Epilogue

Haiden eyed the ring that lay on her friend's nightstand, admiring the simple yet elegant style of it.

She appreciated the fact that it could be worn with anything and found herself wanting one, "Grace?"

"Yeah?" Grace called from the bathroom, her words muffled by the toothbrush in her mouth.

"Where'd you get your ring?"

She stuck her head out to look at Haiden pointing to the ring her mother had given her for her birthday, "I don't know. Mom bought it for me."

Isiah was actually the one who picked out the design and instructed Samantha to purchase it, though Grace didn't know that.

"Will you ask her where she got it?" Haiden questioned, her eyes still on the ring.

"You know where her room is. Go ask her."

Haiden nodded and stood from the bed, going down a flight of stairs where Samantha's and Isiah's room was. On her way, she bumped into Isiah, who steadied her so that she wouldn't fall.

"Sorry," Haiden mumbled, looking down at the floor.

"Don't be." Isiah replied, smiling widely, "Did you need something?"

"Uh, Mrs. Simmons. I wanted to ask about a ring that she bought Grace."

Haiden's eyes were still on the floor, so Isiah gently lifted her chin to gaze at her, "I chose the ring." He stated, "Do you like it?"

She was momentarily stunned into silence at his touch, the intensity in which he stared at her, "Yes." She responded, her voice barely above a whisper.

Isiah leaned to place a kiss by her ear before speaking softly into it, "I'll give you one."

A week later Isiah did just that, and that was the first night they had sex in the guest house.

• • •

The first thing Josiah noticed was the light reflecting off of Grace's ring, not the skin tone of the hand on which that ring sat.

When he finally focused on that, he realized it wasn't Grace's body under the sheet.

Josiah tugged at the neck of his shirt, needing to get air after it felt like all of it had left his body. He wouldn't properly be able to breathe until he saw Grace, physically touched her.

Looking towards the house again, he watched in confusion as Isiah exited the door to stand on the steps, a look of sadness on his face. The people near him were muttering, and Isiah's voice was low, so Josiah was unable to hear exactly what was being said.

Isiah looked towards him, motioning for him to come into the house, which he was all too happy to do.

Upon entering, he immediately saw Mason sitting next to Samantha, his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Grace was in the corner, staring at her mother with a look Josiah couldn't place.

It reminded him of the way she used to look at Samantha the first time he was in the same room as them.

Grace made eye contact with Josiah, pushing off the wall to go stand in front of him, "Sorry I didn't answer. I was gonna call you back."

"Nah that's cool. What happened?"

She didn't answer initially, looking back towards her mother, "Haiden killed herself." She said finally, "In our kitchen."

Josiah wasn't aware of the affair between Isiah and Haiden since Grace hadn't told him or given him the journals she'd written, so he was confused as to why she'd do that, "Why?"

"My dad broke off their affair, so she was upset about it I guess."

Josiah looked to Samantha, then back to Grace, whose eyes were saying she'd explain later.

After the police left, Isiah softly closed the door behind them, Grace looking to her mother, "Have you lost your fucking mind?!" She yelled at Samantha.

Her outburst caught Josiah off guard, him turning to Grace with shock, "Yo, chill."

"No! She already let us be raised by a sociopath because she was too selfish to leave him, now she kills someone for having sex with him?!"

"It was suicide." Isiah stated, "Your mother would never harm anyone."

"Save the lies for the police Isiah. I was in the damn kitchen when she asked Haiden if she still thought she was weak."

Mason snorted softly, not wanting to upset his sister more, but also finding that particular part funny.

Samantha leaned more into Mason, "I did this for you, Grace. She planned on hurting you."

"I haven't talked to her in months, she wouldn't have done anything to me."

"If you don't believe me, ask Celina. Haiden would've done anything to keep your father."

One day as Celina was cleaning the guest house, she found a list of sorts, one that included ways to push Isiah back in Haiden's direction should he ever decide to leave her.

Many of those ways included Grace.

Celina didn't tell Samantha at first, having known the mental struggles she went through and not wanting her to do exactly what she'd just done.

Once Samantha confided in Celina how Isiah had Haiden thrown out of his office, she told Samantha everything, the outcome be damned.

