EPILOGUE : FIVE YEARS AFTER

EPILOGUE : FIVE YEARS AFTER
EPILOGUE : FIVE YEARS LATER

“Mummy, you got a pink cake.

Pink are for girls, and I’m a boy,” Ashton said in annoyance.

I rolled my eyes, dropping the balloon which I held as I turned to him.

His bright green eyes stared at me.

Looking so much like his father with each day he grew.

“It’s also Ashley’s birthday today.

And the cake is for her,” I muttered as he gasped loudly at my words like I had just shot him in the chest.

“Then what about me?

It’s my birthday too,” he said in anger.

Like father, like son.

Ashton had a temper, just like Ethan.

And Ashley, she was my sweet and shy baby, named after my late mother.

“And who said a man like you won’t get a cake,” a familiar muttered from behind us.

Ashton turned so fast that I could barely catch his movement.

His eyes wide with joy and surprise the moment his gaze landed on Killian and he ran towards him.

Hugging him like his life depended on it.

Killian walked towards where I stood besides the counter as he dropped the other cake which he held in his hands.

And Ashton let out a ‘woah,’ the moment he saw the blue cake which lay inside.

I smiled seeing his expression.

As my gaze shifted from him, and towards the man who stood before me.

“You came?” I muttered softly, not in the least expecting him to be here today.

“It’s not every year the twins turn ten,” he shrugged.

His eyes looked at me with an expression that looked so very similar to pain.

“I missed you Killian,” I whispered, moving closer to him, as I wrapped my arms around him.

He stood frozen for some moment, like he was not even breathing.

And that was until he finally broke, and his arms came around me, pulling me close.

“I missed you too, Aveline.

It’s been five years,” he uttered like the words pained him to say.

I opened my mouth, ready to say something, but my words were paused by a familiar growl.

“Get your hands off my wife, you bastard,” he growled behind me.

I could feel Killian’s jaws clenching as I unwrapped my arms from his body and I turned to face the owner of the voice.

He held our daughter in his arms.

Her face glued to her neck as she shyly peeked at Killian.

But my husband.

His raging eyes were fixed on Killian like he was so ready to smash his head against our kitchen counter.

Although the way he gently cradled our daughters back gently showed none of that beast inside of him that I knew he carried.

“You’ll never stop calling him that name, will you?” I laughed, rolling my eyes at him.

Like I said. 

Like father, like son.

“Not when he keeps touching my wife, knowing very well that she’s mine,” he gritted.

And I let out a breath in exasperation.

I stepped closer to him, my hands gently brushing Ashley’s hair as I moved to carry her out of his hands.

“Come on baby, go and play with Ashton and Kayla,” I said softly, but she only squeezed tighter into his hands. 

And my husband, he did not look willing to let her go.

He was spoiling her too much.

Ashley was ten for Christ sake.

Yet, she acted like a baby and that was all his fault.

He must have seen the expression on my face, because he finally breathed like I was doing something bad by parting him away from his daughter.

He squatted down, gently unwrapping her arms from his body.

“Come on princess.

Go and find Kayla and play with her,” he whispered softly to her, and she listened.

Her feet moving in the direction that Ashton went.

But I knew she was most definitely not going to find Kayla.

They never got along.

He finally stood at his full height again.

His hands wrapped around my waist, as he pulled me flush against his body.

His other hand moved to the back of my head, bending my head slightly.

And then, his lips locked with mine.

I knew what he was trying to do.

Ethan was possessive.

He was dominant.

And maybe the trauma from five years ago still haunted him, because every minute, he needed to prove to the world that I was his, and he was mine.

So I let him kiss me deeply, responding to his kiss right in front of Killian.

And standing so close to him right now, made those awful memories of five years ago flash through my mind.

I thought I had lost everything that day.

I watched Ethan die before my very eyes, and the emotions I felt were still unexplainable till this day.

I thought our love story had ended.

But it seemed it was just the beginning.

Jennifer had shot Ethan three times to get to me.

And the ambulance did arrive late.

But not late enough for Ethan’s heart to stop beating completely.

Although we still suffered from that incident till this day.

Ethan had to undergo surgery to remove the bullets and also one of his kidneys because apparently Jennifer’s bullet had landed at that same organ all the times she shot.

So now, my husband's body only runs on one kidney.

I still carried scars from the fire, Jennifer had forced me to set on myself.

We won that night.

Vivian was caught by the police on her run.

And Jennifer, she committed suicide.

She jumped off the rooftop when she saw the police come in.

And even after all the sufferings and pain we went through, I’ll never change anything from that night.

Because it made me realize how big of a mistake I was making with Killian.

Our marriage would have made us both miserable.

Because I would have never been able to love him the way I love Ethan.  

He would have never made my insides burn like Ethan did.

And if we had gotten married, I would have lost Ethan forever.

And the moment Ethan woke up from his surgery, the first words which left my lips were ‘I love you.’

LOVELY READER, I FORGAVE ETHAN BLACKWOOD.

And we had the most beautiful wedding a year later.

And I became Mrs Blackwood the right way this time.

It was no use holding a grudge against him any longer.

Not when it hurt me in return.

What Ethan did to me ten years ago was inexcusable, ‘yes.’

But I’ll be a fool to ruin this beautiful life we could have had together just because I refused to accept him back.

He was worth a second chance.

So I gave it to him.

I finally broke out a kiss, as I panted for air.

His eyes looked at me with uncertainty, and a hint of fear.

A smile curled on my lips, as my finger grazed his cheeks as I whispered.

“I love you Ethan Blackwood.”

His eyes shone with joy, as he gazed at me like I was the most precious thing in the world.

“And I love you even more, Mrs Blackwood.”

Author’s Note : Yes, we’ve finally come to the end of Leah’s and Ethan’s flawed love story.

And I have to admit, I have abandonment issues and that’s why I’ve held on to this ending for so long. 

Please forgive me, my lovely readers.

Is this the end of the book? Yes!

But are there more to come? Still yes!

I’ll be posting more extended epilogues very soon.

And also, I’ll also be making a book of the other characters in due time.

You can pick a guess on who our next couple is going to be.

But I’ll be dropping a sneak peek of it very soon.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave it in the comment section.

I’ll make sure to answer each and every one of your questions.

And my lovely readers, I appreciate each and every one of you, both my silent readers.

Thank you for your constant comments, they really kept me going.

And most importantly, thank you for sticking to the end.