Wohooo!!! Here's the epilogue. Not going to say much before you guys read it. :)
Dedicated to watergirl57 and jeeboombaa... Your beautiful posts warmed my heart. Love u. <3
I looked around leisurely as the party went in full swing. Everyone was happy, bubbling with excitement. And so was I.
I turned to look at Sarah at the sweet sound of her laughter. She was quite busy with her new, very close friend... Augustin. I raised an eyebrow when Sarah leaned towards the pretty boy with his dark hair ruffled so cutely and said something in his ear. A low giggle escaped my lips as the boy ran away, blushing furiously. I could see great chemistry in them. But Brandan couldn't.
Shaking my head in amusement, I watched the ever so over-protective father of my children approach Sarah with a slight scowl adoring his handsome face and lift her up in his lap as if trying to shield her away from the whole world.
Smiling through the familiar crowd of people, I slowly began walking towards them.
After that fateful day in the airport and then the very blissful, pretty dreamlike time we spent in Hawaii, three long, eventful months passed. Shortly after that, we shifted back to our hometown in Boston, where Brandan gifted me a house on my birthday, and slowly we made it a home. And it felt like finally, we were where we were meant to be, our last destination. We were finally, in the true sense, at home.
It took some time for us to settle down, especially the kids. But as soon as we could slump back and breathe, we threw this housewarming party.
"Why that frown, honey?" Rubbing the palm of my hand up and down Brandan's spine in a soothing motion, I felt him shudder under my touch, a very familiar reaction to me when he was aroused.
Sarah wiggled free from his suddenly distracted father's hold. He looked at her, running away, and then turned his attention to me.
"Keep doing that, and I'll have to drag you upstairs and begin our very own private party..." He dragged a finger from my temple to my jawline seducingly, and it was my turn to shiver. "... which seems like would be far more interesting than this boring party. What do you say?"
I leaned into his hand, which had now cupped the side of my face. "I say, you're insatiable Mr."
Pressing my body closer to his, I caressed the back of his neck. His eyes were dilated immediately. Oh, how I love to tease him - torture him like this.
I couldn't help but smirk when he groaned, his face dangerously close to mine.
"Augustin! Where are you?" Sarah's voice snapped us out of our lust-filled haze. I was still getting used to constantly forgetting about the whole world when around Brandan. It was just too difficult to concentrate on anything else.
Brandan scowled. "I don't like that Augustin guy. He should stay away from my baby girl. How could you let them go on a date?"
I scrunched my brows and chuckled, looking at Brandan. Right now, he was looking like a pouting child whose mother had punished him for stealing cookies when he actually didn't.
"That was a play date, Brandan, and let me remind you - they are just kids." I fake gasped, "Don't tell me you're jealous of a small child!"
"I'm not jealous of anyone." He said too quickly. Anyone would know the truth behind his words.
Rolling my eyes, I looked at the dancefloor, "Yeah, yeah. Keep saying that to yourself."
Seconds passed in comfortable silence after that as Brandan snaked his hand around my waist from behind. My back rested on Brandan's chest as I felt the music of his rhythmically beating heart. We stood there feeling each other's love-filled warmth listening to the slow song playing and watching couples dance, holding each other so close.
We laughed when our eyes fell on Sammy dancing with a pretty little girl. It was more like trying to save themselves from getting stomped by all the grown-ups dancing around.
I heard the sound of a baby crying at the top of its lungs from somewhere nearby. My eyes searched the crowd and soon were stuck on the fascinating pair of father and son.
A faint smile appeared on my lips, seeing Evan lightly tapping the back of his three months old infant. He was making funny faces at his little boy - Julius.
My eyes moistened at the sight of them. It had been three months since that horrible night when... when Zess, my brother's beautiful wife, the love of his life, and the mother of his child, passed away. It had hit Evan in a state of miserable shock that Zess had been, indeed, hiding from him the growing and serious complication of her pregnancy. The doctor had already informed to Zess months ago about the critical moment that would come with the labor pain, the moment that might be her last.
