Epilouge

"I remember practicing how to ask you out in the mirror..." He said with a shy smile, trying to gauge my reaction

A grin overtook my firm line as I stared into his twinkling eyes.

"What took you so long?" I whispered in his ear. His breath hitched as he drummed his long fingers quickly on the table.

"You friend-zoned me like a million times." I scoffed, sitting on the spot next to him. "Every time I breathed you called me your best friend and I lost all nerve."

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to, but to be fair I never thought I would stand a chance. I never let myself feel anything more than platonic for you because I couldn't get my hopes up." I confessed.

Confessions. I've been doing a lot of those lately. That night almost three months ago I told him everything. And I mean everything. He was understanding and we're working on trusting each other.

Jace has been away all summer for some program at Georgetown, but we made it work. Some weekends I would drive up there and we would roam D.C. in the night and eat at fancy restaurants that I could never afford. We were good. Healthy. Beautiful.

So much so that when he got back weeks ago, Jace insisted on meeting my parents. And my dumbass took him over the house that day. Suffice to say, it didn't go well.

At least for my dad. The rest of the family loved him. Brielle and my mom took turns asking a billion questions and Jace answered them with the charming nervousness that made me fall for him in the first place. My father sat on the couch glaring at the Family Feud reruns.

We made it back to my house this week when I insisted on showing him my favorite Tyler Perry movies. Brielle walked into the living room seemingly out of nowhere and gaped at Jace.

"Hey, Bri-"

"Why didn't you tell me he was coming over?" She interrupted, pointing to Jace.

"Why would it matter?"

"Scar, I'm wearing sweats and a tank top." I rolled my eyes. What does she need to look good around him for? He's my boyfriend.

Yeah, that's right I said it. Boyfriend.

He bought me a heart-shaped pizza and left it at my doorstep the day after we met up at Barnes and Noble, I was sold. It was adorable and delicious, my favorite combination.

"I still don't see the problem," I muttered dryly.

Brielle stalked back upstairs before yelling down. "I'm going out with Tia tonight!"

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" I screamed back. Tia was her new girlfriend. She was gorgeous and light-skinned with the most beautiful box braids I've ever seen. Brielle took her over the house last week and introduced her to Mom and me while Dad was out. We've been doing a lot of things without Dad recently.

I looked back at Jace. My Jace. My kind, beautiful-

"What are you thinking about?" Jace asked, noticing my stare.

"You." He blushed.

"Me?" I nodded. "Why?"

"Because there's no place I'd rather be."

"You're really fucking cheesy."

"I get it from you," He chuckled and I thought about something. Something I probably shouldn't be thinking about. "Whatever happened to that girl from the zoo?"

"Actually, funny thing," he paused. "She was my cousin."

"Are you serious?" I shrieked. "I was jealous of your cousin. What kind of Alabama shit are you guys on?"

"No- I was going to tell you, but she knew I liked you and said that she'd flirt with me to make you jealous."

"Mission accomplished. I was jealous, I mean I didn't know it, but then again I was spying on you from behind a pretzel cart."

"Just like you spied on that girl talking to me outside the Nike store."

"I didn't think you saw that," I mumbled.

"We were really oblivious, weren't we?" I sighed and nodded. "You more than me, obviously." He added causing me to slap him in the shoulder.

"But in the end, we got it right."

"Yeah, we did," We grew quiet as he held my hand.

"Scarlett?"

"Mhm."

"After everything, do you still regret it?" I thought for a moment before shaking my head. "Why?"

"Because then this wouldn't have been our story," I said. "And I really like our story."

"I don't regret it either."

I was wrong about a lot of things on the way to this. I was wrong about Jace, my family, and myself. When he asked if I regretted it I put a lot of things into consideration. Our story wouldn't have been our story if I didn't lie that day. And I really fucking loved our story.

I don't know what will happen to us in the future. Maybe we'll split up after high school or succumb to the pressures of college. We could be high school sweethearts doomed to an inevitable divorce or stay together forever. Maybe we'll fall out of love and end up hating each other.

But no matter what happens to us, I'll never forget Jace Matthew Kingston. He'll never be a regret.

It was twenty minutes into the movie that we had paused five minutes in.

