"Sav! Mia! Would you two stop gossiping and come and get in the photo?" Sarah shooed us both over to where Brooks and Dallas were holding their diplomas and chatting to a few members of the football team. Their navy robes looked heavy and hot in the transitional weather from Spring to Summer, and a few senior students around us fanned themselves with their diplomas.

Without thinking I reached up to straighten out the gold tassel on the left of Brooks' cap, and he caught my hand before I could drop it back down to my side, interlacing our fingers.

The look he gave me was filled with so much happiness and joy that I couldn't help the smile that took over my own face.

Next to us, Dallas pulled Mia into his arms and they shared a sweet kiss. I had only been back home from LA for four days, but the two had been inseparable the whole time to the point where even I, their number one supporter, had to avert my gaze every now and then.

Apparently Dallas had taken my advice that day in the kitchen to heart, and he and Mia had talked for hours in the hospital hallway whilst waiting for me to wake up. Dallas had confessed his feelings, and, in Mia's words, made it almost impossible to say no. She'd agreed to go on a date with him and the rest was history.

"Alright you two lovebirds, get a room." Jaz muttered playfully as she approached, elbowing Dallas in the side.

She smiled at Brooks and I, her green eyes twinkling beneath the bright sunlight.

"Congratulations Jaz." Brooks said kindly, leaning over to give her a hug.

She beamed, her coffee colored skin glistening with a sheen of excitement. "Same to you. It's been nice sharing the stage with you McCormack." The two geniuses had been battling it out for valedictorian all year, but Jazmin had ultimately earned the title after Brooks had missed a handful of days of school due to everything going on. To his credit, he didn't seem bothered in the slightest by the defeat. Brooks nodded at Jaz good-naturedly, and then she turned towards me.

"Keep in touch from New Haven okay?" I asked gently, unsure what grounds we were on considering that Brooks and I were now together and I had always suspected that she felt more for him than just friendship.

To my surprise, Jaz pulled me in for a hug of my own, squeezing me once. "I'm happy for you— both of you." She whispered quietly in my ear. "You deserve to be happy."

She released me a moment later, offering one last smile before she turned to join her family for more photographs. I watched her leave, stunned, but filled with warmth at the friend I had made. Jaz was living proof that boys and jealousy and high school drama didn't have to come in between friendship.

"Alright alright, are we ready yet?" Sarah, who had been waiting impatiently for a graduation photo of her children, Dallas and I, tsked and shoved us in closer.

"Sorry Mrs M." Dallas grinned, not sounding sorry at all.

When the flurry of photos, hugs and tears slowed to a trickle and then eventually stopped within an hour or so, we made our way into the parking lot and made plans to meet up at a nearby restaurant for a celebratory meal. Dallas was going home to spend time with his family, and we bid him farewell as we piled into our cars.

Dallas' younger sister Sophia, who was a super fan of Scandalous, had apparently been devastated when the news broke that I would be leaving the show in the Summer. I'd known from the start that there would be outcry about the main character leaving, but I still felt the pang of pain in my heart at the thought of letting my fans down though. It wasn't until I'd met Sophia a few hours ago, having asked Dallas if I could take a photo with her and hang out for a while to make up for breaking her fan girl heart, that I'd started to feel less guilty about it all.

"It's okay, Savannah." Sophia had said, and her blue eyes that were so much like Dallas' were wide and bright. "We'll miss you on the show, but we're fans of Savannah Silvers, not Veronica Hart. We want you to be happy."

As tears burned behind my eyes I tugged Sophia into a hug, and her smile was so wide when I pulled away that I worried her cheeks would ache.

"Thank you." I told her fiercely. It had been exactly what I needed to hear, and I'd needed to hear it from a fan— someone who had no idea what had truly gone on in my life and no need to care about me at all. Brooks and Mia had told me a thousand times that the show's fans would understand, and now I finally believed them. 

I climbed into the front seat of Brooks' car and smoothed my hair back, popping down the visor and using the mirror to help me tame it. Brooks waited for his mom, dad and Mia to leave the parking lot in Sarah's rental car— her Sedan had not survived Travis' crash, unfortunately—before reversing out and following behind breezily.

I closed the visor and turned to watch Brooks drive, admiring the veins protruding slightly from his tanned arms as he changed gear. I let my eyes roam over the scar that ran from his temple to his ear, a permanent reminder of what we had both been through. I would never be okay with it, but we were learning to live with it.

"Like the view?" Brooks asked with a cheeky smirk as he caught my eye.

I shrugged, pretending to be blasé. "I was actually looking at the zit on your forehead."

Brooks laughed and reached over with one hand to shove my shoulder gently, before placing it back on the steering wheel. "Liar. I saw you checking me out while I was on stage. Admit it, you just can't keep your eyes to yourself."

"Yeah, because you constantly make me roll them so hard that I'm afraid they'll fall out."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." He teased, which was ironic considering that he was what helped me sleep at night.

Not that all we did was sleep anymore.

