Epilogue
. . .
Busy was an understatement! Everything moved fast backstage.
People crossed in and out of different areas at turbo speed, making last-minute adjustments whether they were needed or not.
Every direction carried another conversation while stage managers barked instructions into headsets.
Music from the crowd outside vibrated faintly beneath my feet every time the stage lights changed.
I stood just off to the side of the main entrance with my tablet in hand, tracking time more than anything else while trying to make sure nobody lost their mind before showtime.
“Naomi got ten,” someone said while passing by me quickly.
“I know,” I replied without looking up. “She’s ready and in position. Make sure her mic is good before she steps out. We had issues during sound check earlier.”
They acknowledged what I said and kept moving.
I glanced toward the stage entrance where Naomi paced back and forth, bouncing on her toes, probably trying to burn her nerves off before stepping in front of thousands of people.
Her glam was flawless, but I knew her well enough to recognize the anxiety hiding underneath all that confidence.
“How’s my big sis?” I asked, stepping in front of her.
She let out one sharp breath before nodding quickly. “Sad it’s the final show, but I’m ready.”
“It’s the last show of the Stone Records tour. Your tour starts this summer. Just enjoy the moment.” I told her calmly. “Give them a taste of what to expect from the upcoming album."
Naomi looked at me for a second, something emotional passing across her face before she suddenly pulled me into a quick hug.
“Thank you for everything, Sibley,” she said quietly before pulling back. Then, almost immediately, her energy picked up again. “Okay, okay… let’s go.”
I laughed softly and watched her disappear toward the stage entrance before stepping back into motion myself. Someone intercepted me almost immediately after.
“Legacee wants to know if Kier is still going up after her set.”
“Probably, there’s no telling with him,” I replied, looking back down at my schedule. “We got Naomi, then Kaori. Five-minute transition and that’s it.”
I adjusted a few final things on my screen before locking my tablet and tucking it beneath my arm.
“Bossing people around as usual, I see.”
Kier’s voice came from behind me, low enough not to pull attention. I didn’t turn right away.
“Somebody has to.”
He stepped closer then, close enough for me to feel his presence before I fully looked at him.
Even after all this time, Kier still had a way of relaxing me without trying.
The chaos backstage continued around us.
People rushed by—dancers, you name it; they were there but standing near him made all of it fade just enough.
As always, it felt like it was just us two.
“You good, baby?” He asked.
I looked up at him and took a deep breath. I tugged on the chain resting against his chest, comforting myself by looking at the calm in his eyes. He carried his confidence so naturally that even the most intimidating moments felt manageable around him.
“I am. Just ready to get back to the villa and rest.”
When he pulled back, his hand slid down to my stomach naturally, resting there for a second longer than anywhere else.
My first instinct was to remove it, but I didn’t.
I wasn’t trying to hide it anymore. I finally understood there was nothing about us worth hiding, though I wanted to keep every special moment between us private as long as I could.
Kier rested his forehead against mine for a minute, then placed a kiss on it before he walked away. It was going to be a long night, but quick moments like this made it worthwhile.
Sunlight spilled across the bed in uneven streaks by the time I finally opened my eyes.
For a second, I forgot where I was. The sound of waves rolled faintly through the open balcony doors while warm air drifted through the villa.
The breeze prompted the curtains to stir slowly enough to make everything feel lazy.
My body felt heavy in the best way, completely relaxed against the cool sheets beneath me.
Then I noticed the time on the clock.
“Kier!” I pushed myself up quickly. “Why would you let me sleep this long?”
He answered with a low laugh before I spotted him. “I told you to relax.”
I turned toward the sitting area near the balcony where Kier sat stretched out comfortably with his laptop open in front of him. Basketball shorts hung low on his waist while nothing covered the rest of him. He looked entirely too calm for somebody who let me sleep half the day away.
“It’s almost four!” I stared at him in disbelief.
