“Okay. You leave first, Mom. We’ll catch up.”
“No. You’ll just continue locking up Cecily here. I’ll wait until you come down.”
He grunts after his mum ruins his plan to do just that, then we awkwardly stumble upstairs. We take a quick shower, and he stays in the bathroom to shave, but I throw on the first pair of jeans and top I come across and go ahead downstairs.
One, I don’t want to keep her waiting.
Two, I really don’t want her to think we’re fucking up there.
I find Lia tidying up the living room even though it’s kind of spotless. I’m thankful the actual fucking happened on the stairs earlier, so there’s no evidence of it on the sofa.
“Cecily, you’re here.” She beams at me. “How did you escape him?”
I touch my neck, my ear, and my hair. “I…um…”
“I’m kidding.” She grabs my hand and makes me sit down beside her on the sofa. “We haven’t talked much since you got here, for obvious reasons, but I wanted to thank you, Cecily.”
“For…what?”
“For seeing the man inside Jeremy, not the cold exterior he showcases to the world. It takes a brave soul to dig deeper and see him for what he truly is and not be repulsed by it.”
I shake my head. “You don’t have to thank me. He dug inside me, too. He’s way more than what his reputation claims.”
“Right? He’s like his father. Only a select few see what he hides on the inside.” A nostalgic look covers her eyes. “He had a tough childhood, my angel, partly because I wasn’t always there for him, and I hate myself for that every day. I’m beyond grateful he grew up so well.”
“Please don’t hate yourself.” I stroke her hand. “Jeremy understands.”
A soft light covers her features. “He does?”
I nod frantically. “More than you’d ever know.”
She smiles again with a contagious joy that I can’t help but mirror.
“I know you’re new to this life, but I hope you’ll get used to it. God knows it took me years, but I got there, and I’ll help you adjust… That is, if you’d like, of course.”
“Yes, please. I’d be forever grateful.”
“We girls need to stick together. I’m so happy you and Jeremy chose each other.”
“Me, too.”
Jeremy appears at the top of the stairs and comes down, narrowing his eyes on us. “I heard my name. What were you talking about?”
“It’s our secret.” Lia winks at me, and I smile.
Then I hug Jeremy as the three of us go to have a family dinner with Adrian.
Looks like I found myself a new family.
And it’s all thanks to the man I love.
The beast I can’t live without.
EPILOGUE 2 — JEREMY
ONE MONTH LATER
Anew college year means one thing.