Epilogue
Peach
Ordinary - Alex Warren
T en months later…
Breathe. Breathe, Peach. It's going to be okay. Only a few minutes left. In for four seconds. Out for four seconds… Wait, was it eight seconds out?
My thumbs and forefingers are hurting from how harshly I'm pressing them together…the Zen way. Kind of. I'm cross-legged on the floor of the office that Professor Lopez offered me as his assistant, my eyes closed.
Peace. Breathe. Peace.
I open one eye, checking the clock. Still ten minutes.
Fuck. Ten minutes?
"She's in here." I hear Ella's voice as the door opens.
Oh, that traitor. I told her not to tell anyone.
I snap both eyes open, ready to annihilate whoever dares to bother my peaceful time.
Wren walks in, wearing light denim jeans that hug him perfectly, and a gray t-shirt I want to rip off his beautiful muscles.
Ella leaves and closes the door behind her. Yes, she knows what's good for her.
"Trouble," he says carefully, looking around the room I destroyed a minute ago.
I'm not exactly known for being the most patient person. And the stress got to me. I might or might not have thrown my books everywhere, swiped off everything that was on my desk. Maybe broke a chair. I don't know. Maybe.
"What are you doing?" Wren asks, approaching calmly.
"Meditating," I answer innocently as I close my eyes again. "You're impeding on my peaceful meditation."
I feel him squat in front of me, and his hand is on my cheek next, so I open my eyes. "Peaceful?" He chuckles.
"Oh, shut up." I huff as I uncross my legs. He helps me stand up, grabs me by my hips, and sits me on my desk.
"Anxiety getting a bit much?"
"Why is there an exact time to hear back from them?" I snap. "Can't Lopez just…I don't know...ask earlier?"
"Trouble, you survived a bullet to the stomach, three weeks in the hospital, four months of recovery, and you can't survive a few more minutes of waiting to know if your article will be published in the Environmental Engineering American Journal?"
I nod sternly. "Exactly."
He shakes his head, laughing softly. His hand caresses my hip, and slowly he drags it down between my legs. "Can I help in any way?"
Pushing my hips forward, I relish the pressure on my clit. "I guess you can…" My eyes snap to the clock. "No more than six minutes, though."
He chuckles condescendingly against my cheek. "I can make you come in less than three, baby."
And then his hand slides under my summer dress, pushing my panties to the side.
"Especially when you're already wet," he adds. "Spread."
My legs automatically open, giving him better access. "Atta girl."
He pushes a finger inside me slowly. "Wren…" I pant, feeling my wetness double. "You're a fucking tease— Ah." I gasp when he pushes two fingers deep inside me, pulls away, then thrusts back in.
"What was that?"
"More," I moan, pushing my hips back and forth.
He wraps my long hair twice around his fist, thrusting until I can't breathe properly, and pulls my head back. "Look at me, hmm, so gorgeous. Do you want to come, Penelope baby?"
"Yes," I pant. "Y-yes…"
"Ask nicely." My heart kicks harder.
"Please, sir." I lick my lips, and his eyes catch it, making him smirk. "Please, sir, can I come?"
"Yes," he says tensely, just as he crashes his lips against mine. I whimper as my body shudders, pulsing around his fingers as he caresses my tongue with his.
I'm still catching my breath when my phone rings.
My eyes widen, going to Wren. "It's Lopez. Fuck, fuck!"
He takes my phone, answers, puts it on speaker, and gives it back to me.
"H-hi," I squeak.
" Hi, Penelope, how are you? "
I pause, breathe, and exhale. "Skip the small talk. I'm begging you."
He laughs softly, in that wise professor way. "Your article will be published in the next release. Next trimester."
Unable to process anything, I blink at the phone screen. "What?"
"You did it, baby," Wren says, making me look up at him. "On your way to that Nobel Prize."
I scream, a squeal that I know is Wren's favorite sound. Throwing my phone, I jump in my boyfriend's arms. He hugs me so tightly, I can't breathe, but I wrap my legs around his hips, my arms around his neck, and let him choke me from happiness.
