Epilogue
Airlie Beach, Australia
Fourteen months later…
(Three months before the big day)
TRAVIS
"I don't care where you get them from. Fly 'em in if you have to. I've got a reputation to maintain."
I listen to the breathless, slightly panicked voice coming at me at a million miles an hour through the phone's speaker.
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Not good enough," I say when they're done listing their reasons.
I'm not being unreasonable in my request, am I?
I just want a naked butler (or four), someone with circus skills (preferably fire breathing and sword swallowing), and a band that can play the shit out of some reggae classics.
Is that really too much to ask?
As much as I hate to admit it, maybe my brothers had a point when they suggested we should have hired a wedding planner.
But like I explained to Luca, no one throws a better party than me, and I am dead set on making my wedding reception the biggest, most legendary celebration in Airlie Beach history, an event so unforgettable it will be talked about for years to come.
Groomzilla? Who me?
No.
Well…
Yeah, okay. Maybe a little. But fuck it. After everything Luca and I have endured—it's amazing there's even a wedding reception to plan—I can't help only wanting the best for our big day.
The agent tells me he'll expand his search and see if he can procure talent from down south.
"Good. Fly 'em in from Sydney or Melbourne, wherever. I don't care what it costs. Just get me the best." I refrain from saying well-endowed male butlers and big-breasted female butlers since I already specified that on the preference sheet. In all caps. And underlined. "Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Great. Thanks. Bye."
I hang up and let out a noise of frustration. Luca enters the kitchen, grinning. "More wedding problems, benzinho?"
"No," I shoot back defensively.
Luca really wanted us to hire a wedding planner, but in the end, I won out. Rafael even offered to cover the costs. I refused since he's already paying for the wedding, and that's not even the point.
It's not about who's footing the bill. This is about me putting on an epic party. My final hurrah to singlehood, but more importantly, marking the arrival of an awesome new chapter of my life—my happily-ever-after era.
Luca comes up behind me and slides his hands around my waist, pressing his cheek against the back of my shoulder. "Can I at least do something?"
"Show up on the day."
He pinches my nipple.
"Ow."
"I'm serious. You won't let me do anything. I can organize the photographer. Or catering. Or, I don't know, be in charge of decorations. Something."
I spin around. "Nope. I have it all under control. I assure you." I grab hold of his cock and play with it through his board shorts. "But I'm sure I can put you to use in other ways…"
"Boys." We break apart as Rafael enters the kitchen. "Sorry," he says, his cheeks starting to flush. "Don't mind me. Just came in to get some water."
"No worries." I drag a hand through my hair and let out a long breath.
Don't get me wrong. I love Rafael. I love that he's working with me on setting up my oyster farm. And I love that he's moved to Australia permanently and is living with us while he builds a small cottage on the land.
But Jesus fucking Christ, getting some alone time with Luca is proving near impossible. We've had to resort to quick hand jobs in the shower, and even then we have to hurry because our hot water system is playing up, and we don't want to use up all the hot water.
He and Luca exchange a few words in Portuguese. Funnily enough, the only phrase I pick up is pigheaded. I wonder who on earth they could possibly be talking about.
"Want to head off in ten minutes?" I ask Rafael.
He nods, finishes filling up his gigantic steel bottle from the ceramic water filter, then heads out. "I'll wait out front."
"No need for that smirk, thank you very much," I say.
He stops. His smirk grows. "I saw what I saw."
Once he's outside, Luca whispers. "We can't seem to catch a break, can we?"
"No. Later tonight? In bed?"
Luca, as always, shakes his head when I suggest that.
I get it. His dad is in the next room, the walls are paper thin, and my hand job game is out of this world. That's not a great combo. Can't exactly expect the guy to stay quiet, now can I?
"Maybe in the shower tonight?" he counters. "Super quick."
"Sure." I make a move toward the door.
"Sorry about this," Luca says.
I swivel around. "Don't be. It's a momentary inconvenience in what's going to be a lifetime of glorious sex."
"Your voice carries, Travis," Rafael calls from the front porch.
That's followed by footsteps and the sound of a car door shutting. He's decided to wait for me in the car. Smart man.
I take a step closer to Luca. "I'm so happy your dad has moved to Australia."
"So am I. Thank you for letting him build a house here."
