EPILOGUE 2

2.5 years later

ajay

I was laughing by the time Nick staggered through the front door of our brand new house, trying not to wiggle lest he drop me on the doormat. Hardly auspicious for our very first step inside our brand new house.

The house that my clever man had built for us.

"There," Nick announced proudly as he finally righted us, holding me in his arms like I weighed nothing. "Welcome home, baby."

Those words burst to life in my chest as I squeezed Nick's neck tight, bringing his mouth down to mine to claim a kiss. I could hardly believe that we were finally back here, back on the South Coast and about to embark on the next stage of our life together.

It had been a whirlwind to get here.

And it had all started with that accidental forced meeting in a stuck elevator with Jeff Jones, head of the record label where I had been working for the past two and a bit years, and ending with a handshake deal that brought to life mine and Nick's dream of opening our own recording studio back in Esperance. Where it had all begun for us.

I'd only started talking to stave off the awkwardness of being stuck in a lift for over half an hour but Jeff Jones had seen my vision, had loved my idea of running this studio retreat where musicians and artists could write and record on location, in our own little idyllic piece of the coast.

That fateful elevator ride was the reason we were now just a week away from our very first booking, Jeff's backing the soul reason why we'd been able to fast-track our plans by about ten years. My old guitar tutor, Drew Beatty, had signed on too and we now had a group of four investors plus the very powerful name of Jeff Jones' record label making this dream our reality.

The hardest part had been finding this amazing block of land where Nick and I wanted to live our life together on the coast. The timing had been amazing, this acre block coming onto the market the very week we had started our search. It was a short five minute walk from the beach, tucked into the banks of the estuary and enveloped by the leafy green hinterland. I could not have imagined a more perfect location in my wildest dreams.

The other hard part had been watching Nick travel back and forth between Sydney and Espy while I stayed behind to finish my music degree. Nick had put enough miles on the road in our short lifetime together to power an entire village. Mateo's uncle, Dante, had drawn up the architectural plans for us and Nick had contracted his old boss, Brad, to work on the build meaning he had been back working alongside Rob once again. I knew how much he had loved his time out here on the build site.

"Okay you can put me down now," I garbled into Nick's mouth where his tongue was making it hard to speak.

"I don't think so, baby," he smirked, arms tightening around me as his mouth skated along my jawline. "We have to christen every surface first. It's tradition."

"I don't know which culture you're from but that's the first I'm hearing of this," I laughed.

"We should start with the hallway here," he added, walking a few steps until my ass landed on the hall table. He shifted my legs until he was between them and I wrapped my ankles around his body.

"And then what?" I asked, smoothing my fingers through his long hair as it came loose from the leather band.

"Then we move into the lounge room," he grinned. "The bar looks nice and sturdy. Then we have the sofa, the dining table and the kitchen – "

"That sounds a little unhygienic," I cut in.

"Hmm?" he returned, eyebrow raised. "That never stopped you letting me fuck you on the kitchen benchtop back in our Sydney apartment."

"I know but this space downstairs is meant to be a shared space with our clients and artists," I pointed out, gesturing to the wide expanse of the lower floor. It looked like a miniature resort with its lofty pointed ceiling which was clad with wooden beams, large windows that looked out over the estuary and the cute bar in the corner we had already stocked with our favourite beverages.

"Exactly. So we better get busy before everyone else arrives," Nick grinned, wriggling his eyebrows at me.

"That sounds like the best idea you've ever had, Nicky," I agreed, digging my heels into his lower back and pushing him closer to my body. He didn't hesitate, hands sliding down to my hips, drawing me in as he ground up against me, mouth back on mine as I moaned into his kiss.

I might not have heard of this tradition before, and I was pretty sure Nick had just made it up, but I sure liked the sound of it.

NICK

T here was something about seeing Ajay so thoroughly wrecked by my own handiwork that I never tired of. The way he lay there, eyes closed with a look of pure bliss and contentment on that picture perfect face, that innocence shining through that we all now knew was entirely a myth. One I'd exposed many, many times over.

"I'm constantly amazed by how much I love you," I murmured, hands stroking his flat stomach and watching as his deep brown eyes opened with a smile.

"I'm not," he grinned back. "I knew you were my first and last the moment I laid eyes on you."

