45. Epilogue

T he last couple of weeks have been a blur, between classes and dealing with my father’s death. After the prison did their standard investigation, his body was released. When nobody claimed it, he was cremated, his ashes being scattered unnamed, into a garden not far from where I am standing now. Not that I’m here for him.

I stare down at my brother’s grave in silence, with Archer standing firm at my side. He’s been my rock the last two weeks, only leaving me to attend his own classes, and honestly I don’t know what I would have done without him. I’m not sad my father is dead, but I do have some unresolved feelings that I am trying to work on. I’m meeting with a therapist for the first time next week, one that Archer found for me, and he’s even agreed to come with me for that.

“We did it, Ry, he can’t hurt us anymore, we’re finally free,” I tell my little brother, and I would give anything to have him here with me. “I’m sorry I failed you,” I add softly, my voice breaking, but before I can say anything else, a voice cuts me off.

“You didn’t fail him, I did,” Jasper starts, and my head whips around to find him standing a few feet behind us. He looks between Archer and me, and I can see the desperation in his stare, as he adds, “Looks like we had the same idea, kid.”

Archer squeezes my hand, and somehow I know he’s asking whether this is okay, and I squeeze it back gently before he sighs. “I’ll give you two a minute,” he says, and I don’t miss the stern glare he aims at my brother, as he pushes past him to give us some privacy.

“I didn’t know you knew where this place was,” I grit at my brother, before turning my focus back to Ryan’s headstone.

Jasper moves until we are standing shoulder to shoulder, staring solemnly at our brother’s grave, as he replies, “I come here every Sunday morning after church.”

My gaze cuts to him now, truly taking in the changes in him as he has gone from boy to man, before I say, “You’re not Catholic.”

His gaze meets mine, as he huffs a laugh. “Different kind of church, kid.”

He’s different from what I remember, and I can’t help but feel the vast void between us that was cast by him leaving, and heightened by our brother’s death, is bigger than ever.

“Why didn’t you come to his funeral?” I ask a question I have wanted the answer to for years. “What was so important that you weren’t there for him, that you weren’t there for me?”

Jasper sighs, swiping a hand down his face as he turns to face me. “I was in rehab, I wasn’t allowed out, not even for a funeral,” he replies, and my eyes widen in surprise, his answer not what I was expecting at all, and when I don’t say anything, he sighs. “I had been in a bad way for a while, strung out on anything I could get my hands on to try and numb the pain, and then I got the news of Ryan’s death,” he pauses, like just saying the words out loud cause him physical pain, and it’s only now I see my own grief mirrored back through him. “I overdosed and ended up in hospital. Caleb, my MC President, carried my ass to rehab and signed me in against my will, I was there for four months.”

Four months.

I always wondered why he never came, not just to Ryan’s funeral, but to me as well. I was alone and I needed someone, and like him I turned to drugs. We’re more alike than I thought, but what do I even say? How could we possibly repair a rift as big as ours?

“Look, Daemon, I’m not asking for us to be brothers, I’m not even asking for us to be friends, but I need you to know I’m sorry, for everything.” His words have tears burning at the back of my eyes, and I know if I speak now that my voice will crack. “I know it doesn’t change anything, but now that dad is gone, we can be free.” It’s the same words I just said to Ryan, and any other time I might find the irony funny.

“I need time,” I finally reply, not ready to forgive him, and the truth is, I might never be ready, and my brother only nods, his eyes flicking to where Archer is standing guard, watching our every move.

“That’s okay, kid, I know you’re in good hands.” He reaches out and squeezes my shoulder, noting my flinch, and I swear his eyes wash over me, as if he knows where every scar sits, and I shift uncomfortably. He pulls away, his eyes stained with regret, as he moves to the headstone and taps it twice. “See you next week,” he whispers, before nodding his head at me soberly and moving to leave.

“Dad didn’t kill himself, did he?” I call out to his back, and the slight freezing of his movements tells me everything I need to know.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replies without emotion, but still I see the same demons in his eyes that I know reside in mine, before he continues on his way.

Archer is back at my side in a second. “Are you okay?” he asks, his stare moving between me and my brother’s retreating form, and I nod.

“Yeah, baby, I’m good, let’s go home.”

When we get back to the house, Archer heads for a shower while I cook us a quick dinner, and when he returns he is wearing a pair of my sweatpants and one of my jerseys. Seeing him in my clothes does something to my insides, I can’t help but watch him as he slinks around the kitchen, grabbing utensils and making drinks.

“I know you’re obsessed with me, Forbes, but no need to stare at me,” he purrs, his flirtatious stare meeting mine, and I can’t help but smirk.

