Damaged goods

epilogue

"Not that I remember."

"Well you my beautiful girl, are absolutely stunning. It hurts to look at you for too long."

My beautiful girl. He knows the right things to say to make my stomach flutter.
I kiss him. He kisss a line down from my jaw. He tilts my head up, so he had a clear path to kiss my neck. He sucked on my neck, making me lightly moan. He pulls away, smirking. "Now everyone will know you're mine."

I was redder than anything. I could feel it. "We must go to our reservations, we're late." I breathe out.

"Good idea," he says, smirking at my reaction. Fuck him.
                                         •••

We sit on the roof of the restaurant, the cold wind brushed against my cheek. Ezra reached across the table to hold my hand, he kissed my knuckles. "You alright?" he asks.

"More than alright."

"We should talk about college." he says.

I hold my finger up to his lips silencing him. I didn't want to talk about college. Not if we weren't going together. Ezra was accepted into a college in England and I'll still be in Arizona. "I don't want to think about it, not if I'm not with you."

His eyes soften. "Talk to me buttercup. What's wrong?"

I sigh. "I don't know. I know you're excited about college. Tristan and you will have an apartment together and you're going to be happy, but will we even still work? What if you find someone-"

"Don't even finish that sentence. Alyssa, I love you. I'll love you through everything. No matter how far we are, my heart still belongs to you. I'm never going to be ready for you to give it back, so don't."

I nod. "We'll call every night. Facetime movie nights." he laughs.

"Okay." I lightly smile. "Are you ready for college? I'm coming with you for the first few days to help you settle."

"I would love that."

The waitress came over and we order our food. I ordered a carbonara and Ezra orders the same.

I look around the rooftop we were on. It was only us up here, I can't even imagine how much extra Ezra had to pay for it to only be us. "It's nice up here," I whisper, looking at the view of the city.

"It is, isn't it?"

I look over at Ezra, who was watching me. "Would you ever move to London?"

I shrug. "I wouldn't mind it."

"Interesting," he murmurs.

Several minutes passed and the server came with our food, we thanked her and indulged in our pasta. It was incredible.

Ezra and I talk for a while and once we had finished. I stand up and walked to the railing of the rooftop. I felt Ezra wrap his arms around my waist. "You okay?"

"Mhm," I reply, and he presses a kiss into my hair.

I let out a heavy sigh and Ezra releases his arms from me. I slowly turn to face him and he was on one knee.

"Ezra," I whisper breathlessly.

No, he isn't.
He can't be.
As much as I would love to marry Ezra it isn't right. Not now.

"I love you, Alyssa, I have loved you for years and I know I'll continue to for the rest of my life because I don't know who I would be if I were not hopelessly in love with you. I'm not proposing to you just yet but I want you to wear this ring as a promise from me. I promise I'll support you in every decision you make, I promise to love every part of you and remind you how beautiful you are, and lastly, I promise I'm going to love you for the rest of our lives. No matter how far we are, my love for you will never end."

His face blurs as I felt tears wash down my cheeks.

"Will you wear the ring?" he asks.

I nod frantically. "Yes, a hundred times yes." he slipped the ring on my ring finger and I lean down pressing my lips against his.

He smiles against my lips. "I love you." he breathes.

After Elliot, I never really understood love.
Every part of me that used to love the the idea of being in love died.
I couldn't even visualize being loved or sharing my love with anyone.
That was until I found Ezra again. He completely changed my view on love and happiness. He showed me how pure and promising love can feel when it's given right and that just makes me love him even more.

"I love you, Ezra. Sometimes it scares me how immense my love for you is."

He kisses my forehead and I rested my head on his chest as we danced to the slow music playing in the background.
Home. That's what Ezra felt like.

THE END

AUTHORS NOTE

I can't believe this, I don't even want to believe this. My book is finished. Thank you so fucking much for all the support and love you all have shown me through this whole book. I genuinely couldn't have written this without all your support. I love and appreciate you all and don't worry this isn't the end of Ezra and Alyssa  ;)

I love you all so much, stay safe.

- mara