Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Atlas

One month later

“Holy shit, man. That’s deep. I can’t believe you never shared any of that with us,” Brenner says, sitting on my couch beside me, as I finish telling him and Taylor about my parents. I’ve started therapy, something Troy recommended because he said it helped him deal with the stuff with his dad. While I’ve only had one session so far, I know talking to a professional isn’t the only work I need to put in. I also need to learn to open up to my friends, to trust them, not to try and be a fucking island because all that’s going to do is hurt me.

Mom wouldn’t want that.

I don’t want that for me either.

And while I have Troy and can always share anything with him, well, from what I’ve been told, it’s not so bad to have other people in your corner too.

“You can trust us,” Taylor adds. “We might like to give each other shit, but Brenner and I will always be there for you.”

I cock a brow. “Do the two of you realize you talk like you’re one person?”

“He wants to be one person with me,” Brenner teases, and Taylor flips him off.

“No I don’t. You wish I did. I’m trying to be serious here, to be open with my feelings and support Atlas, but the two of you never stop.” He crosses his arms and pouts playfully, but I sober.

“Thank you. I appreciate it. You guys are…hell, you’re my boys.” College has been better because of them. I’ve never bonded with people in high school the way I have with Brenner and Taylor.

“Aww. I think this calls for a hug. We should hug.” Brenner grins.

“I mean, I’m not opposed to hugs,” Taylor adds.

“Do we have to?”

“You’re getting in touch with your emotions! Stop sucking at it.” Brenner grabs me before I can argue, but the truth is, I don’t plan on it. The second he has his arms around me, Taylor does the same, and it feels good. I’m not sure I would have ever been able to let this happen if not for Troy. We had a long talk about everything that went down, but also about my self-esteem, how I worry about being like Glen and not being enough for Troy, and voicing it helped. And that, in turn, prompted Troy to bring up the therapist thing. Being loved is great. It’s nice having someone who wants what’s best for you.

Taylor moves and brushes my chest, and I hiss, pain stabbing into me.

“What happened?” he asks.

I don’t hesitate to lift my shirt. Maybe this should be embarrassing, maybe it’s too much, but it fits Troy and me, it’s right for us, and that’s all that should matter—what is right for individuals, not how anyone else would behave.

“You tattooed your boyfriend’s name beneath your left pec?” Taylor asks, eyes wide.

“Dude. I bet you got some good hole for that.” Brenner high-fives me.

“I always get the best hole from T. That’s not why I wanted to do it.” It’s not why he has my name tattooed on his wrist either. We just…want everyone to know who we belong to, and we’re not shy about it.

Well, Ellie hasn’t seen it yet. She’s been supportive, but she might think this is a bit much.

We order pizza and play video games before it’s time to head to the frat party at Troy’s place. The two of us can be a bit obsessive about each other, so we’ve been making it a point to spend time with our friends. He stayed at the frat house last night and is helping set up for the party tonight. Colin gives me shit about trying to take his best friend away from him.

We get ready and then take Brenner’s truck to the party. I’m staying with Troy tonight because there’s no way in hell I’m not sleeping in bed with him two days in a row.

It’s cold and rainy, winter getting ready to turn into spring, so the party is inside this time. They don’t give me shit about getting in, not even Marty, because they know wherever Troy goes, I go.

The house is already packed, but I find my boy right away. He’s dancing in the living room with a Solo cup in his hand and Colin by his side.

Parting ways with Taylor and Brenner, I head straight for him and wrap my arms around him from behind. “Mmm…I missed you,” I say close to his ear.

“You guys are obsessed with each other,” Colin says over the music. “I can’t believe he has your name tattooed on his wrist.”

“Hot, huh?” I waggle my brows.

“I missed you too,” Troy says, turning and pressing his lips to mine.

“Wanna make out?”

Before he can reply, Colin is tugging on my shirt. “Atlas, is your friend Brenner trying to fuck my stepbrother?”

I follow where he’s looking to see Brenner talking to Ash, who has his back against the wall, looking flirty as hell.

“Probably.” I mean, Brenner knows he can’t have Troy now.

“Tell him to stop,” Colin says.

“Why would I do that?”

Colin looks from me to Troy and back again, confusion wrinkling his brow. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have an answer himself.

“I…don’t know. Ignore me. I’m gonna get a drink. You want a drink?” And then without waiting for us to answer, Colin slips away.

“That was weird,” Troy says.

“Your friends are weird.”

“Um…have you met yours?” he counters, and we both laugh. He has a point.

We spend the night glued to each other’s sides, making out, dancing, and talking to people. When I’m done being social, I nod toward his room, and Troy grins. “I thought you’d never ask.”

We ignore everyone as Troy leads me upstairs, then closes and locks the door behind us. I’m not sure how we get out of our clothes so quickly, but it feels like just seconds later we’re naked, in bed, panting and jerking each other off, cum stuck to our bodies.

Troy falls back onto the mattress beside me. “We can fuck later. I needed that.”

“Me too. I don’t like it when we’re not in the same bed.”

“I don’t like it either.”

I pull him close, my arm around him. “You know, the morning is going to come really fucking quickly after a party like tonight. We’re gonna be exhausted.”

We’re going to Ellie’s new place for lunch tomorrow. She got a small two-bedroom condo of her own, the living room filled with memories from both Troy and Brandon. It’s hard on both of them, but they know they can hold on to the Brandon they knew, even if they don’t have a relationship with him now. And maybe one day he’ll be serious about getting help, and they’ll get the old Brandon back.

Glen has already moved on, the way only he can—pretending it’s all Ellie’s fault and making his new girlfriend feel like things will be different with her.

Spoiler alert: they won’t. He doesn’t have it in him. I don’t plan to ever talk to him again.

“We’ll survive,” Troy replies. “She’s excited to have us over. Have to admit, the visits are so much nicer without Glen.”

“I know.” He was like a black cloud hanging over us, and now it feels like so much of the pressure is off. “I’m excited to go.” We both want to support Ellie as much as possible. My feelings toward her are complicated, but I’m working through them. She’s a good person, who is there for us, so it’s important to me to try.

“She’s making brownies.”

I smile, liking that. Strangely, it makes me feel closer to my mom as well. “Can I tell you something?”

“You can tell me anything.”

“I’ve been thinking, and…I’m pretty sure I’m going into social work. I know I won’t make a lot of money, and I know I never thought that’s what I wanted, but…”

“But you love it. Your heart lies with helping people. It always has.” Troy rolls toward me. “Your mom would be proud. No matter what you do, of course, but she’d be really proud of this.”

I nod, knowing he’s right, and damn, that feels good.

Troy traces his name beneath my pec. It’s a little tender to the touch, but I enjoy his hands on me too much to say anything. “I love this.”

“My naughty boy likes branding me.”

“Fuck yes. With my name, with my cum. Any way you’ll let me.”

I pull his mouth to mine, slipping my tongue inside, claiming him with my kiss. There’s nothing I won’t give him, and I know Troy feels the same about me. And we’ll spend the rest of our lives marking each other, claiming each other, wanting each other.

“I love you,” Troy says, lips traveling down my chest.

“I love you too. And I always will.”

THE END

Click here to enjoy a steamy bonus scene, featuring Atlas and Troy.

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