The Epilogue (Trinity Academy Book 5) Read online

“Yes. He’s already called me, and he sounded nervous, so don’t be late,” Falcon warns.

  “I’ll be on time.” I follow the guys to the door and wave after them.

  I can feel the nervous waves pouring off Julian as he fidgets with his bowtie once again.

  “Now it’s crooked again,” Falcon says as he straightens the material around his brother’s neck.

  “Do you want a drink?” Mason asks, standing ready to pour Julian a whiskey.

  “Yeah, pour him one,” Falcon answers while patting Julian’s shoulder.

  “I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” Julian grumbles, a far sight from the brusque businessman he’s always been. He downs the amber liquid then clears his throat.

  “It’s a big day for you,” I say. “It’s normal to feel nervous.”

  Falcon checks the time, then glances at all of us. “It’s time.”

  Julian takes a couple of deep breaths before we all head out of his room. The wedding is taking place at the Reyes’ mansion.

  When we walk out onto the front porch, my eyes scan over the rows of chairs where the ceremony will take place and the white tents, which shades the tables where the reception will be. Everything is decorated in white, silver, and lilac.

  Soft music fills the air as I follow the guys to the front and take my place between Falcon and Mason. Julian leans closer to Falcon and whispers, “You have the rings, right?”

  Falcon pats his jacket, right over his chest. “Yes. I’ve checked a hundred times already.”

  “Good.” Julian lets out a deep breath. “I want today to be perfect for Jamie.”

  “It will be.” Falcon gives his brother a reassuring smile.

  The music changes, and a few seconds later, Jamie’s niece, Danny, comes walking down the aisle, strewing white rose petals on the floor.

  She’s followed by Della and Miss Sebastian, and then Andy Grammer’s Don’t give up on me begins to play.

  I glance at Julian’s face, and I watch as emotions play across his features. He takes a couple of deep breaths, and then he freezes. His eyes begin to well with tears, and as he sucks in a shaky breath, I turn my gaze to Jamie at the foot of the aisle.

  Rhett, Marcus, Logan, Jaxson, and Carter are all lined up, and Jamie takes a moment to kiss each one on the cheek. I can’t hear what they’re saying to each other, but by the time Jamie reaches Carter, the guys are all trying to wipe tears away without making it obvious.

  She looks beautiful as she slowly walks toward us, with Carter by her side.

  When I hear Julian’s breath hitch, I feel the emotion push up my throat, and I swallow hard.

  Reaching the front, Carter turns to Jamie and arranges her veil over her head. They stare at each other for a good minute before Carter turns to Julian. “I trust you’ll take care of her the same way I have.”

  Julian shakes Carter’s hand. “I will.”

  Taking a step closer to Jamie, there’s so much love shining from Julian’s eyes. “You take my breath away.”

  “You look pretty amazing yourself,” Jamie teases as she wipes another tear from her cheek.

  They face the pastor, and then my eyes find Lee’s, and I stare at my wife as I silently say my vows to her again.

  Tomorrow we start our travels, and I can’t wait to show Lee the world.

  Chapter 3

  Three months later…

  Mason

  “Mason Chargill!” Kingsley yells from her bedroom. I dart off the couch and rush to the front door, but I’m too late as she comes storming toward me. “Did you steal my last Hershey’s bar again?”

  “It wasn’t me, this time.” I glance at Layla for help, but she’s just watching us with a huge grin.

  Kingsley scowls at me and shoves her fists in her sides. “That’s it. If you ever plan on getting lucky again, you better bring me a whole box.”

  Layla snorts as she tries to keep from laughing, then she admits, “Mason’s innocent this time. It was me.”

  Kingsley instantly deflates. “Oh, that’s okay then.”

  Say what now?

  My eyebrow shoots up, and I stalk closer to her. “So, it’s okay for Layla to eat your candy, but not me?”

  “Yes. Layla at least contributes to the stash where you just deplete it.”

  Falcon comes out of Layla’s room, and he must’ve heard us talking because there’s a wide grin on his face as he asks me, “You need backup?”

