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“Still twenty.”
“Playoff bonuses?”
“No.”
His arms tighten around me. “I’ll buy every book for every guy on the team.”
I blink. “You will?”
“As long as you agree to one condition.”
“I knew there would be a condition.”
“You let me come upstairs after every meeting and regale you with stories about our deep literary discussions.”
“You already come upstairs.”
“I’d like a contract, possibly an NDA too.”
“A non-disclosure agreement to enter my apartment?” I gasp jokingly. “Why, whatever would we be doing that would require such secrecy?”
“Talking about books of course,” he says, his voice low, pulling me closer.
“Fine. But I reserve the right to send you back down here if you use the phrase ‘narrative structure’ while I’m trying to sleep.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he laughs. “Literally.”
Liam smiles as he lowers his mouth to mine. I’m laughing when he kisses me, my arms winding around his neck while his settle more securely around my waist.
From the back room, the crowd erupts over a goal scored more than a decade ago. The ending hasn’t changed. Everyone watching already knows what happens.
It turns out knowing they get together in the end doesn’t ruin a thing.
EPILOGUE TWO: ONE YEAR LATER
LIAM
Thomas has been sitting on the deck for the last ten minutes, staring through the glass doors as though he’s waiting for Thanksgiving dinner.
Yet, the little beggar already has his own food.
A year ago, at Eva’s insistence, I attached a squirrel-sized feeding tray to the deck railing, which she keeps stocked with walnuts, apple slices, and something I can’t identify––but the woman at the wildlife store assured her squirrels consider it a delicacy.
Thomas is currently ignoring all of it. He places both front paws against the glass. He wants the turkey.
“Not happening,” I tell him.
His nose twitches.
“You’re not invited.”
My phone vibrates on the coffee table, the Dominion group chat is busy today.
I glance toward the dining room, where Eva disappeared ten minutes ago to move one candle and has yet to return. She left her coffee beside mine on the table, although hers is probably cold by now.
Everyone else is due to arrive this afternoon. Lucy is bringing pies because she threatened to revolt when I assigned her a vegetable. Campbell and Sutton have green beans. Sawyer and Juliette are responsible for stuffing, she has a recipe that he dissolves for...and Ty and Vivian have roasted carrots, while Owen is bringing rolls, because Owen and cooking is no bueno. Tripp refused to accept an assignment before informing me he would bring macaroni and cheese because Thanksgiving dinner needs standards.
On the homefront, Eva is making the mashed potatoes, and I get the job of handling the turkey.
