PS: I Hate You - Bonus Epilogue

“Excuse me,” I growl even as I try to keep my frustration in check. But did this lady have to pause directly in my path to take a selfie?

I’m attempting to get through the airport terminal to the passenger pickup as quickly as possible knowing Maddie waiting there for me. Over the past few years, I’ve grown to love traveling. But only when my girlfriend is at my side.
All other trips are pointless.

My boss disagrees, which is why he just sent me away for a week on an assignment even though the love of my life couldn’t come with me. A week where I’ve had to sleep alone in a hotel room. A week where I’ve only heard Maddie’s voice through a phone speaker and seen her face on a flat screen.
I relocated to Seattle and convinced her to move into a house with me so I wouldn’t ever have to do exactly this.

But the week is done, the work is completed, and I should be kissing her already if only these other travelers weren’t so slow.

“Excuse me.” I don’t try to sound polite anymore as I dodge more sluggish walkers.

A memory comes back, of another time I hurried through an airport. Only that occasion I had Maddie’s’ hand in mine, while we rushed to make sure she wouldn’t miss her connecting flight. Back then I wasn’t allowed to kiss her.

Or so I thought.

Because when we got to the gate, she kissed me.

And I knew in that moment we weren’t over, and I’d find a way to make Maddie Sanderson mine again.

Now she is mine, but this fucker with two massive rolling suitcases is keeping me from getting to her.

Finally, I maneuver around him and when I break out into the chilly humidity of Seattle, my eyes immediately catalog every car idling by the curb until I find Maddie’s green SUV. The one I nudged her towards getting when I read how great the safety ratings were on Consumer Reports.

She saw through me immediately.

But she also ended up buying it, though she claims the choice was solely based on the vehicle’s the superior cupholders.

Locating Maddie turns out to be easy because she’s beside the open driver’s side door, jumping and waving at me.

I charge her way. Instead of meeting me in the middle, she circles around to the trunk. But I don’t care about packing my bags in and getting on the road.

I care about having her taste on my tongue after seven days without it.

Maddie has a single second to gasp before she’s in my arms and my lips are on hers.

Finally.

“You’re going to get my car towed!” She snickers as I kiss her cheeks and chin and neck. “Can’t you wait the twenty minutes it takes to get home?”

I am home.

“No.” I claim her lips again, ignoring the honks and the drizzling rain and the frowning airport worker.

Still, Maddie manages to disentangle herself from me and climb into the car. I drop my bags in the trunk then settle in the passenger seat. After buckling my seatbelt, I rest a possessive hand on her thigh.

“I missed you.” The words don’t sound big enough to describe the void of her absence.

“Hmm. I couldn’t tell. That was an extremely mild greeting. Pretty much how I say hi to everyone in the office.” She’s fighting an evil grin as I give her leg a chiding squeeze.

“Then when we get home, I’ll give you a proper greeting. One worthy of a firing offense.” I want to slip the hand farther, rest it on the inside of her thigh and drag my fingers along the inseam of her jeans. But that might distract her too much while she’s navigating traffic.

“Really? Right when we get home?”

“The second you step through that door, you're mine.”

She smirks. “Noted.”

As soon as Maddie parks the car in our garage she rockets out of her seat and sprints inside.

“Don’t make me chase you!” I holler through my grin.

“I could never make you do anything!” She calls back from deep inside the townhouse.

Forget my bags. I jog after her, already half hard.

Only to come to a sliding halt in the TV room.

There are people here.

“Welcome home!” My little brother shouts as he leaps up from his seat on the couch.

“For fucks sake.” I mutter. Not because I don’t love Adam and enjoy whenever he comes to town for a visit. But because all I want is to bury myself in Maddie, and he’s being a major cock block right now.

Everyone in this room is. I scan the gathering of people relaxing in our house and try not to glare at the lot of them. In addition to Adam, my other brother Carter is here, along with our friends Rosaline, Tula, Jeremy, and Carlisle.

It’s a family gathering, and Maddie stands in the middle of it, grinning wide.
“You’re pulling out the irresponsible language already?” Adam lopes up to me and tries to crush me in a hug. I hug him back–again because I technically love the guy–but don’t stop frowning.

