Epilogue - One Year Later
The water rained down over Spencer’s head and chest, his hands pressed against the tile. Guests would arrive in less than an hour for the party, but as Spencer felt Nicole enter into the space, they became the furthest thing from his mind. And when she pressed her breasts against his back, rubbing her hands over his chest, his mind went blank.
“People will start showing up soon,” he reminded her. Although he had no leg to stand on with his hands betraying him, guiding her touch along his body.
“We have time,” she assured, kissing the inside of his shoulder.
“Do we?”
“Well, that depends on you,” she said, her hand traveling south.
“On me?”
She nodded, kissing her way to his neck. Her knuckles running over his hardness. “On how fast you can fill me with your cum.”
“What if it’s not that fast?”
“The longer our guests have to wait outside.”
She stroked him until he was at his full length and ready to explode. Turning him to her, Nicole’s hands pressed against his chest. Their eyes locked onto each other as he hitched one of her legs onto his hip, giving him the leverage he needed to slip into her.
Their decision to ditch condoms came after Nicole got an IUD, and their first round of tests came back that they were safe. After that, sex was no longer something they had to plan for or think about .
It was spontaneous. Spontaneous like a buying a pool table so Spencer could bend Nicole over it and have his way with her. As spontaneous as Nicole’s decision to hop inside Spencer’s shower and his need to be inside of her.
They had sex regularly over the past year, but Spencer still couldn’t get enough of taking Nicole to bed. He could be surrounded by a thousand women who all looked and sounded just like her, and it wouldn’t have mattered. They would all be lacking the one quality that made her perfect in his eyes: her imperfections.
There was no part of her Spencer would change. He loved her for her flaws, not in spite of them. Maybe because they were his flaws too.
“You take my cock so good,” he breathed out, pushing into her harder. She whimpered when he reached a particularly sensitive spot in the center of her body. His hips rocked back and forth. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Her hands clutched the back of his head as she met him halfway. “That’s it, baby. Ride me. Take what you need.”
He gripped at her hips as she bucked into him again. Her fingers ran through his fade as her hips pumped harder. Nicole bit her bottom lip to stifle another cry.
Spencer leaned forward as he licked and sucked on her nipples, teasing them until they hardened like pebbles under his teeth. Nicole threw her head back, releasing a deep moan. The water continued to fall onto their bodies, muffling their desperate sounds from leaving their sanctuary.
Her walls clenched tight around him, making him groan in pleasure as he thrust again and again. “Oh my God,” he moaned. He lifted his head off her chest, staring down at her with a heated look in his eyes. “How I love watching you like this.”
It was Spencer’s favorite view of her. Nicole, not inside her head. Not questioning herself as she let go of some of her control. Trusting him to know how to please her. The look of unbridled pleasure when he did. It was a gift he cherished and was determined to earn again and again.
Her fingers slid at the nape of his neck, tugging him closer. His hands moved from her hips, grabbing a handful of her ass as he guided her. This was a song and dance they knew well. With the next part being their favorite encore.
Nicole wrapped her legs around his waist, and he hoisted her up, pushing her against the tile. She kissed him hungrily, moaning into his mouth as her pussy throbbed. “Fuck me. Fuck yourself right there,” she commanded, biting down on his bottom lip.
Spencer obliged her request, pounding himself inside of her. His fingers dug into her thighs as he took her harder. Their breaths mingled, growing heavy as their hearts beat as one.
Nicole arched her back and pressed herself closer to him until he groaned. He pulled away from her mouth to bury his nose against the side of her throat. Feeling it when she said, “God, I love you. Let me cum for you.”
The words beckoned Spencer on. With a jerk, he drove himself deeper inside her, pushing Nicole higher up the tile. Her shower cap acting as a barrier between her hair and the wet hard surface. His hips met hers as she rode him with her eyes closed, lost in their moment of bliss.
A low rumble escaped his chest as his own release grew nearer. He kissed his way from her neck to her jaw. Stopping at her lips to grunt, “When you withhold like this, you think you’re torturing me, and you are.” She giggled, the sweet sound she only shared with him. “But you’re not being very kind to yourself. Cum for me. I’m right there with you. Give yourself permission to cum for me. Show me how much you love it, Nicole. ”
Her name on his tongue was the last thing she heard before her orgasm washed over her. Nicole’s body trembled as her mouth fell open. Her fingers dug into the back of his shoulders as she rode his hard length into her soul. “Fuck, Spence, that’s so good.”