It had taken a few months for Brooks and my relationship to progress, but when it happened, it felt natural and right. Unlike in both of our past experiences, we trusted one another enough to know exactly what to say and do to make the other feel at ease. For me, it was about reminding myself that these were Brooks' hands on my skin, loving and gentle and nothing like Travis'. He wasn't going to run to the paparazzi and splurge the details and he didn't want anything from me that I didn't want to give him. For Brooks, I'd taken my time ensuring that he felt comfortable and ready and respected, and had tried my hardest to make sure he knew that what happened between us was private. No matter how angry he made me or even if we broke up next week, I would never make our life and love together a public matter the way Demi had.

In a strange way, it felt like it was the first time for both of us. The physical act itself didn't matter so much— it was the first time I'd ever felt and shared love with someone else, and it was with Brooks. The boy who had always had my heart. It was difficult and easy and wonderful and vulnerable all at once.

My X-rated thoughts sent a blush to my cheeks, and Brooks' eyes widened as he caught it out of his peripheral. "What's going through that pretty little head of yours?" He asked as we pulled into a parking lot outside the restaurant Sarah had chosen.

"I was just thinking about your graduation present, actually." I bludged, hoping that the idea of receiving a gift would distract him from the fact that I was clearly lying.

"A present, huh?"

Bingo.

I nodded my head and reached into the back of the truck, feeling around under the seat for the brown paper parcel I had stuffed there earlier. I pulled it out and placed it on Brooks' lap happily.

"I was going to wait until later, but now seems as good a time as any." I shrugged.

Brooks gave me a suspicious look before setting to work unraveling the tape. The soft grey object fell out onto his legs, and he held it up with a grin. "My favourite sweater!"

"To replace the one I stole." I informed him, reaching to flip the hoodie over so that he could see the white Nike logo. Brooks' grey hoodie had been absolutely destroyed in the car accident and at the warehouse, and I'd felt guilty about it ever since.

It was just a sweater, in the grand scheme of things, but it had gotten me through the hardest day of my life, and I hated the thought of it laying in a wasteland somewhere after all it had done for me. This wasn't the same sweater, but maybe this one could get Brooks through something too one day.

Brooks leaned over to press a kiss to my lips, sweet as honey, before he pulled away abruptly. "Hang on a sec," he mused, "is this a gift for me or for you?"

I laughed and tapped my chin as I pretended to consider. There was no doubt I would be wearing it just as much as him. "Hmm... us?"

"Us." Brooks repeated, his eyes twinkling. "I like the sound of that."

We gave each other goofy smiles for a moment before Brooks shoved me playfully out of the passenger side door. He caught my hand, pressing a quick kiss to the inside of my wrist before we headed inside to join his family.

Our family, I corrected mentally.

Sarah, Lewis and Mia were already sat at a table in the far corner, sipping wine and water. I started in their direction when Brooks' hand slid to my waist and pulled me towards him. I glanced up at him questioningly, but his gaze was focused elsewhere. I followed his line of sight until I found what he was looking at;
A hundred yards or so from the restaurant, on the boardwalk near the water, was Luke.

He wasn't surrounded by his usual posse, and even though he had graduated today too, there seemed to be no family waiting for him to join them.

"I need to apologise." I whispered, my heart beating a little faster.

Luke was a dick, no question about it, but he hadn't done any of the things we had accused him of time and time again. And the kind of person I wanted to be now that I'd been given a second chance, was someone who apologised and admitted when they were wrong.

"Me too." Brooks agreed quietly. We snuck out of the restaurant before any of the McCormack clan could see us, making our way over to Luke, who was smoking a cigarette and looking out over the water.

"Luke?" I called out to him once we were close enough for him to hear us clearly. He startled and turned towards me, his bright eyes narrowing instantly in suspicion. His lips curled up into a grimace as he blew a puff of smoke in my direction.

"Here to blame me for some other crime against humanity?" He sneered, giving Brooks a quick once over.

His volatile response didn't surprise me in the slightest. I shook my head. "No. I'm here to tell you that I'm sorry. I jumped to conclusions too quickly because I was scared and I... I needed someone to blame. That person was you and it shouldn't have been." I held his gaze, trying to convey my sincerity. Luke's cool appraisal revealed nothing, and he turned to Brooks blankly when he cleared his throat.

Brooks' voice was strained, and I knew how difficult it was for him to swallow his pride given the hell that Luke's family had put him through. I reached out and touched his arm to comfort him.

"I was wrong, and I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have let the past cloud my judgement. And," he paused, "there's no reason for you to believe me, but if it makes any difference, I swear I never sent those photos of Demi. I would never hurt her like that."

Luke watched us through clouded blue eyes, his eyes giving nothing away. The beautiful clear day was turning into a cool dusk over the water, and the light wind blew my white dress around my knees. Luke watched the fabric move vacantly. "I heard the guy sending you photos tried to kidnap you. Is that true?"