"First and only," I growled, leaning down to nip his neck.

"Only one who ever mattered at least," he returned, gasping when I bit harder.

"First and only man ," I reiterated, obviously needing to spell things out for my sometimes infuriating better half.

"I can give you that," Ajay replied, making me grin against his neck where I'd left a nice purple mark. Good. I needed everyone to know this pretty boy was mine and I was not above marking him up to make it known.

"What time is everyone getting here tomorrow?" I asked, lounging back on the sofa and threading my fingers through his soft curls.

"Well, Rob will turn up whenever it suits him best so probably when we're in the middle of sex true to form. Dane and Dee are driving down from Sydney and should be here in the afternoon. And Jamie and Mateo don't fly in until tomorrow sometime so they'll be late in the evening is my guess."

"I can't wait to see them," I said. "It's been ages."

"Yeah. Over a year?"

"About that," I agreed. I was so thrilled to see how well Mateo had been going over in the States, his face regularly popping up on billboards and gracing the pages of glossy fashion magazines. I was beyond happy for my best friend.

But as well as his career had taken off since his international move, I was even more pleased to see that he had found the love he deserved in Jamie. It wasn't many guys who had been able to look past the fa?ade of Mateo's looks and see who he really was underneath all that, a complicated, slightly damaged guy who just needed someone to love him. I hadn't been that person for Mateo but I was so glad that he and Jamie had found each other.

***

"Are all the guest rooms ready?" Ajay asked, face flushed and those gorgeous curls all mussed as he raced about the house getting all the last minute stuff organised.

"Everything's ready, baby," I assured him, grabbing hold of his wrist as he breezed past me. He fought for me all of half a second before exhaling out a deep breath and letting me pull him into a hug.

"I feel like I'm forgetting something."

"That's because you're a perfectionist, sweet," I told him, pressing him back against the bar and kissing along his neck. "Everything's organised, everything's ready. Now, will you let me help you relax a little?"

"What do you have in mind?" Ajay asked, peeking up at me from underneath those long lashes.

"You know, we never made it to christening the bar yesterday," I smirked, grasping his thighs and hauling him up onto the bar top.

"True," he grinned, leaning back on his elbows, putting his tempting body on display for me.

"You really are everything," I groaned, leaning down to kiss along the sliver of skin above the waistband of his jeans. I kissed lower, mouthing along the growing bulge beneath his jeans, grinning as he let out a soft moan.

Ding dong .

"Fucking hell, Rob," Ajay groaned, tipping his head back in exasperation. I could only laugh, Rob's impeccable timing coming through once again. I pressed a kiss to Ajay's groin and then went to answer the front door where my bestie was leaning up against the door jam, a smirk on his face.

"Not interrupting anything I hope," he grinned, wagging his eyebrows at me.

"Yes, you are," Ajay called from the other room. "Come back in ten minutes."

"But I was invited," Rob grinned, ignoring Ajay and stepping into the entryway, duffel bag in hand.

"Good to see you, mate," I said, pulling Rob into a one-armed man hug. "No Kat?"

"Ah," Rob grimaced while I hid a smile. "Not sure whether she'll be here or not."

"Had another fight?" I guessed.

"Something like that," he groaned. "Such an infuriating, bloody marvellous woman she is."

"Got you hooked something fierce, huh?" I laughed, nudging him with my shoulder.

"Something fierce," he agreed with a sigh.

I let Rob inside, letting him leave his bag in the upstairs room Ajay had assigned him. Rob took his time inspecting all the surfaces, commenting on the excellent paint job and finishes. Rob hadn't seen the final product yet so it was with no small amount of pride that I let him gush over everything. I was endlessly thrilled about how this place had turned out, the first build I had project managed on my own. It had definitely helped having Brad's experience and Rob's attention to detail and cheerful optimism on my side too as I'd wanted to make everything perfect for Ajay.

We came back downstairs just in time to see Ajay opening the front door for Dee and Dane, both of them just as excited about seeing the place they had heard so much about for the first time as I stepped forward to hug my younger brother.

Three down. Two to go.

jamie

"H ey, beautiful," I said, gently nudging Mateo's shoulder. "We're here."

