Epilogue

                                5 Years Later: Age 22

                Dear Riley,

                                I came back to town two weeks ago and went over to your house. Your mother answered the door and said that you weren’t there. She also told me that you transferred colleges during your second year. You finally did it, Riley; you got into the college of your dreams. Congrats. Although I was really hoping to see you, I know that you’re following your dreams of becoming a writer, and Brown University is just the place for you to do that.

                                I also heard from your mom that you are coming back really soon- for Aerial and Alex’s wedding. My family was invited, as well. I’m really hoping to see you there. The last time I saw you was at graduation, and the last time I spoke to you was halfway through our freshman year in college. I know things didn’t end well between us, but I miss you.

                                                                                                                                                See you soon,

                                                                                                                                                     Everett

                I gulped, staring down at the letter written in fine ink in my palms. The edges of the sheet were crumpled- most likely because I was clutching onto the letter with such force. My lips were parted and I was pretty much speechless. This was the first time I’ve had any sort of communication with Everett since I ended our relationship during our second semester in university. Things just weren’t working out for us. He was studying in California and I was across the country in Rhode Island. We were in different time zones, making it hard for us to call each other. I remember that I had to go through three whole weeks without speaking to Everett. I called him every so often within that period of time, but every single time I dialed him, he wouldn’t answer. Occasionally, I’d get a text from him telling me that he was busy, and he’d promise to call back. But, he never did. It was then when I finally realized that it just wasn’t going to work out for us.

                It was a Saturday evening, nearly midnight. While my two roommates left campus to go clubbing downtown, I was studying for my midterm. My head was aching and the words on the textbook had started to become blurry from me trying to memorize them for three hours straight. I rubbed my forehead with exhaustion, rubbing my tired eyes. Just as I was about to close my textbook, my phone buzzed right beside it. Everett’s name came flashing on the screen, surprising me. This was the first time he’d tried to reach out to me in the past three weeks.

                I sighed, debating on whether or not to answer his call. Part of me was telling me no, mostly because I was extremely overwhelmed. But, the other part of me was shouting yes, because I missed him, a lot.

                I finally made up my mind and reached for my phone, pressing the green answer button before holding it up to my left ear. “Hello?” I softly said, leaning my elbow against my desk.

                There was a still silence on the other line before Everett spoke up. “Riley, hey.” He paused. “Are you up? You sound pretty tired.”

                I groaned, bowing my head down. “I am.” I muttered. “I’ve been studying all night.”

                “That’s completely like you.” Everett said. “It’s a Saturday night, though. Shouldn’t you be out with your friends instead?”

                “No, midterms are coming up this week and I actually care about my grades. I’m going to have to keep them up if I’m looking to transfer out of here.” I explained.

                “Right.” Everett said.

                There was a long, aching pause. It was as if we’d run out of things to talk about- which was so unlike us. It was that feeling you got, when you haven’t spoken or seen someone for so long, and there was just nothing to talk about anymore. I hated that feeling, and I especially hated it because I was receiving that feeling at the moment with Everett. “Everett,” I started, taking in a deep breath, “where have you been these past three weeks?”

                “What do you mean?” Everett asked with uncertainty.

                “I’ve tried calling you and you never picked up once or called me back.” I sighed. “Did you even begin to wonder how worried I was?”

                Everett grumbled on the other line. “I’m sorry, Riley.” He breathed. “It’s just been really stressful lately. I’ve been trying to balance out studying and being in a relationship at the same time and it’s just not working.”

                My breathing stopped as I bit down on my lower lip. Everett just bluntly admitted to me that it was hard for him to have an education and a girlfriend at the same time. I released a ragged breath, knowing exactly what I had to do next. “We should break up.”

                There was a deadly silence between us, and for a second, all I could hear was my heart pounding against my chest. I knew what I was doing wouldn’t make me happy, but it would make him happy.

                “W-what?” Everett asked, baffled. “What do you mean?”

                I closed my eyes, feeling tears well up in my eyes. I angrily brushed them away with the back of my hand, breathing in slowly. “Everett, things haven’t been going too well and you know it just as well as I do.” I began. “We live three thousand miles away from each other. You even said it yourself; you aren’t able to balance out school and being in a relationship at the same time. It’s just better if we break up now than later.”

                “Riley, I didn’t mean what I said about-.”

                “I’ll still be here, Everett.” I whispered, a hot trail of tears slipping down my cheeks. “I’ll still be here when you come back. As of now, we both need to focus on school.”

