Epilogue
Everly
Julian and I are living together. I’ll be starting online college classes in the fall.
This isn’t the life I dreamed for myself, but somehow, it’s better.
Except I know how. Julian. He confessed to me that my perspective on being grateful for the shitty parts of life because they lead to the good parts made him question his own shitty life.
He carried some guilt over realizing he wouldn’t trade me and us if it meant Taya never died.
It made him question his moral compass and feel unworthy of our relationship.
He confided all that to Allie when he arrived in Southern California.
She told him that missing someone didn’t have to rob today of its joy.
That loving me didn’t mean he didn’t love Taya.
Allie really does give fairy godmother vibes.
Or at the least, she was a therapist in another life.
Everyone needs an Allie in their lives. And apparently Luke Ashley agrees.
Ashley asked Allie to oversee the string of fitness centers he planned to open in L.A.
, so she planned to relocate there, temporarily.
She asked Julian if he’d be willing to move into her place long term.
When I first came to Blue Lake, it was to finish high school.
I planned to go away to college and get as far away from Oak Valley as possible, but now, the thought of not being with Julian dimmed my world.
He asked Allie how she felt about me staying there with him, and she surprised us both when she said it sounded perfect.
“If ever two people completed each other more, I’ve never seen it.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Julian would fly to L.A. periodically to film content but would continue to run Fit and oversee Brew.
As part owner, he’d be able to make decisions and run things while Allie opened the Ashley clubs down south.
And it looked like Noah and Lilly wanted to rent the apartment at Brew and become the camp hosts for the summer.
That meant I could join Julian on his trips to L.A.
I’ve never looked forward to a summer more.
Today, we’re meeting Lilly and Noah at the cliffs to finally carry out our jump.
The air already feels thick with the promise of a three-digit scorcher.
True to form, the spring season in Blue Lake lasted two minutes and now summer is upon us in full force.
It means the lake water is warm though, which makes the idea of plunging more palatable—to me anyway.
Never a fan of the cold plunge trend no matter how healthy Julian repeatedly tells me it is.
“Okay, hoolie, today you graduate to local. You ready?” Lilly, already perched on the edge of the shale rock, calls out as we emerge from the trail.
Julian and I step up to the edge alongside Noah and Lilly. Julian takes my hand as Noah takes Lilly’s. Noah and Julian share a look over our heads.
“One, two . . .,” they count together. After ‘two,’ they hurl us off the ledge together.
The rush of the water encasing me takes my breath away. Our hands release as soon as we crash under the surface. The whoosh sound is replaced by bubbles as I propel myself toward the light above me and tilt my head back as I break through the surface, smoothing my hair back away from my face.
Julian materializes in front of me, swiping his hair back from his face and sluicing the water out of his eyes. He reaches out and pulls me to him, a wide grin spread across his face.
My legs wrap around him instinctively. Lilly and Noah are splashing and trying to dunk each other next to us.
Julian kisses me, lightly at first, then deeper, like the kiss has a mind of its own, prompting our friends to turn their splash attack on us.
Julian pulls us under to avoid the onslaught, and we swim for the shore.
We all plop onto the rocky bank, backs splayed on the warm flat shale to dry off. The sun bakes the droplets on our skin dry within moments.
“Guys, it’s going to be an epic summer.” And for the first time in my life, I don’t mean because of all the books I’ll get to read.
“Epic, indeed,” Julian says under his breath as he rolls himself half on top of me and plants a kiss on my sun-heated lips.
I reach up to pull on his neck, binding his lips harder to mine, tilting my head to deepen the kiss.
His tongue meets mine stroke for stroke.
“Get a room,” Lilly groans, arm flung over her eyes to shield them from the sun as much as our PDA.
“We did,” Julian retorts in an undertone between kisses.
***
Ifinish making the bed in the master suite and check the display on my phone.
Julian would be back any time now from his latest trip down south.
Allie insisted we make the place our home, starting with taking the master.
She said either of the guest rooms would be perfect for her when she flies home between stints in L.A.
Part of me wonders if she’ll soon be moving there to live with Ashley full time.
In my whole life, I’ve never seen Allie in a relationship or even date a man.
It’s special to see how well they complement each other.
I guess it’s true what they say: When you’re in love, you want the whole world to be too.
Julian leans on the doorway watching as I straighten and fluff pillows. “The bed looks so neat. I almost hate to mess it up.”
I jump at the sound of his voice. Then my stomach flips and my heart races. He’s home. “You wouldn’t,” I challenge.
He moves toward me, his gait unhurried. “Of course not. If you don’t want me to.” He closes in without touching me. “Don’t want me to?”
I feel his breath on my lips, my cheek, my ear, trailing down my neck.