"What? Already?" Mateo murmured, swiping at his eyes and yawning. Even tired and exhausted after a twenty-four flight from New York to Sydney he was still the most beautiful thing on the planet.

"Yes, already," I grinned, not sure how he'd missed the three hour drive down to Esperance from the airport. Especially after Glen Akers had sprung an upgrade from business to first class on us, a gift for his number one client. But jetlag was real and even fully reclined first class beds and service to match could not stave that off.

"I can't believe we're finally back home," Mateo said, glancing out of the dark window to the beautiful new home that was lit up under glowing lights.

It had been a long time since we had last set foot on this part of the world and I couldn't deny I missed it. I couldn't wait to drive over to Sorrento tomorrow, go see my old stomping ground. We would go visit Bill and Kelly too and I couldn't wait to see Cooper and Molly again, not to mention their brand new baby, Luna. I knew I was going to be clucky as all hell when I finally got to inhale that brand new baby smell. Maybe this time I could convince Mateo it was time for one of our own. I had a feeling that wouldn't be as hard a sell as he would probably make out.

"You ready for this?" I asked, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his temple.

"Yeah," he replied, looking back at me with that special smile I knew was just for me. I kissed him again, properly this time, and then rushed to open his door for him before he could. We didn't have a car back home so it had been a while, unless you counted all the Uber and Lyft rides. He rolled his eyes at me while I grinned at him and he stepped out onto the long driveway, the first time we'd been back on the South Coast in over a year.

I popped the trunk on the hire car and pulled out Mateo's supersize suitcase and my more modest half size case and rolled them up the driveway.

I knotted our fingers together and then pressed on the doorbell of this fairly impressive looking building that I knew Nick and Rob had built. It was in a beautiful spot just south of Espy, the estuary to our left and the leafy hinterland rising steadily beyond the house. Dante had been responsible for the design and he had done an amazing job, the whole space textured with wood and stone and glass and lit up everywhere under soft lights.

Ajay was the first at the door, his eyes brightening when he saw us there on his doorstep.

"Jamie! Mateo!" he trilled. "We're so glad you could come."

Nick was at his side a second later, pulling Mateo into a deep hug while Ajay did the same to me before we all swapped partners. Rob was there next and it was hugs all around as we all stood in the welcoming entryway, big grins on everyone's faces.

"M, you look like a movie star," Ajay gushed. Mateo flushed but I had to agree with his friend's assessment, pride in my eyes as I looked over at him in those designer leather pants that highlighted the curves of his ass and cupped his package in a way that ensured my eyes were always a little preoccupied. He paired it with a purple shirt that he left unbuttoned at the top where his gold chain and the St Christopher pendant he always wore could be seen. Mouthwatering. Every inch of him.

"And I see you're still subscribing to long hair life," Nick grinned, taking in the length of Mateo's hair. He'd grown it out in the years since we'd been in New York, no longer afraid of what his parents would have to say about a man with long hair. He always kept it tied back in a low ponytail or a top knot but I had to agree I liked the new look on him a lot.

"You sold me on its merits," Mateo said with a shrug.

"It certainly has its benefits," Ajay said with an unexpected smirk and the two of us shared a knowing grin. Because I had to agree with that. Long hair certainly had its benefits.

"I'll let you cash those benefits in later," Nick returned with a wink at his boyfriend.

"Yes okay, we all know you're getting sex later," Rob said with an eyeroll worthy of Mateo. "No need to brag in front of your less fortunate friends."

"What's that about less fortunate friends?" came a female voice from behind us and we all turned to see Kat standing in the open doorway, an amused smile on her face.

"Kat, my dearest," Rob trilled, face lighting up. "You came after all."

"Turns out maybe I like you more than I realised," she said with a graceful shrug.

"Stop toying with me, kitty kat. You love me madly just like I love you," Rob returned with a pout as he stepped towards his on-again off-again girlfriend and ran an arm around her waist. It had been exhausting keeping up with Rob's love life in the years we had been away.

"Maybe," she shrugged and Rob's face broke into a grin. "Just as long as you know we are never getting married. I don't believe in that bullshit."

"Darling I will happily live in sin with you for the rest of your life if you'll let me," Rob returned. Kat just smiled at him and Rob dipped her into a deep kiss while Nick cheered in the background.