By the time I'm looking at my phone again, Lopez has hung up, and I send him a text, thanking him for everything he helped me with.
"Pack your stuff," Wren says. “I'll bring the car around. People are waiting to celebrate."
"You…planned a party? What if I hadn't gotten published?"
"Please." He snorts. "I knew you would. I always believed in you." Kissing my lips briefly, he puts me down. "Even when you didn't believe in yourself."
"You don't need to bring the car. I can walk."
He shakes his head. "I'd rather you don't push yourself too much."
"Wren…it's been almost a year."
He smiles, petting my head. "I don't care. You wanted to be all brave and take a bullet for me? Now you put up with the consequences."
As he leaves the office, I turn around to pick up everything I threw on the floor earlier. My desk is almost as new when I hear the door open behind me.
"I'm ready—" I cut myself off when my mouth drops open.
In front of me stands a tall woman looking so much like me, I wonder if she's real for a few seconds. Her red hair is to her waist, like mine. She's taller, but we have the same body shape, on the skinnier side, rather straight than curvy. And our eyes… they're the exact same green. Except, like in the pictures I found of her, hers are empty of any life. It makes me shiver.
"Lana," I exhale, not believing my own eyes.
Wren told me about her. He told me everything he had learned. And while I have no desire to meet my biological dad, I’ve been looking for Lana Anderson…my older sister.
She approaches me slowly, like a hunter on prey rather than someone finally meeting her long-lost sister. Her dangerous aura makes me press myself against the desk.
She’s the definition of power. Wearing a black suit perfectly tailored, her eyes narrowed on me, her posture high and mighty.
"I heard you were looking for me."
I nod dumbly, incapable of uttering a single word.
"That stops now."
I gulp. "Wh-what? No. No. I… My name is Penelope. I'm Keith Anderson's second daughter. We're sisters." The word feels foreign on my tongue.
She cocks an eyebrow at me. "Oh, no," she says, voice low. She points at me. "You're Penelope Sanderson-Menacci, the little girl who was adopted by a loving couple. Who was given a chance at a normal life." She points to herself. "I'm Lucky, the one who was sent to a place traumatizing enough, I now kill people without a second thought."
Tilting her head to the side, she observes me. "So you're going to stop asking around for me. Stop looking for me."
The death in her tone makes my chest tighten with dread.
"See, Penelope, most people who look for me too closely, find me . And they don't live to tell the tale."
I flinch when she brings her hand to my face, my heart palpitating, and my blood freezing. All she does is pull strands of hair out of my mouth. I was chewing on it.
"Nasty habit," she says.
I swallow thickly, nodding because it feels like I should agree.
"You saw me now. Stop looking for me," she repeats. "You're an only child who has two amazing, loving fathers." She looked into me. She knows me, my life. That sends a wave of relief through my veins. "You don’t have to remember your mother being shot by the mafia. You don’t have to remember your father abandoning your little sister."
"Oh my god," I whisper. "Do you remember the day I was abandoned?"
She nods. "Of course. I was thirteen. Keith couldn’t live without his wife. Mainly, he was scared the same people who killed her would kill us. So he left you at the shelter, and he left me with the nuns. You got a good deal, Penelope. Believe me. Just enjoy the cards you've been dealt."
She turns her back to me, showing I'm no threat to her whatsoever, and walks slowly to the door.
Looking over her shoulder one last time, she says without an ounce of emotion, "Congratulations on your article."
And she's gone.
I stare at the door for another five minutes before Wren opens it. He knows something happened right away because there's no hiding anything from him.
"What's wrong? What is it?" he asks as he rushes to me.
"I just met my sister," I say, voice flat, still unable to believe it.
His hands come to my cheeks, forcing me to look up at him. "Lucky? Are you okay? Did she hurt you? Trouble, she's dangerous."
Smiling at him, I shake my head. "She's amazing."
His face falls. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm sure," I repeat. "And now I know where I get my badassery from."
He throws his head back, laughing at my craziness. "I love you."
