Callum’s Epilogue

CALLUM’S EPILOGUE

ONE MONTH LATER

“ C ome on, put your back into it! We’ve gotta get to the top before the sun comes up, so hoof it, Evans!”

“Cal, I swear on Jonathan Bailey’s perfect bubble butt, that I will toss you over the side of the mountain,” Rhys threatened breathlessly, trudging up the steep incline ten feet behind me. Admittedly, he hadn’t been getting to the gym to run the last couple months because I had my own cardio in mind for us, so the hike was a bit harder on him than expected. But once he saw the view, he’d thank me. Hopefully with another orgasm. The two from last night almost made me blackout from pleasure. Ah, to be young, in love, and relentlessly horny.

“Sweetness, if we don’t get there in the next…oh, five minutes, you would have woken your cute ass up at three-thirty this morning for nothing,” I warned him, picking up the pace slightly. The hike had been gradual at first and a nice warm-up, but the trail inclined steadily up the remaining half-mile. Coincidentally, that’s when Rhys’ stamina steadily declined.

“Ugh, why did I convince you to do this to me, you sadist? I thought you loved me. This is not love. I should be back in our soft bed being brought coffee and a scone, that’s love! Why do people do this? Why is hiking a thing? My brain can’t function this early at this altitude…just leave me here and remember me fondly.”

“You know, I can always tell when you’ve been hanging out with Fin too much. You tend to get a bit more…theatrical,” I mused, looking back at his glaring face. Even sweaty, out of breath, and flushed, Rhys was the most beautiful creature to me. Those bright eyes, those full pink lips, that lightly freckled skin. And my lucky ass got to wake up to it every day now. Rhys moved in with me less than a week after I asked him. There was nothing holding him back with Micah gone, and Griffin was out the week after that.

He’d apparently ended up in the same building as Fin, a fact he didn’t discover until recently when he ran into Fin and his ex…no-longer-ex boyfriend in the hall. As if it couldn’t get any better ( for me, of course, because Griffin hated it ), Fin’s apartment was right next to his. Yeah, I’d gotten an hour long ranting phone call from Griffin about that, and then another thirty minute long lecture from Rhys for being a little too entertained with both our friends’ misery. Fin evidently wasn’t a fan of the living arrangement either. Oh well, it was nothing a good fucking into Rhys’ codependent couch couldn’t fix.

“We’ll see how theatrical you get when you’re forced to carry my depleted, comatose body back down the trail when I pass out, Hawkins,” Rhys grumbled, and I chuckled at his grumpiness. We’d spent four days exploring Olympic National Park, and this was the first of three days planned for Mt. Rainier National Park before heading to Seattle for the remainder of our trip. Rhys had grouched like this during all our outdoor excursions at first, especially in the mornings. It had annoyed me initially, but seeing him become so enchanted by the views and experience of what we were doing had any irritation blinking out of existence.

That’s how it usually went with us. We’d occasionally be frustrated or annoyed by something the other one did or said because we were only human, but it never lasted long. I’d see Rhys smile or I’d pull a laugh out of him somehow, and everything else would fall away. I guess that was what really struck me the most. It wasn’t that we were so in love that we had no problems, but it was more that our love was strong enough to overcome any issue we faced. My feelings for him went deeper than petty annoyances or bad moods. It helped that my therapist was working with me on my anger management, so I didn’t feel as hopeless against it as I once did .

Rhys had been crazy supportive of my therapy, and he’d even come to a couple of sessions with me to learn how to help me through it. It led to some tough conversations on my end about learning to recognize triggers and what I could and could not control. Ultimately, it brought me and Rhys closer together, a feat I didn’t think was possible.

“We’re almost there…hah! This is it! Rhys, come here!” I urged him, and he jogged the last several yards around the bend to catch up. When he reached my side, his gasp seemed to echo around us in the silence. I pulled him in front of me and slipped my arms around his waist, resting my chin on his shoulder to take it all in. The sky was a wash of pink, orange, and red, the clouds hanging low on Mt. Rainier looming directly in front of us. The sun had just begun creeping up over the mountain’s right side, and the warm glow lit up the valley of trees that blanketed the saddle between the two peaks on either side of us.

