Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
My eyes blink open, and I’m met with a pair of dark ones staring right at me. The first time I woke up like this, I freaked for a second. Now, it’s become normal.
“Are you watching me sleep again?” I ask Ares.
“Watching you wake up,” he says. “It’s the highlight of my day. Because every day I get to wake up with you is another day I get to spend being the boyfriend of Zara McKinley.”
“It’s too early for this much sweetness, Ares.”
“You know what would be better than being the boyfriend of Zara McKinley?” he asks.
“What?”
“Being the husband of Zara De Bellis.”
He’s serious. It’s also not the first time he’s brought up the topic of us getting married.
It’s not that I don’t see myself spending forever with Ares.
I do. I just want us to be young and do all the things we’re supposed to do first. I’m also in a really good place mentally right now.
I don’t want to risk changing anything that could have me relapsing into my depression again.
“I can’t wait to be Mrs Zara De Bellis, after we finish uni and have jobs and all of that adult kind of stuff,” I remind him.
Ares leans forward and presses his lips to mine, rolling over until he’s positioned between my legs. “I’ll settle for being the boyfriend that gets to sink himself inside his hot-as-fuck girlfriend day and night.”
That’s a title I can get on board with. My hips tilt upwards. I can feel his hardness pressing against me. “You know, I read that too much sex isn’t great for a relationship.”
“Lies,” Ares says as he slowly sinks into me.
A moan escapes my mouth. My legs wrap around his waist, pulling him closer to me. “Oh god, I think it was a bogus study.”
“Mhmm.” Ares’s lips leave wet, hot kisses down my neck. Across my shoulder. We’ve developed the habit of falling asleep naked. I always come to bed with pyjamas. They just never stay on unless it’s a rare night Ares isn’t beside me. “I love being your boyfriend.”
“I love you being my boyfriend,” I tell him as he pulls out and then slams right back into me. “Fuck me, I’m going to come.”
“That’s the plan here, P.”
My fingers are greedy as they roam all over his bare chest. I lean up and kiss over the pink butterfly. It’s my favourite tattoo of his.
“I love you,” I whisper as I feel my core tightening. I don’t know what it is about his cock, but it’s like a drug. I can never get enough of it.
Ares sits up on his knees and his thumb presses against my clit as he continues to slam into me.
Over and over again. The headboard bangs against the wall and the mattress makes that creaking sound but I block it all out, focusing on the pleasure that’s crashing through my body. Every muscle tightens.
“That’s it, P. Come for me. Drench my cock,” Ares groans.
Fireworks explode behind my eyelids as I come apart beneath him. Moments later, I feel Ares slide out right before he comes on my stomach. I open my eyes to find him spreading his cum all over me.
“I made a mess. I think I might need to clean you.” He smirks. Shower time with Ares is never a simple shower, and I’m not about to turn that offer down.
With my hair wrapped in a towel and a fluffy dressing gown tied tight around my body, I walk out of my bedroom and head straight for the kitchen. I need coffee. As much of a wake-up call Ares and his orgasms are, I still need my caffeine.
“Busy morning?” I jump at the sound of Constance’s voice.
“Shit! You scared me. I thought you would be gone by now,” I tell her, my cheeks heating a little.
I tried to get my dad to allow me to move into the university dorms, but it was the one thing he and Ares actually agreed on.
I think they might have even bonded in their joint endeavour to make sure I didn’t end up in a dorm room.
I did, however, compromise and got my own apartment close to school and made Constance move in with me.
Ares wasn’t impressed by my choice of roommates. He wanted that spot to be his. I told him we needed to live all the steps of our relationship and not just move in together straight away. He responded by buying the apartment next door. He also had Spencer move in with him.
Although I’m not sure what the point of separate apartments was. Either I’m in his bed, or he’s in my bed.
“I bet you did.” Constance raises a brow. “I want to be in the room when you have to explain to your dad why you need a handyman to fix the holes your bed has created in your walls.”
“Pfft, as if I’d let my dad find out about that. I’ll just have Ares fix them.”
“Sure, because he’s so good with tools.”
“I don’t know… He’s pretty damn good with his hands.” I laugh.
“Gross.” Constance shakes her head. “I’m about to leave. There’s some fresh banana bread in that container for you.”
“I love you,” I moan as I open the lid of the container. Then I drop on the bench and smell the fresh-baked goodness.
“Love you back,” she says. “Ares, do better. I didn’t hear that bed banging the wall for very long. Don’t leave my girl hanging or I’ll have to step in and make sure she’s satisfied.”
My eyes widen. Constance loves to stir Ares up. She does not have any kind of feelings for me other than friendship. But it never seems to fail to get on Ares’s nerves that she says she’ll steal me out from under him.
“Do you know how long it takes for a body to bleed out when it’s hung upside down… with the smallest cut to the throat right here?” Ares points to the side of his neck.
“No,” Constance tells him.
“I do,” he says, “but I’m more than willing to make sure my number is accurate. I just need a test subject.”
“Okay, Ares. Stop threatening my friend. And Constance, just… stop,” I groan.
When Constance leaves, laughing her way out the door, Ares turns to me. “What are your plans for today?”
“Um… I have two classes, and then I have to go to my dad’s office. What are you up to?”
“Skipping class this morning. I’m heading out to the distillery. I might be back late. Call me if you need anything.” He leans in and kisses my forehead. Then he steps back. “You good?”
It’s something he asks me daily. His way of checking in with where my mind is at.
I’ve learned to be honest with him. I think other than my therapist, who I still talk to at least once a week, Ares is the only person I’m truly honest with.
I trust him in a way I never thought I’d trust anyone.
I don’t lean on him to make me feel better, though.
That’s not his role. It took a lot of therapy for me to learn how to use other coping mechanisms and not make Ares my main mode of emotional regulation.
“I’m so good.” I smile at him. “Be safe. I love you.”
“Always love you, P. Call me if you need anything,” he says as he walks out of the apartment.
Taking my coffee, I sit on the sofa and look around. Sometimes I’m still in awe that this is my life. That I’m here and I’m happy. It’s not always this good. But when it is, it’s really good.