“I say fuck yeah.” I toss him a grin of my own. “And catch me if you can.”
Not giving a shit about the other students milling around us, I shake off Xave’s hand and speed walk toward an academic building with a section of the woods that has a large blind spot from the cameras behind it.
I can hear Xave’s footsteps behind me, and my heart is already pounding. My dick is as hard as a steel pipe as I think about all the things he could do to me when he “catches” me.
It’s true that things aren’t going to be easy, and there will be plenty of people who won’t be happy about us being together and will actively try to sabotage us in the future, but none of that matters because I’ve finally found my person.
Xave loves me, and he’s given me two things I never thought I’d ever get to experience again. He’s given me hope that not onlydo I matter, but that I deserve to be happy. And he’s given me the family I’ve craved since I was eleven but never thought I could ever be a part of again.
There might not be anything traditional, or even normal, about our relationship or how we got together, but I wouldn’t change a single thing about any of it.
Xave is it for me, and I will destroy anyone who tries to get between us.
EPILOGUE
Three years later
Xave
Pushingthe door to our room open, I slip inside.
I don’t see Damon anywhere, but the light in the closet is on, and I find him standing in front of the full-length mirror in a black suit, a black dress shirt, and a silky black tie.
“Babe?” I ask when his eyes meet mine in the mirror.
He smiles, and there’s an aura of calm and peacefulness around him that I don’t see often. Usually it only comes out when we’re at our lake house and he’s had a chance to decompress from the stresses of life and can fully relax and just be in the moment with me.
“I got your text,” I prompt when he silently adjusts his tie.
Damon still prefers to dress in black, but this monochrome formal wear look is unusual for him, especially since, as far as I know, he has no plans to go anywhere tonight.
Things have changed a lot for us in the last three years, but the one thing that hasn’t is how just being in the same room as him calms something deep inside me.
After we graduated, Damon went to work for his father while I went to work for my dad and uncles. The following year, my cousins joined me at the family business, and last year Damon started taking on more responsibilities and began being prepped to take over when his father finally decides to retire.
The first year was a big adjustment, and we spent a lot of time apart thanks to him having to travel for work and the long hours we both put into our jobs, but every late night and lonely weekend was worth it to be able to not just live together, but to be open with our relationship and not have to hide.
My family welcomed Damon with open arms, exactly how I knew they would, and they love him as much as I do. It doesn’t hurt that he charmed not just my parents, but also my aunt and uncles the first time he met them.
His father still insists on pretending like I don’t exist and refuses to acknowledge that his son is in a relationship with a man, but Kait and his sisters instantly accepted me and have treated me like I’m a part of the family since day one.
Damon still performs under his Helix name, and his singles regularly chart whenever he drops new music. His popularity has only grown over the years, but he still limits his appearances and does everything he can to hide his true identity.
Things haven’t always been easy, and we’ve dealt with our share of bigotry and having to navigate the line between our two worlds, but I’d do it all again in a heartbeat, and I know he’d do the same.
“I was just making sure this still fits,” he says, turning to face me.
My brow furrows as I take him in and try to figure out what’s going on.
Between his cryptic words and the palpable relief and calm surrounding him, there’s really only one thing this could be about.
“Is he…?” I ask quietly.
Damon nods. “I got the call about thirty minutes ago.”
“What happened?”
He smirks. “He stroked out on the can.”