It was my misfortune that I had to meet Evan's wife - my sister-in-law... for the first time in her funeral. My heart broke seeing my brother screaming and sobbing so pathetically at her grave, clutching to his chest his wife's last gift to him - their child - their Julius.
Since then, he had changed. We were so worried about him as we doubted if he would ever be able to cope with the loss, and our fear intensified as he turned himself into a stone, bottling up all his emotions and grief inside so tightly, only warming up when he was with his kid.
"He'll be alright, don't worry."
I didn't realize that Brandan was rubbing my arms as I was so lost in thoughts, and Robert and Martha - Brandan's parents were standing right in front of us with concerned looks.
I just nodded at Brandan and passed small smiles at Robert and Martha.
"So, may I have the pleasure to dance with you, lady?" Robert asked me with a smile that formed lines of old age on his face. If not for those wrinkles and slightly greying hair, he and Brandan would have looked the same. Sammy had shared their looks and also their behaviors on so many levels that it was plain away scary sometimes.
I felt Brandan tighten his grip around my waist.
"Dad. Why don't you dance with Mom?" His voice sounded annoyed.
I suppressed my laughter.
"Why don't you let your wife enjoy a little by herself? Don't behave like you're her fiance or something. You don't have a solid claim on her." Robert pointed out in an authoritative tone.
I shook my head. People thought that he would back off now, knowing that Brandan and I were together officially. But alas, the old man was still grabbing to his age-old marriage conspiracy with all the hooks he could find up his sleeves. Or maybe, Robert just enjoyed annoying Brandan.
Brandan groaned, this time in irritation.
When the father and son got back into talking terms again, it was an extremely emotional, teary moment for all. And that was when Brandan brought me and the kids back to his parental home to meet Robert and Martha for the first time after all those years of separation. After that, everything was like a dream as the grandparents bonded with their grandchildren. The kids were the apples of their eyes, getting spoiled all the time in their grandparents' company. At the same time, Robert and Brandan reconciled their relationship, too. I could clearly feel the lightness of Brandan's aura as he soaked in his father's forgiveness. Martha couldn't be anymore happier as her family finally reunited after so long with the addition of twin grandkids. I, too, bathed in reckless joy whilst Robert and Martha surrounded me with such endless parental affection and love.
Once again, I snapped out of my thoughts at the sound of Robert's laughter. I'd totally zoned out from the conversation.
"Oh, of course, I'll surely back off," Robert said, his own arm looping around Martha's shoulder as he casually pulled his wife nearer. His other arm, on the contrary, in a not-so-casual way, grabbed a hold of Martha's left hand, holding it in a manner to display all the rings proudly. "But not before you finally man up and gather the courage to pop up the question."
Brandan just snorted and murmured something about... right time... waiting, I couldn't clearly decipher.
Another thing I loved about Robert and Brandan. Their banters.
Really, never had I seen Robert so free and light-hearted like this before. Time really changed a lot of things.
"Stop teasing him, Robert." Martha playfully slapped her husband's chest as Brandan grumbled something inaudible under his breath and began dragging me along with him to the dance floor ahead, his hand softly holding my wrist, sending tingles that spread throughout all over my skin.
I couldn't hold back my laughter anymore as he possessively engulfed me in his embrace and guided me across the floor with the rhythm of the beats.
As I gazed into his dark pool of eyes, I couldn't help but wonder, just like Robert, about when exactly this hunky piece of man was going to finally ask it away, especially after seeing him stealthily hiding a purple ring box inside his oldest shoebox at the far side of our closet... and that was a month ago. I hadn't still raided that shoe box and had a look at the damned ring like my brain used to scream at me to do every single moment of every single day. I didn't want to ruin it for Brandan. I wanted to look at the ring first when he would be on his knees holding it, waiting for my response to his most precious question.
