My First Year with Austin Ch. 23

Shit.

I did not expect my sexcapades with Ralph to come out at this point. Frankly, I had not even thought about that.

"Sometimes, sex really does not mean anything, and I can promise you, when Ralph did stuff with the warden, or when the warden made us do stuff with each other, it was definitely one of these meaningless moments."

Janice put her hands back on her face to hide her eyes.

"I was thinking the other day. Luis fucked you while we were dating, Richard has tried to fuck you while we were engaged, and you've pretty much had sex with Ralph in prison."

"Jesus Christ, Janice. Don't put things this way!"

"That's just the truth. We have a very weird friendship, Tyler, and you have very weird relationships with my boyfriends or ex-boyfriends."

"Okay, but those were three completely different situations. And it does not change the fact that you've just called Ralph your boyfriend!" I called her out.

"Damn. I had not even noticed!"

Maybe that was a happy mistake that morning, but Ralph did become Janice's boyfriend. And it was certainly not just a fling.

Not many people would have bet on Janice and Ralph to last on the long run.

But they did.

Once their secret was out, they decided to own it and their relationship felt instantly natural. I was maybe too busy with my own things going on, - the coma, the recovery, the proposal -, to notice but Ralph had changed in the past few months and Janice too. It just clicked.

And it has been clicking since then, to this very day when I am writing these lines, more than ten years later.

What I am about to say might sound cheesy, but let me have this, we are nearing the very-end of the story here. I am feeling very honoured and privileged to have gotten the opportunity to see them growing together, both as individuals and as a couple.

From their first "official" dates, to the moment they started to live together about six months after this Vegas trip, to their wedding one year later and the birth of each of their three children, I have only seen them being more fulfilled and happier year after year.

Ralph ended up getting the Vegas residency (who was surprised? He was nailing his performances) and later on, he set up his own stripping company. I worked with him on its development until I became too busy with my work as an author.

Sometimes loves is a mystery, and sometimes, you know just by seeing two people interact with each other that they were meant to be together.

If all the mistakes, mishaps, and wrong paths I had taken in my life had led to Janice and Ralph meeting each other and falling in love, I think that all of my messed-up adventures were worth it.

They often told me that they had practically zero chance to ever get together if it had not been for me ending-up in prison.

Maybe that is true, or maybe, their paths would have crossed anyway. Maybe they are soulmates, or maybe they just met at the right time and at the right place, when they were ready to commit into a truthful and genuine relationship.

Who freaking knows?

What about me, then? What about Austin?

As the rest of the group joined us at the breakfast table, it was time to share our own news. Austin and I had made a decision during the night!

"Guys, what do you think of staying one more night in this hotel?" I asked the others.

"Depends on who's paying." Ralph joked.

"We would." I spoke. "Noone makes their guests pay to assist to their wedding, right?"

"What?!" Janice practically jumped from her seat.

Austin laughed.

"Neither Ty nor I want to spend months and tons of money planning a wedding. My family had already come to a wedding of mine and we all know that marriage ended badly."

"The wedding ceremony does not matter to us, at all. We really just want to be married." I added.

"Damn, guys, you're really doing this?" Sergio said, excited.

"I think we are."

"I mean, we're already in Vegas! What better place for a shotgun wedding?!" Ralph cheered.

"They're right! Let's do this!" Allison raised her glass as well.

Were we really about to do this?

I guess you will still have to read one more chapter of this book to find out if this story ends with a happy ending...

*

[See you soon for the epic finale, guys! What do you think?! After more than three years sharing their stories, do you think Tyler and Austin will get their happy ending?]