This is dedicated once again to cold_lady19, aka Arix. I realized that maybe I was supposed to dedicate every chapter to you (oops xD), but I thought it may seem a bit stalkerish. So I did the first and last part instead. Hope you (and everyone else, too) like the following (and the stuff before it, lol)...

Epilogue - Julie's POV

"This has to have been the best anniversary ever," I announced, lounging on the small couch in Evan's - our - tree house.

Evan chuckled, dark eyes looking at me and turning the eagles in my stomach into dragons. "You said that about our last one."

"Well, I have to admit that a Little Mermaid marathon along with a trip to the Ruffles Factory was pretty good," I mused out loud. "But this was better."

"Hopefully this will make it even better." He reached behind his back and pulled out a small velvet box. "Happy anniversary, sweet Jules."

My hand trembled slightly as I took the gift from Evan's outstretched hand and opened it. Nestled inside was a silver ring in the mermaid-dolphin style. Looking closer, I noticed that it was actually a shark instead. I immediately understood the reference and started tearing up. "This is beautiful."

"It'll look even more beautiful on you," my boyfriend promised, taking the box from me and slipping the ring onto the fourth finger of my left hand. I couldn't help crying; I mean, it felt like he was proposing to me! Me, weird and crazy Julie Ann Jones, the girl who'd miraculously managed to snag a sexy, sweet, smart guy named Evan Woods. Someone seriously needed to write a book about this kick-ass love story.

"E-Evan," I said, voice choked up with emotion. Dang, my mascara was probably ruined - oh wait, waterproof. Thanks, Lau! "Evan, t-this is - I mean - i-it's like..."

With slightly callused thumbs, he gently wiped the tears away. "I know, Julie. I know."

I smiled and leaned forward to kiss him with every ounce of love I felt - and it was a lot. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist and pulled me closer, so close it felt like we were one person. One heart. One essence.

Wow, I really am cheesy.

That's the last coherent thought I had for a while afterwards, since clothes started coming off. This time it felt different. I mean, making love with Evan was always glorious, but this time it felt more like a coming together of souls instead of bodies. A melding of all the emotions we had for each other: desire, affection, passion, tenderness, and love. Which was always sweet, no matter how long it lasted. Of course - like wine - it grew sweeter with time, so Evan and I would probably be at the Ruffle's level in another year.

Normal chips are salty. Ruffles are sweet. And Evan was just pure bliss.

"I love you," I whispered to him afterwards, snuggling into his bare chest.

His lips pressed against the top of my head. "Mmmm, not as much as I love you."

"Impossible," was my retort. Suddenly I was pinned beneath Evan again, and he tickled my stomach relentlessly. Squealing with laughter, I finally surrendered. "Alright, alright, alright! You win!"

"Told you so," he growled at me playfully, and I smacked his hard chest. My pitiful blow did nothing but make him laugh. "You're so silly, Jules."

Before I could insult him back, Evan was kissing me again. His tongue licked my lips softly before pushing them open, deepening our kiss. Desire was just beginning to build in my stomach once more when he pulled away. "I almost forgot..."

"Mmm?" I wasn't really concentrating on what he was saying since I was to busy running my hands along his delectable abs.

Evan groaned. "Jules, I'm trying to tell you something important - "

I reached down further, and his voice cut off. "I wanna tell you something important, too. Guess what it is?"

He moaned before attacking my mouth again, flipping so that I was straddling him. Before we could move past a kiss, Evan broke away. "Julie, you already made me forget once."

"Good." Grinding up against him, I leaned down and whispered in his ear, "That means I can make you forget again."

I felt him tremble, and knew he was about to give in. "If you really don't want to hear the poem..."

"What?" I quickly stood up. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Evan threw a muscled arm over his face. "Ugh, you choose now to stop?"

"I wanna hear the poem," I replied while shimmying back into my dress (A/N: picture of it on the first chapter for those who missed me putting it up). "Now put some shorts on and recite it to me."

"When did you get so demanding?" he griped as he slipped his boxers back on.