                This was it. It was over between us. Somehow, letting him go felt so hard, much more pain than I would’ve expected from a five minute phone call.

                “Okay.” Everett finally agreed.

               My chest was heaving uncontrollably now, and all I could think of was how this would be the best for the both of us. “I’ll see you soon.”

                Then we hung up. That was the last time I heard from Everett.

*

                Maria and Jared lasted through their second year of college together, but they broke up eventually. Although they both agreed mutually that they’d take a break from each other while Christmas vacation lasted, Maria didn’t take it too well when she found out that Jared slept with some sorority girl in Cancun. Jared tried reaching out to Maria, constantly calling her and trying to get to her through Cassandra and I, but he eventually gave up with Maria made it clear that she never wanted to speak to him ever again. Maria was lonely for a few months after their breakup, but since then, she’s been seeing other men. She’s currently dating Lucas, some guy who goes to the same college as she does on a scholarship for basketball. Although she’s finally happy now, I could tell that at times, she misses Jared.

                Cassandra and Max are still together, and they were fortunate enough to land a spot in the same university, not too far from where I am now, actually. We meet up occasionally in town, keeping in close contact. In fact, the three of us plan to drive back down to New York together to attend Aerial and Alex’s wedding. The two were approximately two or three years older than us, and attended the same high school as we did. Aerial actually went to Brown as well, but by the time I got there, she already graduated. Our group of friends met them through a party between our families- turns out that our parents and their parents are very closely knit.

                “Did you buy any gummy worms?” I asked from the backseat as Max returned to the car from the store in the gas station.

                Max slid into his seat, buckling on his seatbelt before digging into the plastic bag and grabbing out some gummy worms. Tossing it towards me, he grinned, “How could I forget?”

                Cassandra had a navigation system in her palms, playing around with the touch screen. “Well troopers, we’re all in luck because it seems as if we have less than an hour until we get back home!”

                I was told by my mother the night before that when we all got home, we were all supposed to head straight to the Rosenfeld’s house for dinner. Supposedly, everyone was coming back at the same time from college and the Rosenfeld’s couldn’t pass up the opportunity to host another infamous gathering, especially since they haven’t seen their beloved son, Everett, and daughter, Maria, for the longest time. Personally, I was extremely excited to see Maria- the last time I saw her was nearly six months ago when she flew up to Rhode Island to visit us. But, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw Everett. We hadn’t seen each other for years, and things we left untouched between us.

                “Does anybody wonder if Jared is going to be there?” Cassandra asked, looking up from her phone.

                “What do you mean?” I frowned. “At the dinner or at the wedding?”

                Cassandra shrugged, kicking her feet up to the dashboard. “I don’t know,” she muttered, “both?”

                “Why would he be there, anyways?” I asked. “People should know that he and Maria didn’t exactly end things on a good term.”

                “Right,” Cassandra nodded, “but he’s still considered a family friend.”

                “Well, I’d hate to be the one to tell Maria this,” Max paused, “but I talked to Jared last night. He’s coming to both.”

*

                The first person I saw was my mother.

                We’d just pulled up to the Rosenfeld’s residence, parking the car on the driveway. My mother was standing on the front steps of the Rosenfeld’s house, a wide smile stretched across her rose colored lips as she spotted me. I hadn’t seen my mother since the start of my last year in college. I was supposed to fly back down to New York during Christmas break, but my flight was cancelled because of the harsh weather conditions that snowed us in. “Mom!” I squealed like a child, running into my mother’s arms as she held my tightly.

                I missed my mother, and quite frankly, I’m able to admit that without the least bit of shame. I buried my face into her shoulder, taking in her honey scented fragrance that she always wore. My mother ran her fingers through my hair soothingly, smiling down at me. “Riley, I’ve missed you so much.” She said softly, glancing over my shoulder. “Max and Cassandra, you two have grown up so much since I’ve last seen you!”

                “And may I add, Ms. Monroe, you look visibly more beautiful.” Max grinned.

                My mother chuckled, giving each of them a tight embrace. “Max, you’ve always been a charmer.” My mother paused, opening the door for us. “Come inside, I’m sure everyone would love to see you guys.”

                We stepped inside, welcomed by the warm aroma of oven roasted turkey and cornbread. Beside me, Cassandra rubbed her stomach, breathing in the smell. “God, I didn’t even know how hungry I was until I stepped in here.” She muttered under her breath, kicking off her shoes by the front entrance.

