Epilogue-1

Graduate. I was a high school graduate and it was almost impossible to believe. Who knew that after everything I'd been through in less than a year I would still manage to graduate and that it would still make me feel as euphoric and free as I'd always imagined it would? I guess that some things really don't change and even though I'd always thought that such an ordinary thing like graduating from high school wouldn't make a difference to me, it did and now I couldn't keep the smile off my face. It had been a struggle though. Long grueling hours at the school library, studying with Carter and tons of extra classes helped me catch up. We were still living in New Hampshire and Zach had managed to set up his office from home so that we could spend as much time as we wanted to together. He'd made sure that our relationship was the topmost priority and I couldn't be happier or more in love. It was the little things that brought us closer, bridged the gap that had somehow formed in the last month or so. He'd tutor me since he was an economics genius and stay up with me during my finals. On occasions when he knew I was irritable and tense he would give me space, occasionally bringing me his delicious homemade food. I knew that I was falling more and more in love with him if that was even possible. Today Aunt Ophelia and Uncle Collin had hosted a small dinner in honour of my graduation and I was surrounded by all the people who now formed my family. Zach obviously, along with the Langdons - Danny had even brought a date and I'd teased him endlessly about the cute blue-eyed blonde who he couldn't take his eyes off of. Carter would drop by later along with some of my friends from school. Bruce was here too and Zach had given him the day off so that he could drink and have fun. Liam's laughter echoed from where he chatted up my aunt who just couldn't seem to resist his charms. As I sat on the steps of the porch watching everyone laugh and have fun, I couldn't help but feel happy and content. It had been a long time since it had all been so peaceful, no chaos no pain no misunderstandings, nothing at all to disrupt my life. "What're you thinking about?" A huge smile immediately formed on my face as I heard his voice and when I followed the direction of it, my heart just couldn't resist skipping a beat. Zach. It was still overwhelming for me to be around him, just like it had been from the very beginning. He was what you called larger than life but while at first I'd been intimidated by him, now I was simply terrified of the rush of emotions that filled me whenever he was around. Like a moth drawn to a flame, the attraction I felt for him bordered on insanity but knowing that he felt just as strongly kept me from losing my mind. I knew I was shamelessly ogling at my husband in front of the guests but trust me if you had a husband who looked like that you wouldn't want to look away either. He'd attended my graduation and the proud smile on his face when I'd walked on up to the stage had just made my day. I remember running into his arms after it was all done and kissing the life out of him. After that, since I knew he had an important meeting I'd made him leave and he'd gotten back in time for dinner and boy did he look mouth-watering. He'd just showered and his hair was wet and glistening, sticking up in different directions since he always liked messing it up a bit when he was at home. He was wearing the shirt I'd gotten him for his birthday, a sky blue button-down paired with some khaki shorts. We complemented each other perfectly as I wore a white maxi dress along with the dangling diamond earrings he'd given me earlier in the day. "I was just wondering when my husband was going to show up," I replied, pulling my knees up closer to me and resting my head on them so that I could look at him comfortably. He sat down on the stairs next to me and pulled me towards him so that I was now sat on his lap. Everyone was too busy on their own so I wasn't really embarrassed about our closeness. "Were you missing him?" His minty breath blew on my face and my mind drifted off to memories of him kissing me. He just felt and tasted so good, I was having a pretty hard time containing myself at the moment. "Just a little." I smirked and shrugged casually, enjoying the playfulness that was lighting up his eyes, making him look boyish. "Hmm maybe he better start working on his game if you just miss him a little," he teased and his eyes darted to my lips as he lowered his face. "Maybe..." I gulped, no longer thinking straight; all I wanted was for him to touch his lips to mine and he seemed to be getting to that but at a frustratingly slow pace. "Hey you two, cut it out! There are children present here," Liam called out and Zach swore under his breath while I groaned. Talk about bad timing. "We aren't kids!" Danny huffed, looking annoyed that he'd been called a kid in front of his date who looked amused at the scene unfolding before her. "Guess the moment's over?" I whispered, resting my forehead against Zach's, who was still shooting daggers at Liam. "Don't worry, we have plenty of time to get back to that." His eyes glinted meaningfully and I blushed, damn he was good. Aunt Ophelia had surely outdone herself as we all feasted on the truckload of food that had been set out on the table in the back garden. One by one I was handed graduation presents, the most surprising of which was one from my parents. Oh and here I was thinking that they'd forgotten that I existed. It wasn't that they were unaware of the things that had happened in their absence. My aunt had had a pretty thorough conversation with them, well she'd yelled for the most part but at least she got the message through. Since then my parents had been making subtle attempts to get involved in my life again, they'd email me occasionally and phone once a month. I never talked to them, I just couldn't. It was hard to believe that they were the same people who'd brought me up. I couldn't even imagine how they could just sit and let one bad thing after another happen to me and not once reach out and now that they knew the whole truth they still hadn't bothered to show up. It was liked they'd forgotten the fact that they had children. It wasn't just me that had been thrown out of their life; my sister hadn't been spared either. When my parents had found out that Olivia had been admitted into a mental facility, they had been least bothered, to put it in the politest way. Yes, there was no love lost between Olivia and me but some part of me felt bad that she literally had no one and the people who were somewhat responsible for her state had left her to rot. So it made sense that I had the urge to burn up the present that I held in my hands. Zach rubbed my back soothingly as everyone watched me carefully. I took a deep breath and opened it anyway. I had everything I could ask for and more now; people who genuinely cared for me surrounded me and I had to stop living in the past.