Epilogue

September

Matt

The morning air was crisp and cool with the first signs of autumn. Leaning against the Jetta, I waited for Vanessa outside of her home. She was leaving for New York today and I was going to see her off. Even though she had begged her parents to let me be the one to take her to NYU, her mom had cried about how she was losing her only baby, so Vanessa finally relented. I was bummed but I knew better than to get between a mama bear and her cub.

As my girlfriend emerged, juggling several bags in her arms and dragging a suitcase behind her, I sprinted up the walk to assist. She smiled at me gratefully. "What am I going to do without you?"

I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You'll do amazing, just as always."

We spent the next several minutes packing her parents' car full of all the belongings that she would need for the next ten months of her life. When there was no space left to cram anything else in, I slammed the trunk closed. Exhaling, Vanessa brushed her hands off. "I believe that's everything."

"I hope there's room for just one more item," I replied, reaching into my leather jacket and pulling out a square piece of plastic.

Suspiciously, she eyed my hand. Our fingers grazed as I offered her the present and it made me smile that a touch so simple could shoot sparks through my veins.

She laughed when she saw what I had given her. "Oh my gosh," she muttered. "Would you look at us?"

It was a framed photograph from our freshman year of high school, taken at Winter Formal. We were making silly faces at the camera with our tongues sticking out.

I moved next to her so that we could both study the picture. "We're practically babies, aren't we?"

"And so very awkward," she replied, cringing. Then gasping, she pointed at herself. "Check out my hair! I'm appalled by how frizzy it is. Thank god Addison taught me how to properly style it."

"Oh, I don't know," I said, nudging her with my hip. "Personally, I always thought you looked fantastic."

She curled her lip into a sneer. "You're obligated to say that. You're my boyfriend."

Boyfriend. At the mention of the phrase, my insides glowed. I don't think I'll ever grow tired of hearing her call me that.

Nuzzling her cheek, I sighed. "Can you believe we are about to be freshmen again? Another four long years of school to go."

As I raised my gaze towards her face, I found myself once again getting lost in her big brown eyes. She smiled. "I guess it's right back to the bottom of the totem pole."

"At least this time we are much hotter," I quipped. "And there will be no Troy and Scott around to make the situation worse."

She bopped me on the nose. "And don't forget wiser." That was a fact I couldn't deny. Given the opportunity to do it all over again, I would have made sure to ask her out that very first day of math class. I'll never let her slip through my fingers again.

We glanced up as her parents strolled down the walk, hand in hand. "Vanessa sweetie, are you ready to get the show on the road?" Her mom asked, hoisting her purse up on her shoulder.

Biting her lip, Vanessa gave me a solemn expression. "I guess this is it then."

I blew out a breath. "I suppose so. I promise I'll visit the minute you get settled." Even though it would likely be only a few short weeks before I saw her again, I knew that it would feel as though it were an eternity. Time had a way of dragging on when you were separated from the one you loved.

"I'll be eagerly awaiting," she whispered, shivering as the first breeze of fall blew through.

I frowned. "Are you cold?" Slipping out of my leather jacket, I wrapped it around her shoulders.

She stared at me, a questioning look in her eyes. "But...you love this."

Stepping forward, I tucked her hair behind her ears. "I love you more. Besides, whenever you wear it, you'll think of me."

She wiped a tear from her eye as she inhaled the fabric. "I promise you that I don't need your jacket to be reminded of you. I won't be able to think of anything else."

I gave Vanessa a final lingering kiss before helping her into the car. Rolling down the window, she gazed at me with sorrowful eyes. "I hope you realize how much I'm going to miss you," she breathed.

She held my palm to her face as I caressed her cheek. "Hey, don't be sad," I soothed. "I'll be seeing you soon." Winking at her, I grinned. "A pack of wild wolves couldn't keep me away from you, remember?"

"I love you, Matt," she called as the vehicle pulled away from the curb.

I sprinted alongside the car. "Make sure to ask this time if the seats are assigned. I would hate for you to fall in love with someone else."

She smiled, waving frantically as the car picked up speed. The pace now too fast for me to keep up any longer, I slowed my jog to a halt. Dismally, I watched from the pavement as the vehicle that carried my entire heart inside of it, made its way down the road until it was just another spec on the horizon.

THE END?

A/N Stay Tuned for Before She Loved Me. Coming Soon

Can Matt and Vanessa make their long-distance relationship work? Will Matt be tempted when an old fling pops up as a co-worker at his new job? What happens when Vanessa meets a cute artist at NYU that challenges her to step outside of her comfort zone?

The second installment of the Before series will introduce Addison's innermost thoughts into the mix. Can she handle playing third wheel in her best friends' relationship or will jealousy win out when she is no longer the center of attention? With Vanessa away, will sparks fly as Matt and her start getting closer?

The sequel promises heartbreak, betrayal, and a heaping spoonful of drama. Not to mention plenty of steaminess. Ooh la la! Happy reading!