Page 76 of Twisted Little Thing
Epilogue
Nicky
It has been exactly three years since I first walked through these doors. Of course, I didn't have my own card back then. And the place did not have the little touch of Nicky that I have been adding steadily over time.
It’s been a long day, like most days. But still, I get home before him. I don’t mind it at all. Evan’s passion for his work, his company, is something I wasn’t able to understand years ago, but I get it now. I had to find my own passion to understand what it is like to live and work like the people I used to despise before.
I slip out of my shoes and lazily stroll through our luxurious penthouse. Our home.
I smile as I see the little note and the dark red roses – two of them – that Evan left on our kitchen table.
I had completely forgotten about our anniversary, mainly because work has been crazy this week. Of course he wouldn’t forget. He’s more of a romantic than I will ever be. I came to understand that a long time ago and the beautiful roses are just further proof of that.
Three years.
Three wonderful years since the day he literally opened his door for me.
My eyes rest on the roses in front of me. What a different person I was back then. What a different life I was leading. There are so many things I have Evan to thank for. With him, I not only found the love of my life, but also the kind of life I truly enjoy living.
Yuka made fun of me the first time I invited her to our place after moving. But she was not blind to my newfound happiness. And I know she does enjoy having the place we once shared to herself, which is only possible because she changed a few things in her life, as well. Even though she is hesitant about admitting it, she may have found the man she has been looking for. And a job that allows her to live on her own for once.
She even congratulated me for not listening to her back then and giving Evan a second chance.
Without him, I never would have ended up where I am right now. I am an editor at a small indie publishing company. It’s not an illustrious career to boast about, and I could never afford to live in a place like this on my own. All the luxury in our life is still thanks to Evan’s wealth, but I’ve stopped feeling bad about it.
I love my job and I work hard for my success, harder than I’ve ever worked in my entire life. The kind of books and magazines my publisher is responsible for are the kind that I would want to read myself. We serve a certain niche and are far away from mainstream media in many regards. This is the reason why we will never make huge amounts of money, but it serves the right kind of people, a minority with a particular taste in fashion, music, and entertainment.
This is where I belong.
I love the people I work with – and I love Evan for enabling this life for me. If it wasn't for him, I am sure I would still be at the exact same place I was three years ago.
A waitress. There is nothing wrong with that, but I was an unhappy waitress who was unwilling to face the uncomfortable questions he forced me to deal with. That’s the difference.
It was hard work. I had to finish my degree and apply for internships, gaining working experience just like everyone else.
But Evan was there to help me through it. In many regards.
I absentmindedly touch the silver ring around my neck. The lock has not been opened in a long time. I wouldn't want it to be. I’m proud to wear his collar. And no one has ever asked me about it. For outsiders it appears to be nothing but jewelry. Jewelry that I truly love. I wear it every day.
I am collared. Yet I have never felt freer, because I finally feel like I belong.
Evan knows that I have never been a big believer in marriage. The institution seems outdated to me, and I've never really been a romantic.
But this means so much more.
Wearing his collar was a conscious choice. One that I have not regretted for a single moment since he closed it around my neck just as solemnly as one would put a ring on another person's finger.
I am his. And he is mine.
Nothing says that more than this.
