Epilogue
We were finishing off a pile of Nicoli’s homemade French toast when Rose’s phone vibrated against the table. She wiped her mouth with a napkin before glancing at the text. As she read it, her eyes went round.
“No way!” The chair she’d been sitting on jerked backward as she shot to her feet. “I can’t believe it!”
Asha froze, a fork poised halfway to her mouth. The last bite of sausage she’d speared fell off and hit the pool of syrup on her plate. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. This is perfect!” Rose turned to me.
“When I found out you were coming for a visit, I arranged a surprise for you.” She was speaking at full tilt, like she couldn’t get her words out fast enough.
“I didn’t know if my idea would work timing-wise, but something came up and now we’re in business! ”
I smiled despite my confusion. Man, was it good to be with my sister again.
My grounding had lasted through the end of September, six full weeks where I was cut off from Asha, Boomer, and Alec. It was easier to handle not spending time with my friends because I saw them at school, and since things with Asha were tense, we didn’t talk much anyway.
With Alec it was different. Between his work schedule and my imprisonment, we’d only been able to hang out twice following his sister’s wedding—both times when he’d stopped by the Electric Waffle during one of my shifts.
Being apart from one another was maddening, especially considering we were still in the heart racing, stomach fluttering stage of our relationship.
Nevertheless, we made the most of a bad situation by texting every day.
But more than anyone, I missed Rose. We had so much time to make up for, and I hated that she lived so far away.
The miles between us made me feel like I’d found her only to lose her again, so when my punishment finally came to an end, the first thing I did with my renewed freedom was go for a visit.
Without a second thought, I purchased the cheapest flight I could find from LA to Seattle.
I flew out to Washington on a Friday after school, this time with my mom’s permission.
The only small hitch was Mom didn’t feel comfortable letting me travel alone, so I’d bribed Asha into coming with me.
She’d needed a victim to rewatch all four seasons of Immortal Nights with her before the fifth and final season aired, and that was a price well worth paying.
The marathon turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
During the eighty plus hours of Lilliana LaCroix and her supernatural gang, I was able to mend the rift I’d caused in our friendship, no groveling required.
Asha was so eager to hear about my rekindled romance with Alec that she forgave me on the spot.
All things considered, I felt like my life was back on track after being derailed by the turbulent end to my summer.
“What kind of surprise?” I asked, pulling my robe tighter. Undeterred by the October weather, Rose had the kitchen window propped open, allowing a crisp, morning breeze to drift through the room.
Her mouth curled into a sly grin. “Go get dressed and then you’ll see.”
I nodded, then brought my dirty dishes over to the sink before heading to the guest room Asha and I were sharing.
Rose was in scheme mode, I could tell. Whatever she was up to, it had better not interfere with today’s touring itinerary.
I had our entire weekend planned out down to the minute, and today was no exception.
There were so many places I wanted to go in Seattle, like the Chihuly glass exhibit that Asha had mentioned.
I’d read up on the city since my last stay, and in addition to the main tourist attractions like Pike Place Market and the Space Needle, visiting the Fremont Troll and the Museum of Pop Culture were at the top of my to-do list.
When I returned to the kitchen ten minutes later, Asha was already gone. She’d made plans to hang out with her cousin but would return later tonight in time for our flight home.
Sitting at the table in her place was my boyfriend.
I stopped midstride and did a double take. “Alec? What are you doing here?”
Based on his outfit, it looked as if he’d just returned from a wilderness expedition.
He was wearing a red and black lumberjack flannel, and there was a windbreaker draped over the empty chair at his side.
A gray beanie was pulled over his head, and strapped to his feet was a pair of heavy-duty hiking boots.
Most surprising of all, however, was the stubble on his face.
He was normally clean-shaven, but Alec appeared to have lost his razor.
That, or he really had been traversing the wild these past few days.
I’d never envisioned him as an outdoorsy type, not even when I learned of his love for hiking and mountaineering. But now, seeing Alec dressed like someone out of a North Face catalogue, I was able to appreciate this other side to him, a side he didn’t often share with the rest of the world.
“Wow,” he said, standing to greet me. “That wasn’t the warm welcome I was hoping for. What gives? Not happy to see me?”
Alec’s teasing cured my shock, and I threw myself at him in response, wrapping my arms around his shoulders as he lifted me off the ground. “Of course I am,” I laughed. “It’s just that I don’t understand.”
“He’s your surprise, dork,” Rose responded. She was leaning against the countertop, observing us as she sipped at her morning caffeine. Her lips curved up over the top of her coffee mug. “I figured you guys haven’t seen much of each other lately, so I extended an invitation to him.”
“I didn’t know if I’d make it, so we decided not to tell you,” Alec added. “The band was supposed to have a major meeting about our upcoming tour tonight, but our manager Courtney came down with the flu. I caught the first flight out as soon as I heard it was postponed.”
“That’s awesome!” I exclaimed, and when Alec raised his brows, I quickly backtracked. “Well, not the part about your manager getting sick. I hope she feels better soon. What I meant was, I’m super excited to see you.”
Alec grinned and brushed back one of my escaped curls. “I know,” he said, planting a kiss on my forehead. His face felt like sandpaper. “I’m excited to see you too.”
Twenty minutes later, we were cruising down the highway in the Jeep Wrangler Alec had rented at the airport. It was just the two of us, since Rose claimed she had errands to run. But we all knew she was only making an excuse, giving Alec and me an opportunity to spend time together.
I couldn’t be more grateful.
Although this was supposed to be a sisters’ weekend, there was no telling when I’d get another moment alone with him—and that was because of my mom.
She was still wary of Alec, which wasn’t a surprise considering his association with the biggest rebellion of my life.
The two had yet to meet, but when that finally happened, I knew Mom would see the same, caring person I did.
Not an aloof rich kid or a guy in a band.
Alec Williams was so much more than that.
He was someone who wasn’t afraid to chase his dreams. Someone who inspired the people around him.
And he was the boy who held my heart, because the music rooted in my soul, an inherent tune that made me who I was, played in his as well.
“Can you pretty please tell me where we’re going?” I asked for the fourth time, batting my lashes for good measure.
Alec’s eyes cut from the road to me. “Nope.” As usual, he was enjoying keeping me in the dark. The smirk on his face was evidence enough.
“How about a hint?”
He freed a hand from the steering wheel in order to lace his fingers with mine. The leather strap of the bracelet I’d made him brushed against my wrist. “Not going to happen,” he said. “But if you pay attention, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
Biting down on a smile, I focused my gaze out the windshield.
I had a hunch where we were heading. In the distance, a snowcapped mountain pierced the clear blue sky—Mount Rainier.
I decided to concede to the mystery of our destination, so I settled into my seat and basked in the stunning scenery that surrounded us.
If there was one lesson I’d learned this summer, it was that the best things in life are often the ones we never plan for: a surprise birthday party, a chance meeting with the future love of your life, a spur-of-the-moment road trip.
So even if today turned out to be a total disaster, I knew everything would be fine.
Sometimes all you needed was an adventure.