Epilogue
Shawn
Three months later
I was spotting Mrs. Ashworth through her last set of leg presses when my phone buzzed in my pocket.
"Don't you dare check that," she said, her face red with exertion. "I'm paying you obscene amounts of money to focus on me, not your girlfriend."
"I would never do that," I said, grinning. "I’m not letting you get out of doing your last two reps."
She finished the set with a grunt. "There. Happy?"
"Ecstatic. You just added ten pounds to your max."
"Flattery will get you everywhere." She grabbed her towel, dabbing at her face. "Now check your phone before you vibrate out of your skin. I can see you're dying to."
I pulled it out. Email from Nicole with the subject line: YOU NEED TO SEE THIS.
I opened it to find a link to a New York Times article about small business marketing trends. And there, quoted as an expert, was Nicole Delaney, founder of Delaney Marketing Consultants.
Pride surged through me so hard I had to sit down on the bench next to Mrs. Ashworth.
"Good news?" she asked.
"My girlfriend just got quoted in the Times."
"The one who quit her fancy corporate job to go out on her own?" At my nod, she smiled. "Good for her. That takes guts. You should take her somewhere nice to celebrate."
"I plan to."
After Mrs. Ashworth left, I had back-to-back sessions with two CEOs and a Broadway actress, all of whom Tommy had connected me with. The Elite job had been everything that had been promised. Good pay, great clients, actual stability for the first time in years.
But the best part was finishing my day and knowing I was going home to Nicole.
Well, going to my shoebox apartment where Nicole had been spending most nights anyway. But still.
I was toweling off after my own workout when my phone rang. Nicole.
"Hey, baby. I saw the article. You're famous."
"I'm quoted once. That's not famous." But I could hear the smile in her voice. "Although David emailed me about it."
I stilled. "Your old boss David?"
"Yeah. He wanted to congratulate me." She paused. "And ask if I'd consider coming back."
My stomach dropped. "What did you say?"
"That I'd think about it. But Shawn, I already know the answer."
"You do?"
"I'm not going back. Three months ago, I would have jumped at that offer. But now?" Her voice softened. "I have six clients who trust me. I'm building something that actually matters. I'm making less money and working just as hard, but I love what I'm doing."
The relief that flooded through me was almost embarrassing. "You're sure?"
"I'm sure. I didn't leave to go back. I left to become someone different."
"Someone better," I said.
"Maybe. Or just someone more honest about what I actually want." Another pause. "Speaking of what I want, can we talk tonight? I have something I want to discuss."
"That sounds ominous."
"It's not. I promise. Just come over after work?"
"I'll be there."
***
WHEN I GOT TO HER PLACE that evening, she was wearing yoga pants and one of my old t-shirts that she'd stolen weeks ago. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and she had that slightly manic look she got when she'd been working on a campaign all day.
She was beautiful.
"So what did you want to talk about?" I asked, pulling her in for a kiss.
"Your lease is up next month."
"Yeah. I was going to start looking at places this weekend."
"What if you didn't have to look?" She bit her lip. "What if we found a place together? Something bigger than your studio. Something that's actually ours."
The suggestion should have sent me running. Six months ago, it would have. But now, thinking about waking up next to Nicole every morning in a place we'd chosen together?
"Yeah," I said. "Let's do it."
Her eyes widened. "Really? Just like that?"
"Just like that." I lifted her up, and her legs wrapped around my waist automatically. "You're surprised?"
"A little. I thought I'd have to convince you."
"Baby, you convinced me the night you showed up at my door and told me you'd quit your job. You convinced me when you chose yourself over what everyone else thought you should want." I carried her toward the bedroom. "You convinced me when you let me see the real you and didn't run away."
"I did run away. Multiple times."
"But you came back. That's what matters."
I set her on the bed, and she pulled me down with her. "I love you."
"I love you too." I kissed her, taking my time. "Now let me show you how I feel about moving in together."
"Shawn, we should probably talk about it more."
"Later." I was already pulling her shirt over her head. "Right now, I'm celebrating."
"Celebrating what?"
"The fact that the woman I love wants to build a life with me. That's worth celebrating."
She laughed, the sound bright and free, and pulled me down for another kiss.
Later, as we lay tangled together in her bed, she traced patterns on my chest.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked.
"How I ended up here. With you. In this life I didn't know I wanted."
"Regrets?"
"Not a single one." I kissed the top of her head. "Best decision I ever made was not lowering that music."
She laughed. "Best decision I ever made was knocking on your door instead of just calling the landlord."
"We're both pretty smart."
"We are." She propped herself up on one elbow to look at me. "Can I tell you something?"
"Anything."
"I'm really happy. Like, genuinely, stupidly happy. I didn't think I knew how to be this happy."
The admission made my chest ache in the best way. "Me too, baby. Me too."
My phone buzzed on the nightstand. I ignored it, but Nicole reached over and grabbed it.
"It's from Justin." She handed it to me. "You should read it."
I opened the message.
Mom would have liked her. Just thought you should know.
I stared at the words, feeling my throat tighten. Justin rarely mentioned our mom. The fact that he'd thought about her, thought about Nicole, thought about how they would have connected.
"What does it say?" Nicole asked softly.
I showed her, and her eyes got suspiciously bright.
"He really thinks that?"
"Yeah." I typed back quickly. Yeah. She would have.
His response came immediately. Happy for you, brother. You deserve this.
I set the phone down and pulled Nicole closer. She settled against me with a contented sigh, trusting and open in a way she never was with anyone else.
I did deserve this. We both did.
And I was going to spend the rest of my life making sure she knew it.
"Hey," she said, her voice sleepy. "Let’s go apartment hunting tomorrow."
"No, I want to take you out to dinner to celebrate that Times article."
"We can do both."
"Deal."
She yawned. "Love you."
"Love you too, baby."
I lay there listening to her breathe, thinking about how much had changed in six months. How a woman in a silk robe had shown up at my door ready to murder me, and somehow become the center of my entire world.