"You forget that I've seen you smash a cake on your face because of a dare," I recalled remembering the first time we hung out with Carter and the boys as a couple. It was a very interesting night in Carter's huge basement, to say the least.

"I remember you begging to lick the frosting off my face without being dared to."

"And your dumbass let me do it," I say fondly. "Vanilla never tasted so good!"

"That's-"

His words were cut off by three sharp knocks at the door. I stood up from the couch and opened the door, forgetting that it could be a serial killer.

"Scar?" Destiny.

Standing outside my house, the first time I've seen her since school ended. Now here she was wearing sweatpants and a ratty t-shirt. In public. The Destiny I know would never do something like that.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, all humor leaving my voice.

"Can we talk?"

"We are talking."

"I meant outside." I rolled my eyes and was about to shut the door when Brielle came down the stairs humming a song. She stops with a straight face when she sees Destiny.

"What's this bitch doing here? Don't tell me you went back to her after she fucked you over!"

"I didn't go anywhere Bri. She just showed up."

"She's not welcome in this house." Brielle narrowed her eyes.

"We're going outside," I said, finished with this conversation. "Leave the door unlocked."

"My eyes are on you!" Destiny nodded. She was surprisingly quiet throughout the whole exchange.

We walked outside, the August sun beating down on us. Her eyes were on the street in front of us as we stood on my porch. She hadn't said anything yet and I was growing impatient. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry Scar. I shouldn't have told Jace or talked to Jasper about you or yelled at you at that party."

Destiny never apologizes. I didn't even know she knew they existed.

"Sorry doesn't cut it. You fucked up the one good thing in my life."

"If Jace was the one good thing in your life then our friendship must've not meant enough to you as it did for me." I stood, mouth opened in shock. She couldn't be remorseful for five seconds after everything I did for her ungrateful ass.

"You know what Destiny," I started. "Our friendship was shit. Always was. You made me feel like shit every single day. It was like I was created to be your background character in the Destiny show.

"You were a massive bitch to everybody including me. And you talked shit about me to Jasper of all people. Our friendship meant the world to me because I settled-"

"You settled?"

"Yeah, bitch. I settled for you. Your ignorance and superficial shit that I didn't need in my life. Our friendship was toxic. You made me toxic. Believe that I had to change myself to get a guy to like me."

"No, I told you that shit you did with Jace was stupid! I said to be yourself and you ignored me."

"You're right, but when I looked at who I thought he would see me as the first person I thought of was you. I believed living in the city made me a girl like you-"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"A pathetic insecure scared little girl who hates the idea of anybody being better than them so they destroy others to make them just as weak as her," She opens her mouth to speak but no words come out. I've rendered Destiny speechless. "And you know what, I'm done being weak. I love myself and that's all that matters."

I'm waiting for a comeback. An insult. A million words thrown at me until I'm reduced to nothing. No, she doesn't have that power over me. Not anymore.

Finally, she takes a shaky breath and meets my eyes. "You're right, Scarlett. About everything. Jasper dumped me."

The satisfaction I thought I would have didn't come. I was sad for her. She really believed they were in love. So, I push the 'i told you so' to the back of my mind.

"I'm sorry about Jasper. What happened?" And she told me the story. She went to Jasper's house and caught him with another girl. He didn't apologize or beg for her to stay and instead said coldly, 'we're done.' She cried into his arms but he dropped her and left her crumpled on the floor.

Apparently, Jace was the one that found her. I tried to mask my surprise when she told me that, but she gave a stiff laugh and said. "Yeah, I was surprised he'd want anything to do with him after I fucked up y'all friendship."

"It wasn't entirely your fault. You just speeded up the process but it would've had the same ending. But I also have to thank you, we're stronger now because of everything that happened."

"You're too nice. I would've banked you," We laugh quietly at that because I know she's not joking.

"Yeah well, we're different people."

"No shit," She says. "I'm a horrible person." She takes a seat on the steps and I crouch down beside her.

"There's some good left in you. Horrible people wouldn't say that they're horrible people."

"I guess you're right," She moved her hands and I could see the tears welling up. "I came here to apologize and the only thing I've done is make you throw me a pity party."

"This isn't a pity party," I correct. "I'm still pissed at you for all the shit you pulled. Believing Jasper over me. Blaming me for ruining a party because a girl was about to be raped."

