Epilogue
“Othella Enderson!” I stand up from my seat to my brother, Bruiser, and Noah hollering their delight in watching me cross the stage. The Dean of Education hands me my diploma, and I shake her hand.
It has been a wild month since my mother and Clyde were arrested.
If it weren’t for my brother’s testimony, we wouldn’t have been able to get Clyde on the past assault charges.
The tapes were missing. But even through all the drama, my grade point average didn’t drop one bit, and I graduated Summa Cum Laude.
That chapter of my life is now closed. Well, except on Tuesdays, when I go to my therapist with my brother to help us heal.
I’m glad that Noah is by my side, too. He wouldn’t let me go back to class, though.
Luckily, my professors allowed me to do online tests to finish out the semester.
It was like pulling teeth to get Noah to agree to come out here to Florida for my graduation.
I whittled him down with the promise of ocean sex.
My blow jobs—per him—are life-altering, and he couldn’t help but to cave.
As the dean finishes handing out the diplomas, and we are officially announced as graduates, Noah comes up to me and pulls me into him.
“How’s my ladybug?”
The warmth in his voice gets me every time. “I’m good. So damn good.” I turn in his arms and kiss him. His tongue duels with mine as the kiss turns passionate.
“Gross, get a room.” I laugh as I pull away from Noah to look at Hamlet. “One day you are going to fall in love, and it will be just like this.”
He grumbles that it will never happen and tells us he will see us back at the condo we are renting for the weekend. “He really is a big ole grump,” Noah remarks. I can’t help but continue to laugh. They are just alike.
When Hamlet found out that I was staying in Clover Trails, he transferred to a home office to stay with me.
He said we had too much time between us and that wasn’t going to work for him anymore.
Noah was glad to have him here, and we set up a routine.
On Mondays we eat at the diner for lunch, Tuesday we have therapy, Wednesdays is game night at Hamlet’s, Thursdays is dinner at my house with Noah, and Fridays is sports night.
The weekend is my alone time with Noah. It feels so good to have them both in my life.
Oh, and well, Bruiser is here too. He watches the house like a guard dog and I’m not sure why.
My thoughts are interrupted as Hamlet hugs me. “Go enjoy yourself. I’ll see you when we get back home.”
Noah and I walk hand in hand to his motorcycle.
Riding all the way to Florida with the wind in my hair was an experience, to say the least. One I can’t wait to repeat.
In fact, I think I’ve gotten approval from a few motorcyclists that are going to Sturgis this year to let us ride along.
That is, if Noah will want to. It’s my present to him.
We stop here and there to say hi to a few of my classmates, but I can tell Noah has something up his sleeve.
“You gonna marry me?” I blink at him as he settles the helmet on my head. With the visor still up, I can see him grinning.
“Don’t you think I should tell you I love you first before you ask me if I’m going to marry you?”
He looks at me and growls. “I know you love me, Othella, but yes, you are right.” He huffs and puts his visor down.
Taking his helmet off, I pull mine off as well. “I love you from now until eternity.” With him beaming a smile at me, I kiss him, knowing my future is a bright one.