Page 85 of Wicked Devotions: Part 2

“Just thinking.” I keep my eyes on the ceiling.

“Thinking is my favorite.” She rolls onto her side, propping her head on her hand and looking down at me. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“I can’t wait to marry you.” My eyes meet hers. “That’s all I was thinking about.”

She smiles at me and wedges herself under my arm, resting her cheek on my chest. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.”

In the weirdest way, I’ve grown to love the other guys, too. I never thought I’d be able to have a happy ending like this for my life. Harper has always wanted a family, and knowing I couldn’t give her one through traditional means kept me up so many nights.

But along came Declan. He’s beyond obsessed with her. He’s proven that she’s the center of his world; keeping her safe and happy is his top priority. I never thought I’d find anything redeeming about him, but he’s so caring underneath his asshole facade.

Then there’s Cy. He’s truly a mirror of Harper. They relate to each other on a level the rest of us just can’t. The bond they’ve formed in their parallel paths of healing is beautiful. I’m glad that I can be a place of refuge for him when he needs grounding, just like I am for her. When he sits at my feet and rests his head on my lap, my heart swells with love and gratitude that I can be a safe place for him, but at the same time it breaks, knowing what caused his deep hurt.

Emerson has become one of my closest friends, nearly a brother to me. I love watching his and Cy’s relationship develop, both with and independent of Harper. I was worried that he might be threatened by Cy coming to me for such a deeply intimate act as he does, but Emerson gives him and I the space necessary.

At the end of the day, the love we share for each other, in whatever form it may take, eclipses any unease we might have. I trust them all implicitly, just as they do me. I wouldn’t trade our family for the world.

CYRUS

Six months later

Blank space surroundsme on all sides as I show Emerson and Banks around the building I bought just off campus. Light streams through the windows and shines off the oak floors. It isn’t the biggest space, but it’s all that I need for now. Two walls are all exposed brick, and the rest are blank white spaces.

“It’s going to be amazing.” Emerson wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me to him for a kiss. “I’m so proud of you.”

Tears sting my eyes as I take in his words and the building around me. It feels good to have something that’s mine. To put the violence and pain of my past behind me and push forward onto the path I’ve always wanted. The support of my family means everything to me.

Banks locks eyes with me and gives me a smile. I return the gesture and then pull him in for a quick hug, slapping his back with affection. He’s become much more important to me than I ever anticipated him being, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

“What’s the plan for the space?” Banks asks, looking around.

“Down here will be the gallery, where every month I’ll spotlight a local artist.” I point out places on the walls where I want to add lighting and other design features. “The loft is where I’ll set up my main studio.”

I’ll still keep my small studio corner in the attic at home, but I’ll have much more space to work here. And fewer distractions in the enticing shapes of Emerson and Harper. Speaking of which, if Banks wasn’t here, I’d be pushing Emerson to his knees upstairs to christen the building.

Not that I mind Banks’s presence here.

As the warmth from the sun soaks into my skin, I let my mind wander to my parents. They passed away long before I knew I wanted to be an artist, but somehow I know they’d be happy for me. They’d be proud of who I’ve become, and they’d love the people I found to love. I don’t even think they’d care that I’m in such an unorthodox relationship.

I say goodbye to the guys as they head back out for the rest of their classes and walk upstairs to start the first mural. It’s a replica of what I drew for the tattoo artist to cover Harper’s scars. Delicate vines of ivy woven through with all our birth flowers adorn her left side. She cried tears of joy when I showed her the first sketch. But this mural will take that initial design and add to it the altar from the ruins on Declan’s land. The sacred place where we made her ours for the first time and cemented the future for our family. With hope, happiness, and love, I grab my pencil and begin to sketch out the design.

EMERSON

Two years later

Everything achesas I trudge up the few steps to the side entrance of the house after a grueling shift in my emergency clinical rotation. There was a multi-vehicle crash on the highway just outside of town involving a bus. If I never set foot in another emergency room, it’ll be too soon.

Harper glances up from her stack of books and array of coffee cups and energy drinks. She’s been pulling all-nighters getting ready for her first semester of vet school finals. I should probably tell her that it’s not healthy to mix all that caffeine and no sleep, but that would make me the biggest hypocrite. Instead, I walk over to her, pressing my lips to hers in a long kiss.

She smiles against my mouth when I sway on my feet and have to grab the table to balance. “You need to go to bed.”

I mumble an assent as I attack her neck with kisses. “For the record, you shouldn’t be staying up all night to study. You already got admitted to the program.”

“I’ll find you when I get home and we can sleep the day away together,” she promises before giving me one last kiss and focusing back on her test.

“At least eat something with a healthy balance of carbs, protein, and fat before you leave,” I tell her over my shoulder before beginning the climb up the creaking stairs.

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