“And?” He asked without concern. “My son got you tired.”
“Oh my God.” I dropped back against the pillows, laughing despite myself. “You are so annoying.”
Kier smirked before finally closing his laptop and standing. “Happy anniversary, baby.”
That startled me. It almost felt unreal considering where we started.
I looked down at my left hand resting against the sheets, my ring catching sunlight every time I moved my fingers.
For a long time, I thought loving somebody meant constantly bracing yourself for disappointment.
Like happiness always came attached to anxiety, or waiting for the moment everything falls apart.
Kier crossed the room until he reached the bed, then sat near my legs, looking at me like he still couldn’t quite believe we’d made it either. I spent so much time trying to protect myself from him that I never realized loving Kier would eventually become the safest thing I’d ever done.
“You’ve been sleeping hard as hell,” he said, resting his hand against my thigh. “I told you, you should’ve stayed at the villa yesterday.”
“And let you run around, handling the last show by yourself?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
I shook my head, smiling. “You act like I can’t handle tour life now.”
“You can,” he replied calmly. “But you carrying my child, so now I gotta factor that into things.”
“Well, I’m well-rested now, and hungry, ready for the private dinner. But first,” I sat on my knees as my hands drifted down his chest, kissing his neck. “You wanna meet me in the shower?”
“Naw, Si.”
“Come on, baby! You’ve been so weird since I’ve been pregnant.”
“I don’t want to poke the lil nigga in the forehead or something.”
“Are you serious?!” I smacked him in the head, falling out laughing as I headed to the bathroom.
“What, Si?” He asked, trailing behind me into the bathroom.
“You are not going to poke the baby in the head!”
Turning the shower water on, I dropped my robe then got inside. Steam gathered quickly around the stone walls while warm water rolled down my skin in slow streams.
“Are you horny Mrs. Stone?”
“Gone, baby. I don’t want you in here if you’re gonna tease me.”
“You sure?” He asked.
Kier stepped fully beneath the water behind me, his chest warm against my back while droplets slid down the muscles of his stomach.
My nipples perked up when he planted a kiss on my shoulder. I felt his member poking my thigh while it hardened and rose.
”I love you,” he whispered into my ear, gently taking my earlobe into his mouth.
Lifting me from the ground, Kier pressed my back against the stone. The cold stone shocked my skin briefly before Kier’s body covered mine completely. His forearms tightened beneath my thighs while water sprayed across both of us from overhead.
We both froze for half a second after he entered me, adjusting to the feeling slowly. Kier dropped his forehead against mine while my fingers tightened around his shoulders instinctively.
“Fuck,” he whispered against my mouth while his grip flexed tighter around me.
“You still worried about the baby?” I teased him while he stroked me slowly.
“He’ll be aight.”
Kier sank his teeth into my shoulders while stroking me into oblivion. My fingers dug deeper into his shoulders while my body trembled against his.
I glanced down between us briefly. My stomach fluttered at the sight of Kier holding me so carefully while our child rested safely between everything we’d become.
Water slid down Kier’s back while his pace slowed, every stroke deliberate enough to make me feel it everywhere.
In and out.
Slower.
Deeper.
Kier held me in place, kissing me deeply as I pulsated around him.
“I love you, too.” I finally replied, looking into his eyes.
He traced his tongue to my breasts as he gently placed me back on the shower floor.
Kier turned me around, entering me from behind.
Steam thickened around us while water rolled down the wall beneath my palms, making everything feel slippery and overheated all at once.
Every stroke elicited another strained whimper from my throat while Kier’s grip tightened possessively against my hips.
Making love in Jamaica with my husband looking at me like I was still his favorite impulse, I realized something else too. I would choose him all over again. I stopped trying to be In His World once I realized I was his world.
Thank you for reading and spending time with these characters. If you enjoyed the journey, please consider leaving a fair and honest rating/review. Reviews help books find new readers, and every single one is appreciated more than you know.
The End