There was a small ruckus going on at the far end of the hall. Apparently, Oliver and Elli had gotten in the mood of war and were doing what they did best, fighting in full enthusiasm. The reason for their quarrel was not clear, like always.
I couldn't help but think of what I overheard before the party. Oliver was talking on the phone with someone, and the one-sided conversation made me tremble in uneasiness. He was telling someone that Jonathon had fled from the country before the police could put a hand on his neck for all the illegal acts he had been doing behind the cover of his legal business. The FBI was now searching for him like hounds out of hell, but it was as if he had vanished from the face of the earth after Brandan, Evan, and Oliver had exposed and ruined him.
Brandan followed my gaze, and both of us chuckled in unison at the sight of Elli stomping on Oliver's foot, and the poor fellow limped away, muttering something while most probably planning for revenge.
Brandan rested his chin on my forehead, making me dizzy with the scent of his cologne. Resting my head on his chest right where his heart was thumping, I sighed in bliss and reveled in the sense of belonging and being so loved and cherished.
There was an amateur but very talented band performing on the makeshift stage across the hall; They were very down-to-earth, fun-loving, and humble when I met them at the beginning hour of the party. Elli, who had taken it upon herself to organize the party, had surely chosen well.
A smile formed on my lips when the lead vocal, Clive, began singing "Thinking Out Loud".
And that smile got even bigger when Brandan whispered a few lines of the song in my ear, his breath deliciously caressing my earlobe.
And, darling, I will love you 'til we're 70
The slightly cold breeze of the outdoors made me raise my head up from the warmth of his chest in a state of confusion. Twisting the upper half of my body a little, and in the process brushing against Brandan's obvious tent of arousal in his cloth, accidentally, I found that he had indeed backed us away from the crowd skillfully as we danced and closer to the balcony.
Brandan groaned as if he was in great torture. "Will you stop wiggling like that, Emma?"
Biting my bottom lip in an attempt to control the urge to smile, I looked up at him with innocence and rubbed my body up against his. "Why, Brandan?"
He looked like he'd been punched in the stomach as his whole body went stiff. The next second, he was pushing the both of us inside the balcony through the sheer red curtains that separated the warm indoor and the breezy night.
I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
And the lyrics of the song, like a perverted - romantic stalker, followed us, staying faint in the background but still very much present...
"What are you doing, Brandan? Not here!" I shrieked low. "Anyone could walk in on us. Oh my God! What if your parents or our kids catch us on the balcony while we..."
"While we, what? Emma?" Brandan smirked, dipping his head lower, his nose rubbing against my forehead.
Blushing, I glared up at Brandan as he seemed to be clearly enjoying this to the fullest. How could he not have any shame and just smirk at me like this? And I asked him just that. "How can you be so shameless, Brandan?"
His response to me was a husky chuckle that never failed to make me feel weak in the knees. With his forefinger, he traced a loose strand of hair at the side of my face. He didn't stop when the hair was lightly tucked behind my ear. Tracing an invisible trail down my cheek and my jaw... and then the side of my neck, he seemed intent on teasing me the same way he was earlier.
A pleased expression spread through his face as I shivered and clutched the front of his shirt while gasping loud as his finger slipped down one of my sleeves down my shoulder. His lips descended on the exposed skin now, where the sleeve was.
"Brandan!!..." I couldn't stop the moan that escaped my mouth.
"Yes, my love..." He murmured against my shoulder, one of his hands circled around my waist as he drew me flush against him.
God!! Now this was torture. I wanted to jump him now and finish what he had started. Right here, right now, in this damned balcony. But the knowledge that there was a hall full of people just on the other side of the curtains was sitting in the back of my mind, making me want this... and not want this at the same time. How I wish we could, by some miracle, transport ourselves back home and into the privacy of our bedroom in an instant.
At the feeling of something cold... colder than the chill of night and very solid on the skin of my finger, I opened my eyes. It took a few seconds and a couple of lungfuls of cold breaths to clear the lustful haze from my eyes.