"What was that you were saying about less fortunate friends?" Mateo grinned as Rob set Kat back on her feet.

"I don't know what you're talking about, mate," Rob returned, clapping Mateo on the shoulder.

"Now that everyone's here do we finally get that tour?" we heard from the living room as Nick's younger brother, Dane and his girlfriend, Dee, came into view.

"You made everyone wait for us?" I asked.

"Absolutely. We're only doing this the one time," Nick grinned, wrapping his arm around Ajay. "We wanted everyone here for it."

***

The place was incredible, like a resort but on a miniature scale. Nick and Ajay took turns talking us through the site, stopping first at the three villas where visitors would stay. They were luxurious and beautifully styled and Mateo and I smiled at each other when the boys told us they'd saved the first stay in the villa for us given we wouldn't all fit in the house.

I couldn't say I would mind having a little space for ourselves.

We wound our way past the beautiful pool which was lit up with underwater pool lights that made the space look magical. It was all very impressive but nothing was more impressive than the studio which had been built into what looked like a barn, complete with big sliding doors to open up the space to the elements.

"This is where the big bucks went," Nick explained, hand threaded with Ajay's as we stepped into the large practice space which included a variety of instruments and technical sound equipment.

"All funded with the investors' money," Ajay added.

"How does that work?" I asked.

"Well, it all started to get a little complicated so we ended up subdividing the land. Nick and I hold title over the land with the house while this section and the villas is owned by us and our four investors in a split of shares."

"Sounds complex," Mateo replied.

"So complex," Nick muttered. "But Ajay's happy and that's all that matters to me."

"Thank you, Nicky," Ajay smiled sweetly, pressing a kiss to Nick's cheek and threading a finger through a lock of his long hair.

The soundproof recording studio was incredible, all state of the art equipment that Ajay was clearly ecstatic over as we all stepped into the space.

"Listen to the acoustics in here," Nick stated, tapping on his phone until a song I recognised started playing through the speakers.

"Seriously, Nick," Ajay eyerolled, sharing a soft smile with his boyfriend.

"What, baby? You think I'm not going to use every single opportunity to show off your song?" Nick returned.

"Wait. What?" Mateo asked. "Isn't this by Judas Styx?"

"Yes but that harmony line is sung by none other than Ajay Olivier as is the guitar track," Nick announced proudly.

"Wow, serious?" Mateo said, nodding appreciatively at Ajay. "That's amazing. You've got some serious talent, kid." Mateo nudged Ajay with his elbow and the two of them smiled at each other. It had been really nice seeing the friendship between Mateo and Ajay blossom over the years, especially after the way it had started. Whenever Nick called to say hello it always ended with Mateo and Ajay chatting for ages afterwards. I liked it because Mateo could talk fashion and music with Ajay in a way I didn't get so both Nick and I encouraged their closeness.

"We've even heard this song get airtime in the States," I added.

"Judas is going places for sure. We actually have him booked in next week as our very first client to record the rest of his album," Ajay said, the enthusiasm clear in his voice.

"Can't wait to hear it," Mateo replied. "I love this song."

"At least this is not as embarrassing as the time we first heard it playing in Paddy's," Ajay said, sharing another grin with Nick.

"Hey, that was awesome," Nick replied.

"What, you jumping up onto a table and yelling out to the entire pub that it was my song?" Ajay chided.

"How many free drinks did you get after Terry turned up the volume and we had the entire bar singing along?" Nick returned pointedly.

"Enough to have me unsteady on my feet," Ajay laughed.

"Unsteady," Nick scoffed. "Baby I had to carry you home."

"Well what's the point of all these muscles if not to carry your boyfriend home," Ajay chided, using the opportunity to squeeze Nick's biceps as they grinned at each other.

***

"So, how are you finding life in New York?" Ajay asked as we sat back around the oversized, curved modular sofa in the living room of the house. Rob and Kat were sitting up in the kitchen with Dee and Dane, sharing a laugh and a bottle of wine. Nick had pulled Ajay onto his lap while Mateo sat down beside me, leaning in when I ran my arm around his shoulders.

"It's going great," I replied. "We've settled in to our new apartment pretty well. You'll have to come out and visit again."

"It's not as impressive as Glen's apartment," Mateo added. "But it's ours and we love it."