His lips inches from skin but never making contact.
He sinks to his knees before me, and I collapse back onto the edge of the bed.
My legs refuse to support me when his breath hits my navel.
“I, uh, yeah.” I run my fingers through the buzzed hair at his nape and pull him to me.
His lips rest on my lower stomach just above the waistline of my cotton shorts.
At the contact, my head falls back, and my lids flutter closed.
“Yeah, don’t?” He teases, placing small kisses around my navel. His finger traces inside the waistband of my shorts.
“Ung, nooo. I . . . mmmean . . . mmm.” The throbbing in my groin clenches my thigh muscles. I want to pinch my knees together, but he’s filling the space between my legs. I squeeze his frame instead, clamping him to me.
His hands clasp under my knees and scoot my ass to the edge of the bed.
His finger trails from the waistband to the leg hem of my shorts, pulling them to the side, then he places a soft kiss over my panties at my center and rises from his knees, leaning over me and pressing me back onto the mattress.
As he hovers on top of me, somewhat on his side, he draws my panties aside and glides his finger softly along my opening and deep into me.
I clench my knees together then, unable to bear the intensity.
“You’re so wet,” he murmurs and plants tiny kisses on my lips between each word.
“I told you I missed you.” My response is breathy and rewarded with another finger.
The kiss that follows is deeper and leaves me panting. His fingers build tension until I’m lifting myself off the bed, inviting more. I reach for his wrist, trying to control the intensity, but his thumb and fingers know my body too well now.
“Easy, Ever. I got you. I missed you so much. Too much. Come for me?” He says it like a question.
But he knows the answer. Between his words and his hands, he knows how to make my body do exactly what he wants.
His finger crooks and hits the spot that rips a cry from my throat and contracts my muscles around his fingers.
The force of my orgasm squeezes my lids shut. I feel the tear run sideways down my cheek into my hairline. His hand freezes until the waves subside. With my lips still parted on heaving breaths, I open my eyes and find his pools of blue, dark with desire, watching me.
“Hi, sweet girl.”
“Hi, boyfriend.”
He leans his face toward my ear. “I love you, Everly Davis. I missed you so much.”
Another tear runs down my face sideways. Then another. “You already said that.” I try for levity as another tear tracks into my hair.
“Baby, don’t cry.” He kisses each tear.
“It’s okay. They’re happy tears.” I smile to make my point. “I love you too, Julian McKay.”
The doorbell disrupts our moment. We freeze, our faces mirroring each other’s thoughts. Can we just ignore it?
Rolling his eyes, Julian gets up, adjusts himself and heads downstairs to answer the door.
I stand up and pad over to the window that overlooks the driveway.
My heart stumbles when I see the red convertible with the personal plates, SYLVIED.
I want to hide upstairs and let Julian deal with her, but I also don’t want to start my new life with him a coward.
I fix my clothes, smooth down my hair and trek down the stairs.
Julian is facing the door with Sylvie just inside on the entryway tile, holding a basket of baked goods in his arms.
Sylvie sees me on the stairs and her words falter mid-sentence. “Oh, I didn’t realize you had company.” She sends me her saccharine smile and just as quickly dismisses me.
Julian clears his throat and says, “Actually, Sylvie, Everly lives here with me.”
“Like roommates?” She doesn’t hide the hopefulness in her question.
“As my girlfriend.”
I gain the confidence to step off the last stair at the pointed certainty of his response.
“Oh my gosh, homemade muffins?” I approach them and take the basket from Julian’s arms. “Sylvie, that’s beyond kind.
Thank you. Allie will be back in a couple days, so this will make the perfect breakfast over coffee.
I’ll make sure to tell her they came from you. ” I turn and aim toward the kitchen.
“Of course. Just a little housewarming for . . . you.”
As I disappear into the kitchen, I hear Julian thank her and impart some vague claims about settling in and making it ours.
I cringe on the word “ours” thinking it will just antagonize her.
And maybe that’s his goal, but I’d rather stay off any bully radar permanently.
Considering Julian does not have an intentional mean streak, I deduce he said it out of loyalty to me and our relationship.
That makes my heart trip in my chest. My pulse quickens, anticipating finishing what we started.
I come around the corner and collide with the wall of his chest—like the first day we met.
Catching my weight and steadying me with his arms, flexed and taut, he lifts me effortlessly off the ground.
My legs twine around his back as he tucks his forearms under my hips.
“Hi, pretty girl.”
“Hi, pretty boy.”
He quirks his eyebrow at the new nickname, one dimple winking at me.
“Care to finish what you started?” I push my bottom lip out in a fake pout.
“Yeah, I do.” He captures that lip in his and carries me up the stairs, his body not taxed even a little with the effort.