I sat on his lap, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "Don't get mad cause you got 'cock-blocked.'"

"I am not mad that I - "

"Besides, you didn't," I continued, ignoring his grumbles. "It's just a temporary reprieve. And wasn't it you who wanted to tell me the poem?"

He groaned again, this time in exasperation. "You're one sneaky little peach."

"Yeah yeah yeah; tell me the poem."

"Bossy," Evan teased before relaxing into the arm of the couch, keeping me safely caged in his arms. "Alright, it's titled The Mermaid and The Shark." His eyes captured mine and kept me prisoner as he began to recite the poem.

"Most sharks live in oceans

That are big and blue and wide.

But one lived in a wasteland

Where only darkness abides.

He hid within the shadows

Cast by a scarred heart,

Until the girl opened the door

Which led him to a new start.

The shark swam into waters

That were an endless blue.

The girl was beside him,

With her own tail, too.

Together they journeyed

Through uncharted waves.

Side by side they went,

Never breaking their gaze.

The shark was saved that day

By a mermaid, kind and fair,

A girl who'd rescued him

With her endless love and care.

The bright blue eyes that are the sea,

Through which the shark is swimming,

Are the only things that keep me

Happy, alive, and breathing.

Julie, you will never know

Just how much I love you.

But each day, I will show

That these words are true."

I could barely speak because of the tears running down my face, but somehow I managed to say, "You are the best thing to happen to me since they invented Ruffles."

Evan laughed and hugged me tight. "And you're the best thing to happen to me since my parents died. I love you, Mrs. Strawberry."

"Dark poet, I love you..." Hooking my arms around his neck, I pulled myself closer and added, "More." And with that I kissed him.

As his hands slid up my back, I thought about how much I loved Evan Woods. Everything about him, from his sexy voice to his dark eyes, made tingles run all over my body. But he seemed to love me just as much; so between you and me, I really did think neither of us loved the other more - we were equal.

But I'm not gonna tell him that anytime soon.

**

Seven Years Later...

"I hate you, Evan Woods!" I yelled into the empty parking lot. Of course no one heard me - because it was...you know. Empty.

Checking my iPhone, I kept up my mental tirade. Where the hell is he?! It's already been a freaking hour since he was supposed to come! Oh no, what if he got hurt? Wait, what if I get hurt? There's no one here...or is there?

I froze, waiting for some crazy serial killer to kidnap me so that he could cut me into a billion pieces before feeding them to a rabid bear - wait, what am I even doing? Cursing, I resumed my angry pacing. I really had to stop watching all those CSI shows; if only they weren't so addicting! If only Evan wasn't so late.

Dialing his number, I waited for the inevitable beep so that I could leave my thirteenth message. And wasn't thirteen a lucky number? Wait, no, it was the opposite. Oh my fucking -

"Hello?" a familiar husky voice asked.

"Evan..."

"Jules? Ah, shit, are you still waiting on me?"

I gritted my teeth before replying in a sugar sweet voice, "Well, Jason and Laura are out of town, Shane isn't answering, and you were hanging with Melissa, so yeah - I'm still waiting."

"Sorry, Julie," he apologized in a rush. "It's just that Melissa went into labor and I was dragged along so I've been trying to get Shane on the phone but the bastard won't answer and - "

"Hold up," I said, stopping his desperate rambling. Sifting to the various information he'd dumped on me, I settled on the most important fact. "So you can't come get me?"

"I'll try, but I don't think I'll be able to get out of - damn, Melissa's having another contraction. Listen, get Shane to take you; the asshole should be here for the birth of his own son. Alright, love you, bye!"

"Jerkpid," I corrected reflexively, but Evan had already hung up. I quickly punched in Shane's number, waiting for him to pick up. And he would pick up.

"I'm sorry, the person you reached is not available at this time. At the tone, please record your message."

