Every Shade by Nora Phoenix
Epilogue
Samuel rushed through the streets of Manhattan, eager to get home from work. Snow was tumbling down from the sky—big, white snow crystals twirling in their unhurried path. Tomorrow, that pristine, white snow would become a gray, slushy mess, but right now, Samuel loved it. Plus, with the sturdy boots he was wearing and his jeans, he wasn’t that worried about getting wet or dirty.
His coworkers had been teasing him a little about his change in style, going from suits to far more casual wear, but the teasing had been good-natured. Hell, more than one of them had voiced their astonishment at the change they’d seen in him overall. Happier, many people had said. Glowing. So clearly in love it would be nauseating if he wasn’t so adorable about it, his secretary had commented, which had made him blush.
But tonight, he wanted to wear something more formal. A suit, definitely. Maybe the dark blue one with the lavender shirt that made his eyes pop, as Tris had pointed out. He could wear it with the tie Tris had once used to tie him to the bed when they’d played the boss who’d caught his employee jerking himself off in the office and pleasuring himself with a fat dildo. God, that one had been fun, Tris tying him to the bed and then edging him for two hours before he’d finally allowed him to come.
It was a little worse for the wear, that tie, but Samuel cherished the memories. And he wanted to wear something special for their one-year anniversary. Plus, it was Valentine’s Day and Tris was taking him out to dinner, so that deserved a bit of dressing up.
God, he was happy. He’d never thought he could be this happy, that he even had the capacity. Every memory of the trauma around Evan had been wiped from his brain. Oh, he thought of him occasionally, when he was reminded of something they’d done together. But it was more with a distant sense of how he could’ve ever been so blind, a bafflement at how he had thought that had been happiness. He’d been so stuck, and he’d never noticed until that day.
His parents and brothers loved Tris as well. Tris had been worried about meeting them, he’d confessed to Samuel, fearing that he would be judged not good enough, but Samuel had assured him his family wasn’t like that. They wouldn’t judge Tris on his money or lack thereof, only on his character. And he’d been right. They’d welcomed him with open arms, and Dean and Paul as well.
Hell, they’d even invited Cara and Colin over so she could meet them and feel safe leaving her sons with them at times, because Dean and Paul had found a soulmate in Samuel’s younger brother, Daniel, who loved gaming as much as they did. When Paul and Dean had seen Daniel’s gaming room, they’d flat out screamed with excitement and had promptly spent the night because they didn’t want to leave. They now tried to organize a game night at least once a month, but usually more often.
And Tris’s sons had accepted Samuel as well. It helped that Cara had been nothing but supportive from day one, encouraging Samuel with little tips to help grow closer to the boys. It turned out Paul loved drawing comics, and as soon as Samuel found out, he’d sat down with him to create a comic together. He might’ve ended up in graphic design, but he still loved to draw, and he’d spent hours drawing comics as a teen. Dean had been a little harder to crack, but they’d bonded over a love for movies.
No, Samuel’s life was perfect. Well, almost perfect. All that was missing was that technically, he was still living in his apartment, while Tris was in Jersey. Samuel understood that he didn’t want to move, what with his kids being in school and all. Plus, at first, he’d wondered if a move to Jersey would really make him happy. It was a bit of a commute to work on the days he stayed over—which lately was more often than not. But he missed Tris so much when they were apart.
He spotted him as soon as he turned the corner of his block. Tris was leaning against the door, taking shelter under the apartment’s canopy. Samuel’s face lit up, like it always did when he saw him, and he hurried toward him. Tris’s kiss was possessive, longer and deeper than most people would consider appropriate in a public place, and Samuel loved it. It felt like being claimed all over again, and he let out a little sigh against Tris’s lips.
“Hey baby,” Tris said in that warm tone he only used on Samuel. “How was your day?”
“Long. Good, but too long. Am I running late, that you’re already here?”
He raised his arm to check his watch, but Tris held him back. “Nope, perfectly on time. Let’s go.”
“Go? I still need to get changed,” Samuel protested.
Tris looked him up and down. “No need. You’re perfect the way you are.”
“I still have my bag,” Samuel said, pointing toward his messenger bag with his laptop.
“Do you have your wallet and phone on you?” Tris asked and Samuel nodded. “Then hand this off to Ben and he’ll keep it safe till we get back.”
The doorman was already hurrying toward the door at Tris’s friendly wave, and Samuel held out his bag to him. “Thank you, Ben.”
“Anytime, Mr. Norris. Have a wonderful evening.”
Tris slung his arm around his shoulders and Samuel nestled against him as they walked, much slower than he had before. “Where are we going?” Samuel asked. It was clear Tris had a destination in mind, but he couldn’t figure out what.
“We’re gonna go back to where it all began,” Tris said cryptically, and when Samuel opened his mouth to ask another question, Tris shot him a look that made him shut his mouth again.
It took him another two blocks to realize it, and by that time they were already at the entrance. Evan’s former building, the one where they had met exactly a year ago. “What are we doing here?” Samuel asked, a little puzzled.
“You’ll see, baby. Trust me.”
Samuel allowed himself to be pulled inside, surprised when the receptionist only sent them a friendly smile and didn’t ask for ID, even though he’d never seen her before. Tris didn’t stop, but gently led them toward the elevators, where he pressed the button to go up. Questions were burning on the tip of Samuel’s tongue, but he held them back. They couldn’t be here for Evan, because he’d been fired a few months ago when the cops had arrested him for falsifying paperwork and taking bribes. That had just been the initial charge, but many more had been added after his arrest.
It had been Samuel’s lawyer who’d tipped the district attorney off, after discovering some of the shady deals Evan had been involved in. She’d also made sure Evan wouldn’t go after Tris in that revenge that he’d threatened with, and the end result had been glorious. Evan had not only been barred from ever practicing law again, but was currently serving a two-year prison sentence. Karma was such a bitch.
The elevator dinged and they stepped inside. Samuel’s eyes widened as Tris pressed the button for the twelfth floor. But as soon as the doors closed and the elevator started moving, Tris sank to one knee, and then it hit Samuel, even before Tris reached in his pocket and flipped open a little velvet box that contained a simple golden ring. No diamonds, no fuss, but the real thing.
“Marry me?” Tris said, his voice constricted. “Marry me and move in with me, because I don’t ever want to spend another night without you. God, I love you, so, so much.”
“Yes.” The word rolled off Samuel’s lips without a second’s pause. “Hell yes.”
Tris slipped the ring on his finger, then rose and captured his mouth in a kiss that lasted till the doors opened with a little bling. Then loud applause erupted, and Samuel saw the faces of his parents, his brothers, Paul and Dean, and even Cara and Colin were there.
Tris held their joined hands high. “He said yes!” he announced, as if anyone had any doubt after seeing them.
What followed was a whirlwind of hugs and slaps on his back, kisses and sweet words, until Samuel’s head was dizzy with the excitement. Last year’s Valentine’s Day had turned out pretty well in hindsight, but this one? Best. Valentine’s Day. Ever.
