first mural. It’s a replica of what I drew for the tattoo artist to cover Harper’s scars. Delicate vines of ivy woven through with all our birth flowers adorn her left side. She cried tears of joy when I showed her the first sketch. But this mural will take that initial design and add to it the altar from the ruins on Declan’s land. The sacred place where we made her ours for the first time and cemented the future for our family. With hope, happiness, and love, I grab my pencil and begin to sketch out the design.
EMERSON
Two years later
Everything aches as I trudge up the few steps to the side entrance of the house after a grueling shift in my emergency clinical rotation. There was a multi-vehicle crash on the highway just outside of town involving a bus. If I never set foot in another emergency room, it’ll be too soon.
Harper glances up from her stack of books and array of coffee cups and energy drinks. She’s been pulling all-nighters getting ready for her first semester of vet school finals. I should probably tell her that it’s not healthy to mix all that caffeine and no sleep, but that would make me the biggest hypocrite. Instead, I walk over to her, pressing my lips to hers in a long kiss.
She smiles against my mouth when I sway on my feet and have to grab the table to balance. “You need to go to bed.”
I mumble an assent as I attack her neck with kisses. “For the record, you shouldn’t be staying up all night to study. You already got admitted to the program.”
“I’ll find you when I get home and we can sleep the day away together,” she promises before giving me one last kiss and focusing back on her test.
“At least eat something with a healthy balance of carbs, protein, and fat before you leave,” I tell her over my shoulder before beginning the climb up the creaking stairs.
A smile parts my lips at the sight of a lump of sexy, tattooed man sprawled out in my bed. I glance to my bathroom, knowing good and well I should shower before joining him. But he looks so warm and comfortable. The sight of a brown stain on my scrubs as I pull my shirt over my head settles that internal debate for me. Definitely taking a shower first, then sleep.
After tossing my scrubs in the hamper, I step into the shower, hissing at the blast of icy water before it warms up. As steam fills the room, I lather up with antibacterial body wash, making sure to scrub every inch of my skin just in case there’s something on me. One of my first-year professors put the fear of god in us when he recounted a story about one of his friends getting MRSA during his clinicals.
By the time I’m finished with my shower, the sun is all the way up, light filtering through the crack between the blackout curtains. Cy is still passed out; his light snores fill the room as I lift the covers and slide in bed beside him. As soon as he feels me lay down, he’s rolling onto his side, wrapping his arms around me. I fall asleep in the warmth of his embrace almost as soon as I close my eyes.
DECLAN
The ground drops off below me as the plane lifts into the air at the end of the runway. I watch the gauges in front of me as I climb steadily to an altitude of ten thousand feet. The engineers ask me a few questions as I begin the test sequences. So far the aircraft is flying perfectly.
My grandparents are down on the tarmac watching, just as they did for all my mom’s test flights. They never listen in on mine, though. I don’t think they could handle it if something happened to me like it did Mom. Obviously, they handle it a thousand times better than Dad, though.
As I’ve matured I’ve come to understand his stance on my chosen profession. It can’t be easy to watch your child choose the exact same path your late spouse did, especially when she died doing so. But I feel her up here with me.
It’s not just in the rosary I have wrapped around my wrist, she’s here in the clouds. Her love for adventure and freedom runs deep within my veins. There was a time in my life I never thought I’d want to come down from my life in the air.
Until Harper.
She was the missing piece, the anchor I needed to find happiness. She’s woven herself through our lives so seamlessly. Life and love are effortless with her.
I radio down a few things I think the engineering team might want to check out before pushing some more altitude. The rest of the flight goes smoothly. A few tweaks and some more test flights and everything should be good to start manufacturing.
As I land the aircraft, I glance over and notice a familiar car on the tarmac. I taxi over to the hangar and barely get the engines shut off when I see Harper standing with my grandparents. One of the engineers approaches me with a clipboard, asking me for a few details about the flight.
I try not to be an asshole, but I can’t help it. I haven’t seen Harper in days, and I just want to get my arms around her. I can’t believe she drove all the way up here. Now I’m stuck answering this guy’s questions when I already gave my verbal report during the flight.
“I will send you my written report tonight,” I grit out. I don’t wait for a response.
A gorgeous smile parts Harper’s lips as she watches me approach. She bounces on her feet in the most adorable way, made all the better because I’m sure she doesn’t know she’s doing it. As soon as I’m within range, she launches herself into my arms.
“Surprise,” she says with a laugh as I lift her by the thighs and her legs wrap around my waist. “I missed you so much I decided to drive up and take you on a long weekend trip before we head home.”
“Does this long weekend trip involve you, me, and a bed?” I ask against her lips.
She nods and kisses me. “It does.”
HARPER
Eighteen months later
“You look stunning,” Emilia says as she finishes zipping my dress up. “They’re going to want to bend you over the altar again as soon as they see you walk down the aisle.”
“Eww.” Saylor shivers in disgust. “My brother is one of the guys you’re talking about.”
“Or just men in general,” Lou adds. “You sure you want to do this?”
“Yeah, you could marry us instead.” Saylor wiggles her brows while she teases me. “Anything they can do, we can do better.”
“Unfortunately, my lot in life is to be in love with four men,” I say with an exaggerated sigh.
Thank goodness these three are here to keep the jokes flowing. I know that the guys love me, that they’re all happy about today, but I still have to fight back the fear of disappointing them. Of not being enough. I mean, four of them and one of me, there’s pressure there. Even if it’s pressure from myself, not them.
Cillian, Felix, and Mom walk up carrying my little sister, Delilah, in her flower girl dress. It’s a perfect match to mine, all lace and tulle. But where my hair is tied back with a satin ribbon, her dark curls have a halo of flowers set atop them. She looks at me with her dad and older brother’s same deep green eyes and holds out her arms.
Mom’s eyes glisten as I kiss Delilah’s cheek. “You’re perfect. Both my girls are perfect.” She wraps us up in her arms, her swollen belly getting in the way. She’s well into her third trimester with another baby.
“Are you almost ready?” Cillian asks as I hand my sister over to him.
“Yes.” I lift my arms and embrace him. “Thank you for walking me down the aisle.”
“Are you kidding me?” He holds me tightly. “I’m honored to do so.”
I had worried he’d be upset with me legally marrying Banks, but he has been incredibly supportive of anything and everything I want. The past few years he’s shown me not only what a father is, but also a dad. He’s everything I could have wanted for my mom in a husband and the most incredible dad to my little sister.
Mom grabs my hand and squeezes before giving me one last kiss on the cheek. “I’m not going to say anything aside from I love you and I’m so proud of you, honey.” She blinks her tears back rapidly. “No crying today.”
Felix whispers his congratulations to me and ushers Mom away to go sit.
The photographer takes a few candid shots while Emilia touches up my makeup one last time and Delilah plays with my dress. We planned this wedding to be small and intimate, only close family and friends. Those who know about our poly relationship and support it. I wanted it this way, so I kiss each of the loves of my life, not just the one I’m legally binding myself to.
Our honeymoon will be spent on a private island in Belize. Just the five of us with a chef who will come by boat to prepare dinner and then go back to the mainland. I can’t wait to leave work, school, and all our responsibilities behind and unplug to focus on us.
I slip my arm through Cillian’s as the processional music begins, a string version of “Thinking Out Loud.” Delilah skips ahead of us, dropping magnolia petals on the ground. I look down the aisle to the sight of my future, my loves, my everything. I’ve never been so sure of my next step.