"DAMMIT, YOU BETTER ANSWER THE PHONE, YOU LITTLE PRICK! IF YOU DON'T, I WILL PERSONALLY KICK YOUR ASS AFTER MELISSA IS DONE KICKING IT FOR MISSING THE BIRTH OF YOUR OWN SON! DO YOU FUCKING HEAR ME?!?! ANSWER THIS DAMN PIECE OF SHIT RIGHT NOW OR I SWEAR I WI- "

"Oww, okay, I answered!" Shane's voice yelled, stopping my rant. "What was that about Melissa - "

"Oh, no." My voice was literally shaking in anger. "You are driving to the publishing company. Once you arrive, you will pick me up and take us both to St. Helen's. At the hospital, you will ask for Melissa Mason. You will follow the instructions I've just given you in the exact order they were given. Do you understand?"

"Wait, what ab- "

"Do. You. Under. Stand."

I heard him gulp. "Be there in ten."

"You'll be here in five." I hung up the phone before redialing Evan. As soon as he picked up I said, "Tell Melissa her sorry-ass husband is on his way," before disconnecting the call. I heaved a large sigh and sat down on the curb. Now a headache was on the way. Yay me.

A few minutes later a shiny red sports car screeched into the parking lot. Standing, I went to the passenger's side and slid in. Before I'd shut the door, Shane had started accelerating again. "What's the hospital's name again?"

"St. Helen's." A terse nod was all I got as a response. "Why didn't you answer Evan's calls?"

He sighed, shrugging his broad shoulders. Shane had gained even more muscle after playing football in college for the team he now coached. "I couldn't find my phone."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Really? I mean - really?"

"I know, I know," he said gruffly, speeding through a yellow light. "It was stupid."

"As long as you understand..." My voice trailed off, and we both lapsed into silence.

Only a few minutes later Shane screeched into the parking lot. He hopped out and sprinted into the building while I trailed behind, pulling out my phone and called Jason. It rang once before he answered with an enthusiastic, "Julieeeee!"

"Hey, Jason," I greeted as I entered the hospital. "Wanna guess why I'm calling?"

"You're book got published!"

Chuckling, I replied, "Just brought it to the publisher to be reviewed today, so that's not it. You get two more chances."

"Hmm." He was silent for a second before I heard him snap his fingers. "I know! Evan finally got you pregnant - now will he propose?"

"Ha ha ha," I laughed sarcastically. "No, but you're getting closer..."

Jason groaned, "Ugh, Julie, just tell me - wait, wait, wait! I have it!"

Turning the corner, I took the phone from my ear for a second to talk to the receptionist. "Hey, I'm a friend of Melissa Mason's. Could you point me to which room she's in?"

"510." I thanked her and went in the direction she'd indicated. Putting Jason back on, I realized he was still talking.

" - deserves a congratulations! Wish me and Lau were there, but she's still trying to find the locations for her new film and - "

"Slow down," I ordered. "What did you guess?"

"Uh, that Melissa finally gave birth to that baby," he said in a "duh" tone of voice. "Come on, Jules, get it together!"

"Shut up, loser, and lemme put you on speaker phone." I did so before entering the room. Shane, Evan, and a doctor were all crowded around the bed where Melissa lay, a blue bundle in her arms. "Hey, guys."

Glancing up, the new mom smiled. "Julie, I see you've come to visit your new 'nephew'?"

"That's right," I said as Jason shouted through the phone, "I'm here, too!"

Melissa laughed, beckoning me closer. Evan wrapped an arm around my waist as I came up beside the bed. I looked at the baby boy, who stared back at me with large blue-gray eyes. A thin matting of blond hair coated his head, and it looked so soft I couldn't resist touching it. "What's his name?"

"Trent Kyle Mason," Shane answered proudly, glancing down at his son. "I arrived just in time, so Liss let me name him."

"You got lucky, mister," she said, scowling at him. "A few moments later and he'd have already popped out."

"Thank God you two waited for me." Shane gently stroked the damp locks from his wife's forehead before kissing it gently. They looked at each other and then their son with loving eyes. I smiled to myself; the three of them made a beautiful picture.