It was a perfectly executed plan.

Isiah having to call security to make Haiden leave only added to the notion that she was obsessed and didn't want to live without him.

When they search her apartment, the list would be found, further pushing that belief, and then Haiden would seem like a love crazed 23 year old.

Haiden overdosed on HIV medication, which was provided to Samantha from Allison's medicine cabinet, courtesy of Celina, so it couldn't be traced back to Samantha in anyway.

"I believe your mother did what she had to do." Isiah told Grace.

"Of course you do. I'm surprised you didn't kill her yourself."

"This conversation is something that should be had in the next family therapy session. Josiah, would you like to join us?"

"I guess?" He responded unsurely.

Isiah nodded, "You should bring your mother along so she can explain to you the hand she had in attempting to remove Grace from your life."

He and Grace looked at each other, neither of them knowing what Isiah meant, "What?"

"It's not my story to tell. Just ask her about it."

• • •

2 years later

The pillow below beneath Grace's butt ensured that she felt every inch of the dick that Josiah was currently giving her. In this position, his pelvic bone moved against her clit, creating a sense of double stimulation for Grace.

Irregular breathing and Josiah's gentle coaxing of Grace to cum for him again filled their ears, "I love that shit Grace. Every time you fuckin' nut for me."

His voice was low, not wanting to wake up the toddler asleep in the room down the hall from them. It was going on 8 am, so she was due to awaken at any minute.

Grace's nails dug into his back, arching her chest to meet his, "Harder."

"No." Josiah shook his head, "I'ma fuck you how I want to."

She whimpered in frustration, needing him to go harder, "Please? Please baby?"

Josiah paused momentarily, his resistance to not cumming growing weaker. Following her instructions, he placed his hands on the back of her thighs, pushing them down towards her side.

"Fuck, I love you." Grace moaned loudly.

A response wasn't wanted nor needed, Josiah continuing to fuck Grace until she was close to an orgasm, her hands pulling his face down to hers so that she could kiss him.

"Shit baby." He muttered into her mouth, "I can't-."

"Don't hold it," She interrupted, gripping his side, "Cum with me."

His head fell against her shoulder, letting go of the orgasm he'd been holding for the majority of their sex.

The feeling of his semen filling her as well Josiah's groans initiated Grace's climax, her legs and arms wrapping around him to keep him close.

They both lay quietly, trying to control their breathing when the baby monitor picked up the sound of a laugh.

"That fucking baby is a demon." Josiah mumbled, "Who wake up laughing?"

Grace laughed, "She was probably already up. Go get her."

"You go get her."

"I'm not going to get a child while I have literal nut running down my leg."

"You used to be an oreo, now you a twinkie." Josiah replied with a laugh, finding his own joke funny, "Or are you still an oreo since nut is white?"

Grace pushed him out of her, scooting to the edge of the bed, "Figure it out after you get Hazel."

"Baby I just feel like you volunteered to babysit, so you needa get her. I would've let her stay with her ugly ass mama and daddy."

"How do you expect me to have your children if I don't know how you are around kids? You need practice."

"Nigga you just got pregnant last week. Calm down."

Grace had actually been pregnant for four months now, ironically finding out the same night that Josiah proposed. The moment was spoiled by Grace puking on the floor in front of him.

A nice memory that was captured on video by Mason's girlfriend.

While Grace started the shower, Josiah stood beside her looking at her barely there belly bump, "You think we'll be good parents?"

His question caught her off guard since this was one of the only times he'd spoken about the baby in a manner that wasn't a joke, "Yeah I do. Do you?"

"I don't know."

It was a terrible time to have this conversation since Hazel was awake in the other room and waiting for one of them to come ger her, but Grace enveloped Josiah in a hug, "I might be wrong, but I think all kids want is love and support. Maybe a sprinkle of money."

He smiled into her neck, "I give you all my love. I don't have any more to give out."

"I'll take a pay cut. Give some to your son."

Josiah pulled away to press his lips to her forehead, "I'll see what I can do."

After putting on pants and grabbing his phone, he went to get Hazel, lifting her from the toddler bed that would soon be moved to a different room, "Goodmorning devil child."