                While Max and Cassandra spotted their families in the living room, I went over to the kitchen to greet Mrs. Lopez, who was busy cooking. She was mixing a wooden spoon in a saucepan with one hand while checking on the grilled pork on the other. I cleared my throat, catching Mrs. Lopez’s attention as she turned around, her lips parting from surprise. When she saw that it was just me, she relaxed immediately, a warm smile appearing on her face. She lowered the fire on the stove, taking off her apron as she approached me. “Riley, is that you?” she gushed, wrapping her arms around me. “Oh honey, I haven’t seen you since your high school graduation!” 

                I laughed just as she pulled away. “It’s really good to be back, Mrs. Lopez.”

                Mrs. Lopez had her hands gripped on my shoulders as she inspected my face carefully, frowning. “Have they been feeding you in university, dear?” she asked. “You look so much thinner then I last remembered!”

                I blushed, tucking a strand of my loose hair behind my ear. “Well, of course nothing like a meal cooked by you could ever beat cafeteria food.”

                Mrs. Lopez laughed, her dark eyes glistening with amusement. “Thank you, Riley.” She smiled, glancing over at the clock that was hung over the wall behind me. “Dinner should be ready in approximately ten minutes. Why don’t you go settle down with everyone in the living room while I get prepared?”

                I nodded, but I didn’t leave just yet. “Do you need any help?”

                Mrs. Lopez gave me a soft smile, shaking her head gently. “No, it’s fine. Thank you for offering, though.” She paused momentarily, taking the time to study my face with caution. “I don’t know what happened between you and Everett, but I sure as hell know that he’s missing out. You’re such a good girl, Riley.”

                I was in a brief state of shock. What struck me the most was that someone was actually audacious enough to bring up Everett. Ever since we broke up, no one dared to speak about Everett to me. I guess it kind of sucked because every now and then, I wanted to know how he was doing. I cleared my throat before nodding. “Thanks.” I quietly said before exiting the kitchen.

                Upon entering the living room, a pair of arms immediately threw themselves around my neck, pulling me into a bone crushing hug. “Oh my God, Riley!” a familiar voice beamed.

                Glancing over, I finally came to realization that it was Maria who was hugging me. I immediately hugged her back, grinning as we pulled apart from one another. I quickly noticed that she’d snipped off her previously long, dark locks. Her hair was now just below her chin- styled into a bob. “Maria, your hair!” I squealed.

                Maria laughed, biting her lip from excitement. “Do you like it?” she asked. “I just cut it off a week ago.”

                I slapped her arm playfully. “And you didn’t bother to send me any pictures?” I asked. “You look great!”

                “Thanks.” Maria smiled, tugging on my arm. “Listen Riley, I brought my boyfriend back from college just for this weekend. You have to come meet him.”

                I instantly remembered Maria telling me about her new boyfriend, the one she starting dating just a few weeks ago. His name was Lucas, I believe, and he was a part of their college’s basketball team- widely acclaimed, may I add. But, just as I was about to agree to meet him, another thought came to my mind. I should probably warn Maria about Jared and his family coming over tonight before she found out the harder way. “Sure, but Maria, there’s something I need to tell you.” I quickly spoke, hoping to speed up this awkward process.

                Maria tilted her head to the side, giving me an uneasy smile. “Sure?” she said uncertainly. “What is it?”

                I took in a deep breath of air before telling her, “Max told me that-.”

                There was a sudden, deadly silence from everyone as they turned to look at the door that had just opened. Standing near the front entrance was none other than Jared himself.

*

                “What the actual fuck is Jared doing here?!” Maria hissed, trying her best not to strangle her hands around someone’s neck and choke them- and I must admit that I was deathly afraid that the person, at the moment, could possibly be me. After Jared and his family made a sudden appearance, Maria froze up beside me. Before Jared got to see Maria, however, I quickly grasped onto her wrist and dragged her to the nearest empty bathroom. The two of us have locked ourselves in here for nearly ten minutes already, all while Maria cursed and verbally expressed her anger. I decided to allow Maria to let out all of her emotions before I tried to calm her down. “The nerve he has to show his face at my house just because he and his parents have a shitload of money. I mean sure his parents are welcomed here whenever they want to stop by, but did they have to drag the cat here, as well? Who the fuck invited him anyways?!” 

                Maria paused to take a breath of air while I took this golden opportunity to finally shut her up. “Are you done?” I asked patiently, raising an eyebrow at the clearly shaken up Maria.

