Epilogue Part 3

Winter's wedding ceremony went off without a hitch. Cress almost cried during their vows, but the silly faces Thorne kept making at her from the audience kept her eyes mostly dry. When it was over, he stood like everyone else and clapped, but then proceeded to give all the bridesmaids high-fives as they came down the aisle. When Cress passed him, he intertwined his fingers with hers for just a second.

She had fun sitting between Scarlet and Cinder at the wedding party table, even if she didn't like that it was one of those long, rectangular tables where you didn't face anyone. But she got the chance to catch up with her cousins, and she also got the chance to check out Thorne, who Winter had thankfully seated at a decent table full of post-college professionals. Ran was unfortunately there with his date—the poor thing—but among them were also Iko and Kai.

Cress still couldn't get over how easily he conversed with her family and Winter's friends. Of course, knowing his past profession, she shouldn't have been surprised. Talking was one of his strengths, but it pleased her to know that for once in his life, he didn't have to put on a show. He could just be himself.

Even if he had been uncharacteristically nervous about their weekend together.

She would put him at ease later. As confident as he was, she always had to remind herself that she wasn't the only one who needed to hear how much she was worth. And now that neither of them needed to pretend, she had the freedom to tell him how much she loved him whenever she wanted—and when they were in the same city, with more than just words.

He caught her staring at him and winked.

Cress flushed and returned to her red velvet cake as Winter and Jacin began their opening dance. It was a choreographed Viennese waltz, and Winter seemed to float across the dance floor in Jacin's arms. It didn't take long before the father-daughter and mother-son dances were over too, and then the DJ was inviting everyone to the dance floor. And with four hundred people in attendance, the ballroom was soon packed to the max.

"You lovin' that cake or just waiting for me, beautiful?"

Cress startled, then broke into a smile. Thorne had leaned his hip against her table and was staring down at her, amused. She pointed at the left-hand corner of the ballroom. "Actually, I was waiting to see if those guys were going to start a brawl over who got to dance with that model first."

Many of Winter's model colleagues had shown up, and there was more than one man—single and taken—trying to find a way to dance upon them as the music increased to something more upbeat.

Thorne chuckled. "My bet's on the blond guy."

"I don't know, the model seems to like the redhead."

"You know what I want to know?"

She looked back at him. "Hmm?"

"Why are you still sitting there"—he pointed at the table—"when you could be in my arms out there?" He jerked his thumb at the dance floor.

She shrugged, pretending to be coy. "I was waiting for you to ask."

He extended his hand. "Oh, I'm asking."

They had to walk all the way down to the end of the long table before Cress could turn and join him on the other side, but they held hands the entire time, laughing when they nearly knocked over a champagne glass and brushed against flowers in extravagant vases. In that moment, Cress was fairly certain that she wouldn't let go of him for the rest of the weekend.

When Thorne pulled her tightly against him, she knew he shared the sentiment.

He was a fantastic dancer, which she also shouldn't have been surprised about. He had taken countless women to parties and weddings and even told her about the ballroom lessons he'd been forced to take as a child. At first, it had stung a little every time he'd talked about his experiences as a companion to other women. But it was a part of him, and a part of him she'd slowly learned more about as they'd gotten to know each other over the past months of endless phone calls and Skype dates. And now, as he dipped her low and held her there so he could kiss her, she couldn't have cared less how he'd learned to do that.

His lips were sweet and tasted of champagne and icing, and his skin still hinted at Lady Luck, and she swooned beneath him as he kept her back skillfully arched against his hand.

That was, until someone bumped into Thorne and nearly sent the two of them sprawling onto the ground. He caught Cress, though, and soon she was practically sitting on his bent knee while the two of them stared up at her dad.

Thorne shot upward, pulling Cress with him and straightening his tie. "Dr. Darnel, sir! Hello!"

"Hi, Dad," Cress said, unable to contain her grin.

Her dad's face was red, but not because he was angry. In fact, he looked sweaty and a little intoxicated. "Hello, Carswell. I was hoping to get the chance to dance with my daughter tonight." He cleared his throat. "Both my daughters, I mean."

"Certainly, sir," Thorne chirped, practically pushing Cress into her dad's arms.

She looked over her shoulder at him. "Where will you be?"

"Why, he can dance with me," came a sultry voice.

Cress's mom waltzed toward them, sashaying her hips to the music in a blue dress with sparkles that reflected off the dance floor's many lights. She had curled her normally straight hair and held a champagne glass in one hand. "Carswell, you look so handsome in that suit." She turned to Cress. "And you look exceptionally beautiful, Cress."

