24. Epilogue

Epilogue

One year later

Samuel

I always thought that saving others was what I was supposed to do, but only now, after facing all my fears, I understand that forgiveness is the only thing that helps you move forward. It's the only thing that gives you peace, the strength to keep going, and to do your best for those no longer here.

Now, one year after following Ro and knocking at Lucy's door, I'm a new man. A person I'm proud of. A person who still helps others, but also a person who takes care of the people he loves.

I can't believe we are all here in our house, mine and Ro's.

Lucy, Daniel, and Eric, who is now part of the family.

I spent so much time watching Lucy and Daniel, and I never once realised that Eric had made it possible for her to move forward, and helped Lucy to rebuild her family after losing Adrian. I should have been there for them, but I was too lost in my own pain. I hadn't realised we could have helped each other by being close and talking about Adrian and what happened.

The guys are here as well. Since I moved out of the apartment, we don't see each other every day anymore, but we often organise something at our place—or they just show up of their own accord.

"Hey, sleepyhead." Rory's voice fills my body with the awareness of his presence. It still surprises me that his appearance alone can make me hard and ready to go.

"Hey," I say, pulling him down for a kiss.

He allows me a peck and then pulls away and looks around. If he doesn't stop, things can get heated very quickly between us. I'm not ashamed to say we're still in our honeymoon phase, even if we aren't married.

Yet.

"Come on. Give me a proper one," I tease him, knowing full well it'll make him blush. Three seconds later, his face is as hot as a burning coal.

"I love you, Ro," I say, pulling him toward me and whispering the words directly in his ear.

His legs give out and he falls on me, and I accept his weight, wrapping my hands around him. I love every chance I get to hold him close. And I do just that when he tries to stand up.

"Don't go yet," I whisper, this time against his neck.

I love how he shivers, and how his hips grind into mine, chasing his pleasure.

When I let him go, he scrambles to his feet, and I follow him. His face is even redder than before, and so appealing that I lean in to steal another kiss. A proper one, so his taste will last until everyone is gone and I can drag him to bed.

"Stop it," he says, and pulls away.

"Okay," I say in reply. "But you're mine later." I love the way his eyes go darker with lust, making me regret that we need to wait.

I snatch his hand in mine and walk to where the others are sitting at the garden table. Everything is ready, and the only thing I need to do is sit down.

"Look who's here," says Lucy with a smile. "Our sleeping beauty."

"I have to, otherwise Rory is gonna leave me." I join in when everyone laughs.

"You're working way too much," Lucy continues, worry on her face.

"It's a new job, and I have the night shifts, but I'm happy." I really am, because right now I have everything I've always wanted, but never thought I'd have.

Meeting Rory at the hospital that day brought me the peace I'd long been searching for. Happiness and love, also—not only in my life, but in Rory's, too.

"How is Aidan as a boss?"

"He's an a—" But I'm interrupted by Rory's hand covering my mouth.

"Kids around."

"Angel. That's what I was going to say."

"Yeah, right," comes from Rory, Keegan, and Lucy.

I laugh, because they're so right. Aidan is an ass, but he's a good boss. He never stops telling me how grateful I should be to have him in my life. It pisses me off that he might be right. Without him, I wouldn't have had the chance to help Rory find John. And Rory wouldn't have had the chance to help me heal and give me a family.

"Burgers, everyone," Rory says, just before placing the plates in front of us.

I love the way he's settled into my life, making my friends his. For someone who wasn't able to trust others, he's made great strides. Martin, Mark, and Rory have become inseparable, and have weekly meetings at a coffee shop near Mark's place. I love those moments when he's back from meeting them, because he doesn't stop talking about what they discussed, how cool they are, and how he's happy to have met them.

On those days, Zane, Keegan, Jason, Travis, and I meet too. I like those guys, even if Zane is much younger than us. With the experiences he's had in life, he's older than his years.

The only person I'm keeping an eye on is Jason. While we still talk on the phone daily and meet up, I'm sure something's bothering him, but I can't force him to talk to me when I don't tell him the whole truth about myself. While he knew I felt Adrian's accident was my fault, he didn't know that I'd never talked with his family or visited his grave since the accident.

I'm sure if he needs me, he'll reach out. I put my offer out there a couple of times, but he dismissed me with his CFO powers, and blamed work. It could be true, because he's as busy as a bee. He knows I'm here for him when he needs me.

The rest of the evening is a kaleidoscope of activities, all planned to make Daniel happy. I still can't join in for some of them because my leg is not as strong as it should be, but physio and the gym with Rory are helping me get there. It won't be the same as before, but I'll still be able to do what I love.

"Bye guys," Rory and I say from the front door, watching everyone walk to their cars.

"Bye. And thank you," they say in a chorus.

We watch them leave our property, and then walk back inside, hand in hand.

