Hexed (Never After #6)

Epilogue

ENZO

“How many times do I have to tell you I hate my birthday?” Venesa asks as I steer her with my hand on her hips.

I smirk from behind her, although she can’t see it because I’ve had her blindfolded since right before our plane landed in Atlantic Cove half an hour ago. And now we’re here, at the boardwalk, and I’m determined to make her birthday a good memory again, just like it was when she was little.

“Enzo, hello?” she snips, her footsteps faltering. “You can’t not answer me when I can’t see either. It freaks me out.”

Chuckling, I bend down slightly and press a kiss to the nape of her neck. “I’m sorry, piccola sirena. I know you hate them, but I don’t.”

Her bottom lip sticks out, and I have to bite back the urge to suck it into my mouth.

Focus, Enzo. Don’t fuck this up.

“You’re supposed to hate everything I hate.” She pouts. “I thought that was a perk of being in a relationship.”

“I could never hate the day you were brought into the world, baby,” I reply. “You just have to trust me.”

I prod her back until she starts walking again, and then, right before we get to the base of the Sea Wheel, her face screws up, sniffing the air. “Are we in Atlantic Cove? It smells like it.”

Lightly, I smack her ass before gripping it in my palm, and then I let her go and take a few steps back, looking around.

My heart’s kicking steadily but quickly against my rib cage, yet it isn’t because of my fear of heights.

It’s because of what else I’m about to do.

I’ve paid a generous amount of money to the city so the entire place would be closed to the public for the night. Not difficult to do when your woman is one of the most influential people in all of Atlantic Cove, even if her reputation isn’t the nicest.

The Sea Witch, they call her.

Her uncle’s protégé through and through.

She doesn’t seem to mind the nickname. Besides, it’s not like she’s the one down here running the actual business anyway. She leaves the day-to-day stuff to Bas.

It’s a beautiful evening, the sun having just set, and the clear sky opening up to millions of stars twinkling and the moon bathing us in its glow.

The second Venesa commented that her birthday fell on the full moon this year, I knew it was my moment. I remember her talking about how she’d only get married under one. Something about it representing balance and harmony or some froufrou shit.

We’re not getting married tonight, but…

Close enough.

Scotty went to that store A Rose by Any Other Name and picked up hundreds of white daisies and said he decorated the area himself. He did a good job—they’re lining the makeshift picket fence that surrounds the Sea Wheel, and then overflowing vases of them are perched all along the perimeter. He also set up giant clusters of rose quartz crystals and white candles, just to set the mood entirely.

“Okay,” I say, my voice surprisingly shaky. “You can take off the blindfold.”

One thing I’ve learned is that life is never certain. Someone can spend their entire life searching for success, for happiness. Waste countless hours away from people they love, constantly searching for some unattainable thing that, in the end, won’t really matter.

And then in one second—or in my case, one look—everything can change.

I looked at Venesa and my world tilted on its axis, altering my view forever.

There is one thing I’m certain of: her.

She’s the only thing that matters.

Venesa reaches up, ripping off the fabric quickly, her back straightening when she realizes where we are and that there’s no one else here. Her head tilts from side to side, and she slowly spins around.

I drop to my knees, gripping the ring I had custom made tight in my hand.

“I knew we were here. I could tell by the smell.” She laughs as she’s turning, and then her eyes meet mine, and they widen as she takes me in. “Enzo, what are you?—”

She looks around again, her eyes taking in the display, and she grips at her seashell necklace, her mouth popping open as her gaze locks on me again.

“What is this?” she asks, her voice wavering, her eyes wide and soft as they stare at me.

“My entire life I’ve been told what to do and who to be.” I lick my lips, swallowing around the sudden dryness in my throat. “What kind of path I’m supposed to travel. And I was always fine with it. Accepted it. I knew how my story would end from the beginning, because that’s just the cards that were dealt. It’s the way things were. And I was always fine with that…until I met you.”

Reaching out, I grip her left hand in mine and bring it to my mouth to brush a kiss against the back. “You made me ache for a different life.”