"She does, doesn't she?" Thorne said.

Cress's mom draped her hands over Thorne's shoulders and gave a hip wiggle. "Let's dance, darling."

Thorne reached up and grabbed her glass before the champagne could slosh onto his suit. "Let me just set this aside a minute, Rosie."

Cress's dad harrumphed. "Thank you, Carswell."

Her dad spent a few more moments watching Rosie with a bit of disdain before he sighed and took Cress in a formal dance position. At first their movements were stiff, but soon a dazed complexion that usually graced her mom's features came over her dad.

"I'm excited you're visiting me in New York soon," Cress said.

"Living in New York," her dad grumbled. "All the way in New York. You're growing up so fast." He gestured around. "You and Winter both. Soon—soon you'll be married too."

Cress's jaw dropped. "Did Carswell say something to you? Dad?"

But a tear leaked out of her dad's eyes. He sniffed and wiped it away quickly. "I love you, Cress."

Cress hugged her dad tightly.

"I hope you know that."

When the song ended, Kai cut in. They got a fast song and Kai proved to be just as skilled of a dancer as Thorne, maybe even more, because this song was less about being suave and all about the steps. Cress tripped over herself a few times but Kai corrected her without much effort and soon she picked it up too. "You're way more fun than Cinder," he told her. "She's mortified whenever we dance."

"I'm sure it's not that easy to dance with a prosthetic leg."

"She's amazing," he said, casting a glance at his fiancée, a starry look coming into his eyes. "She just gets self-conscious."

"Well, you are an incredible dancer."

"Not as incredible as me," Thorne said, tapping Kai on the shoulder.

But Kai spun Cress away from him, laughing. "We're finishing this song!" he called to Thorne.

As the song wound down, Kai told Cress, "I'm really glad Cinder and Iko's plan for you two worked out in the end. Well, I suppose it was everyone's plan, but let's not pretend the women weren't the masterminds."

"Carswell and I are going to repay you for the ticket to Philadelphia," she said quickly, having totally forgotten about it.

"That wasn't why I said it. We all like Thorne, and we're happy to see you so in love."

"You're still getting repaid."

Kai only grinned. "We miss seeing you in Minneapolis, so Cinder and I would rather you save that money for a trip back home to visit. Think you can stand to come by every now and then?" He winked at her, spun her away from him, and Thorne grabbed her hand before she could spin back.

"Mine," he said with a devilish grin.

The music changed to a slow song, and she pressed up on her toes as they swayed back and forth.

"How was dancing with my mom?"

"I think she may have invited me on a date," he said, cringing. "She couldn't stop telling me how much she wished she were younger and could have a handsome man like me."

Cress cringed too, mortified. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm getting used to it, but I did make sure to drink her champagne before she could get to it again."

"It's an open bar, Carswell."

"But now I've had another glass of champagne and didn't even have to wait in line."

She rolled her eyes before leaning her head on his chest. He kept one hand on the small of her back as they shuffled back and forth, but he moved the other to caress her neck, careful not to mess up her bridesmaid hairstyle.

"I like when you do that," she murmured.

"I know."

He kissed her hair, then rested his chin to the side of her head. She moved closer, closing her eyes and imagining that he was doing the same. They got lost in the music, and all too soon the tempo was increasing again and Cress reluctantly pulled back.

"Oh, my turn, my turn!" Iko rushed at them from nowhere and grabbed Thorne before either of them could reply. "You promised me a dance while we were eating, Captain."

Cress watched them move into some complicated Latin dance, and took the free time to find Scarlet and Ze'ev, who were relaxing at one of the tables, looking like they were in their own world. Cress asked them more about their plans for life with the baby, smiling from ear to ear when she saw how excited—and yet nervous—her favorite cousin was about being a father.

She sat with them for three songs while Thorne danced. Two of them were with Iko, and on the third one, he managed to steal Cinder from Kai, which made Cress break into a fit of giggles.

But after the third dance, she didn't want to share him anymore. She said goodbye to Scarlet and Ze'ev and made her way back onto the dance floor. Thorne was trying to dip Cinder, who was having none of it.

"Excuuuse me," she sang, tapping her foot. She had taken off her shoes, so she was even shorter than before and it took a moment for her boyfriend to notice her.

He grinned as he let go of Cinder. "You ready to go?"

Cinder smacked him in the shoulder. "It's her sister's wedding, you idiot. She and her family are the last ones to leave."

Thorne pouted, but only when Cinder had gone and he was holding Cress again. "What does a man have to do to get you alone?"