That did him in. Her name fell from off his lips as he spilled into her, filling her with a warmth that he hoped she felt everywhere. Their bodies shuddered in unison, joined together by their shared euphoria.
Spencer held her afterward, breathing in her scent, savoring every inch of her body. “This will never get old. I won’t ever get enough of you.”
“It’s only been a year, Spence. Tell me that when we hit 5.”
“Oh, I plan to. Then again, when we hit 50.”
Nicole laughed, kissing his neck. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. We’ve got a long way to go, buddy.”
“I know we do, but we’ll make it. We love each other too much not to.”
“You think we’ll still be this obsessed with each other in the future?”
“No.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “We’ll be more. At least, I will.”
“I will, too,” she assured. “You don’t have to doubt that.”
Spencer couldn’t take his eyes off the incredible woman that he still wasn’t sure how he got to love him. This wasn’t the right place or second to ask what he spent the entire year wanting to, but he couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Marry me.”
Nicole’s eyebrows raised before she succumbed to a laugh, expecting him to join in. But Spencer wouldn’t cover for himself. He was serious. When Nicole noticed, she stopped.
“Marry me,” he repeated, confident this time.
She touched his face and met his eyes. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I love you. ”
“You do realize those two things are connected?”
Nicole rolled her eyes, her smile returning. “You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t. Explain it to me.”
“I’ve been engaged seven times, got married to six. Out of the eight men, I only loved one of them. Marriage doesn’t represent love or loyalty to me. Not when all of mine was built on power, control, and a game of which person had them.”
“I get that. I do, but our marriage would be different. We’ll be on equal ground.”
“I know we would, but I like what we have. You’ve been more of a partner to me than any husband I’ve ever had. I don’t want to mess with that.”
Spencer nodded, not fighting her decision. Nicole still must have picked up on his disappointment. “Spencer, I once thought I would never fall in love. Then you came into my life and changed my mind. I’m not saying never to marriage. I’m saying if I do it again, I want to do it with my whole heart in love with the idea. I’m not going to do it to please you or because I feel like I have to.”
She put her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. “I understand if I’m asking too much from you. Having me as your girlfriend comes with built in sacrifices like kids. I get it if this is one sacrifice too many.”
Spencer stopped her from continuing to spew nonsense by kissing her. Nicole responded fervently, her hands caressing his face. When they broke, he told her, “There’s not a sacrifice in the world worth losing you over.”
“Are you sure?”
“Marriage and kids would serve as welcome bonuses, but they’re not essentials. Nicole Taylor, you’re it for me. Anything that could drive you away isn’t worth the risk.”
Her eyes shined at him. “Ring or no ring. You’re it for me too, Spencer Shaw.”
* * *
Nicole and Spencer’s open-space living room was overtaken by their clans. They were there to celebrate Nessa’s 7th birthday. A lot had changed in a year.
Spencer sold The Shaw Agency to a son of a former client of his father’s. Apparently, Neal helped reunite father and son with the case he worked. Spencer had better offers, but history couldn’t be beat and he took the man’s offer.
The money, along with his part-time teaching assistant salary, was putting him through school. Spencer was working hard to earn the necessary requirements to have a classroom of his own one day. Nicole was proud of him for finding his dream and working to live it.
She did the same thing every day with Taylor For You Event Planning. The business had grown ever since Nessa’s birthday party. Parents of her classmates wanted her to be responsible for their kids’ parties and paid top-dollar to get it.
Another big change was Spencer and Nicole buying a place together. Their previous two-bedroom apartments turned into a one three bedroom. One for them, one for Nessa, and a guest room anytime Melanie, Maya, or any of their loved ones wanted to crash.
Nessa was still staying with Spencer, with no plans to change that arrangement in the works. Melanie received her one-year sober chip three months ago, but her sobriety was still a line she was balancing. It worked for all parties involved, that Nessa stayed with Spencer. With Nessa staying with Melanie at her apartment on the weekends.
“Do you need any help with that, darling?” Rayna asked Nicole as she lifted the sheet cake from the kitchen counter.
“I got it. You did enough by making it. ”
“My grandbaby says she wants a ding dong cake for her birthday, I’ll bake it myself with no complaints.”
