Epilogue

Better Than Revenge

Epilogue

“I’m warning you right now, Soph,” Christian said when the car stopped in front of a nice-looking Suburban house. “My mom is a bit… well… she’s a bit of a whacko.”

“I remember you said something along those lines in that voicemail,” I said with a snicker. “You said she was kind of scary.”

He looked at me in surprise. “You remember what I said?”

My face turned a bit red. “Why? You don’t?”

“No, I remember it, of course,” he said slowly. “I went over it enough times in my head, after all, because I was pretty sure I’d just made a total fool of myself.”

I laughed and said, “Well, I might have listened to it a few times…”

“A few times?”

“Yeah…” I trailed off. “Only enough to memorize it. Psh.”

He laughed and reached over, squeezing my hand. “Alright. Whatever you say. I’m serious, though. My mom is kind of scary.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure you’re exaggerating. Now come on! Unless you don’t want me to meet her, of course.”

He protested immediately, saying, “No, of course I want you to meet her! I’m just warning you! She’ll be even crazier than usual with you, I bet.”

“Why?”

He shrugged nervously. “You’re the first girl I’ve brought home… and I’m hoping the only one I’ll ever have to bring home. She’s already really excited.”

He looked really embarrassed about what he had just said, so I chose to ignore that part of his statement. “I think I can deal with a little nuttiness. Come on!”

I exited the car and skipped to the front door. Christian caught up to me in no time, shaking my head. “You make it hard to be a gentleman, Soapy! You never let me open your door!”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not going to sit there and wait for you to get out and come open my door when I can move my arm about two inches and open it myself.”

“Still,” he grumbled.

He stopped complaining when the door swung open and a tall, slim and beautiful woman stood there. Her hair was styled in unruly curls and she wore an outfit that didn’t match at all but she somehow managed to pull it off. Her bright, emerald green eyes were ridiculously similar to Christian’s and they were wide with awe. Her mouth tilted upwards into a huge smile and she reached out to hug me. Squeezing me until oxygen seemed like a far away dream, she exclaimed, “Oh, it’s so nice to finally meet you! Oh! You are so beautiful! Oh!”

I choked out a reply that sounded rather incoherent. In my defense, I couldn’t breathe.

“Oh! I’m so sorry! I’m not letting you breathe, am I?” She laughed loudly, releasing me. I took in a huge breath, smiling weakly at her. “Come in! Come in!”

I only managed to take one step forward when she gasped.

“Oh, Christian! Oh, my little boy! You’ve grown up so much since I last saw you!” She reached forward and pulled him towards her.

“Mom, you saw me two weeks ago,” Christian reminded her.

“I know,” she said, patting his back. “I was just trying to make it more dramatic for our guest here. Play along, will you?”

I laughed in disbelief. She was just as wacky as Christian had told me.

When she finally released Christian, he introduced her to me. “Soph, this is Chelsea Ryder… my mom. But I’m sure she’ll insist that you call her Chelsea, so you might as well start now.” When she wasn’t looking, he mouthed to me, ‘I’m so sorry.’

I just laughed and ignored his last little comment, instead saying, “Well, I’m Sophia Hastings.”

“I was getting to that!”

“You were too slow.”

Chelsea ignored us, instead exclaiming, “Oh, Sophia, I already know who you are! How could I not? But really, come in, come in! I have dinner prepared!”

“You do?” Christian asked, surprise etched on his face.

“No… I ordered pizza.”

I laughed and said, “Well, it’s the thought that counts.”

“Yes!” she exclaimed wildly. “Exactly! Finally someone who understands!”

“Let’s go in,” Christian said quickly, placing a hand on my waist and urging me forward.

“Oh, of course!” Chelsea followed Christian and me inside. “How rude of me. I’m sorry, Sophia. I usually have more manners than this.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Christian muttered, so quietly only I could hear.

Christian led the way to the dining room and we sat down. Christian took the seat next to me and Chelsea sat in front of me.

Chelsea had at least laid out the pizzas on the table for us, so as soon as we sat down, Christian dug in.

“You’re so fat,” I commented, looking at him in disgust. “Do you have any self control?”

“I’m hungry,” he said simply, devouring a slice in two bites.

I just shook my head at him, grabbing a slice for myself.

“You’re so fat,” he commented with a smirk. “Do you have any self control?”

I made a face at him. “Oh, haha, you’re so funny! Not.”

He just laughed and took another bite of his pizza.

“Christian, be nicer to your girlfriend,” Chelsea scolded. “Just because you finally got her to accept you doesn’t mean you get to slack off!”

“I’m not slacking off!” He shook his head. “This is how we work, mom.”

“Yeah, it’s how we roll,” I added, snickering at my choice of words.

“Still! You worked so hard to get her to say yes! Don’t screw it up!”

“Oh, that’s right,” I said with a laugh. “You helped Christian when he was trying to get me to forgive him and all.”

