Chapter 46: epilogue

SEPTEMBER

"One of these days I am going to kill you."

Jake's trademark cross of a grin and a smirk fades into a line at Avery's greeting. Leaning against the doorway to her dorm room, he regards her with a frown. "What's wrong with you?"

"Me?" Avery asks incredulously, tying her hair up into a ponytail. "What's wrong with you? You've texted me eighteen times the past five minutes!"

"It did get annoying," Sanaa, her roommate, offers up in agreement from where she's propped up on her elbows on her bed – eyes flickering from the textbook before her to the boy in the doorway. "What's the big deal with this whole lacrosse game anyways?"

Avery's lips twitch up in faint amusement. "Football."

"Right, that's what I said. So, what's the big deal? Why are you both acting like you had Red Bull with your cereal this morning?"

"Are you serious? Is she serious?" Jake looks between Sanaa and Avery in disbelief. "The Carolina-Duke rivalry has only spanned on over the past hundred or something years.

Sanaa shrugs, flipping the page of her textbook. "I'm not really into sports."

Avery leans back against her desk, applying some chapstick to her lips. "And you're sure you don't want to come with us?"

"Not really," Sanaa pulls an apologetic grimace. "I need to get all this reading done anyways."

"Okay."

"Team-wrecker," Jake glances pointedly at the time on his phone. "We have to get moving if you want to catch Ethan before the game."

"Ethan?" Sanaa looks up from her book again, suddenly more intrigued. "As in the boyfriend?"

"Yeah, he's playing today," Avery pushes her phone into the back pocket of her dark denim skirt. "I thought I told you about that."

"No, I would have remembered."

"He's starting his first game as quarterback today," Jake chimes in proudly. "As a freshman – may I add."

"Now, I don't know much about sports," Sanaa turns her gaze to Avery once more, raising a brow. "But that is impressive."

Jake beams. "It is."

"We get it," Avery suppresses a chortled breath. "You're in love with my boyfriend."

"He wishes."

Avery gestures to the neckline of the T-shirt hidden underneath Jake's sweater. "His face is on your shirt."

Jake points at Avery's hoodie, knowing what's underneath it. "You're wearing the same shirt."

Sanaa regards the exchange, lips slightly parted as she straightens up into a seat. She interrupts them by clearing her throat. "When were you going to tell me you're dating some damn superstar?"

"I thought you knew! I swear."

Sanaa's brows knit together, lips pursing ever so slightly. "But... I thought our quarterback was a senior?

"Oh, about that–"

"And gay," She says now, reaching for her phone where it lies on the floor. "Yes, definitely gay."

"Actually, Sanaa. Ethan doesn't–"

"There was this whole feature on him last year – in The Daily Tar Heel," Sanaa unlocks her phone, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her black hair. "Or was that basketball? Are there quarterbacks in basketball?"

Jake's lips twitch into the amused smirk Avery has come to recognize so well. "Hey Chatterbox?"

Avery's eyes squeeze shut at the nickname, the pads of her fingertips coming to the bridge of her nose as she exhales.

It takes Sanaa a moment to glance up from her phone, uncertainty sprawled over her features as she realizes the other two are watching her. "Oh, me?"

"What Avery's trying – and failing," Jake shoots Avery a pointed look. "To tell you is that you've got the wrong quarterback."

"What?"

A hint of pride touches upon Avery's lips as she smiles – something that's become quite a habit as her boyfriend is the subject of conversation these days.

"Ethan's not a Tar Heel," She says, tucking her hands into the front pocket of her hoodie. "He's a Blue Devil."

♡♡♡

Walking down a hallway of Kenan Memorial Stadium she definitely shouldn't be in, Avery continues to flicker her gaze to her sides, ready to sprint in case she's caught – not that she's sure where she'd sprint to exactly.

She has Jake's strange, yet incredible, people skills to thank for being let in this far in the first place.

They've only been in Chapel Hill for a month – almost two – and he already seems to know every single person on campus, give or take a few thousand. She's given up on her efforts to solve the mystery of her friend's undeniable, magnetic charm seeming to sway everyone in his way. Instead, she simply goes along with the flow.

And considering her eyes catch sight of Ethan now, it seems it's working out in her favor.

Meeting her halfway, his lips slip into a beaming smile but she doesn't miss the faint anxious knit of his brows. Her own nerves spark to life at the sight, heartbeat only calming ever so slightly as she melts into his embrace, enveloped in the comforting clean scent of him as her nose buries in the dip of his throat.

It hasn't been that long since she last saw him. Just three days ago she borrowed Jake's car to make the short drive to Durham but it does feel like it's been forever. And the joy fluttering within her over finally being back in his arms again seems to agree.

