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The one on my collarbone is written in a similar script, despite being in a different language.
“It’ll be here in fifteen minutes,” he says, turning around, catching me staring at him.
“You name-dropped, didn’t you?” I ask, shaking my head because if he got it from my favorite place—which I’m assuming he did—their normal delivery time is over an hour.
The tips of his ears turn red as he smiles sheepishly. “I might have promised them an autograph if it could be here in under a half hour. My girl is hungry; I can’t let you starve.”
“Normally, I’d say don’t do that again, but I’m so hungry, I don’t care.”
Bash gets a glass down from the cupboard, and it’s really unfair that such a normal action can look so sexy when he’s not wearing clothes. “Do you want some water?” Sebastian asks, and I nod just so I can watch him reach for another glass.Totally worth it.
“Can I ask you something?”
He looks at me, surprised I’m even asking for permission. “Of course.”
“Why did you let Kiera call you Seb? You never went by it before her, and I guess I’m just curious why you never corrected her?” I ask softly, unfortunately at the same time he takes a drink from his glass. It lodges in his throat, causing him to choke.
“Where did that come from?” Sebastian croaks out, and I tap my fingers on the counter.
“It’s something I’ve been wondering for a while. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
Bash runs a hand through his hair, causing some of it to stick up more than it already was. “I don’t know why I didn’t correct her on it. At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal. Kiera told me that she liked being the only person who called me it, so I let her. It didn’t really bother me until the last few months we were together.”
“You loved her.” I smile sadly, despite the fact I already knew this. He steps closer to me, tilting my chin up to look him in the eyes.
I can see a swirl of emotions in them, but they’re a light honey color right now. They seem to change constantly. If we ever have kids, I hope they have his eyes. They’re beautiful.
“I did,” he admits carefully, never breaking eye contact. “I did love Kiera, but I never stopped lovingyou. I tried so hard to get over you, but you always had me, even when you didn’t. Thalia Lewis…there is no forgetting you. I think I’ve loved you before I even knew what love really was. I might have been a little stubborn and refused to admit it at times, but being with you makes me happy in ways I don’t think I can even try to describe.”
I don’t want to cry, but it’s not often that Sebastian says stuff like this. He’s great at it when he chooses to, and before I can stop them, tears are spilling down my cheeks. I lean forward on my tiptoes, pressing my lips softly against his as my heart swells with happiness and love.
Sebastian fucking Walker is the great love of my life that I’ve been lucky enough to find.
EPILOGUE
TWO YEARS LATER
“Come on, ref! How the hell did you miss that call?” I yell, attempting to get up out of the chair, but my swollen belly makes it way harder than it should be. I give up, defeated by how normal things become so difficult when your uterus is invaded by an alien as some of the other girlfriends and wives in the box chuckle because they’re all used to me yelling during games.
In my defense, when a referee royally screws up a call, I’m going to yell at them, pregnant or not.
“Lia, you might want to calm down. Don’t let your blood pressure get too high,” Blake warns with a smile, and my attention snaps toward her.
“It’s the Super Bowl,” I say, as if that should just explain everything.
Chris is sitting on my other side, having jumped at the chance to come to the game. He hasn’t torn his eyes from the field, but is quietly watching, instead of acting like me.
Henry is at home with Penelope. Chris was awarded full custody after Sebastian’s private investigator discovered while tailing Allie that she was leaving Henry alone for hours during her weeks to have him to go out with her friends, and she was charged with child endangerment. It wasn’t how Chris wanted to win, but after learning how Allie was treating Henry without Chris around, we’re all relieved the mess is over.
Chris and Penelope have been living together with Henry in the house we used to rent since I’ve moved out, but I’m not actually sure when they got together. They couldn’t deny it anymore after I caught them kissing in my kitchen a few months ago, but I know Chris wants to take things slow, especially after the disaster his ex-wife caused when she picked Henry up last year from school. The school couldn’t keep Henry from her, since she is his biological mother, but Allie refused to give Henry back unless Bash and I paid her a stupid amount of money. Chris wanted to call the police to try to get the money back, but Sebastian said it was easier to let her keep it as long as she stayed away for good.
Blake rolls her eyes. “Okay? I know it’s a big game, but you’re also nine months pregnant, and your due date was three days ago. I told Bash not to let you come because your blood pressure is going to skyrocket whenever anything big happens.”
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing he doesn’t give me permission to do anything.”
“Oh, we know. Nothing can stop you once you put your mind to it,” Chris teases, smiling at me.
My attention is drawn back to the field when a linebacker gets around the offensive line to rush Sebastian. He has to drop back, and run the ball himself,again. So farthe only points on the board are from field goals, and I’m tired of it.