◤ epilogue ▸ an epic love story ◢

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IF THERE WAS ANYONE that could ignite the flames inside Tessa's bones, make her smile until her face hurt, and cause her to squeal like a twelve-year-old at One Direction, it was Finn. Finn Patterson, her best friend and the person she had waited for every day, longed for every day, cried over at least once a week, was being released from juvie in just one week. One week!

Of course, when she saw Finn over the weekend and learned about this fact, she went straight to Rylie's after to jump around and scream in a circle with a girl because of the great news. The months had gone and the conflict between them had faded with time, as they knew it would, and they were stronger than ever.

It was a cause for celebration, for the greatest parade and the best champagne money could buy - though, she knew, that none of that would actually happen. Still, nothing could damage her happy mood because Finn - her Finny - was being released and that was all that could ever matter to her. She had waited too long for this day to happen and so much had gone on without him. She was more than ready to have her first best friend back.

Which is how she found herself knocking at Davina Royce's apartment. Davina, Finn's older half-sister who was a literal angel, was the most caring person that Tessa had ever met after Finn. She was purity that the rest of the world lacked, seemingly never tainted by the corruptness of the universe. No, Davina Royce was an actual angel if Finn was a figurative one.

Tessa hadn't seen Davina since the trial last year, it's not like they would have any reason to get together with Finn gone, nor was it like they ever hung out beforehand. She had been to the apartment maybe two or three times before, all to pick up Finn, and had never stayed for more than five minutes. She knew more about Davina's roommate than the woman herself since Asher Brinley had been her sophomore English teacher. Brinley was short-tempered, witty, and a lot of fun to be around if you were on her good side.

When Davina opened the door, she ushered the young teenager into the apartment. "What are you doing here?" Davina asked in concern, looking to see if Tessa had been harmed in any way.

Tessa just smiled, still the same caring Davina. Maybe some things never changed. "Finn told me that he's getting out in a week," she brought up, not finding any reason to waste time with small talk, "I visited him over the weekend."

The Royce girl nodded, "Yeah, we're excited to have him home."

"So...are you picking him up?" Tessa asked, looking at the island of the kitchen, with cookies laying on top.

"Yep," Davina confirmed, "Dad's working and I begged Lucy to let me have him since he's going to spend the rest of the week with them. Took days of nagging to get her to agree."

Well, if Tessa had her way, that was going to change. Still, she continued to gain information. "Finn also told me that he's going to dinner with you and Asher," it still felt so incredibly weird to call Miss Brinley Asher. She was used to hearing Finn do it, and it's not like she never just called her Brinley...but Asher? It felt like something only Finn could do.

Davina nodded, "His favorite place - a little Italian joint. Why? You wanna join us?"

This - this was when she shook her head and hesitantly offered, "I was just...wondering if maybe instead of you picking him up...I could."

The woman before her blinked in surprise, the words not fully registering as she let out a, "What?"

Tessa swallowed before repeating herself, "I want to pick up Finn when he gets out."

Davina was still frozen which caused her to rush and continue with, "You can still have dinner with him. I just want a couple hours so that we can talk. We never have enough time at the prison, or whatever you wanna call it, so that I can fully explain everything to him. It's just a lot's happened in the last year and I really wanna tell my best friend about it."

Davina frowned, "Tessa -"

"I know you probably have a lot to catch up on, too, but please? He told me you come every month but I can't do that - I never have the money - so can I just have a few hours with him? You'll get him for dinner and I'm sure he'll be over here the next day, too," Tessa pleaded with her.

Tessa looked into Davina's eyes, begging her, and after a moment Davina broke. She sighed and nodded and Tessa squealed and brought her into a hug. She was going to have her best friend back!

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Tessa made sure to get to the drop off area early so that she didn't miss Finn. She waited, checked her phone, and bounced her leg in anticipation until the bus pulled up, stopped, and people started getting off. Then, when she found him, that same hair and face, she smiled and ran over to him until they were embracing and laughing and everything was so light and happy.