“I haven’t seen Maddie for a week.” That’s all the explanation any of them should need.

“Sure you have.” He lets me go and waves toward my girlfriend. “She’s right there. You see her. And now you see all of us. Aren’t you the luckiest man in the world?”

“Adam, don’t torment him,” Rosaline chides from the couch even as she tries to cover a chuckle with a cough.

“Do you think they’ll wrestle?” Jeremy asks his partner in a stage whisper.
Maddie snorts, then tries to offer me an apologetic expression that just comes off as giddy. 

The sight is almost enough ease my aggravation. Normally I enjoy the way she teases me. But couldn’t she have done it in an empty house without any clothes on?

“There’s cheese.” Maddie gestures toward the coffee table where I spy an extravagant charcuterie board. A set up she obviously put a lot of effort into. A selection boasting all her favorite cheeses and snackable items.

The guests aren’t leaving anytime soon.

I try not to sound like Dom the Dick as I let out a sigh. I give my brother a slap on the back, circle the room to say quick hellos, then press a lingering kiss to Maddie’s cheek.

“I smell like plane,” I say against the soft slope of her cheekbone. “I’m going to take a quick shower.” Then I lean back to give her a meaningful look.

Maddie smirks. “If I come with you, it won’t be quick.” In a lightning fast move she scoops up a slice of baguette and loads it with pepperoni and goat cheese. “Eat. Shower. Then come hang out.”

I open my mouth, and she sets the creation on my tongue. Only once I’m chewing the flavorful bite do I realize how hungry I am.

Fine. Maybe it makes sense to fuel up before loving Maddie all night long. As I tromp upstairs, I vow not to give a single shit about keeping quiet for whoever is sleeping in our guest room. They stay here at their own peril. 

The steam of the shower fills the bathroom as I strip and toss my clothes in the hamper. The only piece I treat with care is my watch. I’m gentle as I undo the wristband and set the timepiece on the sink counter. My thumb traces over the lug holes in the band, each one having seen use.

This used to be Josh’s watch. As he grew sicker, lost more weight, he had to tighten the band to keep it from dangling on his wrist.

Then one day I went to visit him in the hospital and Josh wasn’t wearing it. Instead, he’d held the timepiece out to me.

“I don’t want this to get lost when I’m gone,” he’d said. “I want my brother to keep it safe for me.”

Ignoring the hot water a little longer, I flip the watch over to read the inscription.

​

Brothers, always. - D

​

Condensation blurs the words I’d had inscribed on the piece before gifting it to Josh at his college graduation. I knew he was planning to travel the world. Setting off to take pictures of every corner he could reach.

I wanted to give him a reminder that no matter how much time passed or how much space was between us, that he would always be my family.

Suddenly, I have the urge to storm downstairs and make sure the other people in my life that I love are alive and well.

But I probably shouldn’t do that with my dick out.

I shower quickly, then throw on sweats–gray to torture Maddie because she’s evil for inviting everyone here and deserves a little torment–wrap the watch around my wrist again, and head downstairs.

The laughter reaches me before I enter the room, and as much as I want my woman to myself for the foreseeable future, hearing the evidence of her joy soothes a part of my mind that always worries. Knowing that the darkness of her brother’s passing may have eased slightly in the face of the glowing support she has.

When I step into the room, everyone goes quiet.

“That’s not suspicious,” I grumble as I fill a plate with more food. With meat and cheese piled high, I settle on the love seat next to Maddie and enjoy how when I sit down the depression of the cushion forces her body to roll into mine.

She doesn’t move away, only steals a slice of gouda off my plate.

“So glad you could join us, Dominic,” Adam speaks as if he’s the presenter at an awards show, even rising to stand at the front of the room with his arms spread.

“Am I going to like whatever is going on here?” I ask Maddie in a low voice.

She digs her teeth into her bottom lip, eyes sparkling with excitement. “Maybe. I don’t know.”

But I do. I’ll like whatever this nonsense my brother has planned purely based on the fact that it has the woman I love looking like she’s about to explode from happy anticipation.

“As you all may know,” Adam continues, “Maddie and I are the founding–and sole–members of the Dominic Perry fan club.”

