Epilogue
“No noise at all. Do you hear me?”
Haris glanced at Tyler. They were lying entwined on the couch with no light on. Wilson had just come through the front door into the hall. He probably didn’t think the pair of them were in. They were supposed to be shopping for ski clothing this evening but had decided time together was too precious to be wasted. Tyler and his band spent long days and nights in the recording studio, and Haris had just returned from a business meeting in Switzerland.
“You’re coming downstairs with me,” Wilson said. “You’re so gorgeous. Lovely silky hair. I love pulling my fingers through it when you’re on my lap.”
Haris bit his lip in an attempt not to laugh.
Tyler pressed his mouth to Haris’s ear. “Two legs or four?”
Wilson had never brought a date here, whereas he’d brought a lot of dogs to the house so Haris thought it was a sure bet it was another dog.
Alcide pushed to his feet from the foot of the couch where Haris and Tyler lay and trotted into the hall.
“This is Alcide. He’s a sweetheart,” Wilson said. “Well, he is now. He wasn’t until he saw the error of his ways. He just needed a little training. Like Haris and Tyler. Not that they ever peed on the carpet. At least not that I know of.”
Tyler shook in silent laughter.
Haris wondered what sort of dog it would be this time. Hopefully not a big one.
“Oh Go—” Wilson’s exclamation was cut off with a muffled gasp and Haris unravelled himself from Tyler. He put his finger to his lips and Tyler nodded.
Haris’s heart thumped as he slid silently to the partly open door. He wasn’t sure what had happened but what he saw had not figured anywhere in his thoughts. Wilson had been pressed against the wall by a guy with longish brown hair and was being kissed to within an inch of his life.
Tyler came up at his back and froze. As Tyler tugged at his elbow to pull Haris away, Wilson opened his eyes and let out a strangled gasp.
“Ah.” The stranger peeled himself free and turned. “You must be Haris and Tyler. I’m Ross.”
He held out his hand and smiled at them. He looked about the same age as Wilson but was slightly taller. American. Or maybe Canadian. Haris shook his hand. Firm grip.
“How did you two meet?” Tyler shook the guy’s hand and looked at Wilson.
“Surfing in Hawaii,” Ross said. “Wilson’s a fiend on a board. I was next to him in the line up, I snaked to get the right of way, but didn’t and he pulled a perfect ten.”
Haris knew his jaw had dropped. He glanced at Tyler who was looking as dumbstruck as him. Wilson hadn’t said a word which was most un-Wilson-like.
Then Tyler laughed. “Almost,” he said.
Ross grinned. “We met on a helicopter tour. We were on our way to look at where the lava flows into the sea and Wilson was panicking about the helicopter flying too low, that there was strange noise coming from the engine and that the door wasn’t fastened properly.”
“That I believe,” Tyler said.
Wilson looked as though he was trying to speak and couldn’t.
Ross tugged Wilson’s arm. “You were going to show me downstairs.”
Tyler scooped up Alcide and pressed him into Wilson’s arms. “He loves watching.”
Haris laughed. “He does not. He hides behind the couch.”
“I was talking about Wilson,” Tyler said.
“I…” Wilson began.
Ross chuckled. Haris slung his arm over Tyler’s shoulder and tugged him back to the couch.
They heard the pair of them clatter down the stairs. A moment later, music came on and the volume went up.
“Did we imagine all that?” Haris asked.
“I hope not. Wilson lost for words? That’s a first.”
Haris manoeuvred until Tyler was lying on top of him, his head on Haris’s shoulder.
“Did you know he was gay?” Tyler asked.
“I suspected.”
“Did you know I was gay straightaway?”
“When I heard you throwing up in the toilet, yeah, I thought, he’s gay.”
Tyler bit him.
“I didn’t know. I hoped.”
“I’m glad Wilson’s found someone.”
“Me too.”
Malik had found someone too. A woman who seemed to have softened him, according to Adil. Haris’s father been buried the day he died which hadn’t given Haris time to go back, even if he’d been prepared to risk it. He’d made a donation to charity in his father’s name and taken comfort from the weekly calls on Skype. Bridges had been mended though not with Malik.
Adil had visited and gone home again but he’d talked of going to university in London and that would make Haris very happy. Not that he wasn’t very happy.
“I’m glad I threw up in the toilet,” Tyler said.
Haris laughed. “That’s not going to be the way we said we met one another. We didn’t meet then anyway.”
“No I meant I’m glad I threw up in the toilet and not on the floor otherwise you might have not liked me at all.”
“Do we have to talk about throwing up?”
“If I was pregnant, I might be throwing up.”
Haris rolled his eyes.
“Do you want kids?” Tyler whispered.
Tyler pushed up so that he could look at him.
“I don’t mean now but one day?”
“That might be nice,” Haris said carefully. “I think we’ve missed out a step though.” His heart thumped. He had no ring but he wanted to ask the question. “I know I can be very irritating, demanding and awkward but my life wouldn’t be a life I wanted if you weren’t in it. I want to do everything with you. Nothing without you. Would you do me the great honour of marrying me?”
A muscle twitched in Tyler’s cheek, then he gave Haris the most brilliant, breath-stealing smile.
“Yes.”
The End