"Oh, I missed you," Tessa hold him as she clung onto him tightly. His scent was different, but his presence was the same, his laugh was the same, his hugs were the same, and he was still the same person.

"Me too. God, it's been too long," Finn agreed, pulling away and looking at her, noticing the differences in her and smiling softly, "You look good - happy."

Tessa nodded. She was. She was happier and lighter and still trying to figure some things out. Not everything was rainbows and sunshine, but she wasn't in the cemetery anymore. She was free from that prison like Finn was free from his. "I am. I mean, I've never been so happy in my life, Finn. I've found other friends and they're great! I got rid of Caden and now he doesn't even try and harass me back into a relationship! And now you're back - my life's never been better."

Finn smiled at her. He looked good, but not great. He looked happy, but not like her. He was free now and he still had to process his life now, still had to go through the steps of rejuvenation like she had, but he would be alright. He was Finn Patterson, her angel, and he would always find his way back to happiness.

"That's good," he told her sincerely and her heart melted a little, "Now how did you convince Vina to let you come pick me up?"

"Oh, you know, I cried a little. I mean, you're going to dinner with her tonight and the rest of the family and if I didn't come to pick you up I'd have to wait another day. It worked, so here I am," Tessa teased.

"Good one," he complimented her, laughing along, "Now come on, I wanna know everything that's happened to you while I was gone."

"I've already told you like everything there is! Well, not everything but the basic plot points," Tessa rolled her eyes, "I'm more interested in what happened to you in there."

Finn shrugged. "Nothing interesting. I never dropped the soap, I kept to myself mostly - although there was this guy, Gibby, he was pretty cool - and I did all my chores and shit. Not much more to tell."

Tessa scoffed, "Come on, you're trying to tell me you didn't see one prison fight while you were there?"

"I did, more like a dozen actually," he responded, "But they get boring after a while. Now, come on, tell me everything."

She couldn't help but huff, "Fine. There was this guy, his name's Flash."

"Flash? Like the superhero?" Finn wrinkled up his nose.

She rolled her eyes at him and nudged him in the ribcage, "It wasn't his actual name, dumbo, that's just his nickname and everyone calls him that. Our story actually starts the night of your court case."

"Now you've got to tell me everything," he grinned.

"Well, it was short lived," she started, "And it wasn't an actual relationship, more like friends with benefits. We still hang out now, too, but we don't sleep together. He got a girlfriend and we ended things, I'm not and never will be a cheater, and ever since then it's just been your regular kind of friendship."

"Come on, there's got to be more," Finn urged her, nudging her slightly and she unconsciously smiled.

"He was fun. We talked a lot about Caden and his own shit, it's what really got us close, but I could never see myself with him. Like, we're too similar in some cases and I can't imagine myself dating someone who's been through similar shit to me. I need a fresh start, a clean slate, Flash didn't have that for me."

"So I don't have to beat his ass for breaking your heart?" Finn clarified and she laughed wildly.

She shook her head, still giggling at Finn's remark. "No, my heart's fine from him. He helped me a lot. And I have another friend, Rylie - I think you're gonna like her. She really helped me through a lot of shit after everything and she's also dating a guy who has access to drugs. Bonus for me, anyway."

"But you're good?" Finn asked her, looking at her face, looking at how her eyes seemed to twinkle more and her steps were lighter - she was happier.

She stopped, he did the same, and she looked at him sincerely. "Yeah, I'm great," and she truly meant it. She had everything she could ever want right now. She had Finn back, she had true friendships now, she was focusing on herself more so than anyone else, and she had another guy around who was sating all her needs. She was the happiest one could be now.

Her happy ending was not the one she had envisioned with a large castle and prince by her side, but it was the one she needed for herself. It may have been an epic love story, but not all love lasts forever. No one was coming to save her with only good intentions, that was saved for herself, so she would be her own knight in shining armor. She was her own happy ending.