brothers best friend

epilogue

three years later...
Melody Hunter

And so the day is here. I look at myself in the mirror, my hands going over the satin fabric of my dress as I take a deep breath. This is it. My last runway with dior and then my contract is up.

"Come on Melody, you can do this" I tell myself until I hear a knock on my door. My body turns to face the door "come in" I say and when the door opens I see the one I need to see the most.

"Hey, gorgeous!" Leo smiles, stepping inside holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand. I let out a small cry, walking across the room to throw my arms around him.

My boyfriend holds my waist as I kiss his cheek and hug him tighter than before.

"I missed you so much" I put my hands on his cheeks and lean in to kiss his lips. We haven't been able to see each other for about ten days. Leo has been on a huge business trip with the company he's been working for, for nearly five years. The trip was an incredible opportunity for him to expand his chances of becoming the co-partner with the CEO of Chen's industries.

"I missed you more" Leo pulls my chin closer, kissing me again with a gentle stroke on my cheek with his thumb "so much more"

"How was your trip?" I ask, taking the bouquet of light pink arrangement of roses, peonies, calendulas and a few greenery. Placing it on the table where I keep my handbag. 

"Well, you're now looking at the co-partner to Chen's industries, baby" I immediately turn around with a squeal, running back to Leo to wrap my arms around him and squeeze him tight.

"I'm so proud of you" I kiss his cheek and his lips, again and again. "So fucking proud, I knew you would make it" Leo smiles at me while my hands are holding his face. His hands are glued to my lower back.

"Wouldn't have made it without you by my side" he whispers while pressing me against him, his lips hovering over mine "I love you" our lips meet for a subtle kiss before we hear a small knock on the door.

"Melody, five minutes before you're taking the stage" a voice calls and I know it's time for me to go.

"Wish me luck" I whisper against his lips.

"You don't need it, you're the best one to walk down that runway" Leo wraps his hand around mine and opens the door from my dressing room, out to the backstage of the Dior spring collection runway show. "Come on, I'll walk you to the stage"

Hand in hand we walk towards the stage, I greet a few of the models who've already been taking the stage with smiles and small waves.

Then I have to let go of his hand, he kisses my knuckles before letting me go, watching how they fix the minor details before letting me on the stage.

It's the grand finale and the champagne gold satin gown is the most gorgeous piece I've ever worn. As I start walking, step after step, I hear chatter and clicks from cameras, blinding light as the press and paparazzi take one too many photos of the dress. I walk with confidence, tall with my chin up.

I love walking the runway, it has always been giving me this rush of excitement, it makes me feel as if I'm on top of the world. It's my last show before the contract is up and I'm moving from modeling to designing. I've gotten plenty of contacts over the years and finally have the opportunity to work on a collection for fashion week Paris.

I reach the end of the stage and I enjoy the last few seconds before three years of my life is over and I'm taking the world in my hand to make the most of it with no other than Leo Evan, co-partner in Chen's industries. Hold your hats people.

I'm done posing, pictures have been taken and I'm walking back backstage to find Maria Grazia Chiuri, the designer. I walk with her back on stage where people stand up, clapping and cheering while she thanks them all for coming. The other models come back, surrounding while more clapping echoes.

Maria takes a microphone in her hand and with a heavy sigh she starts speaking.

"Thank you, thank you, before we call it a night, I would want to represent one more piece, a pretty special one" my mind is spinning, having no idea that this another piece was getting shown but then a silhouette comes into my vision.

No other than Leo Evans, comes walking down the runway in a full Dior satin suit, perfectly matched to my dress. Loud whispers echo in the room when people start putting two and two together, my dress and his suit.

My boyfriend walks the runway with confidence and I want to laugh, cry and scream all at the same time. He reaches for my hand when he passes me, leading me up to the front where even more flashing lights come into my vision.

I turn around to face Leo with an extremely confused look on my face.

"What is going on?" I ask him, shocked and confused.

"This" he says before dropping down on one knee. Everyone let out a loud gasp but I'm sure the loudest gasp came out of my mouth. I clamp my hand over my mouth, staring down at Leo who's holding my hand in his, while his other hand brings out a black, velvet box.

"I never thought I would get to walk the runaway with you but here I am" he says. The whole room goes silent when he begins to speak, everyone eager to hear his words.

"Melody Evelyn Hunter, I've known you since the day your family came home from the hospital with a little baby called Melody. If I'm honest, I thought you were kinda ugly" I let out a small laugh, as everyone else does.

"But, as time went you grew more cuter, more prettier, more beautiful, more gorgeous and then extremly fucking hot,that my teenage self couldn't handle being in the same room as you" he squeezes my hand and more laughter erupts from the crowd.

"I fall a little deeper in love with you every single day and there's nothing else I want to do than spend the rest of my lifetime with you by my side. So that's why I'm here, in front of all these people, I'm asking you" more gasps echo when he opens the box and a golden ring with the most perfect oval diamond, gleaming in the light and I let out a small cry.

"Melody Hunter, do you want to change your last name? Make me the happiest man in the universe and marry me?" everything is silent before I start nodding my head and people start cheering.

"Yes, yes" Leo slips the ring onto my finger, standing up before taking my waist in his hands, he pulls me close before pressing his lips onto mine. I hold his face in my hands, kissing him over and over while whispering small "I love you's" against his lips.

Newly engaged, the show ends and we walk away from the runway happier than we could've ever been.

The love of my life, my brother's best friend.

THE END