Chapter 39

What happens now?

One Year Later

I never thought this day would come.

These past four years have been filled with so many fun and unforgettable moments, but I've also faced some hard times, and seriously considered quitting more than once.

But, here I am, graduating from Redfield University, surrounded by my best friends.

I glance at them as we line up, ready to walk onto the stage. Madi's fidgeting with her gown, and breathes out a sigh. "Are you guys nervous?" she asks.

"Nah," I reply with a smirk. "I'm so excited to get out of here."

They let out a soft laugh, but Rosie purses her lips. "I really loved the past four years," she admits. "I love who I've become here." Her brows furrow as she looks between us. "I'm really going to miss you guys."

My eyes burn, but I blink it away, my lips curling into a smile. "I'm going to miss you guys too," I tell them. "You've become more than just friends," I admit, swallowing hard as their eyes turn to me. "You're my sisters."

Rosie's eyes well with tears. "I'm going to cry," she says, her voice cracking.

"Rosie, don't… Fuck," Leila groans. "Now I think I'm going to cry."

I chuckle. "If Aiden heard that, he'd race over here."

"Funny," Leila says, narrowing her teary eyes at me.

"You think I'm kidding?" I ask, arching an eyebrow. "That guy is totally whipped for you."

She rolls her eyes, knowing it's true. "Like you can talk. Chris would die before he ever let you cry."

I purse my lips together. He's seen me cry more times than I can count. He's seen every part of me—the ugly, broken mess—and he always managed to pull me out of the darkness. But I could see how much it hurt him, how it killed him to see me like that and how powerless he felt.

The truth is, Chris didn't have to do anything. Just being there was enough. All I ever needed was him beside me, holding me, playing me his new favorite song, loving me.

When he left all those years ago, I thought my world would end. Without my lifeboat, I felt like I was sinking.

But here we are. Five years later.

Together.

Finally.

I look up, spotting him standing in line, running a hand through his hair nervously. I wish I could have been there beside him, holding his hand. After all, he transferred schools just to be closer to me.

"Christopher Hudson," the announcer calls.

He lifts his head, and a smile spreads across my face as I watch him step confidently onto the stage to receive his diploma. The girls and I stand, clapping as he walks across the stage, and I whoop, shouting his name.

He turns towards me, his face lighting up with a grin. He reaches down and touches the tattoo on his wrist. I mirror the gesture, our eyes locking. I silently mouth ‘I love you.'

His smile sends my heart somersaulting, and he mouths back, ‘I love you too,' before walking off the stage.

"Someone fix my cap," Leila grumbles. "It keeps getting in my eye."

Rosie chuckles and reaches over to adjust Leila's cap, tucking the string behind her ear.

"Rosalie Whitton."

Her eyes widen, and she freezes. "Oh crap. That's me."

"Go," we all encourage her, and she finally remembers how to move her feet, walking onto the stage, her white heels clanking on the ground.

I turn my head at the sound of a whistle, spotting Grayson clapping and grinning up at his girlfriend. I wasn't the biggest fan of him initially, especially after what happened between him and Rosie. But seeing how much he adores her—and all the candy he's bribed me with—I can't help but smile. It's clear how much he worships my best friend.

She deserves that.

Rosie deserves to be happy, loved, and treated like his angel.

"Leila Perez," they call out.

Leila flicks her hair behind her shoulder and strides onto the stage, her long, golden legs visible beneath her gown as she collects her diploma. She turns her head towards the crowd just as Aiden starts clapping, cupping his mouth to whoop.

"That's my girl!" he shouts proudly. "That's my fucking girl up there!"

People glance back at him with a mix of surprise and amusement, but Aiden doesn't give a shit. He'd proudly proclaim Leila as his from the highest mountaintop.

Leila beams, unable to contain her smile as she locks eyes with Aiden. He shakes his head in awe of her, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"I'm nervous," Madeline says, chewing on her bottom lip.

"Why?" I raise an eyebrow. "You just walk up there, grab your diploma, and walk off."

Madi shoots me a glare. "What if I trip? Or my dress flies up? Or—"

"None of that will happen," I assure her with a laugh. "You're overthinking it. Just focus on Lucas when you get up there, and everything else will go smoothly."

She scans the crowd for Lucas, and visibly relaxes when she spots him, a soft smile spreading across her face.

I sigh, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. "What will you do without me?"

She meets my gaze, laughter twinkling in her eyes. "I honestly don't know." She swallows hard. "I'm going to miss you like crazy."

My throat tightens, and I manage a smile, trying to push down the emotions threatening to surface. "I thought you were going to say you'd finally have peace and quiet."

Madi shakes her head, smiling. "Quiet is overrated."

I blink in surprise. "It is?"

She nods, her smile widening. "I miss your loud music, your funny jokes, and even your late-night drunken rambles."

I chuckle, remembering our time together over the last few years. Sure, we might have gotten on each other's nerves a little sometimes, but I'm really going to miss her.

I open my arms and pull her into a hug, which makes Madi gasp playfully. We're not really huggers, and Madeline hates physical affection unless it's from Lucas. So I give her a quick pat on the back before we awkwardly part.

"Well, that was weird," she says.

"I agree. Let's never do that again."

She nods, letting out a chuckle. "Deal."

"Madeline Davis."

She turns to me, eyes wide with nerves. I give her a reassuring smile. "Go. You've got this," I whisper, trying to calm her nerves.

She nods, takes a deep breath, and turns towards the stage. Madeline reaches the center, accepts her diploma with a smile, and then scans across the crowd. Her eyes light up when she spots Lucas quietly clapping and smiling up at her.

He doesn't make noise like the other guys, but his expression says it all. Their love is quiet and pure, and so amazing to witness.

