Epilogue

+ Bonus Chapter (Dylan's POV)

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•••

Moths are drawn to a flame.

Despite knowing that they might most probably die, they continue on, just for that last time in the light.

That was just like me as I got off a taxi in front of the Burns mansion.

Despite sensing something off about the atmosphere surrounding the house, I continued on like a moth drawn to flame.

Despite somewhat noticing that only two cars were parked in the driveway, I continued on like a moth drawn to flame. And I continued on like a moth drawn to flame, despite the fact that none of those two cars belonged to Sebastian Burns.

I had already ascertained by the time that I got to the front of the house that this was another ploy by Will.

I wasn't really meeting Mr Burns. Which left the question, who was I really here to meet, and why was I still here?

The door was opened before I could even have a chance to compose myself and take a deep breath before whatever it was Will had plotted came into effect.

I smiled at Quincy, who stood by the door, wearing his usual attire of a black suit. He had a polite smile on his weary face. For the past two weeks, we had somehow gotten to a good place, considering he had snapped at me that day on the phone.

"Will told me to-"

"I am aware as to why you're here, Ms Sanders," Quincy interrupted before I had a chance to fully explain myself. His smile became more genuine as if he was trying to keep himself in check. "Mr Burns is waiting for you in the kitchen." He made a grand gesture of a bow before he stepped to the side to allow me entry.

"Thank you," I managed to mutter out as I entered the mansion. I thought over his above normal gestures for a moment before I wondered if I had just been paranoid. Maybe I was really meeting Mr Burns after all.

But then again Quincy did address them both as Mr Burns, until of course he said the older Mr Burns or the younger Mr Burns. But in this instance he hadn't said either which made things somewhat harder.

Before I could ask Quincy which Mr Burns I was meeting, he'd closed the door behind me and had disappeared. I had been too lost in deciphering which Mr Burns it was that I hadn't noticed Quincy walk out on me.

I decided to just face whatever it was that awaited me, just as Alex had told me.

No more running way from whatever it may be, unless of course there was a fully grown bear waiting for me in that kitchen.

In that case, I would be running for the proverbial hill as fast as anyone could with a bear after them.

As soon as I entered the kitchen, I decided that a bear was better than what met me.

There was no Will, no Georgia, no Alex or anyone I'd rather meet there. I was alone.

Except for him.

It was Douglas, finely slicing some onions as the smell of steak wafted from the pan that was sizzling on the stove and hit me.

I didn't know how to do this. If anything, for the past two weeks, we hadn't really had a conversation like we'd been doing prior to Nancy's incident.

We didn't make a joke at Will's expense, or judge each other's taste in subway.

We just said menial things, sometimes he asked how Nancy was doing and sometimes I asked him if I should start bringing some Americano for Prince again.

We never really discussed anything related to that day, I never brought up what had happened at the party and he never brought up the fact that he had fainted whilst I believed he was about to kiss me.

If anything, we avoided one another. I would've thought he'd forgotten I existed if it wasn't for the fact that I usually caught him watching me.

Of course, he made it all the while easier because he never even deigned to look away like anyone had the normal inclination to do when they had been caught staring at someone.

Sometimes he'd continue staring back at me as if was trying to carve my face into his memory or he was trying to properly understand something I had done.

Sometimes I had even wondered if he had realized my feelings for him. Feelings I still hadn't garnered up the courage to inform him of.

"Can you turn over the steak for me, Krys?" Douglas' voice cut through my thoughts like knife through butter and I had to keep myself from screaming out in shock. After all, he hadn't even looked away from chopping onions.

"Uhmm...sure," I replied as I made my way towards him, joining him on the other side of the counter. "Where's Ben?" I asked, wondering where the chef was as I flipped the steak over.

This was the first time I'd seen Douglas cooking and it just made me wonder why he was cooking.

"I gave him the day off," he replied simply as he started on the tomatoes.

"Just so you can cook for yourself?" I was a little bit confused as I turned the other steak over. The aroma was so mouthwatering and I could feel my stomach rumbling.

He shook his head as he stopped chopping, turned his head towards me and looked straight into my eyes. "So I could cook for you."