  “No, I’m good. We need to get going anyway. I have an early meeting.” I close the distance between Kingsley and me and wrapping an arm around her waist, I pull her against my chest. “You’re still spending this weekend at my place, right?”

  She nods then pushes up on her tiptoes so she can press a kiss to my lips. Pulling back, she whispers, “I’ll miss you until then.”

  “I’ll miss you too.” I kiss her again before I let her go.

  Falcon says goodbye to Layla then walks toward the front door.

  I can’t wait until Kingsley’s done with school. The house is too big for me alone, and once she’s living with me, I’ll be able to spend more time with her.

  “Good luck with your exams this week,” I add before I pull the door shut behind us.

  We’re quiet as we walk to the elevator, and as we step inside, Falcon asks, “Who’s the meeting with?”

  “New investors. Rhett will also be at the meeting, so I’ll probably have lunch with him. I haven’t seen him since the wedding.”

  “Jamie told Layla that Carter and Della are thinking about moving to LA,” Falcon mentions as the doors open.

  “With Logan moving here to take over our legal department, it doesn’t surprise me that Carter is following behind him. The guys are pretty close, and Jamie’s here as well.”

  As we walk toward my car, Falcon’s phone starts to ring. Pulling it from his pocket, he looks at the screen then smiles. “It’s Julian.” He answers the call as I unlock the car. “Hey, are we still on for dinner tomorrow night?” Falcon reaches for the door but then pauses as something similar to shock registers on his face. “Are you serious?”

  “What?” I ask as I move closer to him, worried that something might have happened.

  A smile spreads across Falcon’s face, then he says, “Congrats, but I have to say you didn’t waste any time.”

  I let out a breath and wait for Falcon to finish the call before I ask, “What happened?”

  “Jamie’s pregnant. Julian’s going to be a dad.”

  My eyes widen with surprise, and then I begin to chuckle. “They really didn’t waste any time. I think I’d have a heart attack if Kingsley fell pregnant.”

  “That makes two of us. Being sleep deprived will make you grumpy as hell, and I’ll have to listen to you complaining about changing diapers,” Falcon teases as he climbs in the car.

  I walk around the front of the car and get in behind the steering wheel before I reply, “You’re one to talk. You’ll be just as bad as me.”

  Kingsley

  The instant Layla and I walk into the Reyes’ living room, I let out a shriek and rush over to Jamie. Throwing my arms around her, I hug her tightly. “Congratulations!”

  Mason called me last night to share the news. Layla and I decided right then we’d take an hour out of our study schedule to come and visit Jamie.

  I pull back so Layla can hug her, then I add, “I can’t believe you’re going to be a mom.”

  “Yeah, it was a surprise to me as well,” Jamie says, but there’s a warm smile on her face.

  “Do you know how far along you are?” Layla asks.

  “Three months.”

  “Oooh… that must’ve been some honeymoon,” I tease as I sit down on one of the couches.

  Layla and Jamie sit down as well, then Layla asks, “How’s the morning sickness?”

  “Not bad. I actually thought I had a stomach bug, but it turned out I’m expecting.”

  I let out a chuckle. “Yeah, half the campus has the stomach flu.” The
re’s a moment’s silence following my words, then I ask, “How do you feel about being pregnant?”

  A nervous smile begins to play around Jamie’s lips. “We didn’t plan on starting with a family so early, but now that I’m pregnant, a part of me is excited.”

  “You’re going to be a great mom,” Layla says to encourage Jamie, then she rises from the chair. “We have to get back to studying.”

  “Thanks for coming over.” Jamie smiles as she walks us to the door. “Once we’re done with exams, we should arrange a spa day.”

  “Definitely,” I agree. I give Jamie a quick hug then walk toward my car.

  Once I’m steering the car out of the gates, Layla mentions, “She seems to be handling it well.”

  “Yeah.” I let out a deep breath. “I’m not sure what I would do if I were in her shoes. I’m so not ready to give up my candy stash for anything.”

  “Me too. No coffee for nine months would be the end of my sanity,” Layla jokes.