"Hi." She breathes out, tilting her head back as she reaches up on her toes to press a quick kiss to his lips.

One of his arms fall to her waist to hold her close while he uses the other to grab hold of the fabric of her Carolina blue hoodie, shaking his head as his eyes narrow at the three letters sprawled across its chest. "What's this?"

"Oh come on," Avery's lips quirk up as she bites down on her lip. "You didn't think I'd betray my own on such an important day, did you?" She smiles proudly. "I'm a Tar Heel now."

"Better than a Capulet, I guess."

Her lips part with a huff of air. "I'll always be a West Capulet."

"Unfortunately."

A short laugh leaves her, smile softening. "I will need one of those jerseys of yours though. For the games you're not playing against us."

Ethan's browse raise in a somewhat pleasant surprise. "Really?"

"Really."

"Do I have your word on that?"

"Yeah," Avery feigns a small sigh of defeat. "You do."

"I could always get you one of my old ones. From East."

"Ha ha. You're funny you. Oh!" Stepping out of his hold, Avery pulls the hoodie over her head – her lips back in a soon to be jaw-aching smile. "I almost forgot to show you the best part!"

"What the hell is that?"

"A T-shirt with your face on."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"Look," She twirls around. "Mine says Team-wrecker on the back. Jake got them made."

Ethan's eyes narrow, the amusement in the twitch of his lips hard to miss. "Is he wearing one too?"

Avery slips back into her hoodie, lifting her ponytail back into place. "He is."

"What does his say?"

"Dickhead," Avery loops her arms around his neck. "My choice. You're welcome."

"I'm not sure I'm a fan of this whole friendship thing you two have going on."

"Too late now."

His gaze drifts past her shoulder as if expecting the boy to appear out of thin air from the mere mention of his name. "Where is he anyways?"

"Flirting with some girl we met out front."

"Of course he is."

"He'll be here," Avery says, smile softening.

She hasn't spent more than half a lifetime around her athlete friends to have missed out on the importance of pregame routines. And Jake is part of Ethan's.

She lifts her hand to his face, loosely cupping his cheek as she smooths her thumb over his skin. "Do me a favor out there, okay? Be careful."

"Doubting me now, are you Waters?"

Smiling, she rolls her eyes. She knows there are probably more than a few people out there wondering if the coaching staff of the Blue Devils have completely lost their minds or if there truly is a prodigy walking among them, considering they're sending out the newly arrived freshman quarterback to start in one of the most important games of the season.

Not only is this, the 104th football rivalry game played between the schools, Ethan's chance to show what he goes for, but the expectation to defend Duke's hold of the Victory Bell – after last year's win – rests upon his shoulders.

There might be a lot of doubters out there today, but Avery's not one of them.

She shakes her head, fingers lingering on his jaw. "Never."

At the sound of a door clicking open, she tenses and throws a glance over her shoulder toward the wide-doored entrance she'd come through just a few moments ago. She relaxes again as she realizes it's Jake – his trademark grin in place.

Eyes drifting back to Ethan, she smiles again.

"I love you. Good luck," She says, placing another kiss on his lips before she lets her hands fall to his arms. With an inhale of air, she gives them a light squeeze. "You've got this,"

Stepping back, she looks between the two boys. "I'll leave you to do – whatever it is you do."

♡♡♡

She's perched on the highest step of a stone staircase out front, leant back on her arms and lips in a content smile from the way the sun warms her skin, as Jake drops into a seat next to her.

Batting her eyes open, she glances at him through the dark shades of her sunglasses.

"Ridiculous handshake accomplished?"

"Mhm."

"What else do you do? Sacrifice a Wester?"

"I mean," He slants his head to the side, lifting one of his shoulders in a shrug. "You're still sat out here."

She shakes her head with a small laugh, stretching her legs out long and flexing her ballet-flat clad feet.

"Come on," Jake gets to his feet, extending her his hand to help her up as well. He eyes the bustle of life before them. "Let's join in on the festivities."

She brushes some imaginary dirt off her skirt, easily hooking her arm in his. "We're going to be stood next to Ethan's family for hours,"

As to empathize her words, her phone buzzes in her hand with a text from Anna in that very moment. "I'm not getting drunk."

Jake shoots her a look. "Neither am I. Doesn't mean we can't have fun."

She lets him lead the way – once again deciding to go with his flow. Her lips quirk up as he greets some of the people they pass by, seeming to know every third person.

Pushing her phone into the pocket of her skirt, her hold tightens around his arm. "He didn't seem too nervous to you, did he?"

"No. He's ready," Jake says, confidence in his voice. "He'll be great."

Avery presses her lips together to stop herself from smiling too wide. "I know. He's a superstar."