                Maria shot daggers at me with her eyes, groaning. “How could you be so calm right now, Riley?”

                “I knew he was going to be here.” I simply told Maria, whose jaw dropped as a flash of betrayal ran across her eyes. But before I let her jump to conclusions, I spoke up once again. “I was going to tell you, right before he walked in.”

                Maria’s features immediately softened as her shoulders went limp. She leaned herself against the sink counter, dropping her head low. “I just don’t understand why he would do this to me.” She whispered. “I’m finally happy now and he just has to ruin it.”

                “He’s sorry, Maria.” I tried to explain. “Maybe you would’ve gotten a heads up if you picked up his calls instead of ignoring them all.”

                “What, are you taking his side now?” Maria snapped, making me flinch. Maria’s eyes immediately darkened with regret as she sighed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I’m just really not one for surprises, that’s all.”

                I nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be fine, Maria. You don’t have to look at him or even talk to him.” I soothed. “You said your boyfriend’s here, right? Maybe you could take your mind off Jared by talking to him. I’ll try to stall Jared if he even comes close to you, okay?”

                Maria took in a deep breath of air, nodding slowly. “Okay.” She muttered. “Thanks, Riley.”

                I shrugged. “No problem.” I realized that we’ve been in the bathroom for over fifteen minutes. “We should get back out there before anyone has suspicions.”

                Maria managed to give me a chuckle, agreeing with me. “Right.” Before I twisted the doorknob, though, Maria’s hand reached out to stop me. “Before we leave, though, I should tell you something, too.”

                I frowned. “What is it?”

                “Everett’s going to be here in five minutes.” She said quietly. “He would’ve been here when you arrived, but he left earlier to pick up someone.”

                I blinked, tilting my head to the side. “I’m not sure where you’re going with this, Maria.”

                Maria sighed, shaking her head. “I’m getting to the point.” She whispered. “He went to pick up his date.”

                My lips parted as I stared at Maria blankly. For some odd reason, I just couldn’t ignore that feeling of the sudden drop in my stomach. I gulped, not feeling myself breathing anymore. Maria stared at me with concern, her eyebrows knitted together with worry. “I’m sorry, I would’ve told you a lot earlier, but I didn’t want to hurt you.”

                I finally regained composure, plastering a smile on my face- a fake smile. “I-it’s fine.” I stuttered, clearing my throat. “I mean, why should it bother me, anyways?”

                Maria didn’t believe me, obviously. It didn’t take a genius to see the look on her face when I told her that it was okay. “Okay.” She mumbled, opening the door for us to exit the bathroom.

                All I could think of was the fact that I was going to see my ex-boyfriend any minute now with a new girl in his arms.

                Did I mention that I still had feelings for him?

*

                “So Everett, introduce this lovely young lady to us all.”

                I stared down at my plate of salad, pushing around the croutons and spinach as everyone bombarded Everett and his date with internal questions. Since the moment the couple walked in through the front doors, I refused to look at Everett.

                “Her name is Juliet.” Everett introduced.

                I lifted my head up just slightly to catch Juliet leaning over to peck Everett on the cheek briefly. My eyes immediately shot back down to my plate, my fingers clenched onto my silver fork tightly. I hated the fact that I envied Juliet as much as I did- it brought me to disgust at how jealous I was of her rippled brown locks that didn’t seem to have a single tangle, and her exotic green eyes that captured everyone’s attention at the dinner table. Needless to say, she was alluring at its finest. I knew no matter how hard I tried, I would never look as beautiful as she does. I wonder how ecstatic Everett must be to have Juliet as his date.

                At the far end of the table, Mr. Rosenfeld kept a cautious eye on Everett and his new girlfriend. I could see him looking back and forth between Everett and me every so often to see if there was any reaction from the two of us. Mr. Rosenfeld cleared his throat, bringing his glass of red wine to his lips before he spoke. “How did you two meet?”

                Juliet immediately grinned, a bubbly laugh escaping her painted red lips. See, if I tried laughing like that, I’d probably sound like an obnoxious horse dying.

                I mentally smacked my palm to my forehead, groaning.

                I had to stop comparing myself to Juliet.

                “You tell the story.” Everett urged.

                Juliet pouted, shaking her head. “No, you always tell it better than I do!”

                Everett chuckled, not budging. “Come on, I did it last time.” He pointed out. “You can do it.”

                Maria nudged my elbow from my right hand side, where she was seated beside me. “Am I the only one trying my best not to throw up right now?” she hissed quietly under her breath so that I was the only one who could hear.