“Oh god,” I mutter.

“And as members,” Adam speaks louder as if worried about being cut off, “we have vowed to share every detail about the man in question with each other.”
I turn wide eyes on Maddie. She just gives me a shrug and a coy smile.

“One detail I found particularly enlightening. A certain tattoo he has.” At his words my eyes flick down to my wrist, where under the watch band is the rendering of my best friend’s handwriting.

​

Love, Josh.

​

But everyone in this room already knows about that tattoo. Hell, most of them have the same one. So what’s with all this fanfare?

Unless…

“A tattoo on my dear brother’s ass.”

“Maddie,” I growl. But I can’t continue chastising her for telling my demon of a brother about the jar of jelly I have inked on my butt cheek because she shoves a thick piece of pepperoni into my mouth and waves for Adam to continue while I’m gagged with meat.

“I think most of us here know about Josh Sanderson’s peanutBUTTer tattoo. The man wasn’t shy about sporting a speedo and showing off the design. But I only recently learned that on Josh’s eighteenth birthday, he wasn’t alone in that tattoo parlor. That his best friend went with him.” Adam points to me. I glare back. “And not only did he hold his hand through the pain, he also went under the needle.”

There’re no gasps from the people in the room, just a few light chuckles and easy smiles and Carter rolling his eyes at his twin’s dramatics. 

Sounds like my secret has already been shared. Fine. I’m not ashamed of it.

“Would you care to show us your jelly butt?” Adam asks.

“No.”

Did he expect me to pull my pants down in front of everyone? That’s for Maddie only.

“Fine.” He makes a dismissive wave. “We don’t need to see it. We’ve got the pictures.”

“What?” I turn a glare on Maddie who has the grace to blush. “Is that why you were snapping photos of my ass?”

“A little bit. But I wasn’t lying when I said I’d miss it!” Then she pushes up on her knees and kisses me deeply which is an effective method of cooling my annoyance.

“Hurry, Adam!” Tula loudly whispers. “While he’s drugged into submission.”

“Yeah, so, tattoo.” Adam begins pacing now, like a professor during a passionate lecture. “Once I knew about Dom’s jelly butt, I decided something had to be done.” And just as I’m about to scowl again, he meets my eyes, and his voice takes on a touch of sincerity. “We didn’t want you to ever look at the tattoo and feel alone.”

And just like that, all of my aggravation evaporates. Because damn it, annoying as he is, I love my younger brother. Especially the ridiculous parts of his personality that remind me of Josh.

“What did you do?” I ask on a resigned sigh.

His grin is too wide and smug. “I think you mean to ask, what did we do?”
Next thing I know, Maddie is off the couch, standing beside Adam. Carter heaves himself out of his seat, and then, shocker, Rosaline gets up too.

“What is this?”

“This,” Adam crows, “is a jar of tahini.”

And in the middle of my living room, my brother pulls down his waistband far enough to display a design on his paper pale butt cheek. The image is identical to mine, except that my jar has a cluster of grapes on the label and the goo in the container and on the slice of bread is purple. Adam’s is golden brown with a sunflower on the jar. “It’s my tahini heinie!”

“Maddie,” I croak her name, and she offers me a cheeky smile before mooning the room like my brother.

“Almond BUTTer,” she announces, and I swear I hear a shadow of Josh in her chuckle.

Carter tugs his pants down. “Nutella.”

“Booty-tella,” Maddie corrects him, a snort sneaking out when she bites her lip to hold back laughter.

Rosaline, blushing fire engine red, shows off hers as well. “Fluff,” she explains. “Marshmallow fluff. Sorry, I don’t have a good butt-pun, but I really love peanut butter fluff sandwiches.”

Peanut butter like Josh had. The man she loved and lost.

At a loss for words, I glance toward the three others in the room. Maddie’s best friends, who I now count as mine, are passing a bowl of popcorn between them as they watch this play out.

“Sorry, Dommy.” Jeremy wears a falsely apologetic smile. “Our asses are bare. We were just the minions in Maddie’s diabolical plan.”

I blink and make the connection, turning a frown on the woman I love.
“You always come on my trips with me,” I accuse.