"We'd love to come visit again," Nick agreed. "Although Glen's apartment was pretty amazing."

"Burberry pays well but not that well," Mateo smiled. "But our apartment is closer to the station where Jamie works and it's in an area with loads of nightlife and great restaurants."

"Sounds awesome," Ajay enthused.

"Lucky I have a supermodel to fund my lifestyle," I added, squeezing Mateo's shoulder. "Not sure what I'd have been able to afford on just a paramedics wage."

"Always aim high," Nick nodded sagely while Ajay laughed.

"I certainly did that," I agreed, nipping Mateo's neck in that spot he loved.

"Hey, just because we're on holidays does not change the rules," Mateo chided, shifting away from me.

"What rules?" Ajay asked.

I groaned. "The no marking rule." Nick barked out an impromptu laugh before schooling his features but not before he shared a sympathetic grimace with me.

"No marking?" Ajay questioned.

"No hickeys, no love bites, no scratches, no marks of a sexual nature," I recited with a heavy sigh.

"It's really not that hard to not bite someone," Mateo eyerolled.

"It really is," I disagreed. "You know what I'm saying," I added, eyes on Nick who could only laugh.

"I so do," he agreed, grazing his fingers over the very obvious purple mark on Ajay's neck.

"Must be a top thing," Ajay added innocently, sharing a smile with Mateo which was anything but innocent while Nick and I both barked out another laugh.

"Anyway, someone often needs reminding about that particular rule," Mateo added, eyeing me significantly.

"You're never going to let me forget that are you, darling?" I returned, bopping him on the nose which he scrunched back at me.

"Now that sounds like a story," Ajay said, looking between the two of us.

Mateo eyed me again and I sighed dramatically. "I just wanted to mark him up one time," I groaned. "I was prepared to beg for it too. So we checked his modelling schedule and it looked like we were in the clear. We thought it was the Burberry trench coat shoot the next day so Mateo relented as long as it was somewhere less … visible."

"It was not the Burberry trench coat shoot," Mateo added pointedly.

"Nope. Glen had the schedule mixed up and it was actually the launch of a swimwear line," I said, not able to hide the grin on my face.

"What happened?" Ajay asked.

"The shoot was delayed half an hour while the director recalled the makeup team to cover up the very obvious mark someone had so courteously left on me," Mateo huffed.

"Where was the mark?" Ajay asked.

Mateo went to spill the beans before I cut him off. "Let's leave some things to the imagination." Mateo glanced at me, the dark expression on his face giving way to that smile I loved so dearly as Ajay and Nick laughed at our unfortunate timing.

"And in case you're wondering," I added, "No, I have absolutely zero regrets."

MATEO

I t was Ajay who noticed first. I'd volunteered to help him with the wine glasses behind the bar and we'd been chatting about clothes and the loads of free samples I'd brought over for him in my luggage when he gasped and grabbed my hand.

"Is this what I think it is?" he asked, fingering the black metallic band on my ring finger.

"Depends. What do you think it is?" I asked, biting down on my smile. Jamie had just sat down on one of the barstools and he shared a soft smile with me as Ajay looked between us, mouth agape.

"It looks like a wedding ring," he said. "And it looks like the matching one on Jamie's finger."

"What's this?" Nick asked, ears perking up as he stepped over towards us, eyes pinging between me and Jamie while I lost my battle with my smile.

"Surprise," I said, waving my ring finger where I wore the simple black wedding band that my husband had picked out for me.

"You're married?" Ajay gasped, right before a big smile split his face.

"When? What? How? How did I miss this?" Nick asked, eyes still pinging between us.

"Two weeks ago," Jamie grinned. "I finally managed to get Mateo to agree to marry me and make an honest man out of him."

"Honest man," Mateo scoffed. "Don't you start with that."

"But … but … how did I not know?" Nick asked.

"It was a spur of the moment thing really," I told him, still sharing that soft smile with my husband. "Jamie asked me to marry him a few weeks ago and then Dante and Giulia happened to arrive in New York on the same weekend as Jamie's sister, Louise, was visiting. And we just thought why not now? So we got hitched at the registry office, just the three of them in attendance."