My heart skipped a beat at his words, but I forced my brain to focus on what was important at the moment.

Getting answers and getting a piece of that steak.

"But you gave me the day off. Why'd you get Will to bring me back here under the guise of meeting your father?"

"I thought you wouldn't come if I told you the truth." He bit his lower lip, just as he did when he was nervous about something.

He'd done it when Prince had come down with a stomach bug, and he'd done it as we drove over to Nancy right after we heard about her fainting incident. And now he was doing it.

"No, I wouldn't have come because you gave me the day off," I corrected.

"That too," he smiled slightly as if it had made sense.

"So you just wanted me over so you could cook me some steak?" I turned said steak and saw that it was medium rare before removing it off the heat and onto an already waiting plate.

"I wanted you here because Will said that if I didn't talk to you, he'd lock us up in a room together and won't let is out until we set things straight." He studied me as he finished his words. He was waiting, weighing my reactions.

I simply stated at him, before I put things together.

They had told him that I liked him. Somehow the others had figured it out, or Alex had told them, and they had let it slip to Douglas that I liked him.

I pondered whether I should run away. But the thought of the steak made me weigh my options more heavily.

"You don't have to talk to me about it, Douglas. Don't worry about it."

"I don't?"

I nodded as I took a step away from the stove and him. "I don't have any feelings for you."

The words burnt, scalding hot as it slipped out of my mouth. I couldn't properly think of anything but the thought that I had just lied to Douglas. Especially about something that I didn't foresee going away any time soon.

"I know," he replied, as he gave me a small, almost hesitant smile. "But I do."

The words took a while before it truly sunk in. The words took a century for me to fully process it. The words felt like iron hot metal pressed against my skin.

And yet, I still couldn't help but ask, "What?"

"I have feelings for you." After a couple of seconds, a full on, impressionable smile appeared on his face, a smile that said that he had finally did the impossible.

"You do?" I would've been embarrassed by the way my words came out a pitch higher than normal if I wasn't too shocked.

Douglas nodded. "I do. I like that you're honest with people. That you like the same books I like. That you loved playing with Prince and that you're friends with all of my close friends. I like that you make me happy just by entering a room and that you are so different from me and at the same time you're not." He smiled again before he walked towards me, stopping just a few feet away.

He reached up and tucked a stray lock of hair away. "I like that you're so strong, so opinionated and that at times you question yourself, wondering if you're doing the right thing. I like that you couldn't care less about the money, that when you first met me, you reminded me of who I am. The son of a diner owner's daughter."

"But most of all, I like you for being the one person that made me not blame myself. For the past twelve years, I couldn't help but constantly blame myself. You changed that for me and I will always remember you for it." He cupped my cheek softly, almost caressing it. "I know you might not be willing to give me a chance, especially after everything I've put you through. But if you'd be willing, I'd like to-"

I knew what he was thinking, and it was mostly my fault so I cut him off. "I like you too."

He scrunched his brows together, clearly confused. "What?"

"I like you too."

"Really?"

I nodded. "Really."

"Then why'd you turn away before I kissed you?" He chewed his lower lip again, confusion evident in his frown.

"You were vulnerable, and I didn't want to take advantage of you."

"If anyone was taking advantage of someone, I'm to blame, not you."

"Wait," I paused, trying to assess everything. "So you were trying to kiss me?"

He nodded.

"Then how-"

"I can't believe I wasted two weeks, worrying over the fact that you didn't like me back, just because of that kiss."

"But how did... why did you fai-"

"Can I make up for lost time now?" Douglas interrupted.

"Can you what?" I asked, confused.

"Make up for lost time?" His eyes focused on my lips before they met my eyes again.

Still a bit confused, I nodded.

As soon as I did, a look of determination appeared on his face and suddenly he was leaning in.

I realized what he meant instantly. I didn't worry about it this time. This time I knew what I wanted and I knew he wanted it too.

This time, unlike the last one, I didn't turn away. This time, unlike last time, I closed my eyes. And this time, unlike last time Douglas' lips finally crash against mine.