"You could stop dancing with my family, for one."

"Ooh, someone jealous?"

"Naturally. I want you all to myself."

He hummed in approval. "I like the sound of that."

The electric slide came on, and though the two of them participated with the whole group, they stayed right next to each other. When a country line dance came on next, Cress discovered that there were indeed some dances Thorne did not know. But Cress didn't know them either, so they moved to the end of the line and made up their own steps.

Every time Thorne bumped into her and laughed, her entire body warmed.

As the night went on, they danced their way through every type of song imaginable. By the time Jacin and Winter were ready to be sent off, Cress and Thorne were both a little drunk and a lot sweaty. Thorne had taken off his jacket at some point and his tie was loose and his shirt unbuttoned at the collar. Cress couldn't find her shoes and she was exhausted, but she was also deliriously happy.

She hugged Winter, and even Jacin, and held up sparklers with everyone else as they ran through the crowd, hand-in-hand. And then they were gone, off in a limo to whatever honeymoon Jacin had secretly planned.

Cress watched the limo disappear into the night. "What kind of honeymoon would you want?" she asked Thorne. "Hot or cold?"

Thorne slung an arm over her shoulder. "Very hot."

"I meant the weather."

"I'm not going to care about the weather, darlin'."

She eyed him. He smirked.

"Come on, let's get you home," she said, leading him to one of the cabs in the valet loop.

Her parents caught up with them before she managed to slide in next to him. "Sweetie, aren't coming with us?" her mother asked.

"Nope," Cress said.

Her dad opened his mouth to protest but Cress shut the door in his face, grinned at Thorne, and told the driver to go.

Cress and Thorne stumbled into his house, lips locked together and hands all over the place. She was tired, but now that she had Thorne to herself, going to sleep was not the first thing on her mind. They made it all the way into his living room, laughing and kissing, before they nearly killed themselves on a tangle of cords on the ground and crashed into a mess of pizza boxes, beer bottles, snack containers, and…hoodies?

Thorne swore as he stubbed his foot.

Cress sat on his couch and took in the room, her eyes widening. The last time she had been inside Thorne's house—the first time she'd met him—it she had been immaculate.

"The guys were in a hurry this morning after Jacin's bachelor party," Thorne explained, scrambling to pick up whatever he could.

"I can tell."

"I fell asleep right after they left and didn't have time to tidy up before heading to the airport."

"It's okay," she said. "We're both tired. Tomorrow is brunch with my family, so let's not spend the rest of the night cleaning."

Thorne put a few pizza boxes and beer bottles away anyway, and while he was in the kitchen, she noticed a picture frame hanging on the wall above his TV. It was one of the selfies they'd taken at the cabin at Christmas when she'd realized they had no photos of each other. She found another frame propped up on the side table next to the couch she was sitting on. It was from Valentine's Day, when they'd finally gotten together for real.

Her heart warmed, not just because he'd bothered to frame photos of them, but because she remembered how he'd had nothing personal at all in his house when she'd met him.

"What are you grinning at?"

Thorne leaned against the kitchen door frame, his face tired but happy as he observed her.

She bit her lip. "I just love you."

He smiled, then held up a finger. "Wait here."

He dashed upstairs, and Cress wanted to follow him, but she did she was told and waited. When he came back, the shirt she'd unbuttoned just minutes before was buttoned again, and he wore a different tie. She raised an eyebrow curiously, but he only came to stand in front of where she sat on the couch, his hands clasped behind his back.

"I was going to wait to do this until the weekend was over," he said, "but tonight was kind of perfect. You're perfect."

"Carswell?"

He took one of her hands and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "I know we've only been together for six months, and that's not a lot of time compared to other couples. And we've been long distance for most of those six months, so there's that too. But Cress, these six months have been the best of my life. Talking to you is my favorite part of everyday, whether it's on the phone or just a simple text to say good morning."

"And," he continued, taking a step closer, "when we are together, there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

She couldn't resist any longer. "I feel the same." She grabbed his tie and pulled him down for a kiss.

His lips were as urgent as hers, but…why was he pulling away already?

"Wait." He held up a hand as he stood and smoothed down his tie. "I need to get this out."

"Okay…"

"I love you, Cress Darnel. I think I've loved you since the very first weekend I met you."

She could have melted on the spot. His declaration was made headier by the way he looked at her, like she was the most precious, beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"You took a chance on us, and now I want to take a chance on us too."

Carswell Thorne dropped to one knee.