“I did.” She grinned proudly. “Christian came to me, completely distraught, and said he didn’t know what to do. He said to me, “Mom, I think I’m in love, but I screwed up and she hates me and I kind of hate myself right now!” So I smacked him and told him to calm down first. Then I had him talk it out and tell me what happened.”

I covered my mouth to suppress my laughter. I knew this probably wasn’t something I was supposed to laugh at, but it was quite amusing.

“I didn’t say that,” Christian muttered to me. “At least, I don’t think I did… I hope I didn’t…”

“I wouldn’t have helped him if I hadn’t believed him, though,” Chelsea continued, completely oblivious to Christian’s comment. “He’s had a lot of girlfriends, as you know, but he had never come to me for help. That was how I knew that he was being real. Oh! And he was crying.” She nodded quickly.

I raised an eyebrow, turning to face Christian. “You were crying?”

Christian turned beet red. “Mom, I was not crying. I wasn’t crying, Soph.”

I just snickered.

“I wasn’t! I’m a man, Soph! I didn’t cry!”

I fought a smile. “Really? That’s too bad. I, personally, think that only real men cry.”

“I cried.”

“He did cry.” Chelsea nodded again. “Oh! You know, you’re the first girl he’s ever brought home, too! And I’m sorry if I seem a little excited! It’s just that Christian is my only child, and the only family I’ve got! Don’t tell my sister I said that,” she added to me, giving me a wide-eyed look. “She’d kill me. I was supposed to go shopping with her last weekend… ooh.”

“Er… I won’t tell her,” I assured her.

Chelsea prattled on about her sister and several other random topics while we ate. When she was finished eating, she jumped up and shouted, “Oh! The baby albums! I have to show you the baby albums! Christian had the cutest, chubbiest little cheeks!” She turned and ran upstairs.

“Oh, God, mom, no!” Christian jumped up and ran after her.

“I’ve never had one of your girlfriends over, Christian!” she screamed, and she was being so loud, I could hear her perfectly from where I sat downstairs. “This is your fault! I’m just going with what I saw in the movies!”

“Mom!”

I just sat there laughing. I was enjoying this so, so much.

Christian chased his mom around the house, trying to stop her from finding the baby pictures. I didn’t understand how she managed to elude him for so long. In the end, she actually won. She found the baby pictures and marched downstairs triumphantly, threatening to show me “The Picture” if he tried to take the photo album from her.

I was dying to know what “The Picture” was, but I figured it was best not to ask.

Chelsea sat down next to me and started flipping through the photo album. “There’s newborn Christian. There is Christian when we got home from the hospital. This is Christian drinking his first bottle. This is me changing Christian’s first diaper all by myself. This is Christian sleeping in his old crib. This is Christian sleeping in his new crib. This is Christian taking his first bath.”

I kept exclaiming, “Aww!” every time she flipped the page.

Christian just sulked at the edge of the couch.

“This is Christian and my sister. This is Christian with his favorite toy. This is Christian at his first birthday party.”

“Chrissy, you were so cute,” I said, looking over at Christian. “What happened?”

He just rolled his eyes.

“You don’t think my son is cute?” Chelsea teased.

“Mmm…” I pretended to think about it. Christian started to look genuinely offended so I cut him a break. It was bad enough that he had to sit here as his mom showed me his baby pictures. “I’m kidding. I think he’s adorable.”

He wrinkled his nose. “I don’t want to be ‘adorable’, Soph.”

“Then what do you want to be?” I asked in exasperation.

“Sexy, hot, handsome,” he listed off. “Just to name a few.”

“I’m going to go make myself some coffee,” Chelsea announced, standing up. “I’m a cool mom, I think, but I still don’t want to sit here and watch you two.”

Christian looked relieved when she left. He slid closer to me and said, “Well? I’m waiting.”

I grinned over at him. “Fine! Geez. I… think you’re sexy.”

“Really now?” he asked with a smile, leaning closer to me.

“Really,” I replied, closing the distance between us.

When we pulled away for air, Christian added, “Just for the record… I think you’re sexy, too.”

“Good.”

We were about to lean in again when Chelsea reappeared. “You guys can keep going, but I think we all know that’d be awkward!”

I laughed and agreed. “It would be. That can wait.”

She smiled and sat on the recliner in front of the leather couch Christian and I were sitting on.

I laid back and rested my head on Christian’s chest, just relaxing for a bit. We didn’t say anything. We just reveled in the quiet.

Well, we didn’t say anything until Chelsea broke the silence all of a sudden, screaming at me, “Random questions, okay? Go, go, go!”

“Okay!” I shouted, sitting up. I accidentally elbowed Christian in my efforts to sit up since I was using him as a pillow, but I was okay with that.

He grumbled angrily, rubbing the spot I hit.

“Favorite color!” she screamed at me.

“Purple!” I screamed back.

“Favorite food!”

“Lobster!”

“Favorite band!” she shrieked.