I swallowed through the lump in my throat. "Yes. He almost succeeded, too."

Luke cursed, dropping his cigarette onto the boardwalk and snuffing it out with the toe of his black converse. His next question was aimed at Brooks. "And you really didn't do any of the things Demi said you did?"

Brooks shook his head.

Luke and Brooks stared each other down for what felt like hours, until eventually, finally, Luke tentatively reached out and offered Brooks his hand. I watched in surprise as the two formed a truce.

"For the record," Luke added, "I still think you're an asshole."

Brooks smiled and clutched Luke's hand tighter— what looked to be uncomfortably tight. "Ditto."

The two shared a smirk and then Luke turned back to look out over the water, clearly done with the conversation.

Huh, short and sweet.

Brooks tugged on my hand gently, but I couldn't leave without saying one last thing. "Hey Luke?"

He turned around, one eyebrow raised expectantly.

"Congratulations on graduating."

Luke's body froze in surprise and he opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but then thought better of it and closed it again. Despite his issues, no one deserved to be alone and forgotten on a milestone day— I would know. His eyes softened and he offered me what was almost a smile.

"Thanks." He said gently. I returned his smile and then faced Brooks, who immediately pulled me into his side. I walked back to the restaurant with a sense of lightness, my shoulders relaxing from the tense state that I hadn't even known they'd been holding.

"You're incredible, you know that?" Brooks told me before he opened the door for me, making a shiver run down my spine.

I gave him a knowing look. "Not quite, but I'm trying my best."

We sat down at our table with the other McCormacks, who were currently squabbling over whether to order the garlic bread or bruschetta as a starter. I observed them as they argued; Mia with her stubborn passion, Sarah with her stern fairness, Lewis trying to be diplomatic and Brooks pointing out the flaws in his little sister's points.

Suddenly, I was hit by an overwhelming feeling of belonging and gratitude. It swept over me like a wave and spilled over into my eyes, making them tear up. I laughed quietly at my own silliness.

"Are you crying over the garlic bread?" Mia asked me, dumbfounded, her blue eyes incredulous. Three pairs of confused eyes turned to look at me in response.

"Maybe we should have gone for the bruschetta." Lewis muttered, mostly to himself.

I grinned, blinking back my emotions as I shook my head. "No. I just..." I paused, considering my words, "I'm just really happy."

And it was true. I didn't know what the future held— Brooks was heading off to Pennsylvania University after the Summer and I was going back to school to finish my Senior year. The thought of him leaving made my heart ache, but at the same time, I wasn't too concerned. We had endured so much that been thrown our way, and I knew we could handle whatever came next too.

Besides, in a little under a month I would be eighteen, get my bank accounts back, and then I could choose to do whatever I wanted with my life. Maybe that meant going to college, or going back to acting. Maybe it meant travelling and seeing the world. Maybe it was something I hadn't even thought of yet. The beautiful part of it all was that I had the freedom to do anything, and I wasn't going to waste that opportunity.

"If we don't order soon, I'm going to cry next." Mia complained, and a chorus of laughter echoed around us.

I leaned into Brooks' side and lay my head on his shoulder, sighing with blissful content.

"I love you." He whispered to me, quiet enough that only I could hear, kissing the side of my head. "Always have and always will."

"That's a big promise. What if you find a beautiful college girl in Pennsylvania?" I whispered back.

Brooks chuckled, and his laughter reverberated through my body. "I'd tell her I only like girls with bald spots." He ran his fingers over the patch on the back of my head where my stitches had been and, as a result, the ingrowing hair was much shorter than the rest. I blushed furiously, swatting his shoulder and making him laugh harder.

"So when the hair grows back, you won't love me anymore?" I queried mischievously, looking up at him from under my eyelashes.

He pretended to consider my statement for a moment, tapping his chin with his free hand. "I'll shave it in your sleep." He decided proudly.

"How chivalrous." I rolled my eyes.

"You love it."

"No, I don't."

Brooks tsked. "Liar."

"I don't lie." I flipped my hair over my shoulder defiantly, and it hit him square in the face. I grinned at my unintentional triumph.

"You're such a diva." Brooks told me with an exaggerated sigh. His eyes lit up and I allowed myself to get lost in them for a moment, admiring how they melted and swirled with joy. Despite our playful banter, the love and adoration shone clear in his eyes, and I knew it did in mine too.

"Alright you two, enough canoodling." Mia interrupted us, waving her hand dismissively as the waitress came over to take our order.

I opened my mouth to make a smart remark when the waitress squealed loudly, making me jump. "OMG! You're Savannah Silvers, the girl from Scandalous, aren't you?" She held her notepad and pen out to me with excitement gleaming in her hazel eyes.

I smiled at her warmly, biting my lip before I reached out and took the notepad, scrawling my name neatly. "Actually, it's just Savannah. Savannah from Beaufort."

I met Brooks' eye, and he smiled softly. Just Savannah from Beaufort.

That was far more than enough for me.

The End.