Her eyes widen, and I see the start of water lining her lower lids, emotion taking over her face, and a single tear dripping down her cheek.

“There are so many things I could say to you,” I continue, brushing my thumb over the top of her knuckles. “But none of it would encapsulate the truth.”

I take the ring that’s in my right palm and slip it onto her finger, my heart skipping when I see it so perfectly on her hand.

She inhales sharply, glancing down at it.

There’s a marquise diamond in the center, surrounded by rainbow moonstone set in a black platinum band.

“The truth is, Yrsa Venesa Andersen, my soul knew you were its other half the moment I laid eyes on you. You have changed me. Irrevocably. I don’t want you in a different life. I need you in this one and all the ones we’ll have after.” Emotion clogs my throat and I clear it. “So marry me.”

She laughs, a hand coming up to cover her mouth, tears dripping down her apple-shaped cheeks and off her chin. “Is that a question?”

“Not really.” I shrug. “Let me make new memories with you every single day, piccola sirena. Do me the honor of allowing me to be your husband, and I’ll love you so goddamn loudly, everyone will hear.”

A bright white smile breaks across her face, the same way it did the first time I met her, and just like then, my stomach lurches forward violently; I’m transfixed like a moth to a flame.

Goddamn, she’s gorgeous.

“Yes,” she says. “I’ll marry you. Now get off your knees, Lover Boy.”

As soon as I’m standing, she jumps into my arms, wrapping her delicious thighs around my waist and peppering kisses across my skin. “I love you,” she breathes.

I grip underneath her ass and squeeze. “I love you too, baby.”

One of my hands leaves her ass and slides up her spine until I’m wrapping her perfect silvery-white hair in my fist, and I pull it harshly because I know that’s what she loves. And then I claim her mouth with mine.

Fuck, I love kissing her.

She breaks away from me and looks around. “Are we all alone?”

“Of course. I didn’t want an audience for this.” I smirk. “Besides, we need to be alone for your birthday present.”

“You mean there’s more?” she asks, her left arm leaving where it’s wrapped around my neck so she can lean back the slightest bit and stare at her ring. “It’s beautiful, by the way,” she says with a grin. “How’d you know I’d like moonstone?”

I palm her cheek, keeping her tethered to me with my other arm. “When are you going to realize I see you? Always?”

Pressing one more kiss to her lips, I slide her down my body slowly until she’s standing again. Then I grip her hand in mine, and we walk down the boardwalk until we’re in front of the game we played so long ago. Back when we were pretending not to want each other.

She squints as we approach the booth, her footsteps faltering.

“Is that—” she starts and then takes another step forward.

I press up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and dipping my head into the crook of her neck to nibble on the skin.

“Did you really think I’d let anyone who would ever bring you harm go?”

She looks back at me, her brows raised like she’s truly surprised, and then she grins before walking to me and slipping her tongue into my mouth.

I moan into her, gripping the back of her head and pulling her into me, because I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of her taste. There’s something about her soft, pillowy red lips I just can’t get enough of.

She releases me, and I grasp her waist, spinning her around and prodding her forward. The air is silent as she moves toward the booth. Goldfish swim around in their too-small bowls, and large squids and mermaids dangle from the ceiling. And right in the center of the bull’s-eyes, tethered to them with rope, are two people.

One is Rusty…that stupid motherfucker who runs this game. He’s broken and bleeding, barely hanging on to his pathetic life. His head is lolled to the side, and his eyes are so swollen, I can’t tell if he’s conscious. But I couldn’t help myself when I saw him again. Not after learning the extent of what he did to the love of my life with Aria’s help.

Then, right next to him, her eyes wide, her mouth gagged, and her body tied up with heavy-duty rope…is Jessica.

Venesa slips behind the counter and notices the lineup of her potions I had Bastien bring for the occasion. She runs her hands over them. “You brought me a gift.”

I smile, happiness suffusing every piece of me.

“Happy birthday, piccola sirena. Now…go make a memory.”