Midnight Muse

Dammit. I hate showing emotions in front of so many people. It makes me feel too vulnerable, but these are my friends, my family.

Which is why I don’t hesitate to lean over and sweep Quinn into a passionate kiss in front of said family, who only cheer obnoxiously.

They’re stuck with me too, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

EPILOGUE

QUINN

Seven Months Later

“Knox,” I sing-song, bursting in through the open front door of his new home.

After Travis Foster bought out our apartment building to renovate over the summer, the five of us—along with the other residents living in Third Street Apartments—were granted the rest of the spring semester to stay. One week after classes end, we need to have all of our belongings removed from the building for the new construction to start.

None of us renewed our leases for next year when the building is set for a grand reopening.

Knox’s father hadn’t even tried to convince his son to stay, but that didn’t matter at all to Knox. The only thing that he or any of us cared about was that we’d no longer be living next to each other come summer.

The three of them—Knox, Ace, and Slate—found a house to rent on the outskirts of campus. It’s gorgeous: a modern number that looks like it costs more than an arm and a leg and has more bedrooms than they need.

Ace’s parents are well-known in the art community. So well-known that he doesn’t even need his job at the art supply store in town. I’m sort of proud of him for wanting to have his own income, even if all he spends it on is booze and Rory. The latter I definitely accept; she’s been needing someone in her life like Ace.

Ace had been adamant about Knox and Slate moving in with him, even though they were wary about how expensive the home was. Knox was the hardest to convince, but in the end, Ace won out, telling them that his parents wanted to do this for them, that it’s only one year, and that they’re like his brothers.

He even tried to convince Rory and I to move into an apartment building nearby, but it wasn’t the right fit for either of us. We wanted something homier than the new high-rise with perfectly straight lines and cookie-cutter to every other apartment in the building.

We wanted something close to campus, something walkable because neither of us have cars. We like the lived-in feel, having the memories of others’ stories shared in the chips in the floor or the dents in the walls.

I miss our old apartment dearly, saddened by what Mr. Foster is going to make it into. Sure, the elevator was a death trap in itself, and sure, the walls were thinner than paper, but it was home, where I found love with my grumpy next-door neighbor, though I’m sure that in Knox’s version of the story, I was the grumpy one.

The five of us had spent our last night at the building together, drinking and eating until our hearts were content, stomachs filled with waffles and ice cream from Rhonda’s. It was the perfect night to end our time in the building, but also to end the semester.

I passed Drawing 201 with flying colors, and I’ve been beaming since that night I spent with Knox when my inspiration finally struck again. The swan portrait that I merged with myself was a project I never thought I’d be able to finish, let alone be so proud of. It’s been a long few years since I’ve felt this good, this light, and I can only hope that it’s not a fleeting feeling. I want this one to stick around for as long as possible.

I even passed Art History, and I don’t know who was more excited, Odie or myself when I texted him about it after receiving my grade. I still owe him my coffee order and probably a six-pack or so, maybe even a trip to one of his games, but I definitely couldn’t have done it without his or Knox’s help.

In a few days, Rory and I head back up to Seattle for the summer, although I see a few flights back to California in our future. Maybe even the boys can come and visit us. I know Knox is staying around Vulcan U for the summer and Slate is going back to Hawaii to spend time with his younger sister and parents he hasn’t been able to see since Christmas. Ace is traveling with his parents for a spell and even invited Knox along, but he declined, graciously thanking Ace’s parents for the offer but that he’s diving deep into his next set of drawings for an exhibition he wants to put on sometime next year.

Since he’s had to put his dream of becoming a tattoo artist on hold because of the lingering effects of his motorcycle accident, he’s decided that his next showcase is going to be drawings of all of the tattoos he wishes he could give some day.

Knox has also decided to restart physical therapy to work on the shakiness of his hands in hopes of one day making those dreams come true.

Rory is taking a four-week painting class at the Royal Academy of Arts in London and I’m sad to see her go for so long, but I’m so incredibly excited that she’s gotten this opportunity because her portraits are simply breath-taking. I know she’s going to kick some major ass out there, and when she returns, I’ll be waiting with open arms and a case of Seattle’s best tasting vodka, which is basically just vodka we can get from any liquor store in any state, but it’s the thought that counts, really.

And as for me, I’m not sure what I’m going to be getting up to this summer, but I expect to find myself with my head in my sketchbook now that the ideas are flowing so freely. I’m excited to spend time with my parents and see Sam again, and I know that Rory and I will always find something to get up to in our neighborhood.

I turn towards the living room where I hear Knox calling my name, heading deeper into the house. I’ve already been given the grand tour, already helped christen Knox’s room a few days ago when they hadn’t even moved in one piece of furniture yet.

That had been a lot of fun, and my legs are still sore from our endeavors.

I come to a screeching halt at the sight of Knox and Slate bare-chested as they carry a couch between them, moving further into the living room.

My gaze zeroes in on Knox, his chest glistening with effort. His tattoos look absolutely delicious right now, as do the muscles flexing underneath them. I suck in a sharp breath and lock my legs together, trying to ward off the heat of arousal washing over me.

It’s move in day for the boys and they’ve been lugging boxes and furniture from Third Street Apartments all morning.

Knox looks godly in the light spilling in through the large glass windows overlooking the yard. The parties at this house are going to be next level coming the fall semester. It’s all that Slate has talked about since they signed the lease, commenting on how their housewarming party is going to rival that of Project X.