Page 231 of The Charlie Method

I assume he already sent whoever it was away and is now trying to scare me, but the silence drags on long enough for concern to spark in my gut.

“Beck? Who is it?” I call from the couch.

He doesn’t answer. But then I hear footsteps again.

My breath sucks in sharply when Will walks into the living room.

I jump up from the couch so fast, I almost trip over the blanket. He’shere. Like,actually here.

Without thinking, I rush across the room and throw my arms around him, burying my face in his shirt. That familiar spicy scent fills my nostrils, and I desperately inhale it into my lungs. I missed his smell so much.

“Oh my God,” I say. “Is this real? Are you really here? Are you here to stay?”

His arms wrap around me, and I feel his heartbeat hammering against my cheek. “Yes. I’m here, and I’m staying.”

Behind me, I hear Beckett chuckle. “About bloody time, mate.”

Will’s voice thickens with remorse. “I know. I’m sorry it took me so long. I had to figure some things out.”

I don’t want to let go, but I release him so I can search his eyes. “What things?”

Interjecting, Beckett claps him on the shoulder. “I’ll get you a beer. You look like you could use one.”

But I know Beck well enough to understand—he’s giving us a minute alone. He disappears into the kitchen, leaving Will and me standing in the middle of the living room.

“I missed you so much,” I tell him. I reach for his hand, a swirl of emotions running rampant inside me.

“I missed you too.” His words are lined with gravel. He clears his throat before continuing. “I love you. And I can’t live without you. Every day away from you—away from both of you—felt wrong.”

“What about the campaign? The job? You didn’t enjoy it?”

“I hated it,” he admits. “DC is the most cynical, corrupt place I’ve ever been. I don’t regret taking the job, though. I needed to experience it, to understand why I’m not suited for it. But even if I loved it, I wasn’t about to stay. I can’t be away from you. I need you, Charlie. I need you like air.”

Tears well up in my eyes, and I don’t even try to blink them away. “I missed you every single day you were gone.” I hate how vulnerable I sound, but it’s the truth. “I thought maybe you were done with me. With us.”

“Never.” He shakes his head, his thumb brushing away the tear that’s fallen down my cheek. “I just needed to figure out how to be with you. How to be okay with what we have.”

Before I can respond, Beckett returns, holding a beer. But there’s no tension, no awkwardness. Just…us.

Will turns to him, a serious look on his face. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get here. I missed you guys.”

Beckett’s gray eyes soften. Then he smirks, handing Will the bottle. “Well, lucky for you, we’ve missed the hell out of you too. C’mon. Have a seat.”

Will glances toward the TV, a slow grin spreading across his boy-next-door face. “So. What are we watching?”

EPILOGUE

CHARLOTTE

I just want to give my blowjobs in peace

THE SUN IS SETTING LOW OVER THE BEACH, CASTING A WARM, GOLDENglow as Beckett and I stand side by side, watching Helix, our ridiculously energetic Labrador puppy, charge through the sand. His gangly legs can barely keep up with the stick he’s trying to chase, but he’s a determined little thing. He’s also smart as hell, already picking up commands like he’s been doing this for years. Of course, the boys love to think it’s because they’re natural dog trainers. But it’s obviously because of me.

Beckett gives a sharp whistle, and Helix bounds toward us, his oversize paws kicking up sand.

Behind us, Will laughs. He’s stretched out on a towel, still clad in his suit pants from his virtual meeting. The nonprofit he works for is so dedicated to enacting change on a global scale that they hold meetings well into the evening, nearly every single night, even on weekends. We practically had to drag him out of the house to take a walk.

We have a house now, a three-bedroom near the ocean, because three people sharing one office in the apartment had been pure hell and utter torture. Now the boys share one, and I have my own. Although I’ll need to convert mine into a guest room next month because my sister and her girlfriend are visiting.

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