                I muffled my laugh with my palm, trying my best to not seem inconsiderate. From the other side of the table, Juliet finally agreed on being the one to tell the story. “So, Everett and I met two weeks ago at the library on our campus. Neither of us really noticed each other at first, but it wasn’t until we grabbed the same exact book that he caught my attention. His hand was on top of mine and we both pulled away quickly.” Juliet smiled. “It turns out we needed the same book for a course that we were taking, so we decided on sharing the book over coffee. After a few days, I took the initiative to ask Everett out for dinner.”

                I lifted my head up and almost immediately made eye contact with the one person who I was trying my best to hide from. It was more of an accident, really. I had no intentions to look Everett in the eye- especially not after I found out that he moved on. But, it just happened. Before I knew it, we were staring at each other, straight in the eye. I found it hard to look away, and I assumed that he felt the same way because his focus wasn’t removed from me, not once. The chatter that was audible around us kept going, but it felt as if the world had stopped for the two of us right then and there. This was the first time I’d looked Everett in the eye in nearly four years. It was quite upsetting how he still had this effect on me- the power to make my breathing hitch.

                Maria must’ve noticed that something had gone wrong because before I knew it, the world revolving around us continued on, and our gazes were no longer set on one another. Maria was kicking me repeatedly under the table, calling my name out multiples of times. “Riley,” she hissed, “do you hear me?”

                My eyes snapped up to hers as I frowned. “What did you say?”

                Maria sighed, shaking her head. “I asked if you were okay.” She whispered. “You’re so lucky that no one but me saw you and Everett gazing off at each other like love-sick puppies.”

                “I was not-,” I choked, “we were not-.”

                “Riley,” my mother called out to me from the other end of the table, smiling, “Could you go get the strawberry custard in the kitchen? Also, grab everyone an extra plate while you’re at it, please.”

                Mrs. Lopez suddenly rose from her seat, shaking her head at me. “Oh, that’s nonsense!” she assured. “I could do that; Riley, just sit tight and enjoy your dinner.”

                Before Mrs. Lopez could depart to the kitchen, though, I was already up and out of my seat. “No, it’s fine.” I forced a smile, secretly relieved that I could get away from this horrendous dinner. “I’ll be glad to do it.”

                When I got to the kitchen, I looked around, spotting the mouth-watering strawberry custard by the window sill, cooling off. I carefully grabbed it, placing it on the counter as I scanned the kitchen for the plates. After looking at every cupboard in the kitchen, I sighed in defeat as I rested against the counter. I really should’ve asked where the plates were before I agreed to go get them. Just as I was about to exit the kitchen with the strawberry custard in my hands, no plates included with me, someone cleared their throat, catching my attention.

                My eyes immediately snapped up to the kitchen doorway, where Everett was leaning against the wall with his eyebrows raised. It was then and now that I realized how much he’s changed, appearance wise. He’s definitely gotten a bit bulkier since I last saw him, but not too muscular to the point where it looked ridiculous. Everett’s jaw line was a lot more prominent now, making him look more mature than that seventeen year old boy who I fell in love with. “The plates are in the lower drawer by the sink.” He paused, walking past me to grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator. “I just came to get Juliet a drink.”

                I gave him a tight smile, staring down at the strawberry pastry that was in my hands. “That’s very nice of you.” I replied in a strained tone. “You two make a very pleasant couple.” I mentally kicked myself in the shin, cursing under my breath. Really? Out of all words I chose to describe their relationship, I chose pleasant. Nice going, Riley.

                Everett nodded, removing his eyes from mine. He kept his focus on the ground, making me suddenly wonder what was so interesting about the tiled floors below our feet. Everett cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. “I-it’s nice to finally see you.”

                “You too.” I nodded, taking in a deep breath of air. “I should get the custard out to everyone before they think I ate it all.”

                “Right.” Everett agreed. “I’ll grab the plates for you.”

                I gave him a small smile, nodding. “Okay.” I paused. “Thanks.”

                Everett stared at me for the longest time before he said, “I’ll talk to you soon.”

                I’d already turned my back to him by now. I stopped in my tracks for just a second, feeling my heart pound against my ribcage before I weakly nodded, and continued to walk.

*

                Aerial looked absolutely gorgeous in her tradition white wedding gown. The top portion of the dress was sleeveless and the bust was decorated with tiny crystals. The dress tightened at the waist and draped down past her feet, concealing her heels. She had a veil over her pinned up brown curls, flowing from the back of her head. Alex stood right beside her, their fingers laced together as smiles graced upon their faces. He wore a simple black and white tuxedo with a bow tie at his neck. Both of them had rings on their marriage fingers.

