Page 127 of Pretty Little Fears

EPILOGUE

BLAIR

7 YEARS LATER

Witha trembling hand,Ilook down at the pregnancy test.Thebright blue plus sign stares back at me and goosebumps appear along my arms and legs.Rippingopen another box,Itake two more tests and wait for the results.

Threetests.Allpositive.

Holyshit.

HowdoItell him?

Thearray of plus signs makes me think about how we got here.Aftermy first year atBlackwood,Idecided it was best for me to come back home and finish my studies here.WithEmmettbeing in his senior year, after graduation, he had insisted on following me back toNewYork.

Iwasn’t surprised.Followingme is whatEmmettdoes best.Theobsessive stalker in him never did go away.Sayingyes to himwas surprisingly one of the easiest decisionsI’veever made.Emmetthad built us a house with enough space for a small studio in the back, similar to the one he had built forSeraat his childhood home.

Hehad gone back to school here inNewYorkand studied art education.AftersellingJames’sbusinesses and assets,Emmettopened up his own art program, as an outlet for kids and teens to escape the pressures of the world and get lost in creativity.Whetherit was an extra-curricular or something they wanted to seriously pursue, he was there, supporting them.

Itwas wonderful to see him in a leadership role, with children nonetheless.Forso long,Iwas used to this moody, gloomy, murderous version of him, thatInever truly saw his artistic side.Paintinga house in blood is not necessarily the same thing as creating a piece of art with watercolors and acrylics.

Thefirst few years ofPaintedPathwaysdid so wonderful inNorthDakota, that he decided to open up a second location here inNewYork.Serastayed back inDevil’sLaketo oversee that location, whileEmmettandIbuilt up our lives on the east coast.Wevisit each other frequently and our mothers get along wonderfully.Thesense of family fills my heart with a warmth that was missing for a long time after my father’s passing.

Bub’sGrubstook off afterEmmettpurchased and renovated it.Themarketing he did for the restaurant drove so many new customers to us, that we had to start accepting reservations.Tothink my dad’s dream as a young man would truly turn into a legacy this great leaves me speechless and forever thankful to the man who changed my life for the better.

Steppingout back,Ihead to the studio.Iwalk carefully, trying to remain silent and unnoticed.Pausingin the doorway,Ilook inside asEmmettsits with our daughter,Elodie, on his lap, holding her as she wildly hits the canvas with a paintbrush.

Shesmiles up at him as her matching dimple indents.Myheart threatens to break through its confines asIwatch them.Heleans down and kisses her head while she squeals and claps her paint-covered hands together.Iwatch them for a few more minutes before turning around and heading back inside.

Asoft smile curves my lips asIwalk, deciding to tell him about our newest addition later this week.

EMMETT

AsIpeer down at a pair of forest green eyes that look so much like mine,Isee them begin to glisten as liquid drips from the lashes.Herlittle lip begins to wobble, andIdo the only logical thing,Ipanic.

“Ohno.No, no, no.”Aloud wail fills the air and shreds my heart asElodielets out a loud screech.

“Shhh,”Icoo, reaching under her chubby arms and lifting her up from her seat.Herlittle hands grab at me asItuck her small body into my chest and pepper kisses over her chubby, wet cheeks.

“Don'tcry, little one.It'sokay, daddy’s got you.”Iwhisper while rocking her back and forth.Shegrips the front of my shirt while shoving her face into my neck.

Shehiccups as her cries settle down.Thatis the last timeIwill try to feed her anything green.Neverfucking again.Ikeep placing gentle kisses on her cheeks while rocking side to side.

Ididn’t think there was room in my heart for more thanBlair.Thatwas until she fell pregnant again.Watchingher grow swollen with my child made me rock hard every damn day.

WhenElodiehas calmed down and her big green eyes begin to close,Istart walking upstairs to put her down for a nap.Enteringher room,Iplace her into her crib as she mumbles and curls up.Ialmost want to pat myself on the back for averting the crisis that wasElodie’stired tantrum a few moments ago.

“Wayto go,BigDaddyEmmett,”Iwhisper to myself.Usually,Blair’shome to help with our daughter but she needed to go check on some stuff for the restaurant.

Ihear the front door open downstairs just asI'mleavingElodie’sroom.Myheart jumps at the knowledge that my little obsession is home.Comingdown the stairs,Ispot her dropping her bag off on the counter as she pulls her heels from her feet.

“Hi, little obsession,”Isay, while walking towards her.Beforeshe can respond,I'mpressing my lips to hers, earning me one of her soft moans.Ipull back slightly and nip at her lip before grabbing the champagneIhad stashed for tonight.

Idon't know ifBlairremembers, but today is her seven-year anniversary of owning the restaurant.Shewatches me asItwist the cork and pop it.Grabbingtwo glasses from a nearby cabinet,Ipull her into the kitchen and pour us each a glass.

“Congratulationson seven years of ownership baby,I'mso proud of you,”Itell her while filling her glass.

Sheclears her throat soIlook at her.She'snibbling on her bottom lip, a dead giveaway that she has something to say.Iplace the bottle down and look at her.

---