Epilogue
Three years later
Xave
Pushing the door to our room open, I slip inside.
I don’t see Damon anywhere, but the light in the closet is on, and I find him standing in front of the full-length mirror in a black suit, a black dress shirt, and a silky black tie.
“Babe?” I ask when his eyes meet mine in the mirror.
He smiles, and there’s an aura of calm and peacefulness around him that I don’t see often. Usually it only comes out when we’re at our lake house and he’s had a chance to decompress from the stresses of life and can fully relax and just be in the moment with me.
“I got your text,” I prompt when he silently adjusts his tie.
Damon still prefers to dress in black, but this monochrome formal wear look is unusual for him, especially since, as far as I know, he has no plans to go anywhere tonight.
Things have changed a lot for us in the last three years, but the one thing that hasn’t is how just being in the same room as him calms something deep inside me.
After we graduated, Damon went to work for his father while I went to work for my dad and uncles.
The following year, my cousins joined me at the family business, and last year Damon started taking on more responsibilities and began being prepped to take over when his father finally decides to retire.
The first year was a big adjustment, and we spent a lot of time apart thanks to him having to travel for work and the long hours we both put into our jobs, but every late night and lonely weekend was worth it to be able to not just live together, but to be open with our relationship and not have to hide.
My family welcomed Damon with open arms, exactly how I knew they would, and they love him as much as I do. It doesn’t hurt that he charmed not just my parents, but also my aunt and uncles the first time he met them.
His father still insists on pretending like I don’t exist and refuses to acknowledge that his son is in a relationship with a man, but Kait and his sisters instantly accepted me and have treated me like I’m a part of the family since day one.
Damon still performs under his Helix name, and his singles regularly chart whenever he drops new music. His popularity has only grown over the years, but he still limits his appearances and does everything he can to hide his true identity.
Things haven’t always been easy, and we’ve dealt with our share of bigotry and having to navigate the line between our two worlds, but I’d do it all again in a heartbeat, and I know he’d do the same.
“I was just making sure this still fits,” he says, turning to face me.
My brow furrows as I take him in and try to figure out what’s going on.
Between his cryptic words and the palpable relief and calm surrounding him, there’s really only one thing this could be about.
“Is he…?” I ask quietly.
Damon nods. “I got the call about thirty minutes ago.”
“What happened?”
He smirks. “He stroked out on the can.”
I can’t stop the surprised sound I let out. “What?”
“Guess he strained too hard while trying to do his business and gave himself a stroke or something like that.” He smiles. “Not gonna lie, knowing that’s how he went out and was found is almost as cathartic as knowing he’s finally gone.”
“Are you okay?”
I already know he’s fine with his father’s passing, and he’s been waiting for this moment, but anticipating something and experiencing it are two different things.
He nods. “It’s still a little surreal, and I didn’t think it would happen for years, but yeah. I’m fine.”
“And Kait and your sisters?”
He nods. “I talked to all of them, and they’re fine too. We’ve all been waiting for this. Honestly, pretending to be sad and acting like we’re in mourning is going to be the hardest part of this for all of us.”
Instead of asking more questions, I open my arms to him.
Without hesitation, he walks into them and holds me in a tight hug.
I hug him close and run my fingers through the short hair at the back of his head the way I know he likes.
“It’s finally over,” he murmurs. “He can’t hurt anyone else ever again.”
I hold him a bit tighter and press a kiss against his soft curls.
“I wish…”
“What do you wish?” I ask gently.
“I wish my mom was here,” he whispers, his voice shaking. “I hate him so much. I hate what he did to her, and what he did to me. I hate that he never paid for any of it while he was alive, and I hate that she’s not here to see what I’m going to do to his legacy now that I’m in charge.”
“She knows,” I tell him as he buries his face in my shoulder. “She might not be here with us, but she’s a part of you, and I know she’s as proud of you as I am.”
Damon squeezes me so tight one of my vertebrae pops, but I just hold him and let him get whatever he needs to out of his system.
“I really wish you could have met her,” he says softly. “She would have loved you.”
I pull back so I can look into his beautiful eyes. “I wish I could have too.”
He cuts his gaze to the side as his eyes go glassy with tears. “I miss her.”
“I know.” Gently, I cup his face and wait until he meets my gaze again.
“I’m going to piss a lot of people off and make a ton of enemies over the next decade or so while I put my plan in action,” he says grimly. “Are you sure you want to stick around for that?”
I press a soft kiss against his lips. “Collecting enemies is kind of my thing,” I say with a little smirk. “What’s a few more to add to my list?”
“Pretty sure it’s going to be more than a few.”
“The more, the merrier.” I peck another quick kiss against his lips.
“And I dare any of those assholes to even think about coming after you because my family will end not just them, but everything and everyone they’ve ever given a shit about.
” I toss him a little grin. “You’ve never seen what the twins are truly capable of, so any dumbass that wants to fuck with you will quickly learn what happens when you piss off a pair of psychopaths. ”
“There’s more of that red flag talk that should make me piss myself with fear but just makes me love you even more.” He strokes his hands over my back. “I don’t want to deal with any of this. Not the arrangements or the funeral, but I can’t dump all of it on Kait.”
“Then don’t.”
He blinks at me a few times.
“Don’t deal with it. You focus on yourself and your sisters, and I’ll deal with the arrangements and take as much as I can off Kait’s plate.”
“I don’t deserve you.”
“Yes, you do.” I gently swipe my thumb over his cheekbone. “You deserve the world, babe.”
His smile is a bit wobbly, but the love and affection radiating from it makes my heart swell and my chest flush warm.
I never could have guessed that getting kidnapped from a rave would change the trajectory of my life in such a profound way. How that moment wouldn’t just bring the man I love into my life, it would also show me that not only am I capable of loving someone, but that someone could love me.
Damon isn’t just my partner and my best friend; he was meant for me, the same way I was meant for him, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life loving him.
And I dare anyone to try and take him from me, becauseI promise it won’t end well for them.