Enough To Go By — 14-21 (Epilogue)
Chapter 14
Justin
*
"You can only outrun your past if you stop pretending it’s not still walking behind you."*
The gallery opening was loud, too bright, and smelled like champagne, orchids, and expensive cologne. Justin hated it.
But Emmett looked like he belonged on the cover of Architectural Digest, swanning from room to room in a dramatic teal silk coat, while Ted played the stoic fiancé in black velvet.
Brian stood near the rear exit like he was casing the place. Justin caught him eyeing the distance between him and the door at least three times before the first tray of canapés passed.
“You okay?” Justin asked, appearing at his side with two flutes of sparkling wine.
Brian took the glass without answering. His eyes flicked to a painting on the wall behind Justin—one of Justin’s. A new piece. Abstract, but not empty.
“Is that…?”
“Yeah,” Justin said. “It’s called Feral Devotion. Emmett insisted on naming it.”
Brian gave a single huff of laughter.
Ted approached then, holding a clipboard. “Gentlemen. Would one of you like to sign the registry as ‘patron’ so Emmett stops threatening to sell my stock portfolio to fund champagne?”
Justin took the clipboard.
When they were alone again, Brian leaned in. “You hate this.”
“I do,” Justin admitted. “But I love seeing your face while you’re pretending you don’t.”
Brian chuckled. “We can leave early. Say we have sex scheduled.”
“That would be a lie.”
“Only if we don’t leave early.”
Justin grabbed his hand. “Five minutes. Bathroom. Don’t make me beg.”
Brian drained his champagne. “Too late.”
Chapter 15
Brian
*
"Closure is a myth. We just run out of questions to ask."*
He didn’t go see Cole. But Cole left him one last message:
Don’t make the mistake of thinking I wasn’t real. I was. Just not the part of you that survives.
Brian stared at the words.
Then he deleted them.
He didn’t need souvenirs. Not when he had Justin making coffee in his kitchen, humming stupid indie pop, barefoot, half-naked, smelling like turpentine and peppermint.
Later, Justin walked up behind him and kissed the back of his neck.
“You’re quiet today.”
Brian nodded. “Just thinking.”
Justin pressed his palm to Brian’s chest. “Don’t. We’ve already done that part.”
Brian turned, pulled Justin close. “Then what part are we in now?”
Justin smiled. “The messy, beautiful middle.”
Chapter 16
Justin
*
"I didn’t know how to come home until I saw you waiting."*
They drove out to the old cabin near Deep Creek Lake. It was barely held together with nails and good memories, but Brian had kept it all these years. Updated the kitchen. Reinforced the roof.
He handed Justin the key like it was a rite.
“You kept this?” Justin asked, staring at the porch where they once fucked during a thunderstorm.
Brian shrugged. “Figured I’d need somewhere to disappear to if you ever showed up again.”
Inside, the walls still smelled like pine. The bed had been replaced. The fireplace cleaned. The silence was profound.
Justin set up an easel near the window. Brian cooked.
They didn’t say much. They didn’t need to. There were no neighbors. No reception. Just time.
And when night came, and Justin made love to him by firelight—slow, unhurried, reverent—Brian realized he hadn’t felt truly alive in years.
Chapter 17
Brian
*
"You keep saving me, even when I don’t deserve it."*
One morning, Justin found him outside, just staring at the woods.
Brian didn’t notice him at first. The wind was cold. The sky low and gray. But there was something sharp in Brian’s profile. Something unraveling.
Justin came closer. “What is it?”
Brian didn’t turn. “I think I forgot how to be alone. And I’m terrified that one day I’ll remember.”
Justin wrapped his arms around him from behind. “You don’t have to be. Not anymore.”
Brian closed his eyes.
For once, he believed it.
Chapter 18
Justin
*
"I came back for a hundred reasons. But I stayed for one."*
They moved back into Brian’s loft.
Justin repainted the studio. Brian added shelves. They bought new sheets and a ridiculous Japanese toilet Justin swore he’d never use and secretly adored.
Michael came by once a week. Emmett planned the rehearsal dinner even though no one said the word wedding.
They lived.
Some nights they fought.
Some mornings they fucked like the world was ending.
And sometimes, in the quiet spaces between, they just looked at each other like they had finally learned to stay.
Chapter 19
Brian
*
"You were always the only thing I never knew how to quit."*
He bought two rings.
No one knew.
They weren’t traditional. One was matte black. The other brushed silver. No engraving. No promises.
Just presence.
He left them in a drawer for days.
Then one night, as they watched some dumb movie on the couch, Justin curled into him, half-asleep, warm and certain.
Brian reached into his pocket.
“Here,” he said, voice barely audible.
Justin blinked. “What’s this?”
Brian didn’t answer.
Just watched as Justin opened the box.
Justin looked at the rings.
Then at Brian.
And smiled.
Chapter 20
Justin
*
"You never needed to ask. But I’m glad you did."*
They didn’t tell anyone.
No ceremony. No champagne.
Just two rings. Two men. And a sunrise.
Justin painted the moment the next day.
He called it Enough.
Chapter 21 – Epilogue
Liberty Avenue
*
"I found my way back. And you were still there. That’s all that matters."*
Pride was louder than ever.
Emmett wore sequins. Michael brought the twins. Ted danced like someone had set his taxes on fire.
Brian and Justin watched it all from the diner steps. Hand in hand.
No one asked for explanations. No one needed them.
They were home.
Together.
Always.
THE END