Epilogue

Zach

Reaching up to adjust his tie, Zach grimaced. He normally loved having an excuse to wear his tux. It was custom-tailored to him and fit him like a glove, yet right now, it felt too tight, even though he knew it wasn't. When he'd put it on earlier in the week to decide what vest and tie he was wearing with it, it had felt fine, so why did he suddenly feel like he was choking?

A large, warm hand came to rest on his thigh, and he felt the heat against his side as his boyfriend, Kincaid, leaned against him.

"Are you okay?" The question was asked quietly enough that no one would be able to hear it, even though the pews were tightly packed with wedding guests. At least Zach was at the very end of the pew, right next to the center aisle, so he didn't have anyone right beside him watching his discomfort other than Kincaid.

Letting his hand drop, he looked back at his boyfriend and did his best to give him a reassuring smile. Kincaid smiled back, though it didn't really reach his dark eyes, which were still full of concern. This was one of their first public outings, not just since getting back together after they took a break, but ever. Zach wasn't ‘out' yet.

But it was Amy's wedding, and the only people they knew here were friends from Stronghold and Marquis… which were the only two places where Zach and Kincaid had previously been ‘out'. Zach didn't consider the kink clubs to be public, though. Everything that happened there was still private.

The lack of public outings had been part of why he and Kincaid had broken up. That, along with the fact that Zach still wasn't out to his family. Every time he thought about telling his parents, fear choked him to the point of silence. He'd managed to tell his sister, and she was encouraging him to talk to their parents, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it yet. And it didn't matter that he'd fallen in love with Kincaid; he still couldn't tell his parents that he was bisexual.

Or, at least, that he wasn't straight. He'd never been attracted to any man other than Kincaid, so he also wasn't sure he could even say he was bisexual, but he wasn't straight.

Straight men didn't love getting railed by their boyfriend.

"I'm fine. I think I might have tied my tie too tight," he said, sliding his hand under Kincaid's to hold it. Immediately, Kincaid relaxed a little, looking down at their joined hands and smiling. Just that one little show of affection, the acceptance of Kincaid's hand on his and then joining them together, and Kincaid was thrilled.

That made Zach feel even shittier. It was a mark of how badly Kincaid craved that acknowledgment of their relationship, how badly he wanted to be able to treat Zach like his boyfriend, regardless of where they were and who was around them. He was working up to being able to tell his family.

The guests around them were getting restless, shifting in their seats the same way he was.

In front of him, Rick—another member of Stronghold and Marquis—leaned against his wife. Unlike Kincaid, he didn't keep his voice low enough to be unheard by those around him.

"What time is it? Isn't this supposed to have started already?"

Frowning, Zach shifted the hand Kincaid was holding to look at his watch. Yes, the wedding was supposed to have started five minutes ago. But the doors at the back were empty. No pastor, no groomsmen, no groom.

His heart started to beat a little faster in his chest.

Fuck, was something going wrong?

Do I want it to?

He was here for the bride, after all. The groom, in his opinion, didn't deserve her at all. But Amy loved Jeremy and would be devastated if something had happened. She had her heart set on this wedding, this marriage. As her friend and sometimes scene partner, Zach supported what she wanted.

As if Rick's question had been permission for everyone else to start questioning things, conversation rose in a murmur. Zach was hardly the only one twisting to look around, as if Jeremy or someone might pop out of hiding with an explanation as to what was going on.

The fact that he was turned around meant he saw Sam the moment she appeared in the doorway, looking stunning in a sage green bridesmaid dress that set off her blonde good looks and delightful curves perfectly. His heart started racing a little faster as she started coming down the aisle, her gaze scanning over the bride's side like she was looking for someone…

It felt as though it was going to leap right out of his chest when their gazes met, and she suddenly went from walking and looking to striding right for him. For a moment, he didn't believe it, but then she came to a halt right beside him. Everyone was staring, the conversation dropping off as quickly as it had started.

Bending down, she ignored everyone else, keeping her voice low, even though it wouldn't matter. Rick and Maria had turned around to see what was going on, and everyone was now straining to hear what she said.

"Amy needs you. Now. " Glancing up and past him, she looked at Kincaid. "You'd better come, too."

Zach leapt to his feet, Kincaid only a heartbeat behind him.

Kincaid, Zach, and Amy will return in Third Wheel !