A shaky smile slips through my tears.
“I love you. I will always love you. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to give you everything you deserve—love, safety, affection. And yeah,” I laugh through the tears, “spoiling you rotten. Someone might call it the princess treatment.”
Jamie laughs softly, eyes shining.
“I love you too,” he says, voice thick with emotion.
“And I’m so glad you trusted me. You were never alone, Lex. I just wish you’d known that sooner.”
He pulls me into him, and I finally let myself break—burying my face in his neck, holding him like he’s the only thing keeping me upright.
“I love you, baby,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to his lips.
He kisses me back, slow and sure, and wraps his arms around me like he’s not going anywhere.
For the first time in my life, I believe it.
EPILOGUE ONE
JAMIE
Three and a half years later.
It’s been three and a half years since London.
Sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago—like another version of us existed there, tucked away in a city where no one knew our names, where holding hands didn’t feel like a rebellion.
Other times, it feels like yesterday.
Like I could still taste the coffee, still see Lex’s smile reflected in the glass of the London Eye, still feel the exact momenteverything shifted fromus survivingtous living.
A lot has happened since then.
I graduated.
I still remember Lex in the front row, legs bouncing with nervous energy like he was the one getting the diploma. When they called my name, he stood up first, clapping louder than anyone, grinning like he’d personally earned my degree.
Later, he kissed me in front of everyone, careless and proud, and I remember thinking—this is it. This is the life I want.
Not long after, Lex’s life changed too.
One of his matches drew more attention than usual. A scout from a major professional team had been in the stands, watching someone else—until Lex caught his eye. A few weeks later, Lex was signing papers with hands that shook only a little, trying to act cool while I was basically vibrating with excitement beside him. When he officially joined the team, I cried harder than he did.
He pretended not to notice.
He noticed.
We told everyone aboutusright after we got back from London.
I was terrified. Turns out, the world didn’t end.
Our friends were shocked, sure—but mostly shocked thatLexwas gay. The stepbrother part barely even registered compared to that revelation.
His teammates? Supportive. Protective, even. Some of them admitted they’d suspected something for years. Lex just rolled his eyes and told them they were assholes.
The hardest part was our parents.
My mom needed time—questions, long pauses, careful conversations—but she never stopped loving either of us. Lex’s dad… that was different. When Lex told him, the silence that followed felt endless. Then came the distance. Coldness. Almost two years of no contact between them.
