Epilogue// "Guess I'll always be The Quarterback's Girl then"
How lucky was I to have everyone around me that I loved?
I'd lived a long life 67 years old, or was I older? I guess you lose count at some point in your life.
My vision had gotten really bad but I still make out the people in front of me.
I look over at my son, who I loved more than anything in the world. He stood side by side with his wife.
River Grayson.
It was scary how much he looked like Elliott, he had those eyes. Those ocean blue eyes so deep and haunting. Even after I got married, I made River keep his father name, someone had to take forward the Grayson name.
I called him River because his eyes reminded me of deep ocean water, but I want going to call him ocean was I?
Then he had my dark hair which was already only one shade lighter than Elliott's, River had also inherited Elliott's angelic feature, like his sharp jawline, high cheekbones. Yet they were still softer and less harsh looking.
I always knew my little boy would make all the girls go wild.
I brought him up to know not to play around with a girl, and guess he was more like me than Elliot.
River adored reading, he wasn't wild like Elliott. He was calmer, he thought about what he was saying before it left his mouth. Unlike Elliott who always blabbered a load of shit.
I never let him forget his dad. I told him his dad was a brilliant guy and that Elliott was. The proudest thing for me was when River became the quarterback in school.
And in school, he met a girl in high school, who in the most complicated way he ended up with.
Then I look over at my little girl who has a 17-year gap with River.
It took me 11 years to move on from Elliott and in fact, I never actually moved on without him. I just forced myself to act more normal, only for those around me.
It took me a long time to find someone who I cared about, and even longer to have a child with them. Though she was never planned.
"Lea there's no need to cry" I shake my head at her.
"But mom whose going to be there to help me when you're not her?" She snivels. Wiping a tear away from her cold, light blue eyes. The exact opposite color of River's.
"Please Amelia Ryder, you used to tell me you never needed your mom. You said you could do everything yourself. You don't need your old mom"
My daughter wipes her eyes with her sleeve now, as her tears fall faster, she brushes her dark brown hair out her face.
"I was a stupid teenager, you know I love you mom"
Of course, I did, even after the times she used to chuck books at me, she was such a hassle of a child.
The fights we used to have were ridiculous. But that's the way it is between mother and daughters. You act lie you don't need them until you one day regret it.
"Oh Crescent, you can't really be leaving us" Carter sighs. His usually brown hair was now gray, he'd given up on dying it.
I give him a small smile. Carter was someone who I relied on, he was a friend that was always there for me.
"If you see Dan or Alec tell them life is boring without them" Aiden smiles as he bends down to give me a hug.
"Come on I think we should leave now" Carter perks up. Both of them were always there to pick me up when I was having one of my bad days.
There were more tears and more goodbyes.
That's when I turn to look at my husband.
His cold light blue eyes look back at me.
It took me years to accept his friendship let alone his love. And it just worked out that way that we ended up together. I would never have planned it.
I think the thing that drew us closer was what happened to Daniel
It was belated when Daniel was allowed out of prison, only to find out a few days later, it happened l.
I guess none of us will ever know why it happened. Some things just haunt a person forever and that's when Elliott's death did to Daniel.
I married Conner Ryder because he was there for me when I needed him and just the time was right. I took over my dad's company, as Daniel wasn't there to do it. The media used to say I couldn't do it but I did.
And Conner, he achieved his dream. He wanted to spend the rest of his life doing football and that's exactly what he did
"You'll see him again, " Conner says which surprises me as we both usually never talk about Elliott.
He leans down to kiss me on the forehead.
"I love you, Crescent Ryder"
I look into his light blue eyes for the last time.
I knew already it was time for me to go. I close my eye and see blackness in front of me.
It was getting harder to breathe and someone behind the darkness of my eyelids I could see a light.
It was getting larger and larger until it covered my whole vision
***
I open my eyes blinking dramatically and look around me as I see grass, trees, and flowers. The colors of everything looked so vibrant and just beautiful.
Birds were singing above me in the bright blue sky.
I walk a few steps forward, I look at myself ridiculously what was a fifty-year-old women's doing in a little blue dress. I pull the hem of it down but it wouldn't budge.
I stop then to gaze at my hands.
No no, I can't be.
No longer did they have the tiny wrinkles or the scars I developed over the years.
I run over to a puddle water and look at my reflection. I place a hand on my cheek. I looked like a little girl as though I had gone back in time.
My hair no longer containing gray strands but instead flowing down my back, big and brown.
I take a second glance at my hand and there surrounding the fourth finger on my left hand was a ring. It wasn't Conner's ring though.
No, it was one I kept in a special box by my bed. One that I hadn't looked at in years, one that I never showed anyone.
It belonged to someone I was once engaged to.
A boy with bright blue eyes and a mischievous grin on his face. One that I loved more than anyone in the world.
Even though I lived without him he took my heart with him when he died.
