“You can still keep it,” I whisper into her throat.
“I’ve worn it every day since I’ve been home.”
I squeeze her.
“I’m sorry if I smell funky, Aiden.”
“You don’t smell funky. I love you, Carly.”
“I love you, too, Aiden.”
“I’m sorry I was such a dick.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t give up on me. It might take me a while to learn to not be an alphahole, okay?”
“Okay. You can still be an alpha… I want you for you. Just lose the hole part, okay?”
“Anything for you.”
Epilogue
CARLY
Four Months Later
We’ve just left Aiden’s mother’s house after Sunday dinner. Audra moved to her own place when she got out of rehab. She got off easy with community service for slapping that cop and she loses her license for a year. There’s also the punishment of being the face of many rich bitch memes that circulate and have given her a bit more than the usual ten minutes of fame.
She and I get along pretty well. She’s kind of high-maintenance and occasionally makes little digs that have to do with her being a bit of a label whore when I’m perfectly happy wearing clothes off the rack, but we do get along for the most part. Her relationship with Aiden isn’t all roses, but they’re both trying.
She’s sober, continuing with AA. And she’s also not with Aiden’s father. Her and Quinten are cordial, though. She’s with Sienna’s father, Roger Greer, though they don’t live together yet. His divorce is proving rather ugly.
Apparently, Quinten was stopping that relationship from progressing and at some stage, changed his mind and gave it his blessing. Aiden’s ex is apparently livid that she might wind up Aiden’s stepsister at some stage. I think it’s kind of funny. Aiden says that’s her punishment for threatening me… to get Audra for a wicked stepmother.
Aiden’s Dad’s health is good, too, so everyone is thankful for that.
Quinten and Audra are cordial enough that once a month there’s a family dinner with all of the Carmichaels together. Last month, my parents were here visiting and we all had that family dinner together at Aiden’s condo. My Mom and Audra are kind of polar opposites, but they bonded over a love of an indie author they both read. Our dads bonded over football.
Caitlin is doing a year in jail for her breach of probation for her former assault and forgery charges so of course she’s sober, whether she wants to be or not. She seems like she wants to be. She’s been writing letters to me, and to my Mom. She seems like she’s finding the old Cait again. Aiden and I
are going to see her on visiting day next month.
She told me where the rest of the jewelry was pawned. We didn’t get it all back, but I did manage to get two more pieces. It’s something, at least.
I’ve got a full-time job with CC and so does Ally. George came back to work and got promoted to VP of Marketing. Aiden is now President of Carmichael Consulting. I got promoted to George’s old job of Marketing Director and I promoted Stacy and Blake and brought in a new intern, Sonia from my old office in Buffalo. She works in our NYC office.
Stacy now has the job I came here to do, and Blake moved to the New York office to take over for Kieran. The Irish alphahole didn’t take too well to my promotion, although I tried to make it work. He wasn’t at all flexible, so I fired his lazy pompous ass.
George moved to an office down the hall a week ago and so now my office is now next to Aiden’s with a perfect view of Ally’s cubicle.
As much as looking at the back of her head, which changes color about every month or two, is fun, I kind of miss the view from before. Now I have to come out of my office to see him.
***
It’s five o’clock Monday and I’m getting ready to wrap up my day.
My boss’s boss comes in with a big envelope in his hand.