Cress gasped. Her hands flew to her face in disbelief. "Oh my stars, oh my stars. Carswell, I don't know. Stars, I don't know. And we're kind of drunk. Do you think we're ready?" She couldn't catch her breath.

Thorne, however, was growing more and more uncertain by the moment.

She clasped a hand over her mouth. "Aces. You haven't even asked me anything. Please, go on."

Thorne pulled a ring box out from behind him. Cress thought she might pass out.

"Uh," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "On second thought, this might be too much. I was going for dramatic and romantic but now—"

"Just ask me!" she squeaked.

"Cress Darnel," he said, flourishing the box and then snapping it open. Inside on the plush cushion lay a key. "Will you move in with me?"

"What?"

Thorne closed the box nervously. "You thought I was going to propose, didn't you?"

"That's usually what happens when a guy gets down on one knee!"

Thorne rubbed his neck. "You know, as it was happening, that became much more apparent. But when I was planning it, I thought it was obvious we're not at the point of getting engaged yet."

It was obvious—even the words she'd fumbled through as he'd gotten on his knee proved that.

"Well my sister just got married, and you were nervous all day saying how the weekend had to be perfect, and the atmosphere was super romantic today, and you gave me that beautiful speech, and...and...you put on a new tie—"

He crawled forward on both knees and put his head defeatedly in her lap. "I was nervous about asking you and I wanted to make it special. I figured as soon as you saw the key, you'd get where I was going, but it didn't go quite so smoothly. I'm sorry, Cress."

She ran her fingers through his hair and lifted his head, forcing him look at her. "When you say move in with me, what did you have in mind? What house does that key belong to?"

He perked up. "It was symbolic. I've been scouring rentals in NYC, and last month while you were at work, I checked a few out. I can't afford to buy anything, even if I sell this house, but we could rent something together. Live together," he clarified. "I don't want to do long distance anymore." He laid his head back on her lap and nuzzled her thigh. "But if you're not ready to live with me, I'll understand. I just want to be in New York, where you are. I could rent something on my own and you could stay at your place until you're ready."

"Carswell."

He mumbled something against her leg.

"Carswell, get up here."

She shifted until her legs were on the couch and Thorne moved to lie on top of her, now nuzzling her neck. Goosebumps erupted down her skin as he pressed his lips lazily to her throat.

"I do," she said.

Thorne's ministrations stopped.

"I would very much like you to move to New York."

He propped an arm up, suddenly wide awake. "You would? I didn't scare you off?"

She shook her head.

Thorne leapt off the couch and picked Cress up along with him. He spun her around until she was dizzy and they collapsed back on the couch.

"Okay," she said, "maybe we should talk more about the details tomorrow when we're fully awake. And I really need to get out of this dress."

"I like that idea." He looked thoroughly tempted a this, but he said, "There's one more thing I need to tell you first."

"Does it involve ring boxes?"

He grinned. "I got a job!"

"In New York!?"

He nodded proudly. "I'm going to be on the radio." He lowered his voice, all sultry. "This is the Captain coming to you on 97.9 The Buzz."

Cress's mouth dropped open.

"It's a late-night radio talk show about dating and love. People can call in and get advice, that sort of thing. The producers were quite interested in my past work. They thought it was an excellent angle."

"You told them about your companionship service?"

"Is that okay?"

She hugged him to her. "I'm so proud of you."

"The best part is that it coincides with your schedule, Cress. We'll both be working in the evenings."

She beamed. It was all she could do, because Thorne had rendered her speechless. He'd planned ahead all this time, putting the master plan he'd hinted at back in February into motion. He wanted to come to New York and live with her and be with her.

"The only bad thing is people won't see the dreamy eyes that go with this smooth voice," Thorne mused.

"At least I can see them," she said.

He stood once more and extended his hand. She gave him a squeeze and stood, but the second she was on her feet he scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder.

She shrieked. "Put me down!"

He ignored her and began the trek up the stairs.

"Carswell, what are you doing?"

He paused mid-step. "Well, if we're going to live together, I might as well preview some of the benefits that come along with it."

"You are shameless."

"Nah, I just love you."

He lowered her gently to the floor once he reached the bedroom. He pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Hi," she said, wrapping her arms around him.

He pressed his lips to her forehead and whispered, "1-800-CAPTAIN, this is the Captain speaking."

Cress giggled.

"Tell me, how can I be of service?"

A/N: And...that's a wrap! Thank you again for reading my fic and for all the love! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Maybe someday I'll write a little snippet of Thorne at his new radio job, haha. :)

Until next time,

LLC