Epilogue #2
Rizzo climbed to his feet, and Evan and CJ walked him to the front door, laughing as Rizzo continued to protest. Before leaving, he pulled CJ into a quick hug, then wrapped Evan in one too.
“Love you guys,” he mumbled sleepily.
“Drive safe,” Evan said, ignoring the sudden warmth in his chest.
Rizzo saluted lazily and shuffled down the walkway toward his truck. A minute later, his taillights disappeared down the street, and Evan closed the door behind him, still smiling.
After Rizzo left, the first thing Evan noticed was the quiet.
Not complete silence, but enough that they could clearly hear the dog barking down the street and the faint hum of traffic that drifted in from streets far enough away to turn it into white noise.
But it was quiet in the ways that mattered.
With no neighbors stomping overhead, no elevator dinging loudly, no loud music blaring into the hallway. Just silence, in their space.
CJ stood at the kitchen island with both hands braced on the butcher block, staring out at the open space of the family room like he still didn’t quite believe it was theirs.
“It still feels fake,” he said quietly.
“Yeah,” Evan agreed. He pulled open the fridge and grabbed two bottles of water, tossing one to CJ before opening his.
“You know what the weirdest thing is?” CJ asked.
“What?”
“We’re, like, actually building a life together.” CJ looked around again, a soft smile on his face that Evan had learned meant he was feeling something he couldn’t quite name. “That’s insane.”
Evan stayed silent long enough that CJ glanced over at him.
“What?”
Evan realized he was staring, and he shook his head. “Nothing.”
“Liar.” CJ walked over to him, and the kitchen light glinted off the silver chain around his neck. “You’ve been looking at me weird all night.”
Evan smiled. “Just thinking.”
“About?” CJ stepped closer.
Evan considered the question. How did he explain that he’d spent years mourning something he’d thought was gone forever?
That he’d built walls so high he’d convinced himself he preferred to be alone?
How did he explain that CJ had somehow broken them all down?
That loving him had always been easy. That losing him had nearly broken him.
That them finding their way back to each other had saved him.
In the end, he gave the simplest answer. “You.”
“Yeah?” CJ’s expression softened, and he leaned forward and kissed him, slow and gentle and certain. When they finally pulled apart, CJ rested his forehead against Evan’s, pulling back when Evan laughed softly. “What?”
Evan stepped away, and his heart pounded as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small velvet box he’d been carrying for a week.
For a moment, CJ just stared, then his eyes widened. “Evan…”
Evan swallowed hard and kept his head down. “I had this whole speech planned.”
CJ laughed shakily. “Of course you did.”
“It was good too.”
“I’m sure it was,” CJ assured him.
“But now I can’t remember any of it.”
CJ’s eyes were already shining when Evan looked up, and the sight nearly undid him. He took a breath and dropped to one knee, and CJ inhaled sharply.
“Evan,” CJ whispered.
“I spent seven years thinking I hated you,” Evan said quietly. “Then you were traded to San Diego.”
A watery laugh escaped CJ.
“And it turned out I never hated you at all.” Evan shook his head. “I was angry and hurt. Embarrassed that after everything, after all those years, I still loved you.”
CJ squeezed his eyes shut for a second.
“I fought it,” Evan continued. “God, I fought it. But every conversation, every look, every time you smiled at me like you remembered who we used to be reminded me how much I loved you.”
“Evan…” CJ reached out his hand, and Evan grabbed it.
“But the thing is, I didn’t just fall back in love with the guy I knew in college.
” Evan cleared his throat. “I fell in love with the man you became. The one who kept showing up and trying even when I gave him every reason not to. The one who apologizes when he needs to, makes me laugh when I need to, and who loves me so openly that sometimes I still don’t know what to do with it. ”
He opened the velvet box. “I want Sunday mornings drinking coffee in our kitchen. I want arguments about paint colors and vacations and whose turn it is to call the plumber. I want every holiday and every bad day and every ordinary Tuesday.”
CJ swiped at his eyes and let out a wet laugh before covering his mouth with his hand.
“I want all the years we lost,” Evan whispered.
“And every year after that. You were the first person I ever loved, CJ. And somehow, after everything, you became the person I trust most in the world. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that you’re it for me.
You always have been. And I know we’ve only been back together for a few months, so this is probably too soon, but I don’t care.
You have always been home to me, and I want every version of the future with you. ”
Evan removed the ring from the box and held the simple silver band up to CJ. “Will you marry me?”
CJ stared at him for exactly two seconds as more tears spilled down his cheeks. Then he laughed and nodded so aggressively Evan worried he might hurt himself.
“Yes,” CJ answered.
“Yes?” Evan needed to make sure he’d heard correctly.
“Yes, you idiot.”
Relief crashed through Evan so hard he nearly fell over. CJ dropped to his knees in front of him before Evan could stand, and Evan slid the ring on his finger, then CJ grabbed his face with both hands.
“Yes,” he said again, voice breaking. “Always yes.”
Evan kissed him before he could say anything else, and through the tears and laughter and the ring box still clutched in his hand, the world narrowed to the only thing that had ever really mattered.
CJ.
Forever.