Page 166 of Unwritten Rules

His dark hair is thick and curling at the ends, and his long lashes are covering his bright blue eyes. Eyes identical to his namesake, with the same mischievous sparkle in their depths.

Whatever I did to deserve this level of happiness in my life, I’ll never know.

I’m married to the love of my life. We have a beautiful child together. We have almost finished the final touches on the screenplay for My Dearest Nathan.

Our friends and family have helped us celebrate Nathan’s christening on my and Mila’s one-year anniversary. They are currently milling around our terrace, waiting for food from Mila’s newest venture. She’s releasing a cookbook based on her Nonna’s recipes, and I have no doubt it will be as successful as everything else she puts her heart into.

“Are you watching him sleep again?” Mila’s arms wrap around my torso from behind, her face flush against my back as she snuggles close.

I can’t keep the smile from my voice. “He’s just…”

Trailing off, I can’t find the words, but Mila is ready as always.

“He’s ours.”

I spin in her hold, placing my palms on her smiling cheeks and dropping my brow to hers.

“And I’m yours, Hellcat.”

EPILOGUE TWO

CADEN

“I still can’t believe that other piece of shit came as Super-fucking-man.”

Henry, having shucked his Batman mask, scrubs his hands down his face, smudging the black face paint around his eyes. “If you make one more jibe about my sister and her unmentionable life—”

I cut him off, throwing a wink at a smirking Liv. “Her sex life? Is that it, DeMarco?”

He throws up his hands in exasperation. “I’m out of here, North. You’re a prick and a half.” Slapping me playfully on both cheeks, he then pinches them with a grin. “Tell Bella we’ll see her next week for that sleepover.”

I nod, my grin widening as I shove his hands away. “She’ll love it. She thinks Bash is her own personal doll.”

“She’s a great help, and he settles easier when she’s around.” Liv’s voice is soft, but even so, the sound rouses the sleeping infant in her arms.

Henry is quick to scoop his son into his arms, pressing him softly against his chest, and Bash calms immediately.

Liv narrows her eyes as Henry smugly side-eyes her. “Show-off.”

Henry tips his chin in farewell, lest he waken his overtired son, and the trio make their way toward the front door, the final stragglers to leave the party.

I loosen my tie and shrug out of the deep purple Joker jacket I’ve been wearing all day, tossing it across the back of one of the chairs at the breakfast bar.

“Mr North?”

At the sound of my name, I turn to find Serena, our longest-lasting nanny, standing just inside the kitchen door.

“Bella is in bed, but she’s asking for you to sing to her…”

She trails off sheepishly. We both know this is a usual occurrence from Bug. I’ve never denied her. And I never will.

“That’s no problem, Serena. You can finish up for the evening. We’ll see you in the morning.”

She smiles softly, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear. “Of course. I won’t be far if she needs me. Goodnight, Mr North.”

My heart swells in my chest hearing the genuine love and concern in Serena’s voice, only to crumble to pieces when I think of how her mother, Layla, should be like that. But she just isn’t, and it kills me that I refused to see it for so many years.

The knife twists deeper when I admit to myself that I saw her toxic behaviour long before we ever got together, but stupidly, and out of blind loyalty to my brother, thought I could fix her. That I could bring her back to the girl he’d known.