She averts her eyes at the last part. "I had an error in judgment. And I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it," I'm not going to let her erase everything that happened. She did too much damage for me to just forgive and forget.

"I know sorry doesn't cut it," She says frustrated. "But it's all I have, Scar."

"I can't just forgive and forget Destiny so if you came here to rekindle the friendship the fire's already been burned out." I get up, ready to go back inside and cuddle up with Jace on the couch when she grabs my arm.

"I think you'll be happy to hear that I've been talking to Kayden," My eyes nearly fell out of their sockets at this new information. "It's not a relationship, but it's a friendship. A really good one."

"That's really good for you Des. Kayden's a really good guy."

She sighs. "Yeah, too good for me."

"Hey, hey, don't say that," I warned. "Nobody's too good for you besides like Harry Styles or someone like that."

"I'm really glad you found your white boy. If anyone deserves an epic movie love story it's you."

"I think everybody deserves one." She nodded before standing up, stretching her arms and legs.

"I think it's time for me to head out." I sighed as she started walking down the stairs.

"Des!" I called out. She turned halfway down the fourth step, her eyes glistening. "Don't be a stranger."

She showed a sliver of a smile, shaking her head. "Good luck Scarlett."

I didn't know what to say so I didn't say anything at all. I watched as she got into her car and drove away into the night. She didn't look back for a final wave or goodbye and I wasn't expecting her to. That wasn't Destiny.

I was content. It felt like I got the closure I've been aching for since that night at the party. I could never be her friend again not after everything that happened. There's just some shit you can't forget. But I don't want to spend my whole life resenting her. We made progress tonight. When we're seniors maybe we'll talk in the hallways or smile from across the lunchroom. Destiny and I will always be connected. But it'll be different. We just want the best for each other even if that means not being with each other.

I walked back into the house to find Brielle and Jace sitting on the couch watching Just Wright. Jace was sitting crisscross watching as Leslie and Scott met at the gas station while Brielle was casually leaning her arm against the armrest, scrolling through her phone.

I wasted no time squeezing between the two, surprising both of them who were too busy to notice me walk in the house.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Jace asked, absentmindedly. His eyes glued to the screen. I reached over and grabbed the remote from the coffee table where it was sitting next to Jace's phone and paused the movie.

"Now, is your attention on me?" He tore his eyes away from the TV to grab my hand and kiss it before turning to face me.

"Yes, it's all you, baby."

"I think I got closure. It was weird. She apologized for everything, but every mean thing she's ever said to me was replaying in my mind. I couldn't forgive her, not yet."

"And that's okay," He reassured me. "You don't have to forgive her."

"I know. I know. But... shit Jace," I let out a breath of relief. "It felt so fucking good to get everything off my chest."

Jace surprised me by pulling me into a hug. "You know I'm really proud of you." He whispered in my ear.

"You two are disgusting," Brielle muttered, standing up. I forgot she was even here. "Okay, I'm out!" She shoved her phone in her pocket before walking out the door, slamming it with a bang.

I paused the movie and snuggled up closer to Jace. "Fuck, I don't know how I didn't notice before."

"We already established that you're oblivious," He said jokingly.

"But you were right there in front of me. I always said that if I ever got my love story that I would know," I said, sitting up. "So, why didn't I know about you?"

He shrugged. "Because this isn't something you can control or plan. This isn't a movie."

I didn't respond but I knew he was right because this, what I have with Jace. It was nothing like what I expected a relationship to be. We weren't all over each other and we didn't have to say I love you to prove that we were in love.

We showed it. The way he knew my ice cream order without me having to tell him. How I was the only one who knew the difference between him and Jasper. Jace was the person who knew what I wanted before I knew it. We listened to each other, good and bad and we made each other better.

And we have our problems sure. He's more reserved than I am, a result of how I grew up. He never watched a single Tyler Perry movie. We clashed, our cultural differences made it hard, but we were both willing to learn.

But suddenly all the love songs were about him. Every movie I watched, his face popped into my brain. We are connected and that is something that will never change.

I didn't plan for this to happen. He was new and different and exciting. Unexplainable. He was nothing I ever wanted and everything I ever needed. And at this moment I knew that I could write a million love letters about this boy and never run out of things to say.

Because we're Jace and Scarlett.

And fuck, we are so much better than the movies.