Epilogue

EPILOGUE

ROMAN

ONE YEAR LATER

T he click of the front door unlocking sounded, and then Quinn bounded into our apartment, waving her phone at me. "Am I reading this right? Another summer internship?"

I took the phone, scanning the email. "Yeah, you read it right. There was no way you wouldn't get another internship. Not after you impressed them last summer with your paper and the internship they extended because they were so pleased with you. And getting published in your history journal. Twice . You're fucking amazing, baby."

She gave me a bright, happy smile. "I can't believe it, but I'm so glad." Wrapping her arms around my neck, she stared up at me. "Speaking of amazing, West happened to let it slip that you have the top grades in the entire year of your business degree. The entire year , Roman."

I grinned. Us both getting into Alstone College to study for our degrees, moving into a fucking gorgeous apartment in a converted Regency-style mansion, being around my uncle and cousins and knowing what it was like to have family around me and caring about me for the first time in my life…I guess you could say it had settled me. The need I'd always had to act out had somehow disappeared. That itch beneath my skin, that sense I'd always had of never really being wanted…all of it had gone. Dissolved, like it was never there. Although I knew the scars would remain, it was surprisingly easy to put it all behind me.

I owed most of it to Quinn, though. Falling in love with her had changed me for the better. They say you shouldn't rely on someone else for your happiness, and it wasn't like that. It was like together, we were better. We brought out the best in each other. Supported and encouraged and lifted each other up. Yeah, we had our bad days—no one was perfect, least of all me—but we were fucking solid. Quinn Farrow was mine, and I was hers, and we'd made a home together here in Alstone. Whatever we ended up doing in the future after our degrees, we had a strong, unshakeable foundation, and nothing would tear us apart.

Quinn took her phone back, mumbling about letting her parents know the news while her fingers flew across the screen, and my smile widened. When she'd finished and slipped her phone into my pocket, I kissed the tip of her nose.

"We need to celebrate. What do you want to do?"

Tapping her fingers on the back of my neck, she thought about it for a minute. "Honestly? I think I'd like to go down to the pier, walk along the beach, and get fish and chips. I know it sounds boring, but?—"

Placing my finger over her lips, I shook my head. "It's not boring. Wanna go to the cove after? We can swim. Naked."

She laughed, as I knew she would. "Alright. As long as you warm me up afterwards."

"That goes without saying." I kissed her. And then kissed her again. And then a third time, just for luck. I'd never get enough of my girl.

When we were in my car, heading towards Alstone pier, I placed my hand on Quinn's bare thigh. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her smile as her hand came down to cover mine.

I stared straight ahead, towards the sea, burnished with an orange glow from the setting sun. I smiled, too, my heart full.

Once upon a time, there was a boy who never knew love.

That boy grew up to be a man who loved and was loved beyond compare.

THE END