Epilogue

Mackenzie

December 23rd

The charity fundraiser for the foundation was epic. There were no last-minute hitches—well, nothing we couldn’t handle—and Atomic Fire set the stage ablaze.

Almost literally. But it worked.

It’s almost midnight by the time we all crash at home. Talk about an extended family. Alice’s mum and partner, Brian, are here, and so are Violet’s parents and her little brother, Sam, who clearly thinks the sun shines out of Lucas’s backside.

“Told you that you’d enjoy it, didn’t I?” Duke grins and slaps Dad’s shoulder.

“It was very entertaining.” Dad almost sounds as though he means it.

We all go into the sitting room, and Dad and Margo disappear into the kitchen to make hot drinks. Everyone’s staying here tonight. Both Harry and Lucas have given up their rooms for their future in-laws and are camping downstairs. Duke’s got the spare bedroom.

And Will’s sleeping in my room. Which is all kinds of weird, as I moved in with him a couple of weeks ago, into the most adorable little cottage we’re renting in the village near Oakland. But my room still looks like it always did. Just like the way Dad’s never done anything with my brothers’ rooms.

The parents and Duke sit on the sofas, and before Will and I can grab his favorite chair beside the fire, Harry and Lucas step in front of us.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” I glare at them because I’m pretty sure I know what’s coming. This is the first time we’ve all been in the same room since Will and I made our relationship public, and Lucas has barely spoken to his best friend since.

Former best friend. I hate how that happened. We didn’t even go to the Halloween party Lucas arranged, since I didn’t want to put Will in an awkward position.

My brother ignores me. “How much longer are you gonna be a dick?”

“He’s not a dick,” I grind between my teeth. “Honestly, Lucas—”

“I’m not saying I’m ready to forgive you,” he says, magnanimously, “but you could at least make the effort, so my sister still sees her family.”

What the hell is he talking about? “Are you high or something?”

“Okay,” Will says, like my brother is making complete sense.

“Because,” my obviously deluded brother adds, “family’s important.”

“Even I went.” Harry sounds like the prophet of doom.

“Yes, and you looked gorgeous as a knight of Exitium.” Alice gazes at him in adoration, and the penny drops. After all, I saw all the photos on social media.

“Wait. I was the one who refused the invitation to the Halloween party. Not Will.”

Both of my brothers stare at me as though I’ve just sprouted a unicorn horn. “Why would you do that?” Harry asks.

“But you like parties.” Lucas frowns.

“Oh, shut up. You must’ve seen the email was from me, not him.”

“Yeah, but I thought he’d…influenced you.”

Will gives a snort of laughter. “Thought you knew her better than that.”

“I can’t believe you even said that.” I don’t know whether I should laugh, like Will, or give my brother a broken nose.

“I know,” Violet says. “I said to him there’s no way Will would ever tell you what to do, but he was so cut up when you didn’t go, he had to blame someone.”

“I wasn’t fucking cut up,” Lucas growls, and Violet gives his arm a little pat.

An unwanted trickle of guilt slides through me. “I’m sorry. I thought maybe it was, you know, too soon.”

Lucas still looks highly offended, and I bite my lip against the urge to giggle, not helped when both Violet and Alice looks as though they’re doing the same.

“Just so you know,” Will says to Lucas, “I’d do anything to make Mac happy. I’m sorry if I screwed up our friendship, but she’s my number one priority. And always will be.”

It’s a physiological impossibility, but I swear my heart expands until it fills my entire chest. I hook my arm through his and don’t even care if I have a ridiculously gooey smile on my face.

Lucas makes a sound somewhere between a growl and a gag. “All right, then.”

“It’s all very exciting about your new degree,” Alice says, changing the subject. “How’s that all going?”

“I’m going to be spending the next six months covered in paint getting a portfolio together.” Aberystwyth is my number one choice. And not just because it’s not far from Oakland.

“Mac has an exhibition at Camden Market on Boxing Day. You’re all invited.” Will makes it sound more like a command than an invite, although they do all seem keen, and I end up talking about my art more than I ever have in years with anyone except Will.

An hour later, as everyone’s crawling to bed, we end up outside Mum’s study. For the first time in years her door’s open, and it’s strange, but in a good way.

Her door was never closed when she was here.

Hand in hand, we go in the room, and I trail my fingers over the back of my favorite chair. It was made to be used, not hidden away like a piece in a museum.

Moving on doesn’t mean forgetting the past. I squeeze his fingers.

“I’m going to ask Dad if I can take this chair with me.”

He doesn’t answer, just holds me close, and I rest my head on his shoulder. I’m glad you met him, Mum.

“You okay?” he says softly.

“Yeah.” I raise my head and lose myself in his beautiful brown eyes. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

“Not recently.” His grin does the most wonderful things to the pit of my stomach. “You should work on that.”

I laugh, and it’s strange. I haven’t laughed in this room for years. But it feels so right. I always used to be so happy in here.

The one line from The Princess Bride that neither of us has ever quoted to the other floats through my mind. There’ll never be a more perfect moment.

“As you wish.” I love you.

“That’s more like it.”

“It’s a good job you’re cute.” I lead him from the room. “No one else could say that to me and walk away without a limp.”

He pulls me around and cradles my face in his hands. How did I get so lucky? “No one else ever will say that to you, Mac. Because no one could ever love you as much as I do.”

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