Epilogue
Three months later
Karter looked around her apartment one last time. It was bittersweet. It was the first place she’d lived on her own, and after three years, she was leaving it. She’d decided to move in with Creed. To take their relationship to the next step and live together.
She’d sold some of her furniture, but Creed was determined to incorporate as much of it as possible into his house, or well, their house now. He wanted her to feel as if she lived there and wasn’t just visiting for a long time.
They’d finished moving all her things the day before, and she came back to clean, do a final walkthrough, and turn her keys in.
Creed volunteered to come with her and help her clean, but she wanted to give him a break since he’d done most of the heavy lifting along with her father and Nico while she watched.
After one last look, she closed the door and went to the front office. She’d given them notice thirty days ago, so she just needed to sign the termination and give them her keys.
When she had, she left, stopping to get some tacos, chips, and queso. It was almost two o’clock, and she hadn’t eaten since that morning. Once she had the food, she continued home.
Pulling in behind Creed’s truck, she grabbed her purse and the bag of food and got out.
She went to the front door and raised her hand to knock, stopping short.
She’d gotten into the habit of knocking and then using her key to let herself in after Creed gave it to her.
Now, she would have to get out of the habit of knocking.
Karter unlocked the door and walked inside, placing her keys and purse on the table by the door. She looked into the living room and found Creed sitting on the couch, flipping through channels.
“Hey,” she greeted.
“Hey, Kaere. Did you get everything done?”
“Yeah, I did.” She walked over and sat beside him, placing the food bag on the table.
“It would have gone by faster if you had let me come with you.”
“You did enough yesterday. Besides, it didn’t take long. Most of it was just me staring at the walls, recalling memories.” She opened the bag, taking the food out. “I brought you some food. I figured you probably hadn’t eaten yet.”
“Thank you, baby.”
As they ate, they watched the end of a Michael Jai White film. Karter enjoyed watching him in action movies.
When the movie was over, she took their takeout containers into the kitchen and threw them away. She had plenty of things she needed to unpack, put away, and find places for, but after packing and moving everything over the last two days, she honestly didn’t feel like it.
She knew she at least needed to unpack her clothes.
For the past couple of days, she’d just been taking them out of her suitcase or the boxes they were packed in.
Karter decided to unpack a few boxes and finish the rest the following day.
She didn’t want to leave boxes around Creed’s. ..their house for too long.
She entered the bedroom, grabbed one of the boxes, pulled it over to the bed, and opened it. She sat on the floor in front of it and began unpacking the shorts inside, placing them on the bed. Karter had been unpacking for ten minutes before Creed walked into the bedroom.
“You should have asked me to help you, baby,” he stated, grabbing another box and putting it beside the bed. He sat on the floor in front of her.
“I’m only going to do a few boxes today. So, it wouldn’t have taken too long.”
“Abe and Clint are having their opening next weekend. Do you want to go?”
“Yeah, that sounds like fun.”
For the next hour, they unpacked boxes and put things where they were supposed to go. When they finished, they went back into the living room to watch a movie together.
As they sat on the couch, and she snuggled into his side, Karter felt different. They’d sat in this position several times, but now it wasn’t as one of them visiting the other. Now they were living together, a new step in their relationship, and Karter couldn’t help but smile.
Ravage sat leaning against the back of the bathtub with Karter between his legs.
They’d gotten out of the shower ten minutes ago, and she asked him to relax in a bubble bath with her.
He ran his hand over her abdomen under the water as she circled his left knee with her finger.
It was quiet between them, and they sat in the comfortable silence.
A year ago, he hadn’t imagined himself there, dating Karter, let alone living with her. Not because he didn’t want to, but because he wasn’t sure if he had manned up and told her how he felt, she would accept his feelings. He was glad he finally did. Glad that he’d stopped holding himself back.
When he’d given her a house key for Christmas and told her it could be the only one she used when she was ready, he wasn’t sure when and if she’d decide to move in with him.
However, he was prepared for it if she decided she wanted to.
So, he’d been happy when she told him at the beginning of the month that she gave her apartment complex written notice that she was moving out.
Ravage was more than ready to live with Karter, prepared to take this next step in their relationship, but he’d been willing to wait until she was ready.
She laid her head back against his shoulder, and Ravage ran his other hand up and down her thigh. She let out a small sigh.
“I’m going to enjoy soaking in the tub whenever I want. It’s bigger than the one at the apartment,” she told him.
“You could have before you moved in.”
“Yeah, that’s true, but now I’ll already be here.”
Ravage leaned down and kissed her shoulder. “Yes, you will.”
They sat in the tub until the water ran cold and the bubbles dissipated. Karter pulled the plug, and Ravage got out, grabbed a towel, and helped her out. He wrapped it around her before grabbing one for himself.
Once they were in the bedroom, dressed and in bed, Ravage pulled her to him. She laid her head on his chest, and he wrapped an arm around her. Reaching up, he turned off the lamp.
“Goodnight, Kaere.”
“Goodnight, baby.”
As Ravage closed his eyes, he figured by this time next year, he could say goodnight to her as more than just the woman he loved, more than the waitress who stole his heart. He’d be saying goodnight to her as his wife.
He wasn’t sure they’d be here now if she hadn’t come to work for him, or if he’d still be keeping his feelings to himself if he hadn’t hired her.
What Ravage did know was that he wouldn’t be this happy if he hadn’t taken that first step.
If he hadn’t thrown caution to the wind and bet on love in the storeroom of Purgatory.