I look forward and see a dark brown bridge over a lake of water. Someone was there.
I run along the grass. Oh, how good it felt to be able to move my muscles again. I felt my hair fly behind me as I run to him.
I gasp as I realize who it was.
He was looking at me smiling.
He stopped smiling before. Once Elliott died he never smiled again.
I run up the bridge barefooted and he has his arms open for a hug.
"Daniel" I cry. I felt an instant connection being reunited with my twin. When he was still alive, we were still separated. I went to visit him as often as I could, along with River. I let River know that his uncle wasn't a bad person.
When he died it was like being cut in half, I felt empty like something was always missing.
"Cress" he smiles as he pulls away from our hug. His brown hair was moving as the wind blew past us and his brown eyes had that glint of life in them.
He looked so young, like a little boy. As we did when we were 18. No one will understand how much I missed him. I lost two of the most important people in my life, but somehow losing Daniel was the worst.
"Daniel where..." I begin but he cuts me off.
"We can talk later... there's someone waiting for you"
Daniel beams as he points in the direction of empty grasslands.
There was some sort of figure from what I could tell.
I begin walking slowly in its direction, it can't be.
Each step was hard to take as shock ran through me.
Soon I'm jogging.
And I break off into a full on sprint my dress flying behind me.
As I aged his face disappeared from my memory. As I grew older the memories grew fainter.
He turns to look at me; his eyes at deep as the depths of the blue ocean, light up in my direction.
His black hair all perfect and messy as he liked.
I try and run faster nearly tripping up.
He opens his arms wide as I nearly felt like I was flying. I can barely see him longer through my tears.
And I knock into his chest.
His arms instantly grab me as he spins me around; his body crushes me, with his tight grip like he was never going to let me go again.
"Dawson" He breathes his familiar scent attacking me. "I've wanted to do this for so long"
He crashes his lips against mine. His mouth moving against mine in sync, his hand runs through my hair. His lips burn against mine, as he kisses me with fire and passion. It was electric and I felt more alive than ever.
My hands are in his hair tugging at the dark strands, I stand on my toes trying to reach up to him and pushing myself closer to him.
He was smiling against my lips as he kisses my like he would never get the chance to again.
His hands go to my hips pushing closer to him.
His tongue runs along my bottom lip and I breathe in the same air as him.
And he detaches his lips from mine too quickly.
He looked liked a child when you gave them candy for the first time. He was glowing as he looked at me no other person could.
The tears flow out my eyes.
He was here, he was here, after all these years.
I place my hand up against his cheek, he was real. Oh, my god, he was real.
"Elliott"
"What are you doing crying Dawson?" He smiles as he wipes my tears.
I clutch on to him for dear life, like someone was going to snatch him away from me again.
"I told you I'd be here for you on the other side. You didn't believe me" He raises his eyebrows at me.
"You're never going to leave me" I beg him.
"You have me forever" He glows.
"Now let's see if we can have children in heaven now. Hey did you know protection doesn't exist, not like I've tried it with anyone? I've not had sex it like 50 years"
I look at him as if he was talking a load of random nonsense.
"So you haven't been with anyone?" I don't even understand why I ask that question. How could he be with anyone?
"Well I did try and kiss Daniel once, but he was having none of it" Elliott laughs. I missed his husky laughter, the sound of it brought back memories.
I hear a chirp behind me, I spin around to see something 4 legged running towards me.
It's tiny ears flopping around.
I crouch down as Elliscent runs it to my arms.
Oh, my baby.
I hadn't seen her in like 25 years since she passed away.
"That's who's been keeping me company" Elliott grins rubbing her head. She barks happily.
"Dawson I've watched over you every day, well except when you am Conner we're getting it on, other than that"
"Are you angry? Do you still love me?" I ask. It would be fair if he didn't, sometimes when I was with Conner it felt like I was betraying Elliott.
"I've waited for you for like 50 years and you're asking me if I still love you. Are you out of your god damn fucking mind?" Elliott asked. "I love you so much they need to create a new word because love ain't good enough for me"
"You know I always loved you?" I ask him.
And his lip quirks up "Of course you do. How can you not love the brilliant Elliott Grayson"
We walk forward slowly then I gasp.
"Is that Alec?" I ask confused. He was holding a net and running around.
"He's butterfly catching, it's his favorite thing to do. Of course, he lets them go free when he catches them" Elliott shrugs like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"So you married a Quarterback, they used to call you The Quarterback's Girl"
I laugh out loud at that.
He grasps onto my hand pulling me close to him.
"You might like to know that we play football sometimes, and I'm still the best Quarterback there is"
"Guess I'll always be The Quarterback's Girl then" I shrug
"I'll make sure of it, Dawson" He leans down and kisses me again.
The end.
Completed on 14/07/17
*please read my Author note on the next page!
Also there is a bonus chapter near the end of this book and the very last chapter of this book is Conner's story! You should check it out so you can understand him.