Dawn had broken a couple of hours ago, but as far as I was concerned it was doing it all over again.
“Of course,” I said, too quickly. “Ofcourse.Your room’s still right there. There’s, uh, kind of a bunch of junk in it I’ve been meaning to sort out, so it might take a couple of days, but we can definitely start tonight if that’s what you?—”
Theo cut me off with a raised hand, licking melted chocolate off his lips.
“Actually,” he said once he was done. “I was thinking I’d move into yours.”
Oh. Oh, right.
I laughed, setting the uneaten half of my pancake down and surging over the counter to kiss him, too overwhelmed to use my words right now.
That was fine. This wasn’t the kind of thing that needed a whole lot of them.
When I pulled back, his pupils were blown, eyelids drooping dreamily, a lazy smile spreading over his lips.
He was mine. I got to keep him.
I was never letting him go again.
“In that case,” I murmured. “Welcome home.”
EPILOGUE
Two years later…
“There’s my birthday boy,” Simon’s voice came from behind me. He dropped a kiss on my head, then climbed over the back of the sofa I was sitting on. It was a warm evening for May, and the sun sinking over the horizon lit the sky up in oranges and inky blues as I sat at the rooftop bar Simon had organized my birthday drinks at. Surrounded by people who loved me.
I was still getting used to that, except for the man who’d just sat down next to me. Him, I snuggled against without waiting for an invitation. Simon laughed, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and, when I tilted my head back for a kiss, pressing his lips upside-down to mine.
“Watcha got?” he asked, nodding to my hand.
I uncurled my fingers to reveal two bottles of nail polish—one navy blue with silver glitter floating in it, the other a bright teal with a gold shimmer when you turned it the right way in the light. “This one’s Pride,” I said, holding the navy up. “And this one’s Prejudice. From Ellie.”
Simon took the teal from me when I offered it to him, leaning over my shoulder to look at it before passing it back. “The formulas of these are good, too. Two coats, no streaks. Teal might need three.”
I’d learned a lot about nail polish formulas over the last couple of years. Amongst a host of other things.
Like how nice it was to wake up next to Simon every morning, and crawl into bed beside him every night, not just when some disaster had occurred in my life. Or how much of a relief it was to know I could have morning breath, or hay fever, or be grumpy and quiet after a bad day and he wouldn’t mind. He’d still kiss me, or make me eucalyptus tea to clear my sinuses, or pet my hair while we watched TV.
He’d still love me. All of me.
“You can paint my nails for me sometime this weekend,” I said, tilting my head back for another kiss. Simon gave it to me without hesitating, but the two of us were smiling so wide that it was more awkwardly brushing our lips together.
Those had quickly become my favorite kisses.
“I’m honored,” Simon said, resting his chin on the top of my head. “You having a good night?”
“I am.” I wriggled closer to him. “To my continued amazement.”
The party had been a surprise, and the attendance was, too. I hadn’t realized I knew so many people who wanted to celebrate with me. But Ellie and her girlfriend, Miko, were here, and so was Madelaine and the guy who’d replaced Cameron. Simon’s parents, and Audrey, and even Delilah and Corey had videocalled from Texas. Delilah had apologized for not coming down, too busy with veterinary school to take the time off.
She’d told me she loved me.
So had Madelaine.
I hadn’t realized I’d never heard it from either of them before until I did, and thinking about it now made a feeling I couldn’t quite name well up in my chest so sharply it made my eyes sting.
My impression was that Simon had something to do with it, which made it even better. He’d known how much it would mean for me to hear it.
