“They want to make us their flagship gym,” Micah continues, bouncing on his heels. “Spring catalog. National rollout. All of it.”
I exhale slowly. The same exhale I let go of in my office two days ago, except this time it has somewhere to land. “Dawson’s probably losing his fucking mind right now,” I say.
After Micah leaves, Theo turns to me. “See? Everything you were afraid of losing... you’re getting something better instead.”
I pull him closer, burying my face against his neck for a moment. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Believe it,” he whispers, fingers threading through my hair. “You’re building something revolutionary here, Victor. Something that matters.”
“We are,” I correct him, lifting my head to meet his eyes. “I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”
His smile softens. “Partners?”
“In everything,” I promise, sealing it with a kiss.
The noise from the gym filters through the door—laughter, encouragement, the rhythmic thud of gloves hitting pads. My fighters. My family. Our future, transforming before our eyes into something I never imagined possible.
For the first time in my life, I’m not fighting against something. I’m fighting for something—for us, for all of them out there, for a world where no one has to hide who they are to do what they love.
52
EPILOGUE
THEO
The towering pines blur into a wash of green as Victor’s SUV cruises along the winding forest road. I’ve been watching him from the passenger seat for the last hour, studying the tight set of his jaw, the way his fingers drum against the steering wheel when they should be relaxed. Something’s off.
“You want to tell me what’s going on in that head of yours?” I ask, breaking the silence that’s stretched between us for miles.
Victor’s eyes remain fixed on the road. “Nothing’s going on.”
“Bullshit.” I turn down the music. “You’ve been weird all week. Distracted. Checking your phone constantly. And now you’re taking me to some mystery cabin without your usual excitement about getting me naked in new places.”
He almost smiles at that. Almost.
“I’m just tired. The gym’s been busy with the new sponsorship.”
I reach over and place my hand on his thigh, feeling the muscle tense beneath my touch. “We don’t do this anymore, remember? The deflection thing. Not after everything.”
Victor exhales slowly, his broad shoulders dropping slightly. “It’s nothing bad.”
“Then why are you acting like you’re driving me to my execution instead of a romantic weekend?”
The SUV slows as we approach a fork in the road, and Victor takes the right path, deeper into the forest. Sunlight dapples through the canopy of trees, casting golden patterns across his face. I watch him swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
“I’ve just been thinking a lot,” he finally says.
“About?”
“Us. Where we’re going.”
My stomach tightens. Despite everything we’ve overcome, some tiny part of me still expects him to bail when things get too real. “And where exactly is that?”
Victor takes his eyes off the road for a second to glance at me, something vulnerable flickering in his gaze.
“Victor,” I press. “What’s on your mind? You’re starting to freak me out.”
“Nothing, I promise,” Victor says, forcing a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I just want to forget about everything else this weekend. No gym. No sponsors. No social media. Just you and me.”