My eyes first caught the anticipation and nervousness in Brandan's eyes and then slowly lowered to look at my left hand, which was into his own larger one.
And I gasped again, but this time for a very different reason, this time, for the ring that was sitting proudly on my ring finger. I was completely swept away by its simplicity and uniqueness. It was not an overly expensive diamond that screamed around - opulence. But abundance - of emotions, where the person who had chosen it evidently put a lot of thoughts and feelings in an inanimate object, making it seem livelier than things on earth that actually possessed life. I couldn't blink. I was captivated by the sight. Sitting on the platinum band, a cluster of little diamonds shone in a mismatched pace back at me from the stray rays of light seeped out through the curtains and falling on them.
I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways. Maybe it's all part of a plan
"Marry me, Emma?"
What touched me was the slight tremble in his voice as he spoke.
"Are you asking me, Brandan? Or are you telling me?" I asked him instead, still not raising my eyes, because if I did, the liquid emotions in them wouldn't stay hidden. I would hate to cry like a child now.
But when was I ever able to hide from him? I had this stubborn habit of trying, though.
Nudging my chin up, he made my eyes meet him. "Tell me, Emma, you would walk down the aisle wearing a white dress, looking like an angel," he gulped. My eyes glanced briefly at his adam's apple bobbing. "While I stand there, at the end of this journey, waiting for you before the priest. So that we can enter upon a new journey, our forever."
The tears now were getting really heavy in my eyes, and I didn't know how long I could hold them in. It was becoming an impossible task. Resisting this man was the most difficult task existing, and I'd tried accomplishing it countless times without any success.
He leaned in, so close that I could literally breathe him in. "So that we can share eternity and then beyond. And to do that, we would say our vows, exchange the rings, promise our souls to each other, and then get pronounced as man and wife in front of a not-so-important but awestruck audience."
I chuckled, my eyes fluttered close as he nipped at my lower lip. Clutching the hair at the back of his head, I tried to drag his head down and kiss him silly because he had missed the kissing part after the vows and promises. I wondered, was he doing it purposefully? Or, in this case - not doing it. But he stayed put, refusing to give me that kiss I was craving. Instead, he had the gal to stretch his mouth into a sheepish smile.
"So, will you?" I could hear the hints of nervousness in his voice.
Smiling I massaged the back of his scalp, exhaling a slow breath that grazed his parted lips. I felt immensely victorious seeing his eyes almost roll at the back of his head, sucking in a sharp breath. Sometimes, I couldn't believe the effect I had on him. But then again, he had that same kind of effect on me as well... and then some more.
"Emma." A low growl erupted from deep within his chest.
"You're not on your knees, honey." I teased, knowing very well that I was testing his patience, but so was he doing the same. He was supposed to propose I knelt on the ground, holding that ring out and asking me to say yes. But here we were seducing one another, one step away from f***ing each other's brains out while at the risk of getting caught... and yes, also, the ring was already sitting on my finger.
He exhaled a long shaky breath looking at me through hooded eyes. "I've been on my knees, Emma, since the day I found you... surrounded by fire, clutching one of my children to your chest. I had fallen on my knees that day before you, Emma, and I haven't stood up yet." He said sincerely, winning me all over again.
And finally, a drop of tear rolled out of my eye after hanging there onto my lower lash for a very brief moment. "Then I'm powerless to say no, Brandan."
I raised on my tip toes and was about to place my lips on his finally, wanting to take matters into my own hands. But Brandan was faster. Tilting his face, he latched his mouth on that single piece of rolling down tear on my cheek. My lips caressed the light stubble on his jaw, missing the sacred aim yet again.
Both of us chuckled in amusement.
"You still haven't said yes, Emma. I'm dying here, love." Brandan mumbled, placing soft, seducing kisses along my jaw, making me hum in response.
"YES... OH yes, that's it, there... ummm... Yes, Oliver... ohhh..."
Both of us straightened in alarm immediately.