A smile spreads across Madeline's face as she locks eyes with Lucas, the tension melting away, and walks off the stage, gracefully.

"Gabriella Miller."

I put on a smile and step onto the stage. Honestly, I thought Madeline was being silly worrying about tripping, but now it's all I can think about.

Please, for the love of all that is holy in the world, don't let me fall.

"Yeah!"

I turn my head to see James standing, clapping and whooping. I laugh and shoot him a wink, before accepting my diploma before I walk off the stage to join the girls and Chris, who immediately intertwines his fingers with mine.

I turn my head, and Chris presses his lips to mine in a soft kiss.

Four years ago, I was miserable. Lost in alcohol and partying, desperately trying to forget how alone I felt.

And now here I am, happier than ever with the love of my life standing beside me.

He pulls back, holding my face and smiling down at me. "We did it," he says.

I let out a laugh. "Yeah. We're finally out of here."

"Hey," Rosie interjects, narrowing her eyes. "We all had amazing memories here."

My shoulders drop, knowing she's right. Even if I had some tough times, and felt a little lost in the beginning, I loved my time here. I loved meeting these girls and spending the last four years with them.

"I agree," Madeline says with a sigh, glancing up at Lucas. "It's where I met the love of my life."

He smiles and leans down to kiss her.

I blink. "Oh hey. I just witnessed that without gagging," I joke, grinning at Madi. "I think I deserve a medal."

She laughs, shaking her head. "I'm going to miss you."

"Me too," I admit, the air growing quiet as we all glance at each other. "What do we do now?"

"We live our lives," Aiden says with a shrug, wrapping his arm around Leila's shoulder. "I'll play some ball, marry this girl, put a baby in her…"

"Excuse me?" Leila interrupts, raising an eyebrow at him.

Aiden grins down at her. "Yes, gorgeous?"

"When did we discuss this?" she asks.

Aiden shrugs, adjusting his cap. "I've been thinking about it a lot," he confesses.

Leila's eyes widen in surprise, and I bite my lip, finding the situation amusing. "And you didn't think to clue me in on these plans?"

Aiden chuckles, shaking his head. "Of course I did. But I can't tell you everything ," he teases. "I have to keep your proposal a surprise."

Leila's eyes widen even more. "Proposal?"

"Someday," he murmurs, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "When you least expect it."

Her eyes flutter closed at his kiss, and they pull back, a smile spreading across her face. "What if I say no?"

We all exchange glances, smirks forming on our faces. There's no doubt in anyone's mind that she won't say no. Those two are meant to be together.

I should know.

After all, I'm with my soulmate.

Aiden grins, and I swear their teasing is their own kind of foreplay. "Then I'll keep asking until I turn it into a yes," he tells her.

"And you think that will work?"

Aiden nods confidently, kissing her again. "It did before."

Leila's smile brightens, and I know she'll say yes whenever he asks, even if that day happens to be tomorrow.

"Anyone else making any life-changing decisions?" Grayson asks.

I bite my lip, glancing at Chris, who meets my eyes and nods. "I'm moving to New York," I announce.

"You are?" Madi asks, raising her eyebrows in surprise, joined by Rosie and Leila. Only Chris knows, as I found out just a week ago.

I nod, unable to suppress the smile spreading across my face. "I received the acceptance letter from my dream dance school last week."

"Wow," Rosie says, her eyes lighting up. "That's amazing. So, I guess we'll be close by, then."

Grayson shakes his head, running a hand through his hair. "Just when I thought we'd finally got rid of you," he teases with a smirk.

"Don't worry," I reply, pressing my lips together in amusement. "I'll be right there to annoy you."

Grayson sighs dramatically, turning to Rosie. "Are you sure about New York, angel?" he asks, his tone teasing. "We could go anywhere else. Paris is far."

Rosie laughs, knowing he's joking, and leans back into him. His arms wrap around her waist, and he drops a kiss onto her blonde hair, closing his eyes with a smile.

"Are you going to New York with her?" Madi asks, glancing at Chris.

Aiden scoffs and shakes his head. "Dumb question. That guy will go anywhere with her."

Chris doesn't hesitate to confirm. He lifts our intertwined hands and wraps his arm around my shoulder, smiling down at me. "I made the mistake of leaving her once, and it was the worst decision of my life. I'm never leaving her again," he says, his eyes locked with mine. "Wherever she wants to go, I'll be there."

I love him.

I love him so much I can't even put it into words.

All I want to do is jump into his arms and kiss the hell out of him because the emotions inside me are so overwhelming.

But since we're surrounded by our friends, I won't.

"I can't believe this is the end," Rosie says, her face falling into a frown as she swallows.

"It's school. It had to end sometime, angel," Grayson says, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

She sighs. "I know. But… I've had so much fun with you guys," she says.

We all nod, understanding exactly how Rosie feels.

Leila rolls her eyes, and opens her arms wide. "C'mon. Let's hug it out."

We gather around her, wrapping our arms around each other in a tight embrace.

"Wait for me!" James slides in beside me, and we make space, welcoming him into our group hug.

I close my eyes, feeling a wave of emotion welling up inside me. I blink back tears, trying to keep my composure.

Grayson clears his throat. "Can we join, or—"

"No," I reply, cutting him off.

He sighs, and I can't help but laugh as I pull back from the hug.

"Do you guys want to go to Murphy's?" I ask them. "One last time?"

They nod, returning to their boyfriends as we head toward the bar we loved to hang out at.

Chris squeezes my hand tighter, and I glance up at him. "We're finally here, pretty girl," he says with a smile.

"We are," I reply, thinking of all we've been through to get here. "So, what happens now?"

Chris stops, his hands cupping my face as he looks at me with his beautiful brown eyes. "I've loved you for half of my life, Gabi. And now I'm ready to love you for the rest of it."