  Grabbing eyedrops, I put some in and blink a couple of times. The relief is instant as the gravelly and burning sensation eases.

  If I don’t get an A for this exam, I’ll be super upset. I can’t remember when last I studied so hard for a subject. I’ve been giving it my all the past three days, and with the exam looming tomorrow, I know I can’t slack now.

  I walk to Layla’s room, and after knocking, I open the door and peek inside. She’s lying on the bed with her legs up against the wall. “How are you doing?”

  Dropping her notes next to her, she rolls over and scoots off the bed. “Deprived of sleep, caffeine, and food. My brain feels all mushy.”

  “That makes two of us,” I mumble. “Let’s take a break and get something to eat.”

  “Can we order in? I don’t have the energy to brush my hair and put on a bra.”

  “Yeah. What are you in the mood for?”

  “Pizza. Lots of pizza.”

  I go fetch my phone in my room then go sit in the living room while I place the order. While I’m waiting for the food to come, I check my messages and see two from Mason.

  M: I <3 U

  M: Remember to take breaks.

  Smiling, I bring up his number and press dial, but the call instantly goes to voicemail. “Just calling to say I heart you too. I’m taking a break right now. I’ll try calling again later.”

  Putting the phone on the table, I lie down on the couch and close my eyes, hoping I can get in ten minutes' sleep before the food is delivered.

  I must’ve just dozed off when there’s a knock at the door, and with a groan, I get up. I pay for the order, and on the way to the dining room table, I grab two plates while calling out, “Layla, the pizza’s here. I got us some coffee as well.”

  “Coming!”

  She must have more energy than me because she comes rushing out of her room and grabs the steaming cup of caffeine.

  After taking a huge gulp, a contented smile spreads over her face. “Mmhhh… so good.”

  I bring my own cup to my mouth, but the second I get a whiff of the caffeine, my stomach rolls. “Ugh, all this studying is even ruining coffee for me.” My appetite from earlier is gone with the smell, but I take one slice of pizza, and mutter, “If I’m coming down with that stomach bug I’m going to be pissed off.”

  Layla takes a step away from me and drags a pizza box closer to her. “I love you, but I don’t want to catch it as well.”

  I narrow my eyes at her and teasingly say, “Some friend you are. I thought we share everything.”

  “We don’t share men and germs. The rest is fair game.”

  I stick my tongue out at her and walk back to my room. “See you later.”

  “Hey,” she calls out before I can close my door. “Let me know if you don’t feel better soon, and I’ll go get you meds.”

  “Aww… you mean you’ll brush your hair and put on a bra for me?” I tease.

  “You know, I will.”

  I blow her a kiss. “Thanks, my friend. I’m hoping if I ignore feeling yucky, it will just go away.”

  “I’ll check in on you in a couple of hours.”

  “Love ya.” I shut the door behind me and place the plate on my bedside table. Climbing on my bed, I drag my laptop closer. “You’re not getting sick. Just study your ass off and get through the exam.”

  Chapter 4

  Mason

  I frown as the call goes to voicemail again. I haven’t heard from Kingsley since Wednesday when she left me a message. Feeling worried, I bring Layla’s number up and press dial.

  “Hey,” she answers cheerfully, and it eases some of the tension I’ve been feeling.

  “Hey, sorry that I’m calling you, but I can’t get a hold of Kingsley. I’m supposed to pick her up after work for the weekend. Is she okay?”

  “Damn, I should’ve thought to call you. Sorry, Mace. She caught the stupid stomach bug that’s going around campus. I got her medicine, and she’s been catching up on sleep since we finished our exam. I’m sure she’ll be fine tomorrow.”

  Having heard everything Layla just said, I still ask, “Kingsley’s sick?”

  Why the hell didn’t Kingsley let me know?

  “It’s nothing serious, Mace. She’ll be back to her normal self in no time,” Layla tries to ease my worry.

  I let out a tired sigh. “I’ll come over after work. Thanks for taking care of her.”

  “Of course.” Before I can hang up, Layla quickly asks, “Can you pick up some Gatorade on your way here?”

  “Sure.”

