Between Us

Epilogue

A/N: EVEN MORE FLUFF.

slight sexual references ahead!

rushed ending because I don't do endings that well lol and the drama is always the best part!

Thanks for being a part of Shyla and Caden's journey! I look forward to seeing you all in my next Indian arranged marriage book :)

***

It'd been a whole year since everything had gone down. Sai took the news of Trixie better than I thought, and she was back in college again. Whenever she got the time, she'd call me to check up on me.

And by that I mean to tease me.

"I can't believe it's your one year anniversary in two months," she said, calling the other day.

I laughed. "I know! I don't think he's gonna remember, to be honest."

"Honestly who cares? He's still with you despite your awkwardness."

"Oi shush! You're still around me too."

"In spirit, anyway." She lowered her voice. "By the way, tell me everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh come on!" She giggled. "Have you two, you know, gone all the way?"

I choked on my saliva as I said, "O-Oh look! My mom is calling me, I gotta go. Talk to you later." Before she could pester me about it—and she always did—I would always hang up. We'd only just started sleeping together recently and it was more like our little secret.

I didn't want anyone else finding out.

Besides there were other important things to worry about. Since the band now only consisted of Caden and Tristan, they'd decided to take a break until they could focus on it a little bit more and find other people to join.

Other people who weren't crazy.

"Chunky pie!" I called out. I closed the car door and rushed toward my house, where Caden was standing with my dad. He leaned against the doorjamb, ankle crossed over the other as they spoke about something. Chunk was rolling around on the grass nearby the plants. Hearing my voice, he rolled over and sat up, ears perked. "Guess who can drive?!"

My dad gawked. "You passed?"

I put my hands on my hips. "Is that so hard to believe?"

Caden tilted his head. "We're shocked you're still in one piece."

"Shut up!"

My dad chuckled before heading inside. "You two stay here. I'm going to go tell your mom the good news."

"Wait—" But he didn't listen. He scampered back inside and I frowned. I knew what he was trying to do. He always felt awkward when Caden and I were together, like he was imposing on something private. That caused a hot flush to spread through my body.

It wasn't like we were going to do anything in public. As Caden moved toward me I watched his lazy gait, and blushed again at the thought of his narrow hips.

"Congrats," he mumbled after leaning down and giving me a kiss. He then tilted his head with a knowing glint on his face. "What are you thinking about?"

"N-Nothing." I whipped around and bent down again to play with Chunk, pretending I was inspecting the plants. This was close to the position I used whenever I wanted to stalk Jordan over the fence.

Looking up, I had a perfect view of it. A bout of nostalgia sent a wave of butterflies fluttering in my chest. I hadn't known then that I'd ever meet a guy named Caden, or that I would be with him, still going strong even a year later.