I don't stop walking, pulling Rory behind me, giving him just enough time to lock the door. I've got only one thing in mind for tonight; I'm not working, so I can be with him. Rory, me, and our king-size bed. I can't wait to make a mess of him. And then have him make a mess of me.

"Eager, are we?"

"Fuck, yes," I reply, pulling him harder, trying to get him to follow me when he stops to laugh at my expense.

"I miss you, too," he whispers against my neck, when I stop at the foot of the bed.

"Show me," I challenge, turning around to face him.

"With pleasure," Rory says, before taking my mouth in a long kiss that amplifies my needs. My legs give out when he pushes me backward, and I land on the bed. I open my arms, just like the first time he made me his, and I'm smiling, big and happy, when he sits on my crotch.

"Something you want?" I say, tempting him.

"Yes, you." His kiss comes in strong and owns my lips.

I surrender, because it doesn't matter who's on top, in the end, we'll both be satiated and happy.

"Make me yours," I say to him, then nip at his ear, and the moan he lets out has me turning the tables.

I grip him in a tight embrace and turn us around until I'm on top.

"Let me love you," I say to him, just before leaning down and kissing him like he's the most precious treasure.

"Yes," he says, and it sounds like so much more.

It sounds like he's answering the question I haven't asked yet. But I'm looking forward to that. Because if there is something I've learnt in my life, it's that life is too short to wait and waste. However, when I ask him to marry me, I'll make sure he's never going to forget it.

Right now though, my only plan is to make him come and then come myself.

I'm too excited to go slow. So I scoot down, after planting a kiss on his lips, eager to have the both of us coming.

I open Rory's trousers roughly, and slide my hand inside. With the tip of my index finger, I caress his wet tip. Then I make quick work of releasing it from the confines of his boxers by pushing the garment down and out of the way.

I love Rory's gasps when I squeeze him and begin stroking him up and down. I rub the glans under the tip on every pass, moving faster and faster, to bring his pleasure to a higher level. I lean in so I can grind my dick against Rory's leg.

"Oh, Sam, please."

I love the way he begs me. I wish I had more self-control, but my brain has taken residence in my cock, and right now the only thing it wants is to come inside Rory.

I stop what I'm doing so I can get rid of our clothes. The need to feel his skin on mine is as necessary as oxygen. I moan when Rory sits up and takes hold of my shaft and starts the same movements I used on him.

We're getting to the end way too fast, but after days without him, I need Rory like I need air. We can go slower on the second round. I grin, because it'll be nice to see how creative we'll be.

Our movements become faster still, but when I get too close to coming, I release his cock and pull back so mine is no longer easy to reach.

"Turn around," I say, in reply to his displeased whimpers.

He doesn't complain, and he's soon lying on his front. I trace a path from his neck to where his cheeks connect, using my tongue as if it were a brush, leaving no part of his skin untouched. He writhes on the bed and pushes his hips against the mattress. But I can't have any of that, so I pull back and force him up onto his knees, then push his upper body down until his face is pressed against the mattress.

"Lube," I say, and Rory blindly searches the table, then hands it over to me once he finds it.

I don't waste time, and squeeze some of it on my fingers, caressing his entrance until the liquid is spread, and then I breach him. First one finger, and then, when he's adjusted, two. I don't touch his dick, or mine, because as excited as we are, we could come straight away.

Only when I'm ready to insert three fingers, do I take hold of his cock and stroke up and down. When he pushes his ass toward me, I push my fingers until they are all the way in. Then I begin an in-and-out movement while trying to hit his prostate. As soon as I find it, I hit it with every entry, and soon, Rory is a mass of shaking muscles and moans.

"Sam," he wails. The way he pleads with me to make him come warms my body every single time.

I pull my fingers out and release his cock. Then, trying to maintain the same angle, I push inside him in one long stroke. I'm glad when he pushes against me, searching for more of me. I only stop when I'm fully sheathed inside of him.

"Are you ready for me, love?" I ask.

"Yeeees." His ‘yes' comes out as a long, loud moan.

I pull out and then push in at a frenzied pace. He pushes against me with the same need, grunting every time I hit his sweet spot.

"I'm coming soon," I tell him, reaching down to grab his cock again. I stroke in time with the movements of my hips, and soon we're both shouting as our releases hit us. Mine is brought out by Rory's ass clutching my shaft with every burst of semen coming out.

"Ro," I call out to him.

"Yeah."

I'm so proud of myself when his voice comes out all raspy because of how much I made him moan.

"I love you, Ro."

He chuckles, softly and gently, and then he answers.

"I love you, too."

His words fill my heart so much that I nearly burst like a bubble, full of happiness. Every time he says those words to me I get emotional, because I'm still in awe. I still can't understand how someone as courageous as him can be with me.

"Stop thinking," he says, and kisses me.

"I think even my brain came out of my dick," I joke, and I follow when his happy laughter fills the room.

"You're crazy," he says, gently slapping me on the shoulder and then planting a kiss on the same spot.

He owns my heart.

Forever.