Maddie can do her most of her job for The Redford Team remotely, and whenever I’ve had to travel for work, she’s gone with me.

Only this time, Maddie claimed Tula bought them tickets to an author signing who would only be in town this once. And then Jeremy’s birthday was a day later, and she couldn’t miss that. She sent me off on my own.

“Was there even an author signing?”

“Yes. But I may have exaggerated how reclusive she is.” Maddie tries to look guilty but fails. “I dropped you off at the airport then immediately went to the tattoo parlor. This is the only way it could be a surprise!”

“You made me spend a week without you for a comedic bit?”

Maddie scoffs, finally pulls up her pants, and moves to the space between my spread knees where she can cup my face in her hands. “Yes. But it’s a sentimental comedic bit.” Her lips are deliciously soft when she presses them to mine. “Admit it. You love them.”

I frown deeper. “I haven’t decided. Kiss me again.”

She chuckles but follows my command.

“Fine,” I grouse. “I like the tattoos.”

“Yes!” Adam fist pumps the air. “Now let’s press them together in the official Dominic Perry fan club sign off!”

“I’m not doing that.” I deadpan.

Maddie collapses at my side clutching her stomach as she laughs, the entire room joining in. I gather her into my arms and pull her into my lap.

“Promise no more jokes that keep me apart from you for a week.” I make the plea with my face pressed into her soft hair.

“I promise. This was the one and only.” She kisses my neck. “Especially because trying to avoid sitting on it this past week was a bitch.”

“Noted.” I keep my lips against her hair and murmur, “I’ll be gentle with your ass tonight.”

“Such a gentleman.”

Maddie grins up at me, and for a prolonged moment I simply stare at her. At the creases beside her eyes from smiling. At the flush in her cheeks and down her neck from laughter. At the indents left in her bottom lip from her teeth. At the openness of her gaze as she stares back.

The way she lets me see all of her. Lets me have all of her.

I’ll never get enough. 

Of course, even though the big reveal is over, the group doesn’t leave us in peace. Instead, we spend the rest of the evening catching up. My brothers give me life updates, Rosaline talks about her promotion, Jeremy and Carlisle describe their wedding planning, and Tula regales us with the story of how Maddie babbled nonsense at the author whose signing they went to because she was so starstruck.

Maddie stays in my lap the whole time, and I relax enough to enjoy the welcome party. Especially since my brothers and Rosaline live on the other side of the country, so gatherings like this only happen a few times a year.

And later, when we finally retreat to our bedroom, I do every deliciously dirty thing to Maddie I’ve fantasized about while away from her for a week. We only pause when she needs a breathing break, and I take the opportunity to flip her on her stomach and leisurely examine the almond BUTTer tattoo.

“It’s cute,” I admit, pressing a kiss on the edge. The body art is still healing, so I’ll have to wait before I can do what I have a sudden craving for.

To bite it.

“I thought so, too.” Maddie reaches down to give my hair a gentle tug. A silent request to lie my face next to hers on the pillow so our eyes can meet. “Sorry I tricked you. And left you alone for a week.”

I grunt. Then I pull her close, her skin hot against mine until I can almost imagine us melting together. “Not alone. Not when I know you’re at home, waiting for me.” I kiss her forehead. “Just missing you.”

“You make me feel not alone, too.” Her sigh is a warm brush against my collarbone. “That didn’t sound as romantically meaningful as I meant it to.”
Humor tugs at the corner of my mouth, and I set a gentle palm on her ass over the tender tattoo.

“Even when we’re apart we’re together,” I say.

Maddie pinches my nipple, and I groan, my hips jerking involuntarily at the erotic pain.

“You get me.” She shoves me onto my back, straddling my hips and looming over me like she claims I always do to her. “That, among many other things, is why I love you.”

“Hmm.” The sound arises unbidden from deep in my chest. A noise of utter contentment. “Many things? Let’s hear them.”

Her tone is playful while her eyes are serious. “All of them? That could take a while.”

“Then it’s a good thing,” I draw her wrist to my mouth and kiss the first tattoo she ever got, “I plan to spend forever with you.”

 

THE END