"Nothing to thank me for. I insisted, if you remember?"
"I do."
I wouldn't want Rafael living anywhere else. My heart belongs to my family, and Luca's father is my family.
"This has become our Big Dream, right?"
Luca smiles. "It has. And I love it. I couldn't be any happier."
"I'd refrain from saying that until after our wedding night. I have got some sexy stuff planned for you, boyo."
"Oh, do you now?"
Somehow, we've ended up together again, our hard cocks straining against each other through the fabric of our board shorts.
"You have no idea."
We start making out like horny teenagers.
Sure, I wish we had the opportunity to fuck in our own home for hours on end, but Rafael is almost done with his cottage. He'll be out of the spare room and in his own place in two, three weeks tops. Luca and I will be able to make up for lost time then.
Besides, I can wait.
I went without during Luca's ninety-day rehab stint, and I managed to survive.
The important thing is we're together.
Luca is healthy and doing well with his recovery—four hundred and eleven days and counting.
And we're getting married in three months.
If the price for all that is a delayed orgasm or two, then it's one I'm willing to pay.
One month later…
LUCA
"Mmm. You have no idea how much I've been wanting to do this," I murmur.
Travis and I are sprawled out on the bed, naked, stroking.
We moved the last of Dad's things out this morning so this is the first night we’ve had together alone in our house in six freaking months.
Don't get me wrong. I love my father, and I am beyond thrilled he's relocated to Australia and is working with Travis, but I severely underestimated the impact being under the same roof as him would have on my sex life.
But that's over.
Behind us.
Now we can focus on the task at hand…so to speak.
"I've been looking forward to us being together for hours on end," Travis rasps. "Like, no sleep tonight. Just this and kissing and coming and pec play on an endless loop."
"Sounds like heaven, benzinho."
I let out a loud moan.
Because I can.
Because I'm not worried about my father in the room next door overhearing things no parent should ever overhear.
Travis pushes my hand off my dick and takes over. I close my eyes, feeling a warm wave of pleasure pulse through me.
I've changed a lot since we faced off in the grand final almost a year and a half ago.
For one thing, I no longer feel ashamed of my sex life. I enjoy the things that I enjoy. What other people think about that is none of my business.
What matters is how I feel. And I feel good about it. I'm a solosexual, and I can say the word out loud and proudly now.
I'm incredibly lucky to have found a partner who shares the same likes, and I’m truly confident that he's just as satisfied and into our sex life as I am. When he tells me this is what he wants or says that I'm beautiful and that I'm more than he had ever hoped to find in a partner, I believe him.
I really do.
And that's largely due to the work I did while I was in rehab. I extended my original thirty days by two months because I was finally ready to do the work.
And let me tell you, it was hard. There's a reason I'd avoided doing it for all of my adult life.
But it's been worth it.
I'm finally free from shame about my sexuality.
I've forgiven Ashley and made peace with her decision not to raise me. It wasn't a personal rejection, but something she did at her family's behest and because, let's face it, she was a teenager completely unprepared for raising a child. She didn't want to fall pregnant, and she could have made a different decision. But she didn't. So instead of feeling bad or rejected or like there was something wrong with me, I'm grateful to her for the very fact that I even exist.
All my embarrassment about my father is gone. So is the guilt. And that shifted before he announced he'd be relocating to Australia. My father's life isn't something to look down on or belittle, it's something to admire. He has values and principles that most people don't. He's loving. Smart. And a dedicated parent who raised me by himself. That makes him a superhero, and that's how I see him now.
And who knows, maybe one day he'll be a superhero granddad?
Because yeah, Travis and I have started talking lately about having kids. I'd like to finish my studies first—I've enrolled to study physiotherapy because I'd like to do something that helps people—and Travis wants to get his business to a point where it's stable, but it's something that's definitely in our future.
But for now, all I need to be focusing on is the present.
I reposition myself and straddle Travis, holding both hard cocks in my hand when…
"Knock, knock!" A loud voice calls out. "I'm assuming you're naked and fucking so please address both of those issues and then get your asses out here."
"Fucking Troy," Travis hisses and gets off the bed. "And where are our bloody boardies? How is it that we keep losing them?"
"You throw them too far," I answer, joining him in the search.
"I get excited."