We celebrate my success at Wren's campus house for hours. My dads are here, and some journalists took a few pictures for the Stoneview press. Mayor's daughter published in prestigious science journal.
Our friends are here, too. Alex and Xi, Ella and Chris. Achilles is on his own, because God only knows when he’ll settle down. Some of the cheer girls, three Heras I'm still close with. A few of Wren's lacrosse friends. It's magical. I don't drink anything, sticking to soda with Wren.
I'm walking out of the bathroom on the second floor when my boyfriend finds me.
"Come to my room. I have something for you." His beautiful blue eyes are shining with excitement. They're as indescribable as they've always been. Too dark for sky blue, too light for midnight blue. Perfect blue.
Once in his room, he points at one of the drawers at his desk. There are scrabble tiles on there, but he hasn't snapped in months, and I haven't had to teach anyone a lesson either. I think that's what happens when you're happy, in love. The rest disappears. The demons fade into darkness. You just…live.
I open the drawer, and there's a lot of clutter in there, but my eyes catch the small ring box.
"Wren," I gasp, bringing the box out. I don't open it, my stomach tensing with anxiety.
I turn to him, and his eyes go wild.
"Oh—"
But I cut him off.
"This is a lot," I say. "I know we went through things people will never go through, but…we’re just about to start grad school. There are so many things we need to do before. I mean, I don't know... I don't have an answer for you. And…can you live on a maybe? Please, I don't want this to ruin us."
He approaches me slowly, taking the box from my grip and putting a calming hand on my cheek.
"Breathe, baby." Reaching behind me, he pulls something else from the drawer. "This"—he puts two plane tickets in front of my face—"is your gift."
My eyes round as I read the destination. Manila.
"The Philippines!" I gasp.
He nods, smiling. "I think it’s time we live that life I promised you. We’ll go island hopping and learn to surf in Siargao."
"God, I’ll be such a better surfer than you."
He rolls his eyes "Sure. You lie to yourself."
I love the present. The destination is perfect. And he got us on a commercial flight. Because despite the fact that he owns a jet, he knows I hate the principle of it. No one needs a fucking jet.
My eyes fall to the box again. "So…this isn't for me?"
Why is there so much disappointment in my voice? I was offering him a maybe a second ago. But just like always with Wren…I'm late. Late in realizing how I feel, late in understanding how committed I am.
He laughs softly. "I've had this since senior year of high school." He opens it, a beautiful golden ring with a deep emerald intricately attached to it that has my breath catching. "Of course it's for you. But I've had it for so long, I think I can wait a little more before putting it around your finger."
I swallow thickly. "You bought me an engagement ring senior year? We… We'd never even kissed."
"Oh, I know," he says, seemingly still a bit hurt by that fact. "But I knew, Trouble, that I could get through to the most stubborn girl around."
I lick my lips as tears well in my eyes. "Stupid boy, making me feel everything."
He kisses me softly. "I can wait. I can have a maybe. I waited my entire life for you to become my girlfriend. You'll become my fiancée whenever you're ready."
My eyes drop to the ring again. Heart hammering, body buzzing. In a sense, all those new feelings only came around for Wren. He taught me how to love because he needed something as strong as how he felt. And now…I feel it all. So vividly, so intentionally. I don’t even remember how it was before.
All I want to know is how it’ll keep on feeling.
"Now," I breathe out. "I want it now."
His eyebrows raise so high they practically disappear below his hairline. "Now?"
"Now," I repeat. "I'm done making you wait. I'm done making myself miss out on the most beautiful things in life. You, Wren Hunter, your love , is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Now put the pretty ring around my finger."
"This—" He chuckles awkwardly, looking around the room. "This isn't exactly how I imagined it would happen." But his voice is thick with love.
"I ruined a romantic moment. Are we surprised?"
He drops the plane tickets to the floor, takes the ring out of the box and throws that too.
"No," he says with a light laugh. "We're not, and that's why I love you."
He slides the ring around my finger, and my heart skips a beat. Just like the first time we talked, the first time he caught me when I fell, the first time he kissed me.
I go to kiss him, but he's pulling his phone out and starts typing.
