Loose Ends | Kat

epilogue | kat

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MAY 15, 2021 | LONDON, U.K.

I LOOKED OVER at Miles in the driver's seat and clung to the handle as we weaved rapidly through the London streets. A taxicab honked behind us as we swerved around it. I grinned.

"I didn't even have to grab the wheel this time," I observed.

"Guess you're rubbing off on me," Miles replied through gritted teeth. "Though I haven't decided if it's a good or bad thing yet."

"Let me know when you figure it out?"

"Sure, as long as we get to this church alive and without a ticket." We'd heard reports from our superiors about suspicious activity inside an old church. But if they were correct, we had a very limited amount of time to move in.

I'd been in London for a few months now, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I used to hate how it reminded me of college and Miles and how it always seemed to be raining. Now, I considered myself an amateur Londoner, fully versed in how to contain my road rage during rush hour (even in a cab), to keep my umbrella on me at all times, and to leave early for everything.

    "We wouldn't be in such a rush right now if somebody remembered to set the alarm," I said pointedly.

    "You weren't thinking about the alarm last night," was Miles's retort, complete with his typical sly grin.

I laughed and whacked his arm. "You're terrible." He wasn't wrong, though. In truth, I wasn't thinking about much these days other than my job and Miles. When I accepted a position as a full-time agent at MI6, I immediately resigned from my CIA internship. Agent Smith and the rest of the higher-ups did everything they could to convince me to stay with them. They even offered me the Core Collector position I'd been training for. The same career I planned to take upon completion of my internship. But my decision was final.

"Hey, at least I remembered your tea." Miles lifted it from the cup holder between us and pressed it into my hand. It warmed my skin. Despite it being early summer, I'd discovered I didn't mind the hot beverage. Lily had gotten me hooked on earl grey—it was strong, with a hint of orange. I supposed it would have been a lie to say it wasn't a good part of the reason I'd decided to move here. Although Miles was a decent reason too.

I rolled my eyes, leaning over to Miles and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "What would I do without you?"

    In the time leading up to the New Year, I packed up my D.C. apartment and spent several hours on video chats with Miles completing the legal work required to switch my residence. I'd learned that the visa process was a joke and gaining citizenship was a completely different nightmare.

    But then things started to get exciting. I found an apartment a few blocks from Miles. It was a small, cozy building with my own office space and a distant view of the Thames, and it didn't take long for London to feel like home. The same applied to MI6. Finally, I was putting my experience to good use, working in human intelligence operations to stop further threats to the country. I could safely say it was a much better use of my time than paperwork and coffee runs.

    Miles and I getting to do most of our cases together was another plus. Well, sometimes.

"We would get there faster if you passed this bloke. The speed limit's 50!"

"We're in the city. Us having a heartbeat when we get there is more important than pissing off half of the drivers in London." He looked over at me as we pulled to a stop at what felt like the tenth red light. "Did you just say bloke?"

    "Dammit." I leaned back into the seat, sipping my tea angrily. "I was trying so hard."

Obviously, some of the changes of being in London weren't exactly purposeful. At dinner last Sunday, Chloe informed me that she was proud of how "British" I was becoming. And Miles, no doubt remembering my incessant teasing about that very thing, laughed so hard he had to excuse himself from the table.

    We also found out Mr. Atkinson next door adopted another cat, and Lily made several threats about what she would do to the twins if she found it covered in glitter. Rosie corrected her immediately; they would never use glitter, but maybe pudding.

    "This place looks ancient," Miles commented as we finally pulled to a stop in front of the church.

"Probably because no one's been there in years," I said, grabbing my gun and stepping out of the car. Weeds were growing wildly on the property and the paint on the edifice was faded and chipped. The stained glass had a few cracks. A family of birds had taken residence on a window ledge. "A smart hiding spot, but predictable. Come on, they could be finishing up the deal at any moment."

"Because the one place I'd want to trade weapons is under the watchful eyes of the man upstairs," Miles muttered to himself, coming to stand beside me. "Wankers."

We walked cautiously toward the front entrance. Judging by the recent scuff marks on the wood and the damaged lock, someone must have broken in within the last hour. "Ready to kick ass?" I asked, glancing over at my partner.

He grinned. "Born ready." I lifted my palm to push open the door when I felt Miles's hand on my arm holding me back. "Hey, wait a second."

"What?" I scanned our surroundings, checking to see if I'd missed something that would explain Miles's hesitance before I looked up at him curiously.

"I love you."

Just as it did every time before, my heart skipped a beat. Up until a few months ago, our relationship had been far from genuine. But I grew to care about Miles more than anything else. I knew he felt the same. And I knew when he first told me he loved me, he meant it, and so did I.

"I love you, too."

    Miles smiled, and together, we rushed in headfirst.

THE END