Bruises and scars. (Teacher/student love story)

EPILOGUE Bruises and Scars.

It was only a week after graduation that I moved in with Holden, Ellie came to visit shortly after and any anger she had for me before was gone.

We went to visit his parents who were ecstatic to have us there and constantly asked when the wedding was going to be, and the most important question of all: when were we having babies?

Holden and I usually just laughed off their demands of a summer wedding before I left for college, we didn't want to tie the knot so soon. I'm practically still a kid, we wanted to wait a few years.

Over the summer I tried to see my friends as much as possible to make up for last summer, and this school year. At first they all seemed a little weirded out that I brought Holden, but eventually they all just started to treat him like another one of the guys. Even Alex would join us sometimes.

A month after I moved in with Holden I was searching for my purse which I was positive had gone under the bed when something shiny caught my eye. I looked over to see my engagement ring from Alex, I picked it up before climbing out from under the bed and examined it. I briefly remember Holden slipping it off my finger right after I broke up with Alex, and he put it on the nightstand, it must have fallen off. I looked at the ring from Holden securely on my finger, and then look at the ring Alex gave me. I shake my head before I slip back into the bad habit of comparing the two boys and stand up. I slip the ring into my purse figuring the next time I see Alex I'll give it back.

It wasn't even a full week later that I ran into him, I was at the grocery store picking up things for dinner when he rounded the corner and into the isle I was in.

I smiled at him, "Hi Alex."

He paused and looked down the isle probably looking for Holden, who actually was here with me, but he was getting vegetables.

"Hi," He eyes my basket, "Getting grocerys I see."

I laugh, "That's what one usually does in the grocery store."

He gives me a small smile and then sighs, "You here with Holden?"

I nod, "Yeah, he's getting vegetables for dinner."

Alex nods thinking this over, "I'm grabbing some stuff for my dad and me, you know how it is."

I did know, they switched off who picked up groceries every week.

We stand there in silence for a moment and then I remember the ring and I jump a little, "Oh, I have something for you."

He tilts his head to the side, "What is it?"

I grab the ring from the side pocket of my purse and drop it into his hand, "I almost forgot to give it back."

Alex looks down at it and then quickly shakes his head, "I want you to keep it." He softly takes my hand and presses it into my palm, before closing my fingers around it.

"But you spent a lot of money on it, don't you want to get that back."

He shakes his head, "It's not about the money Scarlete, I would keep it and one day chuck it off a bridge or something."

I look down at my hands, "I'm sorry."

He shrugs, "Not your fault."

Before I can say anything else my phone starts to ring and when I look at the caller i.d. I blush, "Hold on." I say to Alex.

"What's wrong?" I ask into the phone.

"I'm having a vegetable crisis, do you want asparagus, spinage, broccoli, or green beans for dinner?"