                The couple had just been officially wedded and the party was just about to begin. Aerial and Alex chose a nice setting for their wedding ceremony, a garden. The entire place was covered in various flowers that bloomed from bushes, mostly roses. The grass looked exceptionally green- almost as if it was fake grass, the type used for putting green. Tables for the guests aligned the spacious area with lace tablecloth and intricate centerpieces. There was an open field for dancing, and a wooden stage was set up for the disc jockey and the band that was hired for today. Overall, it was your standardized wedding venue.

                I smoothed out my cream pink dress, gently running my fingers over the lace detailing. Somehow, Maria and Cassandra were able to convince me this morning to wear a pair of matching heels along with my dress. The two of them sat me down in front of Maria’s vanity as one got busy with doing my hair while the other added some light makeup onto my face.

                “The bride is about to toss her bouquet!” someone announced as all the women gathered around Aerial.

                I personally didn’t have any intentions on participating in the event, but Maria grabbed my arm without my consent and dragged me towards the group of girls and women, all ranging from the ages of five to fifty. “One, two,” everyone counted off as Aerial turned her back towards us, “three!”

                The bouquet was thrown in the air, and with everyone’s hands shooting out to grab it, I was sure that Maria and I wouldn’t have a chance at catching it, since we were far in the back. But, Aerial must’ve had a good arm on her, because the bouquet landed right in Maria’s folded arms.

                Maria was shocked, staring down at the bouquet of red and pink roses with wide eyes. Aerial laughed from up front, waving towards us with a wide smile. “Maria!” Aerial teased. “You’re next!”

                From far left, I saw Jared staring at the back of Maria’s head with a distant look in his eyes. Anyone, even a blind person could tell that Jared still loved Maria just by looking at the way he looks at her. Jared, I really, really wish you hadn’t slept with that sorority girl in Cancun.

                Maria’s boyfriend, Lucas, snuck up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist, pecking her lower neck. I instantly groaned, rolling my eyes at the two. “Really guys?” I joked. “Get yourselves a room.”

                Lucas suddenly gasped, pulling away from Maria. “They have rooms at a garden?”

                I closed my eyes, shaking my head. Even though Lucas might’ve been extremely attractive and good at sports, he was a complete airhead, which was different from what Maria usually likes. Maria’s always told me that she likes her men smart- smarter than she was, at least. And Lucas didn’t fit her description, at all.

                “I’m going to freshen up in the bathrooms.” I told Maria before leaving her and Lucas alone.

                As I entered the bathroom, I spotted a girl blotting her eyes with tissue by the sink. She was sniffling, trying to wipe away the tears that had caused her makeup to run down her cheeks. She looked absolutely defeated, leaning against the sink counter for support. My lips parted as I spoke in the shakiest voice, “Juliet, are you okay?”

                Juliet immediately flinched from being so startled, clearly in a state of shock as she saw me. “I-I’m fine.” She tried to cover up her tracks with a smile. She didn’t do a good job, though; her voice cracked. “How long have you been here?”

              I shook my head, approaching her slowly. “That doesn’t matter.” I stated. “Why are you crying? Is everything okay?”

                Juliet sucked in a deep breath of air, her lower lip trembling. “I really don’t want to burden you with my problems.”

                “No, no, don’t think of it that way.” I tried to console Juliet as her shoulders shook. “Just tell me what’s wrong. I’m here for you.”

                Juliet looked up at me with sad green eyes, giving me a small smile. “He loves you, you know?”

                I blinked, frowning. “What?”

                Juliet sighed, shaking her head. “Everett.” She said. “Everett loves you. He tries to deny it, but deep inside, I know he still loves you.”

I parted my lips, gulping. “Why does that matter?”

                Juliet let out a bitter laugh. “It matters because he could never love me the way he loves you. I confronted him about it just a few minutes ago and he didn’t deny it. Since we’ve gotten here, he hasn’t paid any attention to me. His stare is always focused on something, and when I follow his gaze, it’s on you. It’s always on you.”

                I opened my mouth to say something, but I just didn’t know what was going to come out. My throat was completely dry and I was utterly speechless. “I-I’m-.”