"Uh, excuse me," a stranger's voice coughed behind me, and I turned to see the doctor. He was frowning slightly, like he'd been trying to get our attention for a while. "It's usually recommended you begin breast-feeding straight away. The baby is probably hungry."

Like clockwork, Trent started wailing. Taking my hand in his, Evan started to lead us away. "Well, we're gonna leave to give you two some privacy."

"Hey, take a picture for me first!" Jason's voice said. I quickly snapped a photo before exiting the room. A few moments later, my friend started complaining. "This is such poor quality!"

"Sorry I'm not a professional like you," I griped. Jason had decided to pursue a career in photography, and he now traveled with Laura helping her scout scenes for her movie. "Anyway, shouldn't you be helping Lau?"

"Oh, she's on the phone with some Hollywood agent about doing her actors' make-up," he said flippantly. "She's trying to avoid me - again."

Evan snickered. "Did you harass her about the marriage thing - again?"

"She still won't say yes!" Jason whined. "It's already been a year since I asked."

"And how long did it take for her to go out with you after you confessed?" I said.

"Six months," he grumbled. "But that's cause she was getting over Jordan. Hey, speaking of the devil, have you heard anything from him lately?"

"Not since Shane and Melissa's wedding," Evan answered. I snorted, remembering how awkward that confrontation of the exes had been. Luckily, with Jason by her side, Laura managed to get through it and still enjoy the occasion. She really did need to marry the poor boy.

"I'll talk to Lau for you," I promised as we took a seat in the waiting room. "But for now, try to get back in her good graces."

"I love you, Jules!"

"Well, JulesRocks, after all."

Jason laughed before saying, "Not as much as JasonRocks."

"Bye, loser." I hung up and slumped back in my chair. "Ugh, my neck is killing me."

Evan began lightly massaging it, brushing a thumb over my tattoo. "I still can't believe you actually got some Ruffles tattooed on your neck for your eighteenth birthday."

"Hey, don't hate on the chips," I threatened lightly, leaning back into his warm touch.

His dimples appeared as he smirked, still as sexy as when we'd first met. "Wouldn't dream of it, Mrs. Strawberry."

I touched the pendant around my neck and smiled at him. "So, how was your day?"

"I had that conference with Ellen Hopkins. We set up the theme of the book we're collaborating to write." Evan's smug grin widened. "She even got her publisher working on a cover design already."

Irritated, I snapped back, "Oooh, you're such a big shot now. Glad you forgot who was the one that gave you the idea to contact her in the first place!"

Hugging me closer, he nuzzled my ear and whispered, "Calm down, Jules. I could never forget you."

Struggling to hold onto my anger, I quipped, "You forgot about picking me up today."

Evan turned my face so that his dark eyes stared into mine. "Forgive me?"

"Of course." Accepting defeat, I settled my arms around his neck. "I can never stay mad at you for long."

He pecked me on the lips once, then twice. "Mmmm, I love you."

"I love you more," I countered before pulling him in for a real kiss and making the connection between us sizzle. It was the same one that we'd always had, and I liked to think that is was this that brought us to one another. A bond that transcended space itself, bringing us together despite all the obstacles. The same factor that had led Shane, Melissa, Jason, and Laura to each other. Strong enough to overcome all the pain and stubbornness to give us our other halves: love.

No matter where we were, love brought us all together. Through heartbreaks and headaches, it was by our side all along. While it chose a different route for each of us, love found me through a website. And that's why I'll always cherish Wattpad - because it led me to my very own soul-mate. The one who will always and forever be...

My Wattpad Love. <3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, how was that? Seem legit? Haha, I'm such a sucker for happy endings! But I finished the day before the deadline, thank the Lord and hallelujah! The next part is just the notes and process that I did to write Loving a Loner - check it out if you're interested, but just know that it's not part of the story.

Well, looks like this is good-bye for now! Thanks for everyone's support, and if you like my writing, feel free to check out my other stories. This has been a very fun and hectic ride. Now it's time to wait for the results of the contest.

Wish me luck! :3

-Nikkisha16