Epilogue
It’s Halloween, and the boys say they have something planned for me, but they won’t tell me what. So I’m standing in the bedroom of our new house, looking at the stupid ass costume Oakley said I should wear.
It’s a fox onesie.
He told me about the fox that forever changed the progression of his life, and now he says I’m his fox.
Every time the supply plane comes back with groceries, there’s some sort of new fox gift for me, and now I have foxes stacked up all around my room.
I also have books. Wyatt ordered me all kinds of books on psychology and sex and kink, and some smutty books too.
It’s hard to get things here, and very expensive.
I should know, I’m still trying to figure out how to get Huxley a dog.
I check my watch. Two minutes until I’m allowed to go downstairs.
I shift. I considered wearing a cocktail dress with the sparkly shoes that Wyatt had Manson import all the way here. If I had known he’d do that, I’d have told him not to bother, but now I feel like I have to wear them out of obligation.
Will they go with a fox onesie?
I snort, waffling back and forth until I decide to humor Oakley and wear the dumb outfit at the last minute.
My own embarrassment is worth the cost to do something Oakley clearly put effort into planning.
I mean, he had to ask Riley to shop for a fucking fox costume, and I have no doubt she made him pay dearly for that.
I also slip on a pair of comfortable sneakers.
The heels were never really me anyway. Although they’d make really good shoes to step on Wyatt with.
Full stop, the heels are definitely me. I smile, immediately planning the perfect moment to use them.
But now I need to go. As I head downstairs, it’s quiet.
For a moment, my gut twists, and I remember the last time I tried to meet up with someone—back in my regular life.
It feels like years ago, but for some reason it also feels like yesterday.
I get a quick moment of self-doubt. Did Oakley forget?
Am I going to look stupid for no reason?
I square my shoulders. It doesn’t matter if he forgot. I didn’t forget, and I still showed up for myself. Maybe I’ll eat that last pint of sherbet ice cream before Huxley can get to it.
When I round to the big open kitchen, I see he hasn’t forgotten at all, and in fact, there’s a whole room of people.
“Surprise!”
Oakley walks up to me and puts a big kiss on my mouth. He steps back, and I see he has a Peep shirt on. Wyatt’s system gives me a nod with a glint in his eyes. Behind them are Cali and Rachel’s crew, in various forms of costume.
The room explodes with noise, some wishing Happy Halloween, others just talking and grumbling. Oakley runs up to me, wrapping me in a hug, the stuffing of his costume bumping against me.
Overwhelming feelings fill me. Oakley didn’t forget. He set this all up—for me. My eyes well with tears.
“Wait,” Oakey grabs my face, pointing it up at him, the purple edges of his hair creeping out from his costume. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I sniffle back tears. “Nothing, I just…it was so quiet…I…”
“Did we scare you?”
“No,” I’m laughing now, and Wyatt is here, awkwardly joining the hug with a few back pats. Through the emotions, I chuckle. Wyatt clearly hates this shit, and yet he’s still out. Braving a party for me.
“You thought I forgot,” Oakley’s voice is quiet. I look up at him, a mixture of warmth and embarrassment in my gut.
“How could I ever forget you?” Oakley runs his finger over my cheek. “My lucky number 14.”
I smile, and rowdy sounds from the room distract us. Cali’s three men are dressed as…cheerleaders? And Cali is brandishing a bowl of candy corn at them with a Ghostface mask. They back away like she has a weapon while Rachel, dressed like a chicken nugget, looks on and laughs.
I can’t help but smile.
Then Wyatt is there, quiet as ever, running his hands over my shoulder and squeezing. “Are they being too loud? I can kill them if they’re being too loud.”
I snort and elbow him. “Not on my new floors.”
“Oh. Right.”
Wyatt let me help design the house, and I’ve found a new passion in designing.
Or maybe it’s not the designing itself, but the creation of a home with everyone.
My fingerprints are all over this house, and when I’m long gone, my influence will still be here.
The home I created with my…family will be here.
We join the party, eating food and tossing insults at each other.
Soon, the insult-tossing becomes popcorn-tossing, and there are cries of outrage as popcorn bounces off foreheads.
Somehow, a vibrating butt plug is being thrown, and Sawyer and Miles end up wrestling on the floor.
My family blends right in with the others—aggressive, loyal, violent out of necessity.
Safe. It’s not perfect, but what family ever is?
At some point, Wyatt gets a call. It’s loud in the room, so he steps out, and when he comes back in, his face is solemn.
“What?” I ask, turning to him immediately.
He looks hesitant, which makes me put the Peep down that I was going to shove down Oakley’s shirt. “What is it?”
Oakley turns now too, his attention on us.
Wyatt meets our gazes. “Someone wants to buy the island.”
“The island?” I frown. “We live here now.”
“Not this island.” Wyatt looks like he doesn’t want to say, and immediately, I know what he’s talking about.
The Villa.
“Okay,” I say softly. Maybe if they buy it, they can restore it to its natural beauty.
“No, Holli, they want to take over.”
I don’t get it. Oakley grabs my hand. Slowly, the pieces fall together as I meet Wyatt’s dark gaze, and my stomach clenches, familiar cold creeping through my body.
“They want to start a new game.”
The End