                “It’s not your fault, so don’t even say sorry.” Juliet assured, giving me a sad smile. “I broke up with him just now and he gave me this look- like it didn’t even matter to him. His eyes are always so dead, so empty. I don’t know how you ever got through to him, but you must be pretty damn special if you did.”

                I didn’t know what to feel.

                I’d be heartless if I said that I was happy that Everett might’ve, possibly, still loved me especially since Juliet’s telling me now that she loves him. But, if I said that I wasn’t happy, I’d be lying.

                “Juliet, I-,” I paused, “I don’t know why you’re telling me this.”

                Juliet stared at me with her bloodshot green eyes, giving me a failed attempt of laugh. “I’m telling you this because I want you two to make each other happy.”

*

                I found Everett later that evening, a little bit after the sun had set. We’d all eaten dinner and I saw him at the table beside me, but after I looked up from my dessert, he was gone. I excused myself from the dinner table, just when people were starting to get up to dance again. “Cass, have you seen Everett?” I asked Cassandra, who had been sitting at the same table as Everett.

                Cassandra gave me a suspicious look before pointing in the direction of the rose garden. “He went that way.” She whispered, pulling my arm back before I left. “Riley, whatever you’re planning inside that devious little head of yours, I advise you to be careful. I don’t want you getting hurt, yet again, by Everett.”

                I gulped, nodding. “I’ll be fine.” I assured. “Thank you, though.”

                Cassandra gave me a small smile before I made my way towards the rose garden, which was in a completely other section from where the wedding was being held. I entered the rose garden, which was completely dark with the exception of the in-ground lighting that was guiding my way. As I got closer and closer to the center, where there was a fountain, the area was starting to be lit up by white Christmas lights that hung from tree to tree.

                Leaning over the fountain was a figure, just staring down at the water that was filled with coins from people who made wishes. “Everett.” I called out, capturing the figure’s attention.

                He finally looked up, his bright eyes connecting with mine even through the dark. Everett blinked when he first saw me, but frowned when he realized he didn’t know why I’d come to find him. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

                “I need to tell you something.” I said as Everett nodded, waiting for me to go on. “You’re the complete and utter definition of a bastard.”

                Everett raised an eyebrow, clearly not amused by my profound confidence. “What?”

                I gulped, feeling a rush of adrenaline overpower my body. “How could you just break Juliet’s heart like that?” I snapped. “She liked you, a lot! She even told me that she loves you, and you had to stand there like a complete idiot and stare at her? You’re unbelievable!”

                Everett stared at me, remaining poised and calm. “Juliet broke up with me, not the other way around.”

                I clenched my fists, groaning. “It doesn’t matter! How could you do that to someone? Haven’t you played enough with emotions? You’re sick and twisted Everett Rosenfeld!”

                “I only did it because I’m still in love with you.” Everett said.

                I glared at him, feeling my anger slowly wash away. Suddenly, I felt something piercing through my soul; the pain was unbearable. The only other times I’ve felt like this were when Everett and I broke up. “Why?” I asked, my voice breaking. “Why do you keep doing these things to me? I’m trying to let you go but you’re making it so fucking hard!”

                Everett finally stepped closer to me, cautiously placing his hands on my hips as if he was asking me for permission before he did so. He pulled me closer to him, very gently. Our chests touched each others, as his warm breath fanned over me. I knew we shouldn’t be this close- our relationship was toxic. But, I didn’t care. When it came to Everett, when have I ever cared?

                “Riley,” he breathed, placing his forehead against mine, “I love you.”

                “You can’t just-,” I cried, “you can’t just show up four years later and say that.”

                “I know.” Everett whispered. “I’m sorry.”

                “How could you?” I closed my eyes, letting the hot tears roll down my cheek. “Three years ago, how could you let me go like that?”

                Everett pressed his lips where there were tears on my cheeks, kissing away the tears. “I didn’t want to.” He muttered. “God Riley, when will you realize that you broke up with me?”

                I immediately pushed him away, my fists hammering against his hard chest. I was fighting back tears as I glared up at Everett. “That’s because it was the only choice.” I gritted through my teeth. “It was either break up with you then or wait for our relationship to suffer.”

                “Who said that it needed to suffer?” Everett asked angrily. “We could’ve worked.”

                “Not seeing you for nine months and calling me every three weeks doesn’t equal to ‘working out’!” I protested.

                Everett was silent. I knew right then and there that I’d won.

                Was victory always this bittersweet?

               “I-I should go back.” I muttered under my breath, wiping away my tears before heading back to where I came from.

                And just like that, Everett let me go.

                Again.