  After the call, I can’t focus on my work to save my life. When I read the same proposal for the eighth time, I give up. Picking up my office phone, I dial Julian’s extension.

  “Julian Reyes,” he answers briskly.

  “Hey, it’s Mason. Kingsley’s sick. I’m going to head over to her place to make sure she’s okay, then I’ll be back.”

  “Don’t worry about rushing back. If you have anything urgent that needs to be taken care of, just forward it to Stephanie, and I’ll look at it.”

  “Thanks, Julian. I appreciate it, but there’s nothing urgent. I’ve already wrapped up the MSC proposal. I’ll see you on Monday.”

  “Tell Kingsley I hope she feels better soon.”

  “Will do.” With the call done, I grab my car keys and rush out of my office to let my PA know I’ll be out for the rest of the day and to forward anything urgent to Stephanie.

  On my way to the campus, I stop for the Gatorade and get some candy as well, knowing it will put a smile on Kingsley’s face.

  When I steer the car through the gates of Trinity, I already feel better. I quickly find a parking space and grabbing the bags, I get out and jog toward The Hope Diamond.

  When I reach the suite, and I have to knock a couple of times, the worry comes back full force. I’m just about to bang on the door when it opens.

  “Sorry I took so long. I was helping Kingsley,” Layla explains.

  I hold the bags out to her as I step inside. She takes them and peeks into the one bag. Taking out a Gatorade, she gives it to me. “See if you can get her to drink a little of this. I don’t want her to dehydrate.”

  “I will.” I rush to the bedroom, and once inside, I shut the door behind me before I walk closer to the bed where Kingsley’s curled in a ball.

  I set the drink down on the bedside table then lean over Kingsley so I can see her face. “Hey.”

  Her eyes flutter open, and she gives me a weak smile. “Hey. I didn’t know it was so late already. I would’ve called you.” She glances at her alarm clock, then frowns. “What are you doing here in the middle of the day?”

  I sit down next to her and gently rub circles over her back. “I took off early so I could come to check on you. How are you feeling?”

  She lets out a groan as she turns over, so she’s facing me, then she snuggles closer until her forehead rests against my thigh. “Like roadkill.”

  “Why didn’t you let me know?”


  “I didn’t want to bother you while you were busy at work, and I slept most of the time.”

  Standing up, I shrug out of my jacket and get rid of my tie and shirt before I kick off my shoes. Stepping out of my suit pants and socks, I say, “Move up a little.”

  Kingsley scoots back so I can lie down next to her. I push an arm under her head and pull her against my chest. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, I’m relieved when she doesn’t feel hot.

  “Did you go to the doctor?”

  She lightly shakes her head. “It’s just a bug. It will probably be gone tomorrow.”

  Turning onto my back, I reach for the Gatorade. “Take a couple of sips before you sleep some more.”

  I hand her the bottle, and she takes two sips before handing it back, then she pulls a face. She darts off the bed and rushes into the bathroom. I quickly set after her, and I’m just in time to pull her hair away from her face as her body begins to convulse, and she loses the little fluid she just got in.

  When she’s done, she slowly gets up and rinses her mouth before she brushes her teeth.

  “Hunt, I don’t like this one bit. I’m taking you to the doctor.”

  “It’s nothing serious,” she argues, being stubborn as always.

  Reaching for her face with both my hands, I force her to look up at me. “It wasn’t a question. I’m taking you to the doctor.”

  She scrunches her nose at me. “You’re so damn bossy.”

  “Only because you’re stubborn as fuck.”

  She closes the distance between us and wrapping her arms around my waist, she rests her cheek against my chest. “I just want to sleep. If I’m still sick tomorrow, I’ll go.”

  When we started dating, it was easy to argue with her, but as my love for her has grown, it’s become harder.

  Needless to say, I’m fucked. I can’t deny Kingsley anything.

  “Promise you’ll go tomorrow,” I compromise.

  “Promise.”

  I pull away from her so I can pick her up and carry her back to the bed. Once we’re lying down, I hold her tightly, and I keep pressing kisses to her temple until her breathing evens out.