Our Deep End | ✔️

EPILOGUE

Christian's POV

"Wow, this place is really nice." I commend Anna, as she leads me up the stairs, to the second floor of her brand new house. The air conditioner stirs the warm, July air as it circulates around the room.

It's been six months since that night I confronted my father, and he almost killed me in my own kitchen. Six months since all the secrets of my entire life came to the surface. Six months of healing.

My father was arrested, and charged with two counts of murder, as well as my attempted murder. There wasn't really a trial, because he pled guilty right away. I don't know how long he'll be locked up, but his lawyers have signed over the entire family estate to me, which I will have full access to on my twenty third birthday.

Realistically, I am sickened by my father and want nothing to do with him, or his money, but I have some time to figure out how I'll proceed with that.

Prior to that night, I was so fixated on exposing my father's lies, that I failed to consider what would happen after. And I'm a liar if I say that I wasn't terrified. I'm the son of a murderer. I'm related to the man who destroyed Rosewilton. Even though I'm not responsible for his actions, I still felt guilty.

I assumed that everyone's hatred towards him would be projected onto me, but thankfully that couldn't be further from the truth.

A few days after the news made headlines, Anna and her husband Blake reached out to me. They apologized for everything I had to go through with my father, and said that they would really love to get to know me.

So that's what they did.

It started off slow...we met for dinner once a week. But once a week, quickly turned into everyday. We all got to bond on a deeper level, and are quite close now.

I learned a lot about Esme too. I thought getting to know more about her would only hurt, and make me feel more guilty, but surprisingly, it didn't.

Everyday, I feel a little better. A little lighter.

That wounded space of grief inside of me...it's starting to shrink. I can't imagine a day where it's fully gone, but this is definitely a start.

"Thanks," Anna smiles. "There's one more room I want you to see."

She leads me to the end of the hallway, and opens up the last door to the left. Behind that door is a bedroom...a fucking nice one, if I do say so myself. The light from two large bay windows illuminates the entire place. There's a king sized bed in the middle of the floor, and in front of it, a large flat screen tv is mounted to the wall.

"Who's room is this?" I ask Anna, impressed. There's a momentary pause before she responds.

"Yours...I'm hoping."

I quickly whip my head around to face her.

"Sorry?"

She nods, a nervous smile on her face.

"Blake and I were talking. This new house is practically perfect, but something feels off. Something feels missing. And that something is you. You're our family, Christian. Not just because you're biologically related to my daughter, but because you're an amazing person, who I've grown to love like a son."

I notice tears forming at the brim of her eyes.

"You've been living in a hotel for the past six months, which is just unacceptable. I know that you're off to college soon, and I would really like this to be the home you come back to."

"Are you sure?" I whisper, completely overwhelmed by this new kind of support.

Family.

I have a family.

This is very unfamiliar to me. I've never had a support system. Not a functional one at least. But Blake and Anna have stepped up these past few months, and I am truly so grateful for that.

"I'm more sure of this than I've been of anything in a really long time." She wipes her eyes. "So what do you say?"

"I say...I'll have my things here by morning."

A radiant smile spreads across her face, and before I know it, she pulls me in for a hug.

"Thank you so much...for everything." I tell her, meaning every single word.

"No, thank you." She smiles. "I'm gonna go call Blake! We can have you moved in by tomorrow."

"Does this mean that I'm your first official guest?" A familiar voice echoes from the doorway. I quickly turn around to find Elle standing there.

And God damn does she look beautiful.

Her new, freshly dyed black hair cascades down her back perfectly, complimenting her summer tan. Those lips I love fold into a precious smile. I can't keep my eyes off her.

"I'm heading out to pick up some stuff for the house. I'll leave you guys to it." Anna chirps, and sees us both out with a hug.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" I narrow my eyes jokingly, while pulling her in by the waist.

"Well... Anna may or may not have mentioned that she was going to ask you to move in with her," she cups my face, "and I may or may not have told her that I thought it was a great idea."

Our faces are barely an inch apart, and I make a fast effort to rectify that by leaning over and kissing her lips.

"Well, you were right. It is a great idea," I peck her lips again. "The dorms at Columbia will probably be a huge downgrade from this."

"Probably," Elle shrugs, the same smile still painted on her face. "Unless you can find a way to fit a king sized bed in your room."

After everything I've gone through, I decided that staying in New York for college is the best thing for me right now. I'm finally in a somewhat stable place in life, and I'm not willing to just uproot everything and move to a different state.

Luckily Columbia accepted my very late application, and sealed my fate for next fall.

A fate that doesn't include having to leave Elle behind.

"I don't need a king sized bed," I push a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"All I need is you."

"Yeah?"

I nod, gently tracing her bottom lip with my thumb. It's true. I love Elle more than my lungs love air. She'll forever be what I'm most thankful for in this life.

My sweet girl.

"Are you just saying that because I'm on birth control now?" She jokes, and I laugh.

"As much as I enjoy finishing inside of you raw, birth control has nothing to do with my love for you."

"That's really good to hear," she says, before resting her head against my chest.

"Because I love you so much, Christian."

"I love you more, Elle."

As she opens her mouth to protest, I cut her off with a kiss.

Her lips embrace mine fondly, and before I know it, all of our clothes end up scattered on the floor, as we christen my new bedroom.

A/N
Andddddd that's a wrap!!!!! I'm not crying...you are. 😩 Haha.

Seriously though, if you made it this far...thank you so much. I appreciate you giving my book a chance more than you'll ever know. Your reads, comments and connections made with my characters mean the absolute world to me. I can't thank you enough.

So...don't hold back on me. What did you think of the story? Did the ending shock you?

Feedback? Questions?

Sequel? You tell me. 😳