*

                It was just a little over two weeks after the wedding. I was back in Rhode Island now, having to leave a few days earlier than everyone else to make it back to university for an important exam. I hadn’t seen Everett since our altercation back at the rose garden. The word from his father was that he had to fly back out to California really early in the morning, so he left the wedding hours before anyone else did.

                It was a really busy Thursday night for me. The week after I came back to university was scheduled to be finals week. I’d taken all of my finals except for one, and I was currently trying to cram in last minute studies for it. I’d been attacking my notes and textbooks for hours now, skipping lunch and dinner in the process.

              There was a knock on the door of our dorm, and I left my roommate, Kat, to get it. “Kat, could you please get that?” I called out.

                Kat was already up and out of her bottom bunk to scurry over to the door, where she poked her head outside. I heard faint chatters, but I blocked it all out so that I could give my work all my attention. A few seconds later, I noticed that Kat left the door to approach me. “Riley, there’s someone at the door for you.” Kat said in a very suggestive tone. “It’s a guy. He’s pretty hot, in my opinion.”

                I pried away from my books, frowning. “Someone wants to see me?” I clarified.

                Kat nodded, picking me up from my chair. “Yes, get up.” She demanded. “You’ve been studying for hours now. I think you deserve to go chat with the hot boy waiting outside our door.”

                I groaned, rubbing my eyes, which stung from focusing on tiny words for so long. “Okay, okay.” I muttered. “Fine, I’m going.”

                I got to the door, closing it behind me.

                I turned, facing Everett.

                My eyes immediately widened, my breath getting caught in my throat. I blinked rapidly a few times, making sure that I wasn’t hallucinating or just imagining things. After taking a moment to myself, I concluded that Everett was actually here, outside my dorm room, alive and well.

                “What are you doing here?” I asked, too shocked for any other words.

                “I-I couldn’t leave things the way they were.” Everett explained, running a hand through his hair. “I couldn’t lose you, not again.”

                I frowned. “So you flew three thousand miles from California just to tell me that?”

                Everett shook his head, stepping closer to me so that we were just a few inches apart. Being so close to Everett like this brought back so many memories- so many memories that I’ve tried to force myself to forget. I held in my breath as Everett hesitantly reached out for my hands, holding both of them with his fingers gently. “No.” he said. “I came back for you.”

                “You came back for me?” I blinked.

                Everett nodded, very determined. I felt my heart race, my insides fluttering the way they did when I was a teenage girl. “I always come back for you.” Everett whispered. “Three years ago, I didn’t mean to make it seem like I didn’t care about us anymore just because we were in college. I was just really stressed and I might’ve said some things I didn’t mean because I regret it now. Ever since I saw you at the wedding, I knew that I couldn’t let you slip away, not ever again. Because the truth is, Riley, I-.”

                I grabbed Everett from the back of his neck, pulling him into me. I pressed my lips against his, letting them rest there just for a second before pulling away. I didn’t even give him a chance to respond.

                Everett blinked, his lips parted. “What was that for?”

                “To get you to shut up.” I said.

                Everett smirked, suddenly amused. “When did you get so bold?”

                I rolled my eyes, ignoring the warm feeling that was rising in my cheeks. “I need to go back in my room to study. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

                Everett grasped onto my wrist pulling me in close to his chest. “No.” Everett said sternly. “I’m not letting you leave, ever again. I want to know right now, will you take me back, Riley?”

                I sighed, groaning into his chest as his arms held my waist firmly. “You’re putting me in a tough situation.”

                “It’s only because I love you.”

                I pulled away from Everett, peering up at him through my eyelashes. My hands were pressed against his chest, feeling every heartbeat of his. I gulped, biting my lower lip as I watched Everett’s eyes flicker down every so often. I wanted so badly just to kiss him- to kiss away all the pain I’ve gone through for the past three years.

                And so I did.

                I kissed Everett with everything I had in me, and he didn’t hesitate to kiss me back with just as much passion- if not, more.   

                “Yes.” I said.

                Everett pulled away from me after what seemed like hours of us just kissing. “Yes?” he asked.

                “Yes.” I stated. “And, I love you too.”

The long, awaited, epilogue is finally up and posted.

As you can tell, this last and final chapter was really rushed. I kind of just tried to put the setting a few years after they sealed the deal, but it just came out really jumbled up and messy. But, at least I got something up, and its 16 pages on Word, as well. :)

Thank you again for those who have supported F&AH! Love you all.

Vanessa.