“You’re mine,” Dex said, his voice dropping into that possessive tone that always made my stomach flip. “Stop acting like you’re gonna be paying your own rent.”
I grinned, looking up at him playfully. “Oh? I love a trick daddy.”
Dex let out a bark of a laugh and playfully smacked my ass making me jump. We were laughing together when a sharp genuine laugh from across the room pulled our attention.
We looked over to see Kam at the edge of the floor leaning in close to Amina. Whatever he was saying had her cracking up, her eyes bright and her posture relaxed.
“We had sort of a come to Jesus earlier in the bathroom,” I said, watching them.
Dex looked down at me. “Who? You and Amina?”
“Yeah. It wasn’t a kumbaya, but it was a start.”
“That’s good to know,” Dex muttered. He turned his gaze back toward them watching Kam and Amina a little closer this time. He went quiet for a second, his protective instincts clearly flaring. “I got a feeling Kam is feeling Amina.”
“Kam is just a natural flirt Dex,” I teased, nudging him.
“I hope that’s all it is.”
“Not you being jealous that your cousin might be feeling your baby mama,” I said, my voice full of mischief.
Dex shook his head. “It’s less jealousy and more so the shit would be weird. Family dinners would be a mess.”
“I don’t think Kam would do that to you,” I said, trying to ease his mind. “Him liking London back then was enough drama for him to know to stay away from Amina. He’s not looking for another war.”
Dex just kept watching them for another beat before turning his focus back to me and pulling me closer.
Dex’s hand was still firm on the small of my back as Luther’s voice filled the space between us. I looked past his shoulder, my eyes drifting around the room to see where everyone else landed.
I caught sight of Paris and Kyson. They were locked in a slow dance and from a distance they looked like the perfect couple. But knowing what I knew now, the secret she was choking on, I could see the way she gripped his shoulders just a little too tight like she was holding on for dear life. Kyson looked down at her with so much love it made my heart ache. I knew that was a storm for another day but for tonight they were at peace.
I scanned the room for my brother and found Nel sitting at a table with Uncle Tevin. They were leaned in close, Nel’s hands moving animatedly as he talked. I could tell by the way Uncle Tevin was nodding and smiling that Nel was telling him about the surrogate. Seeing my brother so excited made me feel proud. I would have to play nice with Harvey, but that was okay.
My eyes shifted toward the bar where Amina was still talking to Kam. She happened to look up at the same time I did. For a split second that old tension flared but then she gave me a slow almost imperceptible nod. It wasn’t a hug and it wasn’t an apology, but it was a white flag. I nodded back, feeling a weight lift that I hadn’t even realized I was carrying.
“You okay?” Dex whispered, pulling my attention back to him.
“Yeah,” I said, leaning my head back against his chest. “I’m better than okay.”
Whitley and Deuce were nearby watching Stella and Wendell on the dance floor. Whitley looked a little pensive, probably wondering what that something was that Stella needed to tell them back home, but she didn’t look scared. She looked like she was ready for the truth whatever it was. I realized then that I wasn’t just the sister they’d found. I was going to be the one they leaned on when things got heavy.
Finally, I looked toward the center of the floor. Eli and London were lost in each other, moving as if they were the only two people on the beach. After everything they had been through to get here they were finally whole.
“I’m ready,” I murmured, more to myself than to Dex.
“Ready for what?” he asked, pulling me closer as the song began to fade.
“Ready to go home,” I said, looking up at him with a smile. “Ready to actually start our life.”
Dex leaned down, his forehead resting against mine. “Good. Because I’ve been waiting long enough.”
The DJ switched the vibe, the drums of a fast track kicking in to pull everyone back to their feet, but for a moment we just stood there. In the middle of the magic, in the middle of Tulum, finally knowing exactly where we belonged.
Epilogue
The Shore
I leaned my phone against a candle on my kitchen island, watching Stella’s face fill the screen. She was sitting at her kitchen table in Atlanta, still in her work clothes, glasses pushed up on her nose, giving me her full attention.