"Oh my god, Wren," I snap. "Is it really the moment to send a text?" I snatch his phone from his hands.
"No, don't!"
Looking down, my eyes go round when I see a list in his Notes app. It's titled College Peach.
My eyes gaze over the list, murmuring random words.
"Green olives, shampoo, sugar makes me feel sick…spiced honey, freckles, new vision… Wren, what is this?" I ask, but I keep reading. "EEAJ, new shampoo, keep the dog…and the last one makes my heart stop."
Mrs. Penelope Hunter. Yes. Looks good on the list.
His cheeks are bright red when I look up at him.
"Do you keep a list of things I like or dislike?"
He snatches the phone back. "Stop looking. I just… It's to make sure I never forget anything."
"Why is this one titled college ? Are there others?"
He nods, rolling his lips inwardly.
"High school?" I ask. "Middle school?"
He nods again. "Since I met you. I used to write them on paper, but now I just write it on my phone and transfer them when I get a new one."
"You're insane," I say seriously, but I'm not mad. If anything…it's the most loving thing anyone has ever done, yet it's so simple.
"And you're my fiancée," he replies brightly.
His lips on mine are a new promise. That this moment of happiness will never end.
It's already been forever for us. And I'm ready to spend another eternity with him.
"I want to see it again," Alex says, grabbing my hand.
"I can't believe you're the first one of us to get engaged!" Ella shrieks for the tenth time tonight, looking at Wren and me. "I thought it would be Alex."
"Me too," Xi approves.
" After college," she says, like it's a daily conversation between them.
"Do you want to be the second one?" Chris asks his girlfriend. "Now?"
"Shut up." Ella rolls her eyes, but we all know the answer is yes.
We told my dads right away, then we told everyone downstairs, but it's just us now. Alex, Xi, Ella, Chris, Achilles, Wren, and I. Our chosen family.
"I would say it's a surprise if she was engaged to anyone other than Wren," Achilles says. "But who’s really surprised here? The man had the plan in place since he was six."
We all laugh, and I eye my fiancé. He's not denying it, and his self-satisfied smile triggers questions inside me. It is weirdly convenient that the box was in the drawer. He’s the one who hid the tickets in there. He knew I would open it.
"Did you put it there on purpose?" I ask him. "Was your plan for me to see the box and say we’d do it when I’m ready…just for me to realize I was ready?"
He winks at me, taking a sip of his beer. "I guess we’ll never know."
A phone beeps in the room, and it's followed by many others, all in their own time.
It's a post from Hermes. A picture of a girl with half-bleached and half-black hair walking out of the admission office on campus.
Rags to riches! Our new favorite.
SFU has changed… I think they're giving bursaries now or something, because a little rat from the North Shore of Silver Falls got lost on our campus today.
Someone, please, for the love of God, get her to a hairdresser.
Let her know in the comments how…welcome she is here.
#SFUcharity #don'ttouchmyHermesbag #pleaseleavealready
The comments, of course, are anything but welcoming.
"I know this girl," I say. "She's been at the women's shelter multiple times, temporarily homeless every time. Her dad is a gambler or something."
"Her name is Nyx," Wren says. "I met her once." He looks at Achilles, but our friend has put his phone away already. "You know her too."
"Or so she keeps saying," he answers blankly.
"We can't let Hermes get to her," I snap. "They'll destroy her."
They all know now that Hermes blackmailed me, that I almost lost my mind. We still don’t know how they got the picture of me and Ania that night, or why they were after me, specifically. We don’t know what they wanted out of me initiating and being part of the Circle, having me witness the things I did, but once it was announced that Elijah had murdered Ania–truthfully–and all the other people on campus–to cover for me–Hermes stopped messaging.
"We won't," Ella says. "We'll take care of her."
Achilles stands up, downing what's left of his beer, clearly ready to go to bed. He looks at all of us, a scowl on his face before he says, "What we really need to do is find out who that fucker is."
THE END
Want to know who Hermes is? Find out in the last book of Silver Falls University: Loving The Tormentor
Coming soon!