“And what’s that?” Hope asks softly.
He lets out a soft sigh, and seconds later, a slow, warm smile spreads across his face.
“Closure,” he murmurs, his voice low and steady. “I finally got closure.”
Hope
After dropping Troy back home, we collapse onto my couch, exhausted by the heaviness of everything that had just unfolded.
It was a raw and deeply touching moment watching Troy finally receive the closure he had so desperately needed, especially after all these years. My heart ached for him, yet at the same time, it swelled with warmth. He had loved my aunt with every fibre of his being, and the first chance he ever got to see her again was in a cemetery.
I can’t even begin to imagine what that kind of experience would feel like.
“That was pretty intense, huh?” Kaden says, leaning his head back as he stares up at the ceiling.
“Yeah, it was. But there was something so beautiful about it too.”
“I think this might be the push he needed to finally start reflecting on his future, and the kind of life he wants with my mother. Whether that means staying in a loveless marriage or finally walking away.”
“Was it always that bad?” I ask, genuinely curious. “I mean, your parents have been together for so long—surely there has to be some love there.”
“I don’t think there ever was,” he murmurs, shaking his head. “If there had been, I never saw it or felt it. They married out of convenience and obligation—because they were pregnant with me. But their hearts had never belonged to each other.”
Ishake my head, unable to comprehend how two people could choose to remain in a marriage that makes them so miserable. “It’s so sad. I could never live like that. I’d rather be single and alone for the rest of my life than be with someone who doesn’t truly love or appreciate me.”
Kaden sits up and reaches for me, guiding me onto his lap. My hands settle on his shoulders as he holds my gaze.
“You’ll never have to worry about that with me. I’ll always make sure you know how I feel about you.”
“And how do you feel about me, Kaden Nicolas Grant?” I tease, lightly tapping the tip of his nose with my finger.
His gaze drifts from my eyes to my lips, and then back again.
“I feel like the happiest and luckiest man alive when I’m with you. I feel hopeful and excited about the future because I know you’ll be by my side through it all. I feel wanted, cared for, and truly appreciated, like I can be myself and you’d still accept me as I am. You make me want to keep challenging myself, to be a better person than I was yesterday.”
His hands tighten around my hips, his striking green eyes holding mine captive as he speaks his next words. “But more than anything, Hope… I’ve fallen, madly and completely, head over heels in love with you.”
“Kaden,” I whisper, struggling to swallow around the lump in my throat.
He quickly shakes his head, stopping me from continuing. “You don’t need to say anything, baby. I just wanted you to know how I really felt about you.”
Cupping his jaw, I lean down and press my lips to his, pouring every ounce of emotion into the kiss.
“I know I don’t have to say anything back, but I feel like I need to. Because, Kaden, what you don’t realise is… I’ve fallen for you too. Even when my mind tells me it’s too soon, my heart already knows what it wants. It wants you—every single part of you, the good and the bad—because all of it has made you the man you are today. I’ve never been more grateful to have someone like you in my and Zac’s life. And to finally call you mine, feels fucking fantastic. I love you, Kaden. More than I ever expected to.”
The smile that slowly spreads across his face sends a soft flutter through my chest.
“I love you too, angel. More than you could ever know.”
He grips the back of my neck and seals his mouth over mine. His kiss is intense, deep, and all-consuming, leaving me feeling dizzy and breathless.The moment he pulls back, and our eyes meet, I see it all there—hope, excitement, happiness… love. And when he kisses me again, and again, and again… something stirs deep in chest—something I haven’t felt with a man in a very long time.
Home.
Epilogue 1
Adrian
One month later — February, 2026.
