Page 35 of His Forever

Apollo leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. He was quiet for a moment before asking the question that had probably been on his mind since this all started. “So what happens with Brynn after all of this is over?”

I turned my chair toward the window, staring out at the grounds of Wyndemere. The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow across the lawn, and I imagined what life would be like once this whole mess with Candace was done. “I can tell you this much—it isn’t going back to us not seeing each other for another twenty years.”

Apollo nodded, but I could feel his eyes on me, waiting for more. “Yeah, I picked up on that. She feels the same way?”

A smug smile pulled at my lips as I recalled last night in the kitchen. The heat between us, the taste of her lips. “If last night in the kitchen is any indication, yeah, I’d say we’re on the same page.”

Apollo let out a low chuckle. “Even after everything that happened?”

That was the sticking point, wasn’t it? The past. Brynn and I had a lot of history—some of it good, some of it complicated as hell. We hadn’t really talked about any of it. Just pushed it to the side because there were bigger things to handle right now.

“We haven’t hashed out the past,” I admitted, my voice low. “We haven’t talked about what went wrong, why things ended the way they did. If that conversation doesn’t go well, maybe Brynn and I won’t be back together.” I sighed, the weight of that possibility hanging heavy in the air. “We’re taking it slow. With all this shit going on with Candace, we’re both focused on that for the most part.”

Apollo gave me a knowing look, his lips curling into a grin. “Except for last night in the kitchen.”

I glared at him, knowing exactly where this was going.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his grin widening. “You forget we’ve got twenty-four-hour surveillance around here, and guess who was on duty last night?”

I stared at him, trying to keep my expression neutral, but inside, I was kicking myself. I hadn’t thought about the damn cameras. Not for a second. All I could think about last night was Brynn.

“And I’m assuming the cameras in the kitchen were down last night for a little bit?” I asked, my voice dry.

Apollo chuckled, nodding. “Yeah, yeah. They were. Just for about twenty minutes, though. Must have been a glitch.”

I shook my head, biting back a smile. “I wasn’t exactly thinking about the cameras last night, man,” I confessed.

“No shit,” Apollo laughed, leaning back in his chair again. “I figured you had other things on your mind.”

“Yeah,” I muttered, a grin tugging at my lips. “Like tasting Brynn.”

Apollo’s laughter filled the room, and the tension between us eased. But I knew the serious question still lingered, unspoken.

After a beat, he looked at me, his laughter fading into something more thoughtful. “You’ve been haunted by her for a long time, Leo. Even when you were trying to move on, she was always there, wasn’t she?”

I didn’t say anything, but he wasn’t wrong. Brynn had always been a part of my thoughts, even when I tried to bury it, move on, live my life without her. She’d never really left me.

Apollo ran a hand over his face, then leaned forward again. “Listen, man, I just want to know that this is really what you want. After everything that’s happened—the years apart, the way things ended—are you sure about this?”

I met his gaze, my voice steady as I answered. “Yeah. I’m sure. I’ve never been surer about anything.”

Apollo studied me for a long moment, then slowly nodded. “Alright, then.”

I could tell he wasn’t going to press any further, but his loyalty to me meant he had to ask. I appreciated it, even if it wasn’t something I needed right now.

“As long as you’re happy,” Apollo said, his tone lighter now. “And if being with Brynn is what you want, then go for it.”

I didn’t say anything at first, just looked at him, feeling the weight of what we’d been through over the years. Apollo was like a brother to me, always watching my back, always pushing me when I needed it. His blessing, if you could call it that, meant something.

“I appreciate that,” I said quietly. “And yeah, she’s what I want.”

Apollo stood up, stretching a little before making his way to the door. “Then make sure you don’t fuck it up,” he said with a grin.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ll do my best.”

He opened the door, pausing for a moment to look back at me. “You know,” he said, his voice softer now, “it’s good to see you like this. I think… I think she’s good for you, Leo.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just nodded. Apollo gave me one last smile before stepping out, closing the door behind him.

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