"Congratulations," Ajay beamed, pulling me down into a hug. I lost eye contact with Jamie but I could see Nick shaking his hand out of the corner of my eye until I looked back at my oldest friend, happiness and a hint of sadness in his eye.

"I'm so happy for you," Nick said quietly. "You know we would have come over for your wedding?"

"Yeah, I know," I said, letting him walk around the bar to hug me. "But we didn't want a big deal and we knew we were going to be back here for your studio opening. This is where we wanted to celebrate with you all."

"Well, this plus our two week honeymoon in Tahiti after we leave here," Jamie added with a smirk.

"Well then, Ajay darling, let's crack out the best champagne," Nick said, a grin spreading across his face.

"Thank you," I said, holding Nick's eye and letting him see how much I meant that. Everything in our lives that had brought us here today had happened for a reason and I wouldn't change a thing. The fact that Nick had known we were not right for each other and had let me go even though it had hurt like hell. It meant Nick had found Ajay and it had let me find Jamie, my forever person and now my husband. The one and only man who'd been able to love me unconditionally.

"What about you two?" Jamie asked, accepting the glass of champagne from Ajay. "You got any plans to get married?"

"Honestly, I would have married Ajay the summer we met," Nick admitted. "But Ajay's still a baby. He's only twenty-two, fresh out of uni. He was just twenty when we met."

"Did you think you were going to trap me, huh?" Ajay grinned, holding Nick's eye.

"You know I want to trap you," he smirked. "But only if you want me to."

"Ah, Nicky," Ajay sighed. "You can lock me down whenever you want. Let's just get through the opening of the studio first. I'm not going anywhere and I'm not in any rush either. I am only twenty-two as you pointed out already."

"Basically a child bride," Nick smirked as he wrapped his arms around Ajay.

"Get lost," Ajay laughed, whacking Nick softly on his arm. I'd never let myself see it when the two of them had first met, too caught up in my own misery and heartache. But I could see it now, how perfectly suited Ajay was for my best friend. Nobody else could shut Nick down completely the way Ajay could. It was kind of amusing to watch actually.

Nick waited until we all had a glass of champagne before he held his glass up to me and Jamie.

"To Jamie and Mateo," he said. "May you have many years of happiness and a house full of love and loads of babies in your future together."

"As long as they have Mateo's genetics," Rob hooted in the background. We all laughed and then we drank to those sentiments and I felt Jamie's arm tighten around me.

"And tomorrow night we have a rematch to fight out at Paddy's. What do you say, gays versus straights?" Rob called out.

"Ajay's not gay," Nick sighed, running his hand down his face.

"You know what?" Ajay smiled. "I'm happy to wear that label. I'll join team gay for the pool tournament."

"Yes, Ajay," I grinned, clinking my glass of wine with him.

"Sounds like a plan," Rob grinned.

"Well, husband," Jamie said, nuzzling my neck, arm around my waist. "You ready for bed?"

"I think so," I grinned back at him. "Although I kind of feel like jetlag is about to kick in and I'm ready to start the day."

"That's okay. I've got a few ideas up my sleeve to wear you out," Jamie grinned, kissing my neck.

"Get a room," Rob called.

"Lucky we put them in the honeymoon suite," Nick grinned. "Not sure we'd get a minute's sleep otherwise."

"Like you and Ajay can talk," Rob eyerolled. "Honestly, it's like Love Island on steroids around you four."

"Hush. You love it," Nick replied, holding his finger up to Rob's lips who pretended to bite it off.

"Geez I missed you guys," I said, not a word of a lie in that statement.

"You know I love you, M," Rob returned.

"Me too," Nick agreed.

"Me three," I replied, sharing a smile with the boys who had been there for me through all the good times and all the hard times too. My ride or die. The boys who would always be there for me, no matter what our futures held or where they might lead. A part of me would always be home on the South Coast, here with these two boys and the expanded circle of friends that we'd all made down here. Especially Ajay who had pretty much become my number one bestie in the years since. Who would have seen that nice surprise coming just two years ago?

Nope, I wouldn't change a thing for the world. We were all exactly where we were meant to be and the longer I lived the more I felt a growing realisation settle in me that one day, maybe not now and maybe not for a while, but one day at least we would all be back here on the coast, maybe even bringing up our families together, back where it all began.

THE END