"That wasn't me," I informed, my eyes wide open. Brandan's head snapped towards the direction where the noises were coming from at the same time as mine.
With an arm around my waist and tugging me along with him, Brandan walked over to the stone railing of the balcony. Together we peeked downwards and were horrified at the sight.
There was a young willow tree snug next to this balcony, and there under that tree was Oliver with his shirt buttons open, hair ruffled, and inside a woman as she laid beneath him laid on the grass, her back partially resting against the rough tree bark. That would leave bristles. However, The woman's legs were wrapped around his naked hips as he moved in and out of her. Seemed like, more people were interested in public s**.
Brandan and I were too shocked to even close our eyes in order to block this live porn from our view.
"Hush now, Julius, my sweet boy... let's have a stroll away from all those not-so-good aunts. Right, my boy?..." A male voice cooed as it approached closer. That helped loosen the state of shock that Brandan and I were tethered in. Whirling around, we watched as Evan came on the balcony with little Julius sobbing and mewling in his arms.
Raising his eyes from his son Evan skidded to a halt, finally seeing us standing there, facing him like we were in an odd meeting with a ghoul. Evan did a double take as his eyes fell on my shoulder, and I remembered with horror that I had yet to place the sleeve back on in place to cover my bare skin. Damn, Brandan!
"Don't tell me, you guys are..." He glanced at his son briefly before continuing, "... getting intimate here while Robert and Martha are this close to sending out a search party for the two of you!" The suppressed annoyance in his voice was clear. He would've definitely yelled at us if his little son were not present here, his tiny hands trying to hold onto something uncertain around his earlobe.
Evan's breathing literally stopped the moment the background noises of moaning and groaning and occasional female screaming registered in his ears. In a blink of an eye, he was beside us and was looking at the ongoing nasty under the willows. With mouth agape and a hand covering his son's eyes lightly, Evan turned to look at us.
Soon, his shocked expression turned into an accusing one. " Since when have you guys stooped to voyeurism!"
I opened my mouth to protest along with Brandan, once again horrified, now at the accusation thrown our way. But one more person's arrival made us halt.
"What's up, everyone?" Elli entered the now crowded balcony. She smiled confusedly at all of us. "A private party's going on over here, I see." She stated in amusement, then all of that amusement vanished along with the color on her face as her eyes too... fell on Oliver and the unknown woman 'dancing' under the tree.
I watched, for the first time, that pain and misery in my best friend's dark orbs. I watched... and recognized the one emotion that was coated all over the other emotions in her eyes. My heart knew I felt that emotion too - years ago. 'It' never required any reason or logic, never counted the consequences, and was considered sometimes as sheer lunacy but was there always heedless, ultimately consuming me, ruining me, and then picking me up from the ashes to make me whole again, to bless me with something so eternal.
Brandan's large hand engulfed me, swallowing my small hand in his.
He and Evan were bickering on a topic that was incomprehensible to my mind now. After what felt like forever, Brandan tugged me out of the balcony with Evan hot on our heels.
For those few moments I could, my eye stayed trained on Elli as she stood by the railing, looking so remorsefully alone and... lost.
A heart was broken so cruelly by someone tonight. Pitiful was that he himself was unknown of that.
Oh baby, we found love where we are
And we found love right where we are ...
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Somewhere, far away, someone was busy playing a game of chess, his face crunched up in determination to win and destroy. His mind secretly plotting the perfect ways to place his pawns and find the enemies' weakness. He didn't mind sneaking as he threw away a knight which fell on to the floor making a loud tinkling noise which echoed across the vast, empty room. The move he made, was wrong and unfair, he knew. But he didn't care. Smirking maliciously the man laughed, after all, when did he ever played fair.
Nothing was perfect. Nothing ever was perfect for them. When one puzzle was solved, another appeared next. Their wars with others and with themselves seemed never ending.
As the shadows of uncertainty lurked around all of their lives, life still had so many things in store for them to experience. But as long as love could sneak into their hearts, they always would have the hope of new sunrises after the end of each dark night.