“I feel so small,” Rhys whispered, and I peeked over to see his vibrant eyes staring in awe at the vista before us. “It’s kind of…surreal to be this close to something that immense and realize just how tiny we really are. Like, all of this was formed hundreds of thousands of years before us and it will be here thousands of years after we’re gone. We’re only this little blip in its history, no longer than the blink of an eye. You know, Micah told me about this old bridge he and Bash had stumbled across as kids. Bash had said it wasn’t the bridge that was part of their story, but rather they became part of its story when they discovered it. I like thinking this makes us part of the mountain’s story now. This sweet, perfect moment in time that we get to share with it. I wonder how many stories like ours the mountain has seen over the years?”

“Feeling a bit philosophical this morning, are we, sweetheart?” I teased, but I couldn’t help the grin that spread over my face. Rhys’ mind fascinated me and I was obsessed with the thoughts he shared with me, no matter how outlandish or strange they could be. I would never grow tired of moments like these with him. I squeezed him to me tightly, savoring the beauty of the view and the feel of Rhys in my arms.

We stayed like that for several minutes, watching the sun crest the rocky ridge and spill down the mountain and over the valley. Eventually, we decided to make our way back down the trail to Reflection Lake to eat breakfast and set up for our next hike. When we made it back to the lake, I hauled our food out of my pack while Rhys set out a blanket for us to eat on. We talked for almost an hour, enjoying the breathtaking scenery of the alpine trees and Mt. Rainier towering over us, reflected in the water’s surface.

“Dad called yesterday. He said the plea deal is going through,” I shared softly, not wanting to wreck our peace with news of her , but needing to process it. Rhys’ fist clenched and he took a harsh, angry bite of his apple, munching on it loudly.

“It’s not fucking fair,” he bit out, brows furrowed as he frowned up at Rainier’s snow-capped peak. My lips twitched at his curse, not used to it outside the confines of the bedroom.

“That’s one for the swear jar, Sweetness,” I joked, but his glare swiveled to me and I let out a deep sigh. “Look, we all knew this was a possibility going in. It was a long shot to begin with to bring charges against her. It’s been years and there’s no real proof.”

“I hate it though! After everything she did to you, she gets a measly eighteen months in prison. That’s practically nothing!” he ranted, his face scrunching up in outrage.

“Don’t forget the ten thousand dollar fine. I bet she hates that more than she’ll hate the orange jumpsuit,” I replied.

“How are you so calm about this? I mean, you didn’t even get to take her to trial and testify in public about how she hurt you! You deserved to tell your side.”

“Sweetheart, I made my peace with it,” I told him honestly, taking his clenched hand in mine and rubbing over the pulse point in his wrist. “I know you and Dad are upset for me, but don’t be. She’s pleading guilty and that will be a stain she can’t escape from. And at least she’s seeing the inside of a prison. That’s hella more than I ever expected to come of this. I was prepared for her to walk away from this scot-free, but Dad’s attorney worked his magic and now she’s facing actual consequences for what she did. I’m okay with it, truly.”

Rhys’ teeth sank into his bottom lip, abusing it as he wrestled with what I was saying. I reached over and tugged it free. I leaned into him, sucking on that pouty lip until it was swollen and red and Rhys whimpered for more. I released him and smiled when he tried to chase my mouth for another kiss. His eyes fluttered open, and he was so close I could see the ring of deep blue that melted into the pool of gray giving off that captivating violet hue. They were as entrancing as the man himself, and I could get lost in him for hours.

“I love you for caring so much about this, but please don’t dwell on it. We should take this as a win, even if it’s not the outcome we really wanted. You know villains don’t always get the ending they deserve,” I said, running my thumb gently across the curve of his lip.

“Sometimes they do…” Rhys whispered, looking intently at me. “I’m just glad my villain did.” He gave me a smug smirk that I couldn’t resist tasting. I dove back in, claiming his mouth roughly as our tongues fought for dominance. He moaned into the kiss, the sound going straight to my cock and I had to remind myself we were out in the open. Reluctantly, I released him and pulled back panting.

I grabbed his arm and tugged him toward me until he understood what I wanted. He maneuvered himself between my legs, his back meeting my chest as he reclined into me. He played with the fingers on my hand, tracing the lines in my palm in a way that could have put me to sleep.