He exchanged her diaper for a pullup and took her to the kitchen, sitting her in the high chair while mashing bananas to make her oatmeal.

"This shit look like throwup." He mumbled as his phone vibrated against the counter with a message from Hassan telling him he'd be by to get Hazel in about an hour.

He and Faelyn went on a date, that was supposed to end last night, but Grace the babysitter had to offer to keep Hazel overnight.

Josiah didn't actually mind though, always watching Hazel whenever her parents wanted to do something since the luxury of having grandparents wasn't given to them.

Lia never went to family therapy with them as Isiah suggested, choosing to sit Josiah down that same night and explain that she knew Shawn was going to approach them at the restaurant, as well as gave a background on her dislike for Grace.

He hadn't spoken to her since.

It helped that they'd moved states away, following Hassan as he went to the University of Texas. It wasn't his first choice, but Faelyn was accepted on a partial scholarship so it made sense to him to make it his first choice.

Grace suggested that they move with them in the spur of the moment one night when Faelyn was looking for affordable apartments.

The culinary school that Josiah wanted to go to was in Texas, Mason was only a state away in Louisiana, and she was taking online classes so it wouldn't affect her work. She just felt like a move would do them well, and her prediction was correct.

Josiah and Grace were happy, the happiest they've been since they began dating.

Ben referred him to a new SAA group, though he only attended once a month, and Grace still went to therapy, Josiah joining her in certain sessions.

Neriah didn't make the move with them, though no one expected her to, and she now played stepmother on the weekends to Noah, Malik's son.

Grace's parents did eventually divorce with Samantha doing what she promised and taking everything.

Well, not exactly, she let him keep the shares in the company, which was the most important thing to him anyway.

Isiah rarely had contact with his children, only talking to them when they initiated conversations, which wasn't often. He'd found a new victim to manipulate, a single mom only 3 years older than Grace.

The money that Samantha received was split between Grace, Mason, and Celina, only keeping a small amount for herself so that she could travel. She called her children every time she landed in a different part of the world.

Samantha knew she'd never be able to actually repay Celina for raising her children when she couldn't, but she hoped the money she gave her expressed a fraction of her gratitude.

"I have a name suggestion." Grace stated loudly as she came into the room, bringing Josiah back to the present, "I think you'll like it."

"What is it?"

"Gosiah."

He turned to look in disgust, "You just got done telling me I needa love my son, now you want me to name him Gosiah? That don't sound like love to me."

"Do you want him to be a Jr. then?" She asked while making funny faces at Hazel, "I love the name Josiah, and maybe he'll be just like his daddy."

"I want him to be better than his daddy."

Grace didn't respond since she was currently nibbling on Hazel's chunky hands, Josiah continuing to talk, "But I want him to marry someone like his mama."

The nibbling paused, "Don't make me cry stupid."

Josiah smiled at his fiancée's words, "I'm just speaking facts."

He didn't hear her coming behind him, but felt her head rest on his back, Grace wanting contact with the man who had shown her how to properly be loved, without wanting anything in return but her happiness.

"I don't deserve you, baby." She whispered into his skin.

"We deserve each other."

The most honest words he'd ever spoken to her.

It seemed many times that Grace and Josiah wouldn't get a happy ending but their love prevailed, lifting them past even what fate might've had planned.

They didn't forget their addictions existed, but rather they replaced them with something far more addicting, their love for each other.

And that was an addiction they were all too happy to succumb to.

• • •

i love how y'all have ZERO faith in me 😑 i told y'all happy ending & y'all still didn't believe it omg. I DESERVE AN APOLOGY FOR ALL THE HATE MAIL!

fun fact: grace was supposed to die. in fact, when i started this book, the only person supposed to live in the simmons family was isiah.

look at the dates ⬆️ the setup to the original ending was already written in my notes. i changed it bc you guys interacted w/ me & told me what you wanted to see. all authors don't appreciate that, but you'll never know unless you talk to them. BE ACTIVE.

i still had to have a little fun thooooo.

thank you all so much again for joining me on another journey. forever grateful for all the support that you give me bc wtf i don't fucking deserve it 🥺

any questions, pls feel free to ask me.

i hope to see you all in any future books i write. as always, thanks for reading 💕