Since that day in the locker room, where we outed ourselves to the entire team, we have been inseparable. We eat together, work out together, and If he isn’t in my bed, then I’m in his, so much so that Coach made a new rule that no one is allowed to fuck in the locker rooms. A rule we enjoyed breaking after our most recent game on Friday night, the memory of which only widens my smile even further.

“Yes, falling in love with my stalker has been a terrible idea on my part,” I reply, dishing up the food onto the plates he laid out for us, and Archer scoffs a laugh.

“The only terrible idea you’ve had, is thinking we could fuck in that tiny shower stall without getting caught,” he claps back, and I roll my eyes.

“That was your idea, and I think you scarred Nova for life,” I snap back, but he only grins.

“Please, I’ve seen that fucker’s bare ass more than yours, he nails Maddie anywhere and everywhere,” he purrs, just as Josh enters the kitchen and curses.

“For fuck sake, Gray,” he groans, moving to the fridge and snatching two bottles of water in disgust, before glaring at Archer as he retreats. “I was going to ask what’s for dinner, but I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.”

Archer only laughs as Josh rushes from the kitchen, heading back upstairs to his wife, which by the sound of it, is the best thing in the world.

We eat dinner like we always do, and then when we head back upstairs, my eyes remain pinned to my name across his back. So much so that when we reach my room, I grab him and slam him into the wall, stealing his breath with a kiss, pressing my erection into his hip.

“Mmm, someone’s needy,” Archer grunts against my mouth, and I grind my hips into him.

“Yeah, now get on your knees, on the bed,” I demand, pulling back and watching the way his eyes dance in delight at my request.

“Yes sir,” he replies mockingly, not realizing what that does to me, but still he moves instantly, beginning to tug at his clothes, when I stop him.

“Everything but the jersey comes off,” I order, and he smirks over his shoulder, before slipping off his pants and boxers in one sweep. “Now, on your knees, baby, get that ass nice and high for me,” I add, stripping off my own clothes and moving to my nightstand to grab some lube.

Stroking my cock I approach him, his eyes tracking every move of my hand, as he curses. “So fucking perfect.”

I don’t stop until I am on the bed behind him, spilling lube down his ass crack, and massaging it against his rim. “It will be so fucking perfect when you’re filled with my cock,” I grunt, pouring more lube onto my dick, before circling his hole without entering.

“Don’t fucking tease me, Forbes,” he grits through his teeth, dropping his head to the mattress, arching his back so he can press his ass further into me.

“Say it,” I command with a wicked smirk, pressing a little more into him, but gripping his hips tightly when he tries to get me deeper inside of him. “Say ‘fuck me, Daemon’,” I add, trailing one of my hands across my name on his back and groaning out loud.

“Fuck me, Daemon, please, I need you inside of me,” he begs, and fuck, who could deny a plea like that?

I slam into him in one smooth thrust, bottoming out completely, ripping a groan from both of our chests, before pulling back and doing it again. Then I am fucking him relentlessly, pounding into his ass and pulling ungodly sounds from the back of his throat.

“So good, Daemon, so fucking good,” he spits, pushing his hips back into mine, and I tighten my hold on them.

“Look at you with my cock in your ass and my name across your back. You’re mine, Archer, you’re fucking mine,” I spit, reaching around and gripping his cock in my fist, jerking him roughly until we find a rhythm.

He thrusts into my fist and then fucks back onto my cock, slamming his ass against my groin over and over, until I lose my fucking mind. I fuck him hard and deep, pounding into him, while jacking and twisting his length until I can feel his body tightening beneath me.

“Give it to me, Golden Boy, come for me so I can fill this tight ass with my cum,” I spit, moving even faster, fisting my jersey in my hand and dragging him against me even harder.

“Oh fuck,” he shouts, rolling his entire body against mine, as his release coats my fingers and the mattress, tearing my own release from me without pause.

I come with a loud groan, collapsing on top of him, before pulling out of him and dropping beside him on the bed, as his satisfied stare greets me with a smile.

“I fucking love being yours,” he huffs, struggling to catch his breath, and I smile, as I push some of his hair back out of his eyes.

“And I love you,” I reply instantly, his smile getting even wider, as he snuggles his body into mine, content to just be at my side.

“I love you too, baby,” he says, and those five words settle something deep inside of me, something I never thought possible.

If my heart were as cold as I pretend it to be, maybe I could have stopped myself from loving him, but as he settles in my arms, calming me completely, I can’t feel any regret. I now realize I never needed to be healed from my trauma, I just needed to be heard. And though I spent far too long running from him, I’m so glad Archer Gray decided to chase me.