“Do you think your mom is here with us?” Rhys asked in a thoughtful voice. My heart pinched in my chest that he thought of her like I did. I had wondered the same thing when we were up on the trail, if she was there to see the view. I couldn’t imagine my mom just hanging out in the clouds looking down on us. If anything, that crazy woman would have been making the climb with us, yelling at us to hurry up so we didn’t miss the first rays of light over the horizon, much like I’d done with Rhys. My eyes stung as my throat worked to swallow past the lump that formed thinking about her.

“Yeah…I think she is. She wouldn’t want to miss this, even if that meant crashing our romantic vacation,” I quipped, and Rhys snorted lightly.

“She did say to take her on some adventures. As far as she’s concerned, this is just you ponying up finally,” he responded playfully. I chuckled along with him, letting myself imagine that she was right beside us, commenting on the incredible scenery and how much she never wanted to leave. I closed my eyes and felt the wind whip around us a little more forcefully, letting out a tearful laugh thinking it was her way of agreeing with Rhys.

“Well, I hope for her sake she makes herself scarce when we get back to our AirBnB, or she’s going to be scarred for eternity with what I have planned for you,” I teased, and Rhys gasped dramatically at my lewd comment.

“Callum Hawkins, do not talk about our sex life with your mother around! She’s going to think I’m a floozy and not good enough for her son,” he said, sounding appalled. I rolled my eyes and dug my fingers into his side, drawing a screaming laugh out of him. He started hitting my arms, begging me to stop, but I didn’t let up until his pale skin was flushed red and he had the biggest smile on his face.

Rhys was twisted halfway in my arms, leaning heavily into my shoulder and catching his breath. I reached up to cup his cheek, and his breath caught when he met my gaze. “You are way too good for her son. But I promise you, I will work to be worthy of you the rest of our lives, Sweetness.”

“The rest of our lives, huh? You really think I’ll stick around that long?” Rhys smirked at me.

“Well, I’m gonna marry you someday, so I say make your peace with it,” I retorted, leaning back on my hands and giving him a cocky smile.

“Wow. Not at all presumptuous, are we? What if I say no? I’ll more than likely grow sick of you before then.”

I tilted my head, humming like I was thinking over his threat. “Hmm, that would pose an issue…for a lesser man. I’m quite confident that I’d just charm you all over again and we both know I’m capable of it. Even when I was a colossal dick, you couldn’t resist me.”

Rhys scoffed loudly, tossing his head back dramatically. “Oh please, you overestimate how much I like you. Let’s be honest, I’m basically a step away from Stockholm Syndrome since you made me move in with you. I constantly think to myself I should run away and escape to safer ground.”

I barked out a laugh, loving the easy banter that had been there from the beginning with us. “ Made you move in? That’s an interesting way to rewrite history, Evans. And I hate to tell you, but you’re overlooking one crucial flaw in your escape plan there.”

“Do tell. What flaw am I missing?”

I gripped his chin firmly, bringing his sweet face close to mine until I could feel his breath puff against my skin. “I’d follow you. There’s no world in which I can let you go. There’s nowhere you could go that I wouldn’t follow you, Sweetness. I’ll always find you.”

His pupils dilated and I watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed with his rough swallow. “Why does that sound like a threat? Please tell me you get that it sounds like a threat…” he sassed, and I couldn’t resist licking a soft stripe along the bottom curve of his lip. His tiny whimper heated my blood and I smiled wickedly .

“Not a threat. Just a promise. I’ll always be yours, sweetheart. And one day, I plan to make you the happiest man alive and marry you. No need to thank me.” A light laugh escaped from him, widening my own smile at the beautiful sound. His own face brightened with a soft smile that had my heart thumping a little harder.

“Thank you for bringing me here, Cal,” Rhys said, his eyes going glassy with tears. “Just being with you like this, right here, it’s perfect. I am so thankful for the life we have together. I love you more than words can say.” His lips stole mine, his kiss igniting my blood and piercing me to my core. I kissed him back languidly, taking my time to explore him and the connection we had. I felt it in the deepest parts of me, transcending all reason and sense. I was never able to explain it, but the truth of it was rooted in my very being that I had waited for Rhys my whole life. There was no reality that could exist where we didn’t belong to each other. Call it fate, serendipity, or something else, but he was the soul I was destined to find.

When we parted, we stayed there for a while longer, Rhys curled into my embrace. We just sat there and enjoyed the view, soaking in this little piece of our forever.