“Paramore!” I shrieked back.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I don’t know why I’m screaming!” Chelsea laughed. “I’ll speak normally now. What is your favorite movie of all time and why?”

I laughed nervously. I don’t know why you’re screaming either! I thought to myself. “Um. The Dark Knight because a) it shows that you don’t have to be bitten by spiders or have to be in some freak accident to be a hero, b) it just has an amazing plot overall, and c) Christian Bale is hot.”

Christian looked over at me in surprise. “I’m offended.”

“You can’t compete with Christian Bale, Chrissy.”

“Oh, so you don’t think I’m hot, but you think Christian Bale is? Bastard stole my name, too,” Christian muttered in contempt. “This is ridiculous.”

I just laughed and rolled my eyes. “Christian, I said you were sexy before, didn’t I?”

“Well, yeah, but—”

“Then quit complaining!”

Chelsea completely ignored our banter, too engrossed in dreaming up these questions. She was getting too into this. “If you could have—”

“Mom!” Christian yelled, throwing her a look. It seemed he already knew what she was going to ask.

“Oh, fine!” Chelsea rolled her eyes. “You are such a bore, Christian! What is your favorite plant, Sophia? Is that question safe enough for you, Christian?”

Christian just grumbled his reply.

I gave her a weird look. “I don’t have a favorite plant…”

“Well, then what is your favorite tree?”

I opened my mouth before closing it abruptly. “I don’t think I have a favorite tree, either.”

“You are so strange. Who doesn’t have a favorite plant or tree?” Chelsea shook her head. “What is your favorite flower?”

I was the strange one? I almost laughed out loud when she said that. Instead, however, I just answered her question. “The lily.”

“What is your favorite quote?”

I looked at Christian as I answered, a small smile playing on my lips. “‘Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.’ Bruce Lee.”

Chelsea looked like she wanted to make some sort of comment, but surprisingly managed to restrain herself. I had only known her for a day, but she had one of those personalities that just leapt out at you.

Christian just smiled at me in return.

“Before I start crying, what is your favorite season?” She dabbed at the non-existent tears at the corner of her eyes.

“Summer,” I replied immediately. “I love hot weather.”

She just nodded. “What was your favorite game to play as a child?”

“Cavalry,” I said, suppressing my laughter when I saw the look on Christian’s face.

“Cavalry?” he repeated incredulously. “What kind of children’s game is that?”

“It was fun!” I exclaimed in my defense. “I’d play it with my friends at school. There would be a commanding officer, like a colonel, the colonel’s kids, and then the hot young officer."

Christian just gave me a look, like he couldn’t believe this was my idea of fun as a child.

“Oh, and sometimes, we’d be nice enough to let my friend Amanda’s little brother play, but we always made him the captive that got tied up and tortured.”

Even Chelsea looked at me in surprise when I said this.

“We didn’t really torture him!” I quickly said. “It was just a game.”

“What have I gotten myself into?” Christian muttered to himself. I was offended at first, but he shot me a grin and pulled me into his lap.

“Watch it, Ryder, or we’ll play Cavalry, and guess who’s going to play the captive?”

He raised his hands in defeat. “I didn’t say anything.”

“One last question,” Chelsea suddenly blurted out. “Sophia, what is your favorite word? Just one. One word in the whole dictionary that stands out to you.”

It didn’t take me long to think of an answer. With a small smirk, I said, “Revenge.”

.....

THE END.

***

Um, alright! Quick cheesy speech! (Come on, guys, you knew it was coming!)

I have to make a speech. I just have to. Just imagine this as one of those moments where the person wins an award and they're like, "Oh, this is so unexpected!" And then proceed to take out this huge prewritten speech. xD

Although this is nothing like that...

OKAY NEVER MIND.

Moving onto my speech!

I just wanted to thank all of you, really. Although writing is something I do for myself, simply because I love it... posting this story on to Wattpad was an amazing choice. You all are absolutely amazing, seriously. There are some of you who have stuck with this story since I started it, some who have commented on every chapter without fail, some who have just supported me greatly.

I just want you to know how much each and every read, comment and vote means to me. I don't care about being on the What's Hot list. Not really. I'm sure it's nice to be #1 on the list and it'd be nice to reach it someday, but with fans like you guys... psh, who needs the list? Your support and your sweet and funny comments are more than enough for me.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story from beginning to end! You guys have actually evolved, too, not just Sophia and Christian. You went from hating Sophia and hating Christian to loving Sophia and hating Christian, and then hating Sophia again and loving Christian, and now I'm assuming you love them both. (I don't think that made any sense...)

I'm gonna miss this story! I really am. But I'm sure it'll be a pretty proud feeling when I get to mark this story as "completed" (even though I still have a shit load of editing to do xD).

Basically... THANK YOU EVERYONE. I love you all! I seriously do! I'm a very lovey person. =)

:D

***

I FIXED IT! Those who read the original epilogue probably know what I'm talking about!