epilogue

Luca

~

"Shit."

I say as I stub my toe against the end table. I've hit my alarm five times this morning without realizing that today is the end of the semester final.

If my grandma was here, she would flip.

I quickly grab my book sack and toss it over my shoulder. As I step out into the hallway, I close the door and lock it behind me. The dorm hall is pretty quiet this morning which means everyone is in their assigned classroom... except me.

My phone vibrates once more in my back pocket making me take it out to see Cassie's name across the screen.

Four voicemails and six text messages.

Good luck today, love u

Are you okay?

Luca you better not be sleeping

Those were just half of them.

I don't have time to respond but thinking about how annoyed she must be makes me take a deep breath.

Ugh.

Yes, I'm ok. Overslept. Love u too.

I quickly turn my phone off so I'm able to speed walk to my classroom... that I'm supposed to be in. Ten minutes later I am standing up from my finished test and hand it in to a very aggravated professor. I apologized about twelve times once I walked into the room, but he brushed it off and pointed to my empty desk.

Insinuating that I better sit or I'm dead.

"Hey Cassie." I say into the phone once I fall back onto my bed.

"You hit snooze that many times?" she shouts.

"Well, hello to you too."

She takes a deep breath before speaking again. "Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?"

I chuckle. "Still me, babe."

"You're never late to anything."

"That's not true."

"Mmhmm."

We get quiet before one of us speaks again.

"I miss you." I tell her with a smile on my face as if she could see me.

"I miss you too, Luca." I'm pretty sure she is smiling back.

"How's your mom?"

She's been in the psychiatric hospital for about a year now.

"She's doing great, honestly."

"That's good to hear."

"Would you like to go see her?" she asks as I hear her roommate shout in the back.

"What's Hannah complaining about now?" I laugh.

"Boyfriend problems."

"It's a good thing you don't have to deal with that."

She laughs, almost choking on her drink. "No, because you are the best."

"You two make me sick," she yells in the background before slamming the door behind her.

"Someone's grumpy."

Hannah has always been bad with relationships. One time she told Cassie she was seeing this wonderful guy, but the only problem was his wife.

"So, do you want to go?"

"I'd love to."

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

The drive there wasn't too bad. Los Angeles is four hours away from Oakley and the hospital she is staying at is another forty-five minutes. Just as we pull up into the parking lot Cassie brings me into a warm hug.

"Thank you."

I squeeze her back, not wanting this moment to slip away too quickly. "For what?"

She looks at me before planting a kiss on my lips. "For being you."

The three of us sit outside by the lake on a wooden bench, admiring the weather today as the breeze creeps through. We catch up with her mom and tell her about the amazing things Cassie is doing. She is studying journalism and hopes to write a piece on mental health awareness one day. I told her about majoring in education to become a Biology teacher.

Spending that month teaching Cassie was the best month of my life. I used it to my advantage and knew this was what I wanted to do with my life. Her mom looks great. She is sitting there against the bench with a warm smile on her face, listening to the two of us fill her in on our lives. Her short brown hair falls elegantly on her shoulders just like Cassie's and light hazel eyes compliment her complexion. With mental health you never really know what someone is dealing with.

Mental Illness doesn't have a look.

That's what's scary about it.

"I'm so proud of you two," she interrupts while clearing her throat. "You bring so much joy to me."

We both smile and applaud her for being so brave during this difficult past year.

"Would it be okay to speak with Luca alone?"

Cassie hesitates at first but quickly nods as she leaves the wooden bench.

"I hope that's okay with you?" she questions before wrapping her arms across her chest.

"Yes ma'am," I say respectively. "Everything okay?"

"More than okay," she smiles. "I want to thank you."

I quirk up a brow. "Thank me? For what?"

"For being what Cassie needed."

I shake my head and look off into the distance, staring at the lake. "She never needed me. It's me who needs her."

"You might be right, but a bird once told me that you two faked a relationship before actually dating."

I looked back at her suddenly. "Yes, we did."

"It was never fake though, right?"

"No, it wasn't."

"That's because you came into her life during a time of pain, and you healed her more than you think. You didn't just teach her biology, Luca. You taught her love," she grabs my hands and squeezes them gently. "I don't think her father and I shared a love the way you two do."

"I see you two together Mrs. Harlow, it's true love."

"Every relationship has its challenges, but just remember to fight for each other. To never give up or lose hope," she breathes. "I'm afraid we are losing each other."

"What?"

She shakes her head. "It's okay, Cassie doesn't know just yet, but I will tell her soon."

"Tell me what?" Cassie chimes in, walking slowly to stand beside me on the bench.

I quickly look at Mrs. Harlow and then back to Cassie wondering how the hell I'm going to get out of this one.

But she beats me to it.

"Your father and I are getting a divorce, dear."

Cassie didn't say much as I brought her back to her dorm. I tried my best to speak and try to get something out of her, but there was no hope. On second thought, I'd like to take her somewhere else.

An hour or so later, we pulled up onto a gravel road that led to my parents' graveyard. Cassie sends me a questioning look but still doesn't say anything. I take her hand into mine and lead her to the very back of the yard where my parents' headstones rest.

Annie Richards

Greg Richards

"It's been years since I've been here, and I thought the next time I visit I'd like to take you with me."

"Luca—"

"Please, let me finish."

She stares at me for a few seconds before slowly nodding, keeping a grip on my hand.

"I miss my parents every single day. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about them or think about the what ifs, but we can't always do that. Sometimes things happen, terrible shitty things, but we have to learn how to move on from it," I bring her hand to my mouth and brush my lips against it, kissing it gently. "I'm sorry about your parents, Cassie. It sucks, but I will always be here for you. My parents once told me that I will find someone who I will love more than myself and to hold on to them until the day I die. That's what I plan on doing."

"Forever?" She smiles with a tear falling down her cheek.

Is that even a question?

I whisper back. "Forever."

"Your parents would be so proud of you," she says into my ear as she wraps her arms around my neck.

"They would be proud of the girl who I plan on marrying."

Her eyes filled with tears. "Is that me?"

I rubbed the bottom of her lip with my thumb, slowly running it along her jawline.

"The world deserves someone like you, Cassie. It's always been you."

• • •

And that's the end. ❤️

This is my first book baby, I love Luca and Cassie so much. If you don't know, this was originally a novella for a contest here on Wattpad.. it was so much fun writing their story.

I hope you enjoyed.

Don't forget to vote and comment. ❤️