Page 122 of A Hard Fit

“I love you,” Finn repeated. He kissed the other cheek. “I love you.” A soft brush of lips across Rory’s forehead. “I love you.” Along their jaw. “I love you.” Neck.

“I love you. I love you. I love you,” and again, until there was nowhere left to kiss, until Finn’s heart was so full there was no room left inside him for words, until all he could do was hold Rory and recognize how their bodies slotted together like they were made to love each other.

A perfect fit.

Epilogue

Sunset

Two months later

“It’s fine if you hate it,” Finn said, white-knuckling the sheet. “Honestly, totally fine. You can tell me. I won’t be offended. That’s the thing about art, it’s really a subj—”

“Finn,” Luka interrupted.

“Yeah?”

“Show me the fucking painting.”

Finn almost laughed despite the nerves clawing at his belly. He’d never done this before—set out to paint a portrait ofsomeone important to him, with a whole bigreveallike this. But when he had seen Luka on stage for the first time, so fucking talented and gorgeous up there with the voice of an angel, strumming his guitar like a goddamn rock star, he’d known he needed to paint it.

“Come on, love,” Rory said, running a soothing hand over Finn’s back. “It’s brilliant. Let’s see it.”

“Okay. But—”

“Finn!” Rory and Luka cried in unison.

Thomas chuckled from where he was leaning against Rory’s desk, hands in his pockets.

Finn took a deep breath and pulled the sheet off. He couldn’t look at Luka’s face, so he stared at Thomas instead.

But that didn’t work, because Thomas’ face didn’t give much away. He was just watching Luka with soft, schmoopy eyes.

It was too quiet in the studio. Finn forced himself to look at the subject of his painting.

The subject had a hand pressed to his mouth, eyes big and watery.

“Uh…” Finn scrunched his face. “Do you…”

“I love it,” Luka said through a sob. “Is that really me?”

The four of them studied the canvas together. The shapes and colors suggested the outline of a man holding a guitar, eyes closed and singing his heart out, but all around him was magic—light and stars, shimmering golds and silvers and blue the same color as Luka’s eyes. The piece was titledJoy, because that was the only word for Luka up there.

Finn rubbed his beard. “Yeah, I—”

Luka threw himself at Finn and crushed him in a bear-hug. “Thank you.” His words were muffled in Finn’s shoulder.

Finn hugged him back. “You’re welcome.”

“It’s gorgeous, Finn,” Thomas said. “Really.”

Rory beamed at all of them.

Sniffling, Luka let go, then slid himself under Thomas’ arm.

Thomas pulled him close and kissed his cheek. “That’s exactly what you look like up there, you know.”

Luka gazed up at him with a smile that outshone the sun. “Do I?”

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