Nicole understood Rayna meant that, as evidenced by her making Maya a red velvet cake for her birthday without prompt. Seeing her boyfriend’s mother take a vested interest in her daughter was unexpected. But it felt good seeing the two bond. Maya always wanted a grandma, and Rayna liked having another grandchild to spoil. She never expected her to enter their lives when she was 24, but Rayna spoiled her anyway.
Nicole set the cake down on the table, liking how cozy this birthday felt compared to the last. With so many changes happening this year, Nessa opted for a quieter birthday just with her family. They were happy to oblige her.
“Alright.” Spencer clapped, getting everyone to look at him. “Melanie will be here with Nessa at any minute. Put on the cones.”
Everyone, including Nicole, groaned as Spencer handed out the cone-shaped party hats.
“Do we have to?” Lawrence asked. “I’ll look ridiculous in this.”
“I don’t see a problem,” Spencer replied, earning a gentle punch into his shoulder by his friend.
Nicole put hers on first, and Spencer rewarded her with a smile. “Follow Nicole’s lead, everyone. Model yourselves after her.”
“That has to be the first time someone has ever said that about her,” Kennedy teased. Maya shushed her, but the jab was a big hit for everyone in the room. They all knew about Nicole’s past.
It was out in the open. There was no one Nicole needed to hide it from. It was refreshing even after a year. Nicole wouldn’t share her past with just anyone, but she was happy with the selective group of people who knew. They were becoming more and more like family each day.
Maya caught her mom’s eye and smiled. This was the normalcy her daughter always wanted. Nicole was sorry it took this long to give it to her, but she was trying. They both were.
They started attending therapy sessions together almost a year ago. The sessions weren’t easy. It was hard for Nicole to hear some of things shared in them, but not as hard as it must have been for Maya to say them. Part of her being a better mom was listening and taking accountability for the mistakes she’d made.
Nicole had a long way to go, but she was making strides. Maya and her relationship was as healthy as it had ever been. That was because they were finally being honest with each other, including themselves. They would never be the Gilmore Girls, but they were the Taylor Women, and that was better.
“Wait, was that a car door?” Maya asked, stopping the party like a record scratching.
They quieted and waited, then heard the second door shut. “See! Put the hats on,” Spencer directed. This time, Rayna, Maya, Kennedy, and Lawrence listened.
They gathered near the front of the door with birthday blowouts in hand. When the door opened, Spencer held Nicole’s waist, wearing the hats and big smiles.
“Surprise!” everyone shouted, their horns blaring.
Nessa jumped in shock, stepping back into Melanie’s frame. “Mom, you said we were going to go to Chuck-E-Cheese.”
“Baby, that was a little white lie.”
“Keep lying to me every year for my birthday and I’m going to grow up with trust issues.”
Melanie smiled, squeezing Nessa’s shoulders with a hug. “We’re sorry, honey. We thought you might enjoy this better. Did we think right?”
“Yes!” Nessa nodded confidently. “I didn’t want to say it, but Chuck-E-Cheese would have been too baby-ish for me. ”
“Told you,” Spencer gloated away from Melanie’s line of hearing.
She rolled her eyes, having caught it. “Good to know. We won’t have anymore of those. Okay, babe? Now, enjoy.”
Nessa didn’t hesitate, running into the room, her arms flailing. She stopped to hug her guests, but gave the biggest hug of all to Uncle Spencer. Nicole felt her heart swell.
The love he had for that little girl helped make her fall for him and what cemented her love for Spencer. The way he would read her stories every night and play tea parties with her. Or how he was her biggest cheerleader in the audience during her award ceremonies at school. His unconditional love for her. It was the same way he loved Nicole every day since he made his promise to her.
Spencer walked Nessa toward the dining table, hand in hand. Everyone met them at the table. As Melanie lit the candles and Nessa closed her eyes to make a wish. Nicole joined Spencer’s side. He wrapped an arm around her waist, his beautiful smile growing brighter with her near.
Nicole couldn’t take her eyes off of him, not when he was looking at her like she hung the moon. He squeezed her waist, leaning closer.
“You know my wish?” he asked, whispering into her ear.
She shook her head, but she could take a guess.
“It’s the same one I make every day,” he admitted, kissing her temple. “I wish for a future with you.”
Nicole turned her head to catch his lips with hers. Marriage and kids may not have been in their cards, but she knew without a doubt they were building a life together. A home. One built on love. One Nicole knew would survive the test of time.
“Funny,” she said, her smile matching his. “That’s my wish too.”