Because while, happily ever after is not just an illusion, it always comes with some known and unknown sorrows.
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A/N:
So... that was the epilogue. Can't believe I just posted the EPILOGUE of You're Still The One. The whole journey seems like a dream, a very beautiful dream.
While the story faced so many ups and down... and times when my mistakes were strictly criticized, I've to admit that those criticisms in fact made those prickly and harmful mistakes to go away. I remember starting this story as if it was a script I'm writing and not a novel. Honest readers, heroic critiques... finally saved me after continuously pointing out that error of my writing style. And then, finally I edited the story when I was midway of the book. The result was very satisfying, You're Still The One began getting lots of readers who stayed till the end of the journey with me after the story was edited.
So thank you so much my true and honest friends, for correcting me when I was wrong.
I'm so grateful to all those lovely friends and readers who have been reading, voting and commenting regularly thus keeping me inspired to write more. Thank you so much. I can't express it in words how much I appreciate your support, kindness and most of all love. Love you all my lovely #wattpaders
I've to also mention the readers of this story who've arrived here in wattpad from Indiaforums.com being the dedicated and very passionate readers of the old version of this story ... I'm truly honored to have such awesome friends like you. Thanks for following me here as well my cutipie IF members. (kisses to you all)
"Thinking out loud" ... my another favorite song, I fell in love with the lyrics. What a beautiful masterpiece by Ed Sheeran. When I thought to write an epilogue, this song would not leave my mind and I could clearly see Brandan and Emma dancing there as the song played in the background. Did you guys like the way I included the song and it's lyrics here?
I've written the epi in Emma's POV. Did you enjoy it?
And as you can see, I've kept a lots of loose-ends in this epilogue and as I finished writing down the whole thing, I strangely felt like this epilogue has by some miracle conceived a number of potential prologues. Do you readers feel the same too? Or is it just me?
Many of you might want to complain about how I haven't ended all their problems, about how the proposal was a little weird with the ending of someone other than Emma saying 'Yes" to Brandan's proposal. But I always love it that way, imperfection has it's own graceful beauty. How many of you agree or disagree with me?
Then there's this thing I told some while ago, about killing someone in the end of this book. It's Zess I killed, Zessica... Evan's wife. What are your feelings about this? For this book, I thought to start the killing saga with the less popular/loved/important character. But I may not be bestowing so much mercy next time. Expect me to run at your direction, out of the blue, with a saw blade in my hand. lol... :D
Two new characters are also introduced, Julius and Augustin, note that. They are going to be important materials when I write my future books... which will be kinda sequels to You're Still The One. Also don't forget about Jonathon who's a runaway criminal now. Turns out, the evil's still not dead!! :0
Last but not the least, :D the very loved Oliver and Elli. Hmmm... Elliver fans, come ahead, don't be shy and please don't suppress all those thoughts inside your mind, I can see them on the brink of exploding. NUh... not good for health friends. :) Throw them into your comments and post away freely. Lara will read them, ponder over them... and most importantly in the meantime brew up Elliver's story in her mind. And what spites you more, Oliver doing the dirty -with someone other than Elli or Oliver doing the dirty - in public??
The next book to "You're Still The One" is going to be... "You've Got A Way".
"You've Got A Way" will be Evan's story. The prologue will be posted soon. :) I would've written Elliver's story next but still can't get a solid grip and feeling confused about how the hell I'm going to proceed with their story considering Oliver and Elli are indeed "The wisest Fools" in mother earth and strangest of the other strange things existing. So as you can see once again, your comments are going to be really helpful as I plot about them. Keep them coming...
Please don't forget to vote, comment and share this story. Follow me here on wattpad... and on twitter and facebook as well. (You can find the links on my profile description)
Once again,thanks my lovely friends.
Lots... and lots of hugs and kisses.
(This is not goodbye, you won't be getting rid of me that soon. hee hee...)
- Lara.