I chuckle. "Excited is good. But just drop them on the floor." I retrieve my pair from the curtain rail. I start putting them on and say, "Yours are behind the chair in the corner."
"Thanks."
He slides them up his legs—leaving the top of his crack exposed—and you know what, I do the same. It's a small way of feeling a little more 'Aussie.' And honestly, a bit of breeze on the northern section of your crack is actually quite nice. Highly recommend it.
"Why are you bugging us?" Travis asks once we're in the living room.
Troy's eyes dance between me and his brother. "So you were having sex."
"Of course we were," Travis shoots back with a cocky smile. "It's the first night we had the place to ourselves. And since we're both pretty keen to get back to having sex, what the fuck do you want?"
I hide my smile.
This whole thing is pretty funny. Between my dad, Troy, Kaide, Terry, Richie, Anderson, Blake, and Khloe, this fifty-acre parcel of land sometimes feels as crowded as sharing a single house.
Not that I mind.
I never envisioned my post-kitesurfing life looking like this. Studying. Living on acreage. Surrounded by people.
But you know what? Sometimes the greatest joy in life comes from things you never planned, things you never even dreamed of.
"Came to drop this off." Troy leaves the room, and when he returns, he's carrying a box that's as big as he is.
"Ah, that'd be the cardboard cutout of me and Luca for the wedding. Gee, that came fast. I only ordered it last week."
"You got a cardboard cutout of us?" I ask as Troy snickers and mutters, "Of course you did."
"Of course I did," Travis answers me. "We are never going to look this hot again, so I wanted to rub it in everyone's faces."
"Well, as long as you're doing it for the right reasons," I reply dryly.
"We need to figure out what to do with the bloody couriers. They always drop everything off at mine and Kaide's place."
"Hey, you guys chose that spot to build on. Not my fault it's the closest to the road."
"Or that the couriers around here are lazy," I add with a grin. "Or that Richie signed us all up for Amazon Prime."
Troy grumbles and leaves to let us 'get back to it,' and we do.
We don't stay up to see the sun rise, but it's after two by the time we're ready to use the bed for sleeping in.
"Are you happy, Luca?" Travis asks, stroking the side of my face.
"More than I thought possible."
"I'm so proud of you. It must be hard, but you're taking it one day at a time and doing so well."
"Thank you." It is hard, but apart from one or two times early on, I've never felt the pull to take something. Now that I've addressed the root causes, the need isn't there anymore. "And I'm so proud of you. You did it. You achieved your Big Dream."
"Yeah, I did."
"Is it everything you hoped it would be?"
"No, baby." He smiles. "It's a million times better."
Two months later…
Travis and Luca's wedding
TRAVIS
"I'm shitting a brick," I tell my brothers and their partners.
"Why?" Terry asks. "You literally saw Luca ten minutes ago so you know he's going to show up."
"It's not that." I take in my reflection in the full-length mirror, and damn…I look really good.
I spin around to face everyone.
I'm getting ready at Terry's place with my side of the fam, while Luca's at ours with his dad and all his relatives who have flown in from Brazil.
"What is it then?" Troy asks.
"It's…it's the bigness of it, you know? I know it's just a piece of paper and an epic party"—everything has come together perfectly, and the reception is going to be something truly epic—"but it means something more. You know?"
Troy, Terry, Kaide, and Richie all nod knowingly since I'm not the first King brother to be getting married.
In fact, I'm the last.
Troy and Kaide pissed off and did the tacky Vegas thing. It was pre-planned, but they were still drunk as farts. It's not my cup of tea, but it's what they wanted, so good on 'em. They were with a mate who recorded the whole thing. The Elvis impersonator did a great job. A dead ringer.
And Terry and Richie got hitched in New York. Not exactly the first place that pops into your head when you think of a destination wedding, but the city means something to them. So we all flew over, and it was a really nice wedding.
Luca and I decided we wanted to do something on our home turf. We're not even going away for a honeymoon because I didn't want a honeymoon for a week or ten days, I want it for the rest of my life.
And this is it for me, my Big Dream is now my life, and I want my life to be fucking awesome.
Kaide opens a champagne bottle with a loud pop and fills three flutes. "To Trav and Luca."
We clink our glasses and everyone repeats, "To Trav and Luca."
