She was everything. And I’d sacrifice anything to have her stay.

“I never want to lose you again,” I said, breaking the contented silence. “The last five years have been torture, baby. And now you’ve come back into my life, I’ll never let you down again. Never.”

“I know you will keep your promise, Owen.”

I then asked about Austin, and implored that I wanted him as much as I did her. Against all odds, I had grown to love him as well.

I didn’t care that he wasn’t biologically mine. He was an amazing, intelligent boy who had all the best traits of Alexis. How could I not love him?

I thought it was way too early to declare that I wanted to be his daddy, so I didn’t lay that on her right then, but that was definitely something I wanted to strive towards. She’d probably run screaming if she knew how ingrained I saw myself in her life after the sliver of herself she had so freely given already.

I will earn her. I will earn him. I will earn my family. I’ll earn it all.

We continued to talk into the night, the calming water lapsing in the background. Until we came to her chance encounter with Everly and after. How she failed to reach me on my phone, which was turned off.

“I thought you had blocked me,” she said with a sexy pout that had my dick twitching back to life.

“I turned my phone off because I knew it would be glued to my hand the whole time you were away.”

“I was offended when you didn’t respond to my nudes.”

My hand immediately reached around for my phone when Alexis giggled.

Great, now my dick is rock-solid.

“It was actually Alicia who kicked me in the ass and enlightened me to take the next step in owning what I want. Without apologies.”

I grinned. “Trust Alicia to give it to you straight. And what is it you want, Alexis?”

“You, Owen. I want you.”

Epilogue

ALEXIS

Alicia and I were in the kitchen finishing up the cupcakes as Mum and Dad got Austin ready for bed.

Austin was hyperactive with excitement as we heard him yell from upstairs for the umpteenth time, “I’m turning five tomorrow! I’m a big boy!”

He wanted a Spiderman-themed birthday party, and since I now lived in a two-bedroom apartment, we decided to have it at Mercy Lake—his favourite spot.

It was nice having my sister pop in from her busy lifestyle, however, I also forgot how nosy she could be.

As I went to sit on the stool, I hissed, jolting upward, my ass stinging from the rough sex I had had the night before. The thought made a sly grin grace my lips, which of course was caught by Alicia.

“What was that?”

“What was what?” That sounded innocent, right?