Page 81 of Pretend it’s Forever

But we had time.

All of us.

The man who had shattered her once was gone. And wouldn’t be coming back.

And the girls would one day ask where their father had gone, and we would find a way to tell them.

And I would find a way to be the man that they needed.

And that wasn’t daunting at all.

“Are you okay?” Sophia asked, pulling away from Isabella and Blakely to come towards me.

“I am. Have I said I love you recently?” I asked, brushing her hair back from her face.

“Only twice or so this morning. I love you too, you know.”

I leaned down and took her lips with mine.

“Get your mouth off my sister,” Dorian snarled, even as he laughed, with Harper glaring at him.

I ignored them all and just looked at Sophia.

“When can we leave again?” I asked.

“You’re ridiculous. We are here for family brunch, and you’re going to help with the dishes.”

“Big bad Carson, Mr. Former MMA fighter, and the CEO to end all CEOs, doing dishes? I can’t wait,” James said with a laugh. I leaned back and let them tease me, knowing that I would have to get used to this.

I hadn’t grown up with a family that pushed one another like this, that wanted to be with one another.

Then again, everyone in this room hadn’t grown up in a way that would lead to this either. We’d all begun with secrets that would hopefully end with us.

I had found my forever in a woman who tempted me, teased me, and found strength within me I hadn’t known was there. She challenged me every day, and I could not wait to see where she would take me.

Because I knew, no matter the gauntlet the world put her through, and no matter what her family spoke of, I would be her pillar, her strength. Because she had enough spine for every person in this room. And now I would be the one she could lean on. Because I had accidentally fallen in love. And this fling, the single night that should never have happened, would be our future.

And I supposed being a Cage couldn’t be all that bad in the end.

Epilogue

FLYNN

I ran my hands through my hair, annoyed once again that here I was, stressed out about who could possibly be at my door.

It wasn’t as if this were new. It was just different. Or perhaps, something that would never become routine. It couldn’t. If it did, it would destroy so fucking much. And well, probably piss off more than a few people in my family. And I was Flynn Cage, I did not piss off my family. If anything, I was the mediator. Much like James, I was the one who made sure my family didn’t implode. And we sure as hell had gotten close more than a few times.

I let out a sigh as my phone buzzed, and I looked at the screen.

L:

I’m here.

I slid my phone into my back pocket and went to the door, trying to act casual. It wasn’t as if she could see me through the mahogany door, but with the way that I swore she could see through everything other than the facade I tried to keep on, maybe she could.

I opened the door and stared at the woman standing underneath my porch light, her hair tucked under a knit cap, glasses perched on her nose, and her eyes wide.

“You’re late.”