"But especially to you, Trav," Troy adds. "The best big brother in the world."
"Here, here," Terry chimes in.
"Aw, you guys… Keep going."
We laugh, and I'm stoked to be getting ready with these guys who I love so much. Because life hasn't just panned out well for me and Luca, everyone is killing it, too.
Terry landed a job at a posh school we've jokingly nicknamed Airlie Heights. He loves teaching and helping kids, and we're all so fucking proud of him.
Richie's first book of poems sold well enough to land him a three-book deal.
Kaide is still running his agency, including trialing a pilot program with the federal government to better support those experiencing domestic violence.
And in a twist no one saw coming, Troy works in childcare with Kaide's sister Vonny. Yep, the angsty, hates the world and everyone in it middle brother is now changing diapers and reading fairy tales. Turns out, all those years of secret hospital visits made him want to do something with kids.
And me?
I'm getting my oyster farm business off the ground. Rafael is a huge help, but it's also nice to see him living his dream, too. It's something he's always wanted to do, and now he is—as my business partner. Next step is to find him someone to settle down with.
We went back out on tour for another year to fulfill our contractual obligation and get the cash needed to buy this place. But Troy and Terry were just going through the motions, busy making plans and setting themselves up for what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives.
But not me.
I used what I knew would be my final year on the pro circuit to do the one thing I needed to do. The one thing that had eluded me the previous eight years.
Winning that goddam championship.
Because yeah, Luca beat me in the final. By a fraction of a point. Can you believe it?
It was crushing, but since he had to leave for rehab a few days later, I got over it real fucking fast.
He didn't rejoin the tour the following year. He said his focus needed to be on his recovery. He moved in with his father in Brazil, and once the land was bought and we'd built our home, they both came out here.
Troy and Terry got eliminated in the semis, but I made it all the way, finally overcoming my eight-year curse to finish my career with a bang.
I've got my trophy proudly displayed on the mantel next to Luca's.
Well, I always edge it out so it's slightly in front of his…until he walks past and pushes his trophy forward because he can be just as silly and immature as I can.
In terms of the layout of the land, Troy and Kaide live in the house closest to the street, a position chosen for its proximity to the water and because Troy is a freak who loves having sandy floors—they help him feel like he's living his beach house fantasy
Terry and Richie chose a spot near the far end of the property. It's quiet and secluded, which suits them both.
Rafael's claimed a spot by the dam.
And Luca and I built our place on the highest section of land, naturally, since I quite enjoy being the king of the castle. We overlook the town of Airlie Beach and the Pacific Ocean.
We got two swinging chairs installed on the front porch, and we spend our evenings out there, sitting and talking and taking in the majestic North Queensland sunset.
Everyone continues getting dressed when Terry asks, "Have you got your something old, something borrowed, something… Wait." He frowns. "You know what I mean. Have you got it all sorted?"
I pat him on the shoulder. "I do, mate." I pull out the gold chain Mom gave me when she got here. "I'm wearing my something new."
We progressed from a WhatsApp chat to seeing each other every few months. She moved to Sydney, and we take turns going to visit her.
This is her first time back in Airlie since…everything went down. I could see it in her face that it was tough for her to be back here, but she's said she wants to be there for us, and she's backing up her words with actions.
I'm happy to report that she's healthy, she's completely off all medication, and she's getting her life back. The Tim matter appears to be firmly closed and behind all of us, thank fuck.
Dad, on the other hand… Haven't heard shit from him after our blow up in Hawaii. The official word is he's 'on a spiritual journey' somewhere in Northern Thailand. Fuck knows if that's true or just something he fed to the media.
I still hold a space for him to be in our lives, but not until he does some actual soul searching and gives us the answers we're entitled to. Being a parent doesn't give you an automatic right to treat your kids however you want and not expect to be held accountable.
I'm not holding my breath. He's the most stubborn and proud man I know, so dealing with the consequences of his actions isn't likely to be high on his priority list.
"I've got my something new." I pull out a piece of paper from the inside pocket of my jacket and smile warmly at my best friend. After years and years and years of nagging, he finally let me read one of his poems before anyone else. This is one he wrote specifically for today.
"Something borrowed." I hike up my pants to reveal one (clean) sock from Troy on my left foot and another clean sock from Terry on my right.
"What about something blue?" Troy asks, helping Kaide adjust his tie.
"That'd be my balls."
Everyone stops what they're doing and turns to face me.
I shrug. "Luca went all traditional on me this week. Reckoned it'd be bad luck to have sex before the wedding, so maaaate, my balls are fucking cerulean."
"That's so fucking gross," Richie says with a shake of his head, and I laugh because, yeah, it really is.
Once we're ready and have taken the obligatory group selfies, we head down to the dam, where we've installed a huge rotunda. Everyone's already there, including Luca.
I break away from the pack and jog over to him. "Holy fuck," I say, taking him in in his tailored charcoal tuxedo that hugs his frame to perfection. "How has it taken me this many years to put a ring on it?"
"Good fucking question."
He smiles, leans in to kiss me, then pulls back, no doubt suddenly remembering his self-imposed no intimacy rule.
"Let's get this show underway," I say, clapping my hands.
"Nervous I'll run away?" he teases with a grin.
"Nah. The quicker we get started, the quicker I get to kiss you."
"Awww, benzinho. You really are a sweetheart."
"Yeah. I am."
The ceremony itself is short, simple, and straight to the point. I get my kiss with Luca fifteen minutes later.
And then it's time for the main event—the party!
The band's playing a golden lineup of classic reggae songs, well-endowed naked butlers are scurrying around ensuring everyone's cups are running over, and a couple of performers who toured with Cirque Du Soleil will put on a show a little later.
But you know what?
Despite putting months of effort into this party, the only thing I'm interested in is being with the man I'm currently dancing with.
"Can you believe we're married?" he asks.
"I always knew."
"Knew what?"
"When you were waiting for me that first night on the beach in France, I knew I'd marry you someday."
"Bullshit."
"It's true. I could tell you were different."
"Uh, yeah. I low-key hated you."
"Exactly. Who does that?"
He throws his head back and laughs.
We keep dancing until someone taps on my shoulder. I spin around. "Ando, you made it!"
"We did. Sorry we're late. We've had the flight from hell."
"It's all good. I'm just glad you're here."
I look over his shoulder, and he smiles. "Yeah, she's here, too."
"And Blake?" Luca asks.
"Yep. He's over there talking to Kaide."
"Cool. So glad the three of you made it," Luca says with a massive smile.
If you thought our lives couldn't get any more tangled and, uh, interesting, here's one final twist for ya. Ando hooked up with Blake, one of the men who works for Kaide's security agency. They started off as fuck buddies before becoming an item.
One night, at some star-studded event in LA, they met a stunning woman, Khloe, who they ended up hooking up with together since they're both bi. A one-night stand with her led to a series of hookups and eventually, they made things official and became a throuple.
Terry and Richie were in LA for some book signing thing, and Terry got to talking with Khloe…and guess who Khloe is?
None other than our fucking half sister!
A serendipitous aligning of the stars did what the agency Terry hired to find our half sibling wasn't able to.
So now we have three more people to add to the King crew.
We move to the stage that's been erected and watch a dazzling performance that combines fire breathing, acrobatics, and burlesque.
Luca takes my hand in his and gives it a firm press. He smiles, and it sends my heart spinning.
How did I ever get this lucky?
"I love you," I whisper.
His smile broadens. "I love you, too, benzinho."
I look around and see everyone's excited faces as the troupe performs, and the love I have for everyone and everything in my life expands.
Not getting what you were hoping for hurts. It stung missing out on the title for the eighth year running. But it ignited an even bigger fire in my belly, and I came back and claimed it in my ninth.
Having a fucked-up childhood sucks, but it's made my brothers and me stronger, more loving, and more determined than ever to make sure we never repeat the mistakes that were made with us.
Yo-yoing with Luca for years was hard, but it's made us both appreciate what we have so much more. I'll never take something like sobriety for granted again after seeing the hell Luca went through to get his, and I'll always do my best to be honest and open with him since communication really is the key to a healthy relationship.
Looking back, I don't regret any of it because all of it—the ups and downs, the highs and lows—led me to where I am today.
Married to the man of my dreams.
Doing a job I love.
Living in paradise.
Surrounded by family and friends.
In a way, I guess you could say I'm kind of like